[TusharK]

Dates for India Bike Week 2019 have been announced. The sixth edition of the motorbike festival will be held on December 6-7, 2019 at Vagator in Goa.



The first India Bike Week was held in 2013. 5,324 bikers and 2,684 bikes attended the event. In 2017, this number grew to 15,484 bikers and 8,536 bikes. This year, the organisers expect to see over 20,000 bikers.



This year's event will consist of The Great Migration ride to Goa, RevMoto Stage, Howling Dog Bar and the India Stunt Championship, IBW Bikers' Club Village, All India Biker Build Off, Enduro Hill Climb, Flat Track Trials Circuit, Big Trip Travel Sessions and IBW Bikers' Mart - a bike expo with over 130 exhibitors.



Tickets for India Bike Week will be available from September 6, 2019. A one-day pass costs Rs. 1,200, while a 2-day pass is priced at Rs. 2,500.























https://insider.in/india-bike-week-2019-dec6-7-19/event

Link to Team-BHP News

[AtheK]

Oh No Not again, i thought it was gone for good once last year event was cancelled. Guess people have got a platform again to rev the nuts out of their bikes and get clicked.

The older i grow the more i feel like riding with just few guys with an ocassional group ride once a while, this though borderlines near circus.

[lionell]

I have four words for this 'Oh God Not Again'!

A lot of local folks detest this festival. The sentiment isn't of joy to see the riders, It was for the first year. Then it became a nuisance, with some unruly bikers zooming on narrow Goan roads causing some untoward incidents.

[rvd8732]

Athek - You wrote my exact thoughts. No offense to bikers/riders, this one event is just for those who want to show off and get clicked.

[ashwinprakas]

Just in case anyone had forgotten what happened last time:

Motovlogger beaten up at India Bike Week for criticizing a modded Z800

[Sunny_ST3]

Finally. We(my rider friends included) were eagerly waiting for IBW.

I am with a different opinion than Athek, Lionell. We do have exceptions in each and ever where but Generalizing from few incident its not correct IMO. In 2017, out of 15000+ riders, 20-30-50 may have abused bike or created ruckus, but remaining riders enjoyed event. I agree people abuses their bikes at IBW which I also don't like but you cant control them. IBW or local streets, they do it everywhere.

I have attended IBW in past with my rider friends and believe me I have made most amazing memories while riding to IBW and at IBW itself and that's what matter most.

[bigron]

This is such a douche event to begin with. It hardly encapsulates the essence of its namesake.

After the first bike week this has been given a miss by one and all I know who ride.

[scorpian]

I live in GOA and i can very well tell you that just about everyone here hates it, its ok for people to come from outside for 2 days and then go back, but for us locals its a lot of hassle and we are actually forced to bear it rather then enjoy it.
Many many examples of people riding recklessly and creating un-wanted trouble and situations.

And in the end there is a lot of garbage left behind.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by scorpian

And in the end there is a lot of garbage left behind.

Presume its the same for the annual rider mania as well. There should be some strong legislation put in place to control this.

But with the revised scenario of traffic fines, am sure the bikers will be a lot refined on the public roads. The cops must just be waiting to welcome all those folks who do stunts, revving, helmet less. Their coffers will go high, no worries.
Some silver lining in the otherwise dark cloud.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by Sunny_ST3

Finally. We(my rider friends included) were eagerly waiting for IBW.

I am with a different opinion than Athek, Lionell. We do have exceptions in each and ever where but Generalizing from few incident its not correct IMO. In 2017, out of 15000+ riders, 20-30-50 may have abused bike or created ruckus, but remaining riders enjoyed event. I agree people abuses their bikes at IBW which I also don't like but you cant control them. IBW or local streets, they do it everywhere.

I have attended IBW in past with my rider friends and believe me I have made most amazing memories while riding to IBW and at IBW itself and that's what matter most.

Everyone is entitled to have an opinion, and i respect yours. I hope you and your friends have lot of fun, obviously there is a market for this, hence tickets selling for those prices and people lining up to buy them.

For me personally would never ever go to such a place, a thought i think majority of the members who have posted here, agree to as well. IMO The whole concept of biking brotherhood has been lost or maybe i should say the definition for same has changed in last few years (Just my thought).

[VR/46_Chet]

That's good news indeed!

I'd like to ask a question or four here, If I may. Considering some of us know about what IBW has been previously:

1) Do you think it is okay to criticize an entire gathering of nearly 15000 people because of some (okay, a lot of) untoward incident(s) caused by someone (or an entire group of morons, (let's say 200 of them. Or 2000, maybe?) posing as some responsible biker(s) and failing to be one? If you are going to answer this from a local guy POV, please also explain how other festivals that happen in there are different/better (keeping the sheer number of bikes aside, of course).

2) How many people from ~15000 do you think come there only for the clicks, to revv the nuts off (their own) bikes and/or for simply showing them(selves) off?

3) Have you had the chance to meet the likes of CS Santhosh, Freddie Spencer, Leslie Porterfield (and this is just the past 2 editions, and I'm really happy for you if you have) outside of IBW and if you have, can you please try and ensure that ~100 of these 15000 total showoffs would also accompany you when you do so (for the greater good, maybe)?

4) Do all road incidents / accidents that happen on and around the event route and duration account as something happened specifically because of the event?


That said, I've had my fair share of mishaps during IBW rides.

1) Once while on the return leg, an 899 Panigale guy came speeding from the extreme left, my whole riding group was already on the left side of left lane and hence the place he came from was the left most marking, the ~15 inch tarmac beyond where only stray cattle or splendor guys can be seen coming the wrong way. Just that it was not a splendor but a Panigale doing well over 140 when all of us were doing 90. A gentle nudge and anything adverse could happen to either of us.

2) One ST7 guy whooshed past us like we all were sitting ducks. Moments later, a couple of Busas did the same. A km or two later, we saw a massive tyre mark, the ST7 guy was on the side of the road with riding gear completely torn, the ST7 was a further 50m down on the ground and the Busa guys were helping him get back up. We could have stopped but after slowing down, taking a hard look and ensuring that first aid kits and drinking water were already in place (with the crashed rider standing on his feet as well), we did not.

3) Once there was this guy who was riding solo on a K1300R. His problem? Coming in the way of every single rider he encountered. He was doing 30-40 kmph on twisties and the small straights that lie between each pair but the moment someone overtook him, off he went wringing the throttle, overtaking them and reducing his (and their) speed like he's meant to bring the world to a standstill. Me and my group waited for almost 10 minutes before passing him and all this while we were just being witnesses to his profound stupidity.

On the contrary, there are some wonderful experiences as well and I'll just mention a very basic one out of the lot:

We encountered a group of 3 Indians at the start of Amboli Ghat while riding back from IBW. Needless to say we let them pass, only to catch them a couple of minutes later (not that that was the idea) and then these friendly exchanges went on until the Ghat was over and the next stoppage came. We had a nice chat over snacks, wished each other well and set off.

The only reason why I prefer mentioning only one good experience is that it probably outweighs every other bad one that I've had. Such kind of experiences aren't specific to IBW either. Anyone who actually rides has had his/her fair share. Certain things are so basic they needn't even be mentioned here but anyway.

Have I gone OT? I hope not.

Coming from the Road to IBW to IBW itself, here's a few things I have personally enjoyed in the past:

• Meeting CS Santhosh, Freddie Spencer, Leslie Porterfield.

• Seeing some amazing modifications courtesy Biker BuildOff, meeting various people from the vehicle customization scene and having a great time while learning quite a lot.

• Checking out a number of accessories (and buying some) in one place without having to blindly trust some low quality edited white BG images on xyz.in websites that sometimes take as much time to load it makes you wonder if you're back to using a dial-up PPPoE. Not to mention the 2-3 weeks delivery time they take to arrive.

• Great deals, a friend got an HJC from there last time around. Another one got A* pants the year before that etc.

• Taking part in the Triumph Motorcycles Parade (albeit as a pillion)

• Checking out the parking lots for hidden gems (one of my favorite things). It was IBW where I first saw a GPZ900, a GL1000 Goldwing (regular visitor), H2, CS Santhosh's KLR etc. not to mention the impossible number of possibilities when it comes to modifications and/or accessories that one gets to see here as well.

• Attending launch events, specially of those motorcycles that one otherwise doesn't get to see much on the road. RNiteT Racer, K1600 Bagger, Bonnie Speedmaster, Scout Bobber etc.

• Meeting some like-minded nuts and making friends may it be on the road or at the venue. Have we forgotten the old guy riding solo on his BSA? I have not.

Now the nuisance part:

• Loudest Bike Competition - Total BS

• Garbage - A big problem at many events and not specific to IBW.

• Incidents / accidents - Ride safe and avoid the rotten apples as much as you can. Can anyone stop irresponsible bikers not just at IBW but anywhere in this country unless stricter laws come into force? Please do so. Hopefully the revised penalties will help to an extent this year. And although a loose example for comparison, do we criticize some beautiful destinations just because some irresponsible chaps managed to kill someone on the route, got the locals angry and made them stop bikers from using the route (often thrashing bikers or pelting stones at them even)? IBW serves as one such destination, albeit a temporary one.

• Serving alcohol at a Bikers event - Goa or anywhere else (even the basic showroom launch parties), I think this needs to stop. One step to take is probably giving a different color band on the entry so that the guys serving alcohol inside know for sure if you have ridden / driven to the event or not. But then people can always get drunk first and then arrive at the event. Also, to implement this for ~15000 is a different matter in itself.

Lastly, I ride only with a very close group of friends who also happen to be great bikers. We've been visiting Goa for the past 8 years or so and know a number of locals there. We make it a point to meet them every time and the only expression is happiness. At IBW, we've met a lot of genuine people over the years may it be garage owners, mechanics, modifiers, auto experts or simple genuine bikers. And this to me (and to us), is the very thing that makes us go to every edition of IBW. See you there!


PS: I'm in no way associated with the event.

[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by AtheK

For me personally would never ever go to such a place, a thought i think majority of the members who have posted here, agree to as well. IMO The whole concept of biking brotherhood has been lost or maybe i should say the definition for same has changed in last few years (Just my thought).

So apt,
Entire biking scenario is changed and soooo commercialized that its been few years since i have stopped riding with groups.
Small group (3-4) of like minded riders are the best to enjoy riding and camaraderie.
But we are in minority i believe

[am1m]

To each their own I guess. When I started doing long rides, I first attended one 'biker gathering'. Was a local one with just about 10-15 guys. That itself was an eye-opener. Instead of riding we spent more time talking about riding, eating, taking photos, etc. Never went for another after that. If I want to socialize, have enough old friends I don't get to see enough of. If I want to have pointless discussions, I have enough meetings at work! Have had wonderful rides solo and with just a couple of other people. Prefer it that way.

But a hobby is a hobby, to each their own.

[ishan12]

I can relate to the sentiments of many in this thread. I was very active around biker circles in Pune around 2012-13, but just after a couple of rides and meets I found the atmosphere not to my liking and eventually stopped being in so called motorcycle "clubs". Since then I mostly ride alone or with my wife who was then girlfriend or with a couple of close buddies. That is all the company I need and actually enjoy.
I had the misfortune once of being in Goa during the time the Bike week was happening and I witnessed first hand the nuisance that happens and the so called bikers going rogue on the streets with their after market exhausts and paying no heed to the law and order and road manners in general. That is when I knew I would never be a part of this circus .
I certainty feel for the locals, as they have all the right reasons to hate this gathering.

P.S - The above is just "my" opinion about the IBW. In no way I mean any disrespect to anybody who wants to be a part of it. It certainly pulls a lot of crowd so there must be something to it. It's just that I am not the target audiance/ buyer/rider for such events.

[neil.jericho]

Motorcycling is like ice cream. Not everyone likes the same flavours.