People don’t like change. Especially when it involves taking away a laid-back weekend by the coastline with succulent seafood and the promise of a cold one at the end of a long, tiring day. So, when India Bike Week had no choice but to move its annual congregation from Goa to a little hill station in Maharashtra, there was, understandably, some discontent. However, over the course of two days, the otherwise fairly sleepy town of Panchgani was flooded with thousands of bikers carrying the very spirit that would have made this festival feel the same, irrespective of where in the country it took place.
The ride up
When I was asked to attend the festival, it felt almost criminal to fly into Pune and take a short cab ride down. So, in the spirit of ‘The Great Migration’, I rode there on my 2013 KTM 390 Duke – a spirited, fun machine that’s nearly a teenager, but hasn’t given me any of the trouble or drama you’d expect of one. It gave me plenty of reasons to make the 2,200km ride a memorable one.
As for the event itself, the change in venue came with some pretty notable silver linings. The weather in Panchgani was wonderful, and even with the sun shining down on us in the afternoons, there was an underlying coolness to the place given the altitude. It made the event that much less tiring, especially with all the running around I had to do to cover everything that was happening.
Familiar game
The highlight was probably Pol Tarrés doing what he does best. For the uninitiated, Pol is an enduro champion and rally racer who has developed a knack for doing some crazy stuff and expecting us to believe that sort of behaviour and skill is completely normal. At IBW, he did what he’s probably known for best – making his 210kg Yamaha Ténéré seem like a trials bike and manoeuvring it in ways most mortal men would never be able to.
Still, IBW had something for everyone at every skill level, and I mean that. Vida had set up a short off-road course for kids to try out the recently debuted Dirt.E K3, guided by expert riders, giving them their very first step into the wonderful world of two wheels – at perhaps the best place to catch a glimpse of the lifestyle they’re signing up for. KTM had an enduro cross track set up with multiple technical sections, giving participants an opportunity to put their adventure bikes and themselves to a proper challenge. And, as IBW has conducted for years now, you could also participate in the hill climb or flat track races aboard custom-built Harley-Davidson bikes.
The last-minute change in venue due to the assembly elections in Goa presumably came with several logistical challenges, and while IBW did an excellent job of ensuring we never got to experience them as attendees, multiple manufacturers had to drop out. So, while new product launches weren’t the focus, we did see new colourways, recently launched models being showcased, and global helmet brands like Suomy and Shark make their official debut.
All in all, IBW continued to act as one of the brightest shining examples of the ever-growing and passionate biking culture in India. And after attending the twelfth edition in Panchgani – the first time ever away from Goa – I can tell you it’s not the destination that makes the festival, but the community that shows up for it.