India Bike Week took place on Vagator beach, Goa, on February 2 and 3. The festival, which was organised by the biker community, also marked the 110th anniversary of Harley Davidson Motorcycles, and was also hailed as the first Harley Owners Group rally in India.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
The Dirt Track
One of the main features at the venue was the dirt track, which saw several races in different weight classes on both the days.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Bikes! Bikes! Bikes!
Several bike companies including BMW and Polaris displayed their wares at the festival.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
How fast can this one go?
Exhibition zones at the festival showcased several modified bikes including this one, which has an NOS tank attached.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Bikers and bikernis.
While the festival was mostly testosterone central, several women bikers made their way down to Goa, including The Bikerni, an all-women bikers group.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
The Chopper Zone
The chopper zone at the festival was... well, hog central.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Faridkot
The music performances were divided between the Main Stage and the EDM Tent. While India Bike Week boasted a skilled, eclectic lineup, the festival was more about the bikes than the music, and both the crowd (and our photographer) gravitated more towards the former. One of the acts to play on the first day was Delhi pop-rock group Faridkot.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
The F16s
Upcoming Chennai alt-rockers The F16's drew a considerable crowd in with their upbeat brand of indie rock.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Do we spot a trend here?
Not only are The F16's rising fast in the scene, they're also one of those acts that loves making faces when they see cameras pointed their way.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Bombay Bassment
The Mumbai hip-hop act delivered an excellent performance which went well with the vibe of the entire event.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Gentleman's Dub Club
British dancehall/dub group Gentleman's Dub Club closed the main stage on day one of the festival.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Suave in suits.
The Leeds musicians played a well-received, high-energy set, even though they only managed to get a few songs into their act.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
The Stunt Zone
Over at the Stunt Zone, the first day saw performances by Indian stunt bike teams Team 360 and RSA, which included couple stunts (pictured).
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Not all wheelies are alike
The stunt teams also performed several innovative variations of wheelies.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
FCC!
The Full Contact Championships on the second day of the festival was a big crowd-puller. We checked out the seventh edition of FCC in Mumbai, and were sure that the Goa event would be even better. We were correct. The trial rounds (pictured) just went to show that women can kick ass better than most men.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Everyone loves a good fight.
The Championship was one of the most popular events at the festival, drawing a massive crowd. Eight bouts saw the country's best full contact fighters face off against each other.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Surprises
The bouts saw some unexpected results, as well as some complications during the bouts. It was a night of debut victories, as debutant wrestler Rahul Jadhav won his bout against Sunil Mali. Bout 4 saw grappler Harshad Sadgir emerge victorious over Gaurav Pandey, making it the first loss of Pandey's FCC career. MMA champion Sher Khan won his bout against American fighter Eddie Teel in 12 seconds, making it possibly the fastest K-O in FCC history.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Biker Build-Off
Yet another interesting event was the Biker Build-Off, where three custom bike builders were given an identical, stripped-down bike chassis. The companies then competed to build the best bike. The final assembly of the bikes took place on the first day, and the competition was judged on the second day. This beauty is Transfigure Custom House's entry.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Rajputana Customs
With their clean lines and great capability, Rajputana Customs won the Biker Build-Off, though the company offered to share the award with their competitors.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
The Other People
The Mumbai rock act impressed the crowd at the Main Stage, and drew people away from the stunt bike area with their covers of popular classic rock tracks.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Split
The Mumbai alt-rockers played what was probably the best set at the festival, drawing a large crowd to the Main Stage.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Split vs Fights
The audience was split (heh) between the music at the Main Stage and the Full Contact Championships, which took place at the same time, though it's hard to say who got the bigger crowd.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
SHINY DISCO MAN!
Wouldn't YOU pose with the Shiny Disco Dude if you saw him hanging around?
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Anish Sood
The Goa DJ played the EDM Tent on day two. However, he had a hard time pulling a crowd into the tent, since most of the assorted populace preferred to stay near the bikes.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Deepa Malik
Over at the Big Trip Cinema, several stalwarts of the biker community were presented with awards. Among them was Deepa Malik, an avid biker who was left wheelchair-bound by a bad accident in 1999. However she still rides using an all-terrain vehicle, which the xBHP community has supported whole-heartedly.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
MOAR Stunts
The Stunt Zone was back on day two, with more crews, and a course on safe riding.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Mattie Griffin
Renowned Irish stunt biker Mattie Griffin performed on the second day, on his BMW Motorrad. Audience in the know were of the impression that Griffin's performance at India Bike Week ranked among his most difficult, owing to the small area and the absence of tarmac.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Lou Majaw
Veteran Shillong musician Lou Majaw (pictured at right) is always fun to watch, and played an entertaining set at the main stage. Majaw's performances are known for their energy, and his stage antics ensured that all eyes were on him.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Pentagram
The Mumbai electro-rock act played the closing set, bringing India Bike Week to an explosive end.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Holy mother of Pink!
It's been a while since we saw bright pink glow-in-the-dark bass strings.
Photo credit: Werner D'Souza
Farewell, Bike Week!
The foursome played a set comprising gig regulars, as well as a few covers, ending the weekend on a high note.
India Bike Week was thus a success. While the music lineup was varied, the packed event schedule only ensured that the event stuck to its true roots, the bikes. The biker community left happy, and we hope to see more such events in the future.
