It’s been just over a week since I returned from Goa and attended the three day bike festival organized by Royal Enfield, which is known as Rider Mania. I had just finished test riding the new RE Twins – the Interceptor and Continental GT 650 – in Goa, so RE had asked me to stay back and check out the festival.
Now, I have been to a lot of RE events, including the Himalayan Odyssey for four years in a row and I have also attended many of their rider meetups across the country. Every time I have attended an RE event I have always had a blast. A lot of it has to do with the people that I have met. RE takes pride in the fact that once you buy one of their motorcycles you belong to their giant fun-loving family. This spirit of family is heavily noticeable at all of their events. Everyone is always in a good mood, and you always end up sharing stories, learning something new, making new friends and experiencing something that warms your heart with laughter and giggles. Royal Enfield brings people together in ways that I cannot possibly describe with words. Calling the RE fan fraternity a cult doesn’t really paint a proper picture of it.
I have never attended a Rider Mania event before and so I happily accepted RE’s invitation because based on my past experiences with RE, I knew that it would be something memorable in my life. To put it short all my expectations were met and it was a fabulous party for three days in Goa. There was so much to see and do, so much to eat and drink, and so many awesome people to meet. I could go on about everything I did over those three days but, to keep this short and simple, here are the five things that I loved the most about Rider Mania. These five reasons alone should be enough for you to start planning for the next big one in Goa next year.
The people
I can’t stress on this enough. The people you meet at any RE event are some of the most interesting, crazy, adventurous and fun-loving people on the planet. They really love their motorcycles and they really love to ride. Apart from that, they really love to have a good time and when they are all together, they open up their hearts to every one there. No one is there to show off like in other bike events organised in the country. Everyone is there for the same reason – to meet their fellow comrades. The levels of comradery are astounding that you would probably think the world was trouble free. Everyone is there to share their experiences and you will be truly amazed at some of the things some people have done with their Royal Enfield machines. There are all kinds of people from all types of backgrounds with so much to share. The Rider Mania really seemed like a deep well of knowledge. Just walk up to anyone and say hello, and see where the conversation leads. I guarantee you will come away wiser.
The Motorcycles
This is a no brainer. You will see some of the most interesting customised motorcycles. Mostly all of them are Royal Enfields. Now, of course, RE doesn’t discriminate and any biker is welcome to Rider Mania regardless of what bike brand he rides. You will see all kinds of bikes there and you will meet people to have basically spent their entire lives working on and building their dream bike. There are so many beautiful bikes to see and a lot of them will truly surprise you and also inspire you. There is even a special area dedicated to story-telling and some very notable personalities are invited to come and talk to anyone who wants to listen.
The Music
A part from motorcycles, there is a lot of other stuff to see and do at Rider Mania. One of those is that you will also get to see some of the most talented and most popular musicians perform. RE transforms Rider Mania into one giant concert every night and you will hear all kinds of amazing genres of music. While, I have to admit that I don’t really follow the music scene much, it was still super fun to watch live musicians performing on the gigantic stage. On the last night Indian Ocean performed and they totally rocked the show.
The Food and drinks
Of course, there is alcohol, and lots of it. In fact, there is even a beer drinking competition, which is a huge hit amongst the people who attend the event. There is plenty of poison to choose from and you will feel relaxed and at home. There is also some lip-smacking food. Everything you could imagine from local cuisine, to BBQ, to burgers and even desserts. The best part is that everything is priced very reasonably and you can eat and drink to your hearts delight without your wallet taking a hit.
You can compete in motorsport
Ah yes! This was especially fun to watch, and what’s even better is that you can take part in any of the many motorsport events they have. There is a hill climb run that looked really fun. If you have the patience to wait your turn then this is very enjoyable. There is also a slow race and a motocross race as well. Just make sure you have the proper gear and you are good to go. Just be warned that there are some serious riders who take it very seriously, so it’s not just for amateurs, but certainly you will have a memorable experience whether you win or lose.
So, there you have it. Five reason why you should start planning for next year. And here is a bonus – it takes place in Goa. You can plan on riding down with friends or even alone. There is so much to do and see and do, and I can guarantee, you will have the time of your life.
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