The 2021 India Bike Week Special Edition concluded this weekend in Lonavla, Maharashtra, quite far from Vagator, Goa, which was its usual host over the years. Having skipped 2020 due to the pandemic, the two-day annual motorcycling festival was back and thriving, albeit with the face masks up, sanitisers in check and a lower count of people entering the venue in order to maintain social distancing protocols. And yet, riders were back all over the country to celebrate brotherhood, good music and motorcycles. As we look back at a fun-filled weekend, here are the top moments from IBW 2021 Special Edition that stayed with us.
Also Read: Honda H'Ness CB350 Anniversary Edition Launched In India
The Honda CB350 1st Anniversary Edition and the H-D Sportster S were launched at IBW 2021
What's IBW if not for motorcycles and there were plenty in attendance. Kawasaki, Honda and Harley-Davidson led the charge by introducing all-new offerings. Kawasaki showcased the new Z650RS for the first time to the masses, while Honda launched the H'ness CB350 First Anniversary Edition on the main stage. The manufacturer also unveiled the CB300R BS6 version, while also announcing that the model will be locally manufactured going forward. A long-standing partner of IBW, Harley-Davidson brought the new Sportster S to the motorcycle congregation, its second big launch this year.
Also Read: Honda CB300R BS6 To Be Locally Produced In India, Launch In January 2022
Riders Ravi Avalur, Head, Harley India, Vijay Thomas, Vir Nakai, Vijay Parmar, and Amar Sandhu sharing their stories at the Big Trip tent
IBW is also a great place to showcase some impressive motorcycling documentaries and films, and this year's talking point was the Harley-Davidson-produced short film - 18,603 FT. It was about five motorcyclists taking the Pan America 1250 to Ladakh up to 18,603 ft. Hence, the name. It's also the highest altitude any Harley-Davidson motorcycle has ever been to, and it's a fitting tribute to the brand's first adventure touring motorcycle, the Pan America 1250 to be taken to the roof of the world, as the high mountain passes of Ladakh are also popularly known.
The 12-minute long film shows the five riders' journey traversing through Manali, Jispa, Pang and Leh. The motorcyclists witnessed scenic landscapes while tackling unfavourable terrain, rocks, broken roads and lots of fesh fesh as they made their way to the Key La Pass. The film is sure to bite the wanderer bug and is available to watch on Harley India's YouTube channel. The riders were also present at IBW and shared their experiences of riding the Pan America in Ladakh.
Also Read: Harley-Davidson Sportster S Launched In India
Ashish Raorane was felicitated at by IBW for his incredible show at Dakar this year, while CS Santosh rode up the stage to present the new Hero XPulse 4V
It was heartening to see the top boys from the Indian motorcycle rally scene in attendance at IBW 2021. The organisers felicitated privateer Ashish Raorane for his performance at the Dakar this year in the unassisted Malle Moto category. Meanwhile, Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider CS Santosh was here to showcase the new XPulse 200 4 Valve. Hero also had an experiential track for attendees to experience the new XPulse on an off-road trail.
If you're a fan of listening to travel stories, the Big Trip tent was the place to be at IBW 2021. Aditya Kumar shared his story from the travels of South America, while Debashish, Dinesh Rohra, Dharmendra Jain, Youhan Mubaraki and Rahul Deshmukh spoke about their HOI ASEAN Corridor ride from 2015.
Decades-old but quite the head-turners, the vintage bikes section took us back to a different era of motorcycling
The vintage motorcycles on display at IBW 2021 were grabbing everyone's attention. From BMWs, Nortons to the Triumphs, the impeccably maintained machines looked beautiful shining in the winter sun. Grabbing special attention though was the BSA Gold Star as folks compared the original to the resurrected model that made its debut in the UK that same weekend. We also loved the Yamaha RD350 and the Yamaha RX-100 on display, the relatively modern-day classics from the motorcycling world.
From Harley to Honda, there were manufacturer clubs and superbike clubs from across the country
While IBW 2021 Special Edition had limited entries this year due to COVID-19 related protocols, the clubs made it from across the country. The club parades were particularly fun to watch as a flock of Harley and Honda riders and even independent clubs made their presence felt. With Honda selling over 35,000 units of the CB350 range in the past year, we did see quite a few in attendance at IBW. Having said this, we couldn't help but cringe every time someone decided to rev their bikes to bits for no reason at all.
Royal Enfields were a common choice for modifiers to showcase their skills as the Classic 350 & Interceptor 650 transformed into works of art
Another tent that had us smiling like five-year-olds was the modified section. Custom motorcycle makers from across the country landed up to showcase some tastefully done up machines. Unsurprisingly, the Royal Enfield 350 platform was the favourite platform for most modifiers to base their creations on, while the Interceptor 650 was the next favourite with several creations on display this year. There were also exceptions like the Mahinda Mojo that looked like it had been on a trip to Varese for styling ideas.
We briefly missed the mountains at IBW with the cafe serving nostalgia on a platter
IBW 2021 had us wanting to ride to the mountains or at least it was this spectacular sight of the Throttle Shrottle cafe at the venue that was all decked up with prayer flags and was serving instant noodles and beverages. If you'd ever want to imagine what Ladakh would like with more favourable weather, we got a slight taste of it.
The market at IBW is always a great place to check out new riding and motorcycling apparel. You might even get some at good prices
Lit up with a host of riding gear, motorcycle accessories and even performance parts, there was plenty to choose from at the IBW. You could find retailers for everything from domestic brands to premium-riding gear. There were quite a few options to choose from and you could even bag a good deal, depending on your bargaining skills. It was also a great place to check out fun motorcycling apparel and other merchandise at some really nice prices.
The DJs did a splendid job to play some fantastic tunes on both days of the motorcycle festival
IBW 2021 is as much a music festival as it is a motorcycling festival. The mountain top at Aamby Valley was full of some fun beats as DJs Midival Punditz, Ishani, Gurbax and Sam took over the console over the two-day period. An awesome way you would want to wind down after a long day.
