Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2010

Goa, the dream destination for party lovers across the world, once again stood witness to the biggest gathering of Royal Enfield lovers as they gathered to celebrate “The Thump That Binds” at the Vagator Hill Top, a relatively quiet and peaceful part of North Goa. Close to 400 Royal Enfield Riders participated in the event , thumping their way from different parts of the country all the way to Goa. They came solo, they came in groups, and they came from every, from Kerala in South India to Delhi in North. There were Enfields everywhere, from Thunderbird to Classic and from Machismo to Electra, not to forget some beautiful custom built Enfields on display.
This was the seventh edition of the Royal Enfield Rider Mania, a Royal Enfield event that takes place annually in November at the Vagator Hill Top, Goa.









The 3-day event, From November 21, 2010 to November 21, 2010, saw these motorcyclists competing against each other in several activities, including doing figure-of-eights, slow race, dirt track racing, trials, bike assembly and disassembly, arm wrestling, and beer drinking to name a few. The competition was intense, but the intentions were friendly. Also on display were several custom-built Enfields, made by several different artists from all over India. Among the custom bikes, Vardenchi customs from Mumbai were the biggest crowd pullers with 5 different designs from their stable, including the monstrous Batpod replica, Stealth, and Harley Sportster replica. There were designs from other custom builders too including the one from KhalidAro that had projectors headlamps inside the petrol tank, my personal favourite Phantom from Indore, and the ‘outrageous’ 3 C concept from Javeen from Kerala that went on to win the Most Popular Custom Design award, a well-deserved feat indeed.
















Those who were not interested in taking part in these competitions were also taken care of. There was a lounge area where the motorcycling movies were being screened along with some printed literature about Royal Enfield. Those who wanted to shop, had a lot of RE merchandise available for themselves including Tees, coffee mugs, cigarette lighters, books, etc.

Not to mention, the whole atmosphere was kept alive by some outstanding music being played by DJ BlackJack and DJ Ghani along with live performances by the rock bands in the evening.



The event opener on day 1 was figure-of-eight competition where the participants had to make a figure-of-eight around 2 trees in a closed circuit without putting the foot down and without touching the boundary lines. It was a team event where every team had 4 members and each member had to make one figure-of-eight before giving the bike to his other team member to do the same. Yours truly also tried his hands in this competition, but my team was disqualified as the last team member had put the foot down while making the last circle. Next on list was the slow-race, a solo event where the rider had to cover a few meters on the ground riding as slow as he or she can without stalling the bike or putting the foot down the slowest one was to be the winner. As the eventful day came to an end, live performance by the “Thermal and Quarters” band rejuvenated the tired riders.



The figure-of-eight circuit


Waiting for their turn










The 3 C from Javeen


The Batpod by Vardenchi





The second day of the event was largely an ‘outdoor’ day where the riders participated in dirt track racing and trials in the grassy and uphill/downhill circuit built near the parking lot. While the amount of adrenaline decided who won the dirt track race, the bike riding skills of the riders were put to the ultimate test in the trials competition where they had to a clear a course full of obstacles in the shortest time possible. In between these 2 events, COO of Royal Enfield Mr. Venky Padmanabhan, and Mr Shaji Koshy, DGM Marketing visited the event as special guests of honour and interacted with their ‘tribe’ members while also taking a look at the custom bikes. DJ Ghani took command on the music front in the evening to calm the tensed nerves of the riders.










Briefing before the dirt track racing


COO of Royal Enfield Mr. Venky Padmanabhan

The last and the final day was the hottest day both in terms of weather as well as the activities happening both inside and outside. Beginning with the cleanest bike competition, the competitive spirit was at its peak in the bike assembly and disassembly competition where the teams of 4 people had to remove both the wheels, clutch cable, and throttle cable from their bike, take it away, and then reassemble it in the shortest time span. Arm wrestling and beer drinking competitions were reserved for the latter half of the day which saw participation not just from the male riders but also the female participants too who didn’t hold themselves from flexing their muscles and testing their skills in what is largely known as male-dominated activities.













The biggest highlight of last day of the event was the group ride. Imagine the sight of hundreds of Enfields roaring and when they rode together, everything else just came to a standstill. It was a sight to behold and to remember forever. People watched in awe as the hundreds of Bullets made their way through the narrow serpentine roads of Vagator. Spreading the message of solidarity and brotherhood and road safety, the riders rode for some 6-7 kilometers before coming back again at the venue. With the setting sun, prize distribution ceremony also took place where the winners of these competitions were distributed trophies and gift vouchers. The gala ended with the belly dance performance by a foreign dancer, which acted like a sweet dish after a tasty dinner.

















I was never an Royal Enfield fan and I am still not among their biggest supporters, but in the end, it was hard for me to stop myself from applauding the efforts they put in to make their customers feel special and the Rider Mania is a prime example of that. No other company in India is doing or seems to be doing for their loyal customers what Royal Enfield has been doing for years now. Cheers for biking brotherhood and cheers for RE Rider Mania.

So in case you feel like you have missed something, don't be disappointed. Apply for leave and pack your bags for November coz this is when all roads lead to Goa.