Royal Enfield might not be a manufacturer that has sales figures like Hero MotoCorp or Bajaj Auto but it surely has a dedicated following at par with any other brand in the country and the Rider Mania event, which was concluded in Goa recently, certainly quantified the fact. The event started on 21st November in Goa and invited riders of Royal Enfields from across the country to celebrate their love for bikes with others. The 2014 edition saw the participation of 5000 people, making it the largest ever gathering for the event since its inception.
The weekend extravaganza saw several competitions and races, which were both fun and challenging. For instance, The Dirt Trackrace involved participants riding special race-tuned bikes on a dusty and an uneven track. Guy Martin, a well-known British bike racer, won the race in the 500 cc category while the 350 cc category title was claimed by Indian participant Rohan Patil.
Another interesting facet of this amazing event was the exhibition of exclusive machines made by custom motorcycle studios. The event also involved two competitions, namely Best Custom Bike, awarded by judges, and the Most Popular category (votes). Gunner 540 from Bulleteer Customs and Squadron from Road Rage Customs won the awards, respectively.
Sachin Chavan, the Head of Rides and Community Royal Enfield, spoke about the event and said, “Rider Mania has come to symbolize the motorcycling culture in the country. Every year, we see more people taking up motorcycling in their own cities and riding down to Goa for Rider Mania to experience the camaraderie among people that share a common passion for the Royal Enfield way of motorcycling at its purest. The attendance at this festival has grown over the years, 2014 saw over 5000 participants converging from across India, spending three days of music, mirth and odd riding skills.”
Jonathan Gibson, who spoke at the Long Distance Riders Forum, said, “This is my first time at the Royal Enfield Rider Mania and it is truly a fitting stopover in my motorcycling journey from Sydney to London. It is great to see the unity, enthusiasm and the passion among the Royal Enfield motorcycling fraternity and events like these strengthen the bond between riders and promote the motorcycling culture. Rider Mania is a great platform for us riders to share our experiences and interesting stories that we have while riding across the globe and we also encourage others to do so as well.”
Source: M
