Rider Mania X - An Experience

What happens when 600 Thumping Bullets roar in unison? The heart skips a beat and in that one skipped beat, the soul goes through a serenity which even a thousand picturesque locations fail to give and mind perceives a beat which even thousand instruments together fail to provide.

Rider Mania is the biggest congregation of Royal Enfield riders in India. Some people call it crazy and some even call it funny, that people from all over the country ride on their bikes to this one place, every year just to meet others whom they have no idea about except that they all ride motorcycles from a same brand. Call it insane, call it mad, but you cannot deny the fact that it is the Brotherhood or maybe even a Cult.

So this year, Rider Mania was being organized by Inddie Thumpers from Bombay at Vikramgad, a village in laps of Shayadari mountains near Gujarat-Maharashtra border on the 23rd and 24th of January. We, the Firelords, decided to ride there and we were joined by Wanderlusts from Nagpur, Road Melters from Jamshedpur, some members of Eastern Bulls from Kolkata and few Inddie Thumpers for our ride from Pune to Vikramgad. We parked our 25 Royal Enfield motorcycles at Bund Garden road, and that itself was enough to raise curiosity among the people. Our ride started at around 1430hrs and we had planned to reached Vikramgad post-midnight, as that was when the event was suppose to start. The distance from Pune is not much, but we decided to take it easy and enjoy the journey.

After all the stuck-ups, photo sessions, wading through heavy traffic in Bombay, we reached NH4 at 2100hrs and decided to take a deserved break at one of the cool restaurants there. Apparently, the restaurant was having a ghazal night and the havoc we created there by dancing and drinking and singing birthday songs for fellow diners, lead to its end prematurely! But that was one evening when I got the actual taste of brotherhood and how all people, strangers, can enjoy to the fullest just anywhere and in any condition.

We reached Vikramgad well into the night. Some clubs had already arrived and many more were expected to come in the morning. We took our cottage and retired for night after long chit-chat session. After about an hours sleep, I got up and took a walk around the venue. It was a 'Nature Trails' resort, complete with modern facilities, yet in sync with nature. A hot tea and some music woke everybody up and here we were, at RIDER MANIA X. More clubs like NKEC from Hubli, Royal Beats from Delhi, Madras Bulls from Chennai, RTMC from Bangalore, V40, Mysore Bulls, Covai Thumpers, Ashwamegh, Roadshakers, etc. came in gradually. All the clubs came in thumping to their full prowess and creating a loud thumping sound, known only to the African and Indian jungles, which witness the occasional roar of Lions.

The day began with official unveiling of Rider Mania X, followed by handing of the kits and breakfast and beers and various competitions. By now there were around 600 Enfields parked together and I could feel a sense of belonging to a cult. The competitions started with Assembly Wars, where a team of five had to dismantle a bike, assemble it again and get its key and start it. It was followed by arm wrestling and stunts/freestyle wherein people showed they can do burnouts, willies, doughnuts on their Enfields. The evening began with a rock show. The first band was called 'Seher' which was nothing close to rock and performed pathetic and was booed down by the audience. Next band; nobody even bothered to know who they were and before the completed their first song, they were gone off stage. By that time almost everybody got bored of the un-happening rock night, but then 'Spiked Crib' took stage, and boy! Were they amazing. Death metal never sounded so symphonious.

So after a long day of beers and meeting people from across India with same passion, we called it a day.

Next morning I took a stroll through parking, and man! It was some picture. 600 Enfields parked together all around me! Amazing. The day began with dirt racing, wherein the competitors had to clock best time on one and half kilometer dirt track. Ashutosh and Sagar from my club took part, but both, unfortunately due to technical problems in the bikes couldn't complete. Ashutosh however made it to the final five before his bike broke down and he survived a high speed fall. The event went till late afternoon, after which I was too drained to do anything, so caught a short nap. After I woke up, I attended the moderators meet. Moderators meet is held between all club moderators, but as our club is small and closed knit, five of us attended the meet. Issues like how to carry on the event forward, money matters, etc were discussed. Also the venue of next Rider Mania was decided. Next year it will be held in Kolkata by the Eastern Bulls.

Modified bikes, Beer guzzling and bike Olympics were held in the evening which was followed by awards ceremony and DJ night. Some motorcycles were enhanced for optimum performance while some had cool cosmetic look. Some were replicas of the cafe racer bike while some made the loudest thump. We decided to leave early next morning so that we can reach Pune by afternoon. The ride back was smooth and nice and we reached Pune safe.

When I look back at the event, I ponder upon what connected each and every person there. How can a machine bring so many people together? How can people take weeks off from their work and family and ride to meet strangers thousands of miles away? What is it that calls for this craziness? Then, somewhere down within me, I get an answer. It is nothing but passion, pure and hot, untouched by any spec from the universe. A passion that brings people together. A passion that creates this brotherhood bond. And when i look inside me, I feel proud to be a part of this cult. To be an entity in this brotherhood. I feel proud to have it in me. I feel proud to have chosen this track. For once in my life, I feel passionate once again.