Our ride itself was a long and arduous one. Drove thro National Highways, State Highways, Forest Reserve Area and thro Ghat section. The road was great and a treat to drive. There wasn’t much of traffic except when we exited Bangalore or entered Goa. We drove thro early morning fog, hot noon, windy and cold night. It was a hot day on and the mercury levels dipped significantly the moment we started off on the ghat roads. Cool air hit our faces as we drove in the shade of the thick canopy overhead. The world could not have been more tranquil. The journey presented to us beautiful vistas of giant windmills dotted along the roads and golden fields.
The best part of it was to come in the last leg – the Tinai Ghats on the Belgaum-Panjim road. We drove thro windy Ghats from Ramnagar, Anmod to Mollem and passing by Castle Rock (remember the famous Dudh Sagar water falls). The roads were winding like a snake and full of S-Curves & narrow roads, lined up with thick forest on side and steep valley on the other side. It can be very challenging for any rider. Many a accidents have happen on this stretch. One needs to be extremely careful and fully alert for any eventualities, especially while through the night and heavy opposite traffic. To our luck, we had to pass through this junction at night and finally reached Murjim at 10.30 pm.
Vagator we can say was completely taken over by Bulleteers. Everywhere one looked; be it outside the venue or inside any restaurant in all off Vagator & North Goa, perpetually visible would be a group of shiny Enfields parked outside. Every lane or by-lane Bullets could be heard thumping away right from the dawn of the day until late night. We heard a few local grumbling about the noisy Bullets and bikers taking over Vagator! Vagator and North Goa was suddenly coloured Orange, what with all of them wearing the official RE Mania Orange T Shirts. One was wondering if it was a BJP sponsored event……
- The Slow Race was all about having control over your bike. The one who crossed the finish line last was crowned the winner. If you ever thought going slow was easy, this race will prove you wrong.
- The Carry Your Bike competition was an interesting one with teams lifting their nearly 200 kg Royal Enfields and setting their eyes on the finishing line
- Among the activities on offer are off-road training sessions, a hands-on, one-hour session where the participants will be trained for basic riding skills on dirt by experienced coaches.
- The thumps on the Dirt Track continued as 350 CC, 500 CC Bullets, Himalayan all had their races for Men, Women, Novice & Experts. The icing on the cake was the last race – the Race of Champions. All the previous winners irrespective of class of bike Bullet or Himalayan, 350 or 500 CC and behold Men or Women participated in this race and boy it was a thriller of a race. It was conducted following the International Sporting Code of the FIM & appendices of The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).
- The other challenging activity was the Maze Chase where riders use their manoeuvrability skills to complete the specially designed course in the shortest time. Hands on events like Assembly Wars and Carry your Bike also added to the fun element.
- Then there were trials, a specially designed obstacle course, where there will be a special category for Himalayan owners this year. Rider Mania also iintroduced a learner’s course this year. A number of enthusiasts accompany their motorcyclist friends to Rider Mania and this initiative provided them an opportunity to be introduced to the experience of pure motorcycling.
- For the lovers of pure motorcycling Early Risers’, a ride for those who wanted to experience Goa in all its morning glory, drove to places that highlight authentic Goan experiences, like Mahadai Wildlife Sanctuary, Divar Island via Panjim to Old Goa comprising of a ferry ride before culminating at Vagator.
- Riders with a flair for filmmaking had a chance to showcase their skills with the camera through a special ‘Shoot your Rider Mania 2016’ workshop.
- And finally there was a custom bike exhibition, some of which are exclusively designed and built for Rider Mania and was on display. There were some really cool collection of modified bikes.
- The music and the various artists performing were very good. They set a constant foot-tapping rhythm within the crowd & people totally loved the songs. At night the lights are switched on and the main stage comes alive with performances by indie bands, DJs and other musicians