Fast but not Furious

“Problems had cropped up in 2009 and 2010 when the government went about cracking on illegally imported super bikes in India. It created a negative image about the sport in the country. However,things began to change when most motorcycle companies began to bring these bikes legally into the country,” says Amol Talpade,an ex-racer and one of the main organisers. The idea came up when Talpade was sitting with his friend Sahil Bhandari in a “non-descript restaurant”. “I asked Sahil if we could do this,and he immediately jumped up at the idea,” he says.

With the idea in place,the decision making cogs began rolling. “We really were hesitant. Firstly,we had to send invites to clubs across the country,then find sponsors to pitch in to support our ideas,” laughs Bhandari,a biker himself. He also mentions that friends and other super helped them a lot. “In fact one of my friends Ravi Sukhwani heard of the idea and just came on board no questions asked,” he says. The festival will be divided into three segments -The Parking Bay,The Expo and the Entertainment Arena. “We want everyone to have a good time,and we also want them to interact with suppliers of auto parts,designers,customisation firms and the like. The Parking Bay is where all the bikers will park their bikes. It will be a viewing arena for the general public. The sight of 200-odd super bikes,all parked in a line,is overwhelming and we want the people to feel the adrenaline rush when they see it,” says Talpade. The event will feature bikes like the Suzuki Hayabusas,the Yamaha R-1s,Kawasaki Ninjas,Ducatis,KTMs and Harley-Davidsons,amongst others. They also aim to spread the message of safe biking through the festival.

Bhandari says that the expo will not only familiarise them with the various companies that work towards making super bikes,but also give them a chance to dwell upon the idea of purchasing a super bike in the future . “Along with the other stalls mentioned,we will even have bike merchandise stores,gear providers and stalls by financing companies that help people buy such bikes. We want to create awareness about them for the public who are often clueless about these things.”

The section will also feature a photo studio where people can come and get their pictures clicked with these bikes. “It is to enhance the experience of sitting on an actual bike,” says Sameer Manhas,a member of the organising team. In addition,competitions will also let the winners get rides on the bikes. The third section is the Entertainment Arena which will be open only for invitees. “This area will be for the bikers to meet up and party at. Right from a barbeque festival to a tattoo studio and a gaming festival,there will be a lot of events. With live bands performing and a DJ spinning out tracks that range from classic rock to electronic,we are hoping that everyone will have a good time.”