The Wandering Rider: Where Beer is as Cheap as Water

Rider Mania, an event arranged by Royal Enfield Motors Inc at Goa, India every year during the last week of November. Its a must-see for any Royal Enfield aka Bullet fan. Riders from all across the country & the world converge on this one location to celebrate the spirit of riding and the joy of owning this beautiful bike.

Preparations for this ride started during the end of September. I am an active member of the Royal Indians Enfield Owners Club, and rode with them to Goa. We were a group of 44 bikers heading to Goa all the way from Bangalore.

Being part of such a large group of riders, gives an overwhelming feeling of being part of something great!!

It's not a common sight, to see 40+ Bullets heading down the road, in a beautiful formation.

Over 650 kms had to be within the day. So an early start was mandatory. We all collected up at ISKON, at 4:15 am sharp on 22nd Nov 2012. No one was late, no one was sleepy, you could feel the excitement in the air!!

The camera crew from Suvarna 24x7 were there too to join us on our journey and capture the ride.

A quick address by the captain, keys in, ignition ON, a swift Kick, and a thunderous sound.

Close to 50 Engines came to life with a deafening roar characteristic of only a Royal Enfield.

We started our journey. But alas, within 20 kms, the first breakdown. One of the Cast Iron Engines had a faulty crank shaft and its rider made a smart decision to leave his beloved bike at a friends place and join as a pillion. Only he would know how he felt at the time, having spent weeks and days preparing himself and the bike for the ride.

After a ride of around close to 100 kms, we made our first stop near the Sira toll gate for some "garma garam" hot chai. Truck drivers, Shop keepers, passers by all had their eyes glued to all the bikes parked on the side of the road.

There is just something absolutely beautiful about a bullet, when its loaded with saddle bags, tank bags, luggage and whatever else the rider felt essential to carry. Take a look, wouldn't you agree?

After the tea break, we got back on to our bikes, and pushed ahead. Our target was to reach the town of Chitradurga for breakfast. But a prick on the road had decided to derail the speed of the group by puncturing one of the bikes. But no matter, having such veterans in the group, the puncture was fixed in no time, and we reached our breakfast stop.

It had been almost 4 hours since we left home. Our tummies were rumbling, some louder than the bullets themselves. The poor waiters at the hotel just couldn't keep up with the insatiable appetites of the biker.

After having breakfast, we started off, with the next stop planned to be at Hubli for lunch. Along the way, came a couple more punctures, yet we managed to reach a hotel near Hubli for lunch absolutely on time.

This was a long break, where we ate and relaxed. We had to wait for the rest of the gang to fix the punctures and catch up at the hotel.

After a nice lunch, we were on the road again. We were to take the Dharwad bypass and get into the dandeli forest reserve to reach Ponda. It was nearing 6, and we were unsure whether the roads through the forest reserve would be open. Deciding not to take a chance, we took an alternate route.

The roads were initially horrible. Filled with pot holes, mostly mud and dust. But by the grace of god, there wasn't a single puncture on this stretch. After this horrific section, we passed through some absolutely amazing ghats. Negotiating curves at speeds of 70+ was an absolute thrill especially given the time was 8 pm with absolutely no street lights.

Finally, we entered Goa at Ponda, and made a beeline to Calangute Beach. But of course, things can never be fun, if everything is executed perfectly. The group got split up, a dozen guys proceeded in one direction, while the rest in another. Trust me, the roads of Goa can be confusing, especially at night. After some frantic phone calls, with most of them failing due to bad network connectivity, we got in touch with the other group, and guided them to us for a re-group. After this drama, we again headed towards the hotel. But, as they say, history repeats, and within a couple of kms from the hotel, the group got split up. Confusion as to where the hotel was, where the others were. Finally, at close to 12, everyone managed to reach the hotel, "Kismat Mahal".

We had reached our destination.
The next 2 days would be crazy kick Ass FUN at the Rider Mania Event where Beer is as cheap as Water.
Feeling thirsty?? What would you drink?? :D :D :-P