Rider Mania 2022 packs a punch

The passion and brotherhood amongst bikers can lead to some epic stuff. And one of the brands that shares and exudes the same passionate energy as its fans is Royal Enfield. Rider Mania, the company’s annual gathering of all things RE is the kind of coming together that its loyal riders and fans eagerly look forward to. It is a festival that celebrates the aura of the brand’s history, legacy, and potential. After a gap of nearly three years, the 2022 edition of the Rider Mania took place in Vagator, Goa last month. 

Royal Enfield’s Rider Mania is known to be the showcase of multiple talents in the world of motorcycling, in addition to being the hotspot for an exchange of ideas, experiences and stories surrounding the brand and its bikes. The artists, the custom builders and the racing aficionados apart, the one genre of attendees that truly deserve mention when one talks about the Rider Mania are ordinary bikers themselves who go to extraordinary lengths to express their love for the brand. Of the over 18,000-plus attendees at this year’s edition, many had ridden on their own bikes from the corners of the country. Some had even come in from abroad. Standing in the parking lot, I could easily count at least a dozen State’s number-plates adorning RE bikes with well-worn tyres. They are the true motorcycling enthusiasts and it was good to see the big turnout after the Covid-forced gap years. Goa streets were abuzz with the thump of REs of all kinds and ages.

MotoVerse

Rider Mania 2022 was a three-day event and RE had chosen ‘MotoVerse’, short for Motorcycling Universe as the theme for this edition. The huge Vagator Hilltop area had been mapped out into multiple zones for experiencing different aspects of Royal Enfield Motorcycling. MotoThrill was the dirt track racing zone, where participants from riding clubs and individual racing enthusiasts could put their skills to the test. There was also a drifting and slide school where one could get some flat-track training. There were several other ride events too, including training camps for beginners and intermediate level riders. And then there was MotoVille, a hangout place and a showcase arena for custom builders and restorers. This space also featured a pop-up museum, a MIY (make it yourself) studio for customising helmets and t-shirts, a chop shop and an adrenaline zone.

There were a number of custom builds that also caught the fancy of onlookers, many of which were over-the-top with their design and execution, and yet showcasing the immense possibilities with RE’s bikes

MotoShop

Adjacent to this was the MotoShop section, if one was in the mood for shopping for some motorcycling accessories and gear. And there was also the MotoReel area where attendees could soak in the culture of RE motorcycling and its many achievements in the form of docus and movies being screened. It was also the go-to place for hearing some of the heroes of motorcycling talk about their experiences such as the riders of the Dakar Rally. Famous riders like CS Santosh and Ashish Raorane kept visitors enthralled with their stories. There were a number of custom builds that also caught the fancy of onlookers, many of which were over-the-top with their design and execution, and yet showcasing the immense possibilities with RE’s bikes.

Royal Enfield also took the opportunity to launch two bikes at strangely opposing ends of the spectrum at the Rider Mania event. One was, of course, the new Super Meteor 650, a cruiser from the brand that defined the experience for Indians. And the other was a 1:3 scale model replica of the Classic 500. Priced at ₹68,000, the limited edition scale models were sold out even as they were being showcased. Interesting titbit about this detailed model was that many of the original equipment suppliers for the real bike were involved in making the miniature parts for the replica too. Rider Mania 2022 also provided a great platform for musicians, and many leading bands who entertained the audience every evening. And a motley bunch of award-winning local restaurants had set up pop-up eateries keeping the mouths of bikers busy when they weren’t talking about motorcycling. 

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