World Motorcycle Day Ride 2018

Best of the beast: WMD 2018 Ride

Being an avid biker and travel enthusiast I never celebrated WMD in the past. Most of the biking clubs celebrate the WMD by arranging group rides but I could never join them for some reason. I didn’t want to miss this time as well. There was a WMD ride organized by Association of Biking Community (ABC) which is a union of 65+ biking clubs in Bangalore. The registration cost was Rs. 200 which included breakfast and some goodies. Without a second thought, I registered for the event along with my friends Abdul and Gaphar.

Ride Day: As per the schedule the ride was supposed to begin at 5 IST. When someone says IST it means by default there will be 1-2 hours of delay. Yet I woke up at 4 in the morning and left home at 4.45 am. Abdul was my pillion rider for the day. We rode towards the Kanteerava stadium which was the starting point. There was a big line of riders at the entrance gate. The organizers and volunteers were working very hard to manage the crowd. After some doubts and help, I found the BAC team and parked my bike among other Avengers. We collected the meal pass and goodies (goodies disappointed me).

Kanteerava stadium in the morning

I could see a lot of varieties of the bikes with good modifications. I couldn’t resist myself from going around and checking out all the bikes. I was very excited to see the bikes ranging from shiny superbikes to century-old Rajdhoot. I was lost in seeing other bikes that I missed the ride flag off. Naveen Raj Singh, Karnataka State Tourism Secretary flagged off the ride at 6 am in the morning.

All the varieties of the bikes together. From Java Yezdi

to super hot Harley Davidson

The lost Baby: I ran to the place where I parked my bike. But sadly the avenger group had left and my bike was looking like a baby who lost her mother. I’d no other choice but to join other group. I joined the RX 100 club. Just after 200 meters, I realized I did a mistake by joining this club. The fun with RX100 is its sound, our group grabbed the attention of everyone on the road but on the other side, the road was completely smoky thanks to the RX100 engine 😀 

At begging the group was scattered, everyone was riding without discipline. The lead stopped us at Yashwantpur and briefed us about riding etiquette. The ride was going much smoother now. I appreciate organizers and volunteers who were standing at every turn guiding us the route. Also thanks to the Bangalore Traffic Police for cooperating.

Joined the RX100 biking group for the ride

Arrived at Kamat Upchar on Tumkur Road

We were on the Tumkur highway. Surprisingly the traffic on the highway was more than usual. We rode straight 50 km and finally reached Kamat Hotel, Dobbespet. I parked my bike near the avenger group hoping to ride back with the group. 

The Celebration: Kamat Upchar on NH4 has a big area where the main stage and food stall was arranged. It was 8.30 am by the time we reached the destination. I was feeling hungry so we went straight to the breakfast counter and filled our plate with yummy items. After the breakfast, we headed to the main stage. There was some fun event on the stage. I was more curious to checkout modified bikes in the parking area than the main event.

Breakfast time

Such a huge crowd. Love to see all the biking enthusiasts at a single place

Irresistable view of amazing machines

Pulsar maniacs

I feel bikers are very much disciplined when it comes to bikes. Do you also feel the same?

Modified bikes at best: So we came to the parking lot. Among the best-modified bikes were the Bajaj Avengers, Royal Enfields, and RX100. I wonder how people modify their bikes so better yet maintain the functionality of the bike. There were few total customs bikes too which were the center of attraction. The superbikes were on a different level too.

Would you believe if I say you that its modified Avenger?

The most customize windshield I’ve ever seen on an avenger

Backrest for the riders as well. Avenger is the most versatile bike when it comes to the modifications

And this one is the RE350 modified bike. It doesn’t have a shock absorber at the back. Oops!! sorry if that really hurts 😀

And this is the custom-made bike which looks like a cycle. I don’t know which engine is used

Look at the exhaust. RIP to the rider’s legs

Its a treat to the eyes to see so many bikes

A selfie

That’s so amateur of me to pose on bikes in parking lot 😛

This Indian bike was a treat to the eyes

There were some give away of riding jackets and a brand new bike. The event was going great. It was 12 pm and I was completely exhausted. People started riding back individually so did we too. The day was well spent, it was fun to see biker’s enthusiasm in the early hours of a Sunday. Later Sagar Sheldekar came on the stage too but sadly I missed that part. Would have been a great opportunity for me to meet him.

Riders with helmet performing dance

My next bike?

Summary: The best thing about the ride as I got to see so many varieties of the bikes, especially the modified ones. So its a must attend the event if you are looking for a diversity of bikes.

Should you join next WMD ride?
Don’t join the ride if, 
1. You are someone who is seeking a peace and serenity 
2. You are concerned more about the ride and destination

Join this ride if,
1. You are someone who is excited to see superbikes and different bikes.
2. You are looking for modified bikes
3. You want to see the trend in the biking community
4. You want to learn about safety gears and riding etiquette.

Other Recommended Trekking Places near Bangalore:
1. Savandurga Hill,  – 50 km 
2.  Shivaganga Hill – 50 km
3. Nijagal Betta, Tumkur – 52 km
4. Makalidurga, Doddaballapura – 55 km
5. Mandaragiri / Basadi Betta – 60 km
6. SRS Hills, Ramnagar – 60 km
7. Skandagiri Hills – 60 km
8. Hulukadi Betta – 65 km
9. Rayakottai – 74 km
10. Antharagange, Kolar – 75 km
11. Bilikal Rangaswami Betta 75 km
12. Avani Betta – 95 km
13. Siddara Betta – 100 km
14. Madhugiri Fort, Tumkur – 103 km

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Do +1 or Like if you loved my trip