Imagine a dirt rally in the middle of a busy mall. Visitors to Phoenix Market City here were surprised on Saturday by the adrenalin pumping sounds of revving engines. They got to feast their eyes on some of the best, most powerful and expensive mean machines at the 2014 Indian Superbike Festival.
After letting bike enthusiasts experience a high in Pune in its previous two editions, Bangalore was chosen for the third edition. The event featured some of the largest manufacturers — from Aprilia and Harley Davidson to Suzuki and d KTM. Plus, there were ‘tuners’ and racers.
Pramod Joshua, who has been a dirt bike racer for the past 12 years, said, “This is a small race track but it is great to see the crowds cheering for us. This is a great platform to interact with enthusiasts and others.” He said that street racing was a no-no for youngsters. “One should learn on tracks instead of roads,” he said.
The owner of a garage that is participating in the show said, “In Bangalore, the level and passion for bikes is increasing. Money is not a constraint.”
However, Amol Talpade, organiser of the event and a racer himself, said Bangalore was still a virgin market. “The bikes you see here in the festival are of the premium segment — 600cc or more. There is a lot of power and responsibility while riding them. It is a prized possession. A lot of people don’t even know that these bikes are available here,” he said.
Explaining the difference between Pune and Bangalore, he said the former was “club centric” while Bangalore had a “tuner culture” wherein bikers connect via mechanics who tune their engines.
The two-day event, which will conclude on Sunday, is not just about stalls and photograph sessions. There was a ‘Supercross’ event with a specially created dirt track within the mall premises, and a number of contests, such as the loudest bike. The ‘Burnout’ event drew a good crowd as it involved bikers literally burning the rear tyre.
The registration fee for the festival is Rs. 100.
