India Bike Week 2014 – When we arranged this little vacation in Goa, we were planning on enjoying sea, sand, seafood, and yoga. As we left the airport, however, the first big billboard we saw was advertising India Bike Week – The Woodstock of Bike Festivals. Despite the hyperbole, how could I not go? Everything happens for a reason in India.

This is an amazing (weekend) event trying to cater for every bike fantasy – large trade show, talks by famous bike names, huge cinema tent, stunt riding competition, custom bike build off, vintage bike concours, numerous bars with all kinds of music, and, of course, the bikini bike wash, and, for reasons that escape me completely, cage fighting.

With all this variety and over stimulation, this event should really be called India Harley Week. Harley even launched their new Street 750 at the event; the first Harley to be assemble outside the US and specifically for the Indian market. The Harley is clearly the ride to which the huge majority of attendees aspired and it was, far and away, the most common bike in the attendee parking which was situated in the centre of the huge arena so everyone could show off their ride. There were hundreds of guys kitted out like they were at Sturgis and who had evidently ridden here in packs from all across India, terrorising the villagers as they went.

I tried very hard to find a bike anywhere that was not a Harley or a Royal Enfield but there were very few. The ONLY Ducati present at the event was a 1966 Ducati Monza that I caught at the Bikini Bike Wash. That’s my excuse for hanging out there at least.