For the first time in 10 years, I attended India Bike Week – an annual extravaganza of bikers from around the country congregating in Goa for two whole days (and nights) of fun, frolic, bikes, food and music. As coincidence would have it, this was also the 10th edition of India Bike Week (IBW), a show that has become almost a Woodstock for avid bikers and automotive enthusiasts. This year’s edition of IBW, sponsored by Gulf Syntrac, saw the launch of the Aprilia 457, the Kawasaki W175 and stealth editions from Triumph. Besides these, electric bikes from Orxa and Ultraviolette were also on display. Hero Motocorp, Harley-Davidson and Suzuki also had their bikes on display. More than 5,000 bikers from across the country descended on the venue. But from the first edition to the tenth, one element has been missing, and that’s something that pains me as a petrolhead: Mechanical Empathy.
Also read: IBW 2023: Triumph upgrades Tiger 900 range — Rally Pro, GT variants
Every year, I closely follow news and videos emanating from IBW, keeping an eye out for some great custom builds of bikes, some adrenaline-fueled close-track racing, and of course, the new bike launches. Yet, one thing sticks out. Some sections of the crowd that comes to IBW, while they may be bikers, lack mechanical empathy. Why? Why else would they rev the piston rings off their motorcycles for no apparent reason? Or do burnouts, smoking their tyres, kicking up dust and smoke, just to look cool.
There are appropriate venues and shows for that at IBW. There is an enduro track for bikers to try out their skills. There’s a stunt arena, where professionals showcase their skills on machines. By all means, sign up for these. A case in point, on Day 1 of IBW a group of well-maintained two-stroke Yamaha RX 100 motorcycle riders rode into the venue with their flags flying high. While it was a treat to watch these old motorcycles, what started next was mayhem. They proceeded to just get into a rev-fest, revving the bikes until clouds of white smoke from burning 2T oil filled the area (driving out not just the mosquitoes in the area).
Also read: Aprilia RS 457 launched in India at Rs 4.10 lakh
This was just one instance. Almost every third rider, riding in with a bike with a modified exhaust or a premium motorcycle, entered the venue and began to hit the rev-limiter on the bikes. Some did it continuously for minutes on end, until a few sputtered and stalled, with burnt clutch and hot oil smell filling the air. Are these really petrolheads?
A real petrolhead has mechanical empathy. They care for their motorcycles. An occasional rev or two doesn’t hurt, but to continuously hit the limiter will lead to mechanical damage. The same goes for cold starts on motorcycles. Bikes need a few minutes for the engine oil to circulate and for all parts to face appropriate thermal expansion to work in mechanical harmony. Revving the nuts off the bike soon after starting it is suicidal for the machine.
That said, have you seen the highlights of IBW 2023? Here it is:
