India Bike Week (IBW) was held on December 4 and 5th, 2021, at the Aamby Valley airstrip. 2021 IBW – The Special Edition – where Jameson Irish Whiskey was the perfect facilitator for people to get together and mix in – turned out to be a roaring success, providing a perfect platform for the biking community to come together for two days of fun and mixing in.
Visitors were treated to an exclusive video by Maxwell Hazan (the world-famous custom motorcycle builder), in which he spoke about building motorcycles, dropped a few technical tips and tricks, and offered a grand tour of his Los Angeles workshop. Bringing in the power of youth was Sarthak Chavan, Akshat Hupale and Darshit Chavan as the face of the Future of Indian Motorsport. A few motorcycles made their debut at IBW too. Kawasaki revealed its retro Z650RS. Honda showcased its H’ness CB350 Anniversary Edition as well as the 2022 CB300R, while American bikemaker Harley-Davidson rolled out the new Sportster S.
Beyond bikes, there were a lot of bonds and new friendships created at the Jameson Howling Dog Bar where there were wild riding battles with biking clubs from around the country in a fun competition mode, out to prove they were the best. The adrenalin rush and fun were at an all-time high at the Bar, where rappers, DJs, dancers ensured that the fun never seemed to slow down! In fact, it became a perfect zone where strangers turned friends over some smooth Jameson Ginger & Lime!
An open mic session with Vijay Thomas had members of the biking community exchange stories from the road. Father-son duo Swaranjit and Kabir Bajaj spoke about their affinity for cruisers and sports bikes, and Debashish Ghosh his friends shared tales from their 2015 HOI ASEAN Corridor Ride. Sandra and Fiona, two women riders on a world tour, spoke about their experiences. Connections were made and toasts were raised at the Jameson Howling Dog Bar!
Those looking for non-bike-related fun had games like foosball and arm-wrestling to pick from. The Jameson Lounge was a treat to the eyes, ears and the mind. At The Moto Art Collective, photography exhibitions featuring the work of Ishan Bhataiya and Pushkar Patil drew compliments, while the Mod Bike Parade had some brilliantly designed, creative custom motorcycles for visitors to drool over. For the old-school fans, the Vintage and Classic Bike Parade brought it a strong sense of nostalgia.
IBW 2021 brought under one roof the best bikes, the biggest names in the community, and the most talented musicians and artists — all of whom had a great appreciation for taste, resulting in a perfect blend, much like Jameson Irish Whiskey. Let’s drink to that!
