15 June,2014 06:16 AM IST | | Phorum Dalal
The city will see its first Motorcycle Travellers Meet in Vangani near Thane on June 22 where bikers will share travel stories and tips on planning long-distance journeys
motorbikes
In 2013, Santosh Kumar conducted the first Motorcyle Travellers Meet (MTM) in Bangalore, and the second edition was held in April this year. Mumbai gets its own edition of the event at A1 Adventure Zone in Vangani near Thane on June 22. "The main aim of the meet is to share motorcycle stories, inspire and encourage bikers to explore," said Kumar, adding that he has organised a pre-event on June 21 for enthusiasts and bikers to stay at the camp site, network and hang out.
The main event will begin the next day with a workshop on Ride Skills, which will touch on topics such as how to plan a long-distance ride, chart for trails and ensure a comfortable journey.
The meet's aim is to motivate bikers to share their experiences of travelling on motorbikes and encourage them to explore more places
The second session includes three experiential talks of one-hour each. "Our first speaker is Steph Jeavons from UK, who is travelling around the world on her 250cc motorcycle on a tight budget. She will share her journey and enlighten participants on how to plan a long-distance trip. The second speaker is Kedarnath who took a four-months tour in Europe on his Royal Enfield. The last one is Avinash Thadani who rode through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina on a four-month-long trip that covered a distance of 15,000 km," said Kumar, adding that they will screen a documentary titled The Dream Ride.
Santosh Kumar, one of the organisers of the event
Vir Nakai, the 35-year-old founder of Helmet Stories, an adventure company, and co-founder of Garage52 at Bandra, a community motorcycle and mechanics workshop, will host a talk on Getting Ready For Ladakh. "A journey of 10,000 kilometres and more requires a lot of planning. I will talk about routes, campsites, which are run by locals all through the summer, the importance of having mechanical knowledge, help spots and health issues. Altitude is one of the major problems to watch out for," said Nakai, adding that eating on time and remaining hydrated are the key points to avoid acute mountain sickness.
The day will also see a panel discussion on solo motorcycling. "Long-distance motorcycle rides are all about roughing it out. A rider is always on a budget and carries his world on his bike. It is not for the faint-hearted,"
Nakai concluded.
To sign up, log on to motorcycle.travellersmeet.in
