Clean up your bike, pop on a helmet, and head to Goregaon to participate in the bike ride for autism organised by the Mocha Bikers Association. You'll end up making some biker friends, and earn good karma
Clean up your bike, pop on a helmet, and head to Goregaon to participate in the bike ride for autism organised by the Mocha Bikers Association. You'll end up making some biker friends, and earn good karma
If you see a troupe of bikers vrooming as they approach the Amphitheatre at Carter Road, Bandrau00a0 on Sunday evening, smile in the knowledge that this display of machismo is actually for a good cause. 
Members of the Mocha Bikers Association get ready to zoom
The Mocha Bike Association is taking to the streets on their lean, mean machinesu00a0-- well actually, any machine that has the juice to go from Aarey Milk Colony toll naka junction to Bandrau00a0-- to drum up support and raise awareness for autism in partnership with Khushi Pediatric Centre, Andheri (E).
"The lean, mean (read over 350 cc) requirement for bikes is just for our biker's club. Bikes of all sizes and horsepower are welcome to join us on the ride," laughs Amit Jambotkar, founder of Mocha Bike Association (MBA).
The ride is part of the Association's effort to give back something to society. Since MBA was formed in 2006 to bring together Mumbai's avid bikers, it has been involved in charitable initiativesu00a0-- from participating in a post-Visarjan beach clean-up late last year to collecting gifts for thee underprivileged during Christmas.
"Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. The gap in understanding this disorder in their children has left parents ignorant about available treatments. Awareness is a big factor, and that's what we hope to achieve to raise through this ride," he explains.
Bikers will be carrying placards and banners to sensitise pedestrians to the condition. The ride will culminate in a performance by a group of kids from Khushi Pediatric Centre at the amphitheatre.
"The MBA is a group of enthusiasts who bike together on the second Saturday and Sunday of every month. Every year, we also take off on a long bike trip together. Last year, it was Goa. This year we plan to go to Leh-Ladakh," says Jambotkar.
The 70-strong group is hoping bikers will turn up in large numbers to support the cause on Sunday. And they have good reason to believe it will happen, going by previous experience. "The response to the rides is always enthusiastic. Bikers don't really need an excuse to get onto their bikes, but when a good cause is involved, you will find a cavalcade of 60 bikes."
The mood is generally one celebrating life, because when people come together for an important cause, they realise they are doing something to change the way things are, and that sort of positivity always comes with passion," he believes.
Jambotkar, who otherwise heads operations for the Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality, the guys behind some of Mumbai's finest restaurants including Smoke House Grill, is positive that the ride will have a happy ending.
"It's an old clich ufffd but it still makes absolute sense: even if one parent becomes aware of their child's disorder and decides to do the right thing because of the ride, we will consider ourselves a success.
We couldn't agree more.
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At: Aarey Milk Colony toll naka junction, 4 pm onwards
Eentry: To participate and become a member of the Mocha Bike Association, send an email to mba@mocha.co.in
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