Words By: Glaiza Seguia
Gleaming bikes stopped traffic and spun heads in awe as they sped through the roads leading to Dubai Media City Amphitheatre. The distinct sounds of roaring engines and loud horns could be heard as tattooed men clad in leather, boots and sunglasses thundered their way to the largest motorcycle festival in the region, the Gulf Bike Week.
With its new home in Media City and a new show format, the three-day event that has been running for five years showcased the latest innovations in sport bikes, urban-terrain vehicles, outdoor equipment and lifestyle products from global industry pioneers like Kawasaki, Harley Davidson, BMW, Honda, Ducati and more.
The atmosphere was electrifying thanks to the 12 international artists including homegrown talent Juliana Down, The Boxtones, Maplejacks, Jay Wud and more, who dominated the musical stage. There were entertainment and street bike stunt shows from Red Bull’s Shadi Al Dhaheri and Jack Field along with other Flair Riders throughout the weekend.
Artful engineering was on display at the Custom Build Bike Competition and taking home the prizes were Manjeet Kwatra from the UAE for the vintage class, Skull Cycles from the UAE for the Sportbike class and Ahmed Al Shaik from Saudi Arabia for the Three-wheeler class, just to name a few. Meanwhile, the kids made a beeline for the Adventure HQ stand to ride and skate on the bike pump track.
The event wouldn’t be complete without the hundreds of enthusiasts who came down to meet and mingle. Around 1,600 bikers joined the iconic Thunder Parade and different motorcycling clubs from all over the Middle East showed their support including Emirates Riders, Falcons Abu Dhabi, Oman Riders, Riyadh Riders and more.
Another show-stopper is the custom-built golden plated and bejeweled motorbike designed by Danish company Lauge Jensen. Founder Uffe Lauge Jensen, explained: “It took us five months to make this because the level of detail is so high. We opted to do gold leaf work as opposed to strictly gilding because it is much thicker. Every inch that is covered in gold leaf was placed there by a master jeweler.”
His Excellency Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, Vice-President of the FIA and Chairman of the Institute for Sport Research in the UAE, along with Christopher Hudson, Managing Director of Clarions Events Middle East, inaugurated the event on October 24th and did a walking tour in the grassy venue.
Hudson said: “We are happy to be back where Bike Week originally began, the new venue adds a true festival feel, with amazing talent from street stunt riders, 12 of the best regional bands entertaining the crowds, and plenty of food and beverage amongst a variety of other features. The festival provides a perfect platform to engage for bikers and families alike.”
OutdoorUAE booth
For the first time, OutdoorUAE participated in this popular event to interact with fellow petrolheads. Outdoor fans picked up complimentary copies of the magazine, checked out our t-shirt and book merchandise and had fun striking crazy poses in the photobooth sponsored by Kawasaki (consider getting a New Jersey gif photo booth rental if you are looking for an open layout to allow big group shots). Visitors young and old took turns riding the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R and got free photo souvenirs printed.
The Liberty Automobiles Co has currently launched their 2014 models, and wants to share the feeling of riding a powerful machine with fellow bike buffs. The huge stand of Liberty Kawasaki at the Gulf Bike Week was packed with riders and customers viewing and asking about their newest range. “I love to ride and I have a Kawasaki bike myself, that’s why I always include the Gulf Bike Week to my calendar,” one of the visitors said. We can’t wait for next year’s event! Check out some of the best moments from the OutdoorUAE booth…
