Breakfast Run to Mizoram and Tibet via Haryana


Riding down the South Extension flyover I scan the service lane for parked bikes. 
Last month nearly 300 bikers had turned up for the Breakfast Run. This time, I spot just one. 
Warm welcome, short instructions, easy ride.  

But does it matter? No. Not if there are no sponsors to please or any reputation to keep.
Maybe one day no one would come. There would be enough clubs doing weekend rides that are far better organized with super deals and destinations. Then Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run (DBBR) would have run its course. 

But that day was obviously not today because soon there are 150 bikers.
New faces same old relaxed vibe
Many new faces…almost all are there because someone personally recommended the Breakfast Run or dragged them along. And as usual over a dozen clubs are represented. DBBR attracts many first timers who eventually join one of these clubs. And the number of ladies who pitch up on their bikes or sit pillion bear witness to the reality of our motto RIDE – RESPECT – RELAX. 

Everyone, regardless of his or her club affiliation or what bike they prefer, is special. But today we are highlighting three Enfield bikers from Wanderers MC who are about to attempt an epic ride from Delhi to Lhasa, Tibet. While we aim to cover a modest 70 km’s into Haryana, they will cross couple of states into Nepal by nightfall.

Roy, Mickey & Aagosh ready to ride to Lhasa, Tibet
So we stand on both sides of the lane and applaud them as they ride into the sunrise. Whether the Chinese give them Visa’s at the Tibetan border is another question. But if they get through, it would inaugurate a new era for Adventure Motorcycling in India.

The other exception we are making today is obvious by the title of our ride ‘DELHI BIKERS support NORTH EAST RIDERS MEET (NERM) Next month, Aizwal Thunders (India’s oldest Enfield Club) are hosting the 5th NERM in Zotlang, Champai, Mizoram.

The fact is, this is the closest many Delhi Bikers will ever get to even saying, ‘Mizoram’. For them only God and Google know where Zotlang or Champai is.

Most locals can't believe so many will
ride so early just to eat together
But the title contains a small seed of hope. A hope that looks forward to a day when the conceit and prejudice based on our tribe or tongue may be replaced with genuine respect for one another. That we may have the courage to celebrate our unique diversity, not fight it.

That is what N.E.R.M is doing by bringing all the tribes of the North East together. A significant miracle thanks to adventure motorcycling.

Time and again Delhi Bikers have returned from the North East and raved about the exceptional hospitality, the biker camaraderie and the thrill of being in a beautiful place. Yet back in Delhi they want nothing to do with North Easterners. Of course the responsibility is mutual but the majority have a role in creating a space that welcomes without patronizing.

I have no idea if anyone will even get the message of today’s ride. And besides, no one comes to a Breakfast Run for a lecture.
There is nothing like being cheered on by those we cheer on - Photo by Sanjeev Arora
Headlights on low beam, we ride in two lines over multiple flyovers, below the Metro line, and finally onto the Western Yamuna Canal Road that runs parallel to the NH1. By now everyone is grinning from ear to ear. The high grass and green fields on either side of the smooth tarmac is a treat but we are most delighted about the absence of any four wheels on this road.

I pull over to take in the view and let the river of headlights rumble by. It dawns on me, many who ride past are originally from Darjeeling, Kohima, Sikkim, Shillong, Imphal and Guwahati. 

Then a gentleman who is obviously North Indian rides past wearing a red Naga tribe waistcoat. It is a proud day for him because his 21year old son is riding alongside him for the first time.

Dad and son (David and Marc) on their first ride together 
When we arrive at Haveli for breakfast, I am relaxed. People do silly poses and update their online status. Once the helmets are off, no one knows who came on which bike. What matters is their attitude. What matters is not what they do for a living but how they are living. This is the reward, to see so many having a good laugh, eating together and parting ways with a hug until next time.

And who knows, maybe thanks to todays ride to Murthal, Haryana, some may even consider an adventure ride to Zotlang, Champai, Mizoram…or even into Tibet one day.
DELHI BIKERS BREAKFAST RUN (DBBR) - Making Motorcycle Memories Since 2009

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