Alluring, smoky scents from the grill wove their way down a path exuberant with bougainvillea to welcome visitors to The Farm, in Semmencheri, for Tank Up, a event that was a testament to the bonhomie that bikes and barbecue can inspire. The venue was teeming with visitors over the weekend, drawing both locals as well as participants from Kochi, Banbasa, Pune, Hyderabad, Dehradun, Kanyakumari, Hamburg, and Abu Dhabi.
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, The Farm, which hosted Motus Operandi and myriad motorcycle events over the years, brought together some of the brightest names of the riding community, along with related art, photography, and everything that screamed adventure motorcycling.
“You either have an event focussed on bikes, or on food, you don’t have both. We limited attendance to under 150 on each day, so we could all catch up over great food and our common passion,” explained Vir Nakai, who helms Helmet Stories, an adventure travel company, along with fellow motorcycle enthusiast Harsh Man Rai. “Vir brings motorcycles and adventure. We bring food,” added Shalini Philip, who runs The Farm along with partner Arul Futnani.
While over 100 kilograms of pork ribs, chops, pandi fry and chorizo disappeared into happy bellies over the weekend, in addition to The Farm’s signature pizzas and bright lime pie, motorcycles dotting the space were conversation starters. Photographs circled the restaurant, turning sections into a pop up gallery: shots from the 2022 Dakar Rally by Ishaan Bhataiya, snow-capped motorcycle adventure by Clifton Shipway and photographs from Helmet Stories by Himanshu Khagta. Prankur Rana, a Dehradun-based freelance concept artist sold his print, and bike-themed oils on canvas by Ganesh Shinde were parked inside, jostling for space with multiple orders of barbecue, coffee, and bacon ice cream.
The two-day event had special sessions on tips to use a GoPro camera by Joshi Daniel, an award-winning GoPro photographer and photo blogger. Candida Louis, a motorcycle tour guide famous for her solo ride from India through Australia, was present too and spoke of her motorcycle memories. “I started riding my dad’s CD100 when I was 14, and have been riding ever since. The motorcycling community all over the world is so close. So, no matter how remote the location, you always feel safe and can reach out for help,” she explained.
Ouseph Chacko, director, The School of Dirt, an off- road motorcycle school, conducted off-road basic training sessions for small groups of a dozen participants, at the sprawling farm space across the road from the main restaurant venue.
The working farm on Old Mahabalipuram Road, has long been the haunt of motorcycle enthusiasts, as Arul Futnani who runs the farm, is an avid rider as well. “Usually at bike events, there’s no time for conversation and just hanging out. For us, on previous occasions, it was just the bikes at a different venue across the road, and we couldn’t include food. This time around, food was integral to the event,” said Arul, in between helping with orders at the wood -fire oven, and doling out pizza with farm-fresh ingredients.
Safety first
Neils Peter Jensen, equal parts rider and designer from Germany and the man behind the safety campaign, Helmets for India, spoke to the crowd about the work done by artists across the globe, to increase awareness on rider safety. Policewoman turned artist Malou Kalay from the Netherlands brought in her painted helmet, which was on display at the venue. “I came into Chennai just for this event, and I’m taking the helmet to Goa. Later this year, we are auctioning pieces like this from artists across the world, to raise awareness on safe riding,” Jensen explained.
As the sun went down on Tank Up, almost all the attendees were looking for a bikes-and -barbecue encore. If the first edition was anything to go by. While The Farm intends to make this an annual event, Arul says Vir intends to take this to other venues across India. He adds with a laugh, “And maybe we will go along for the ride.”
