600 Kerala bikers will ride their vintage bike this Independence Day to promote safety

This independence day, 600 riders from all around Kerala are coming together on Kozhikode's Sarovaram Bio Park in an attempt to promote the use of helmet and safety while riding bikes. The event Freedom Ride 2K18 will be organised by Strokerz Malabar, which is one of the largest communities in Kerala that aims to promote and save vintage bikes.

To spread the message of safety, these riders, most of them who've been on pan-India rides on vintage bikes, including 73-year-old Kumar Swamy will be covering a 5 kilometre-long stretch from Sarovaram to Kozhikode beach. Each rider pays Rs 99 as a registration fee for the event, which will later be given for charity.

Founded three years ago in August 2015 by two motorcycle enthusiasts Prithul PM and Shabeer Ali, the community now has more than 1000 members from all over Kerala. All of them own at least one vintage bike. "I have always been a bike lover. It began when my father gifted me an RX 100 when I was in college. I still have that bike with me," Prithul recalls. As the years passed, he developed a love for vintage bikes but realised that it was difficult to find their spare parts. "That is when Shabeer and I founded this community. Over these years, we mapped these vintage bike owners just through WhatsApp," he adds. Since then, the community frequently organises rides, charity events and safety campaigns.

The event will also see Assistant Commissioner (Kozhikode North) EP Prithviraj and Malayalam actor and director Joy Mathew who will support the riders and also promote the campaign.