Getting into safety gear for Resurgence ride
50 bikers of all two-wheelers and skill levels go on 73km ride
The rate at which they had signed up was fast and furious.
When it was announced on Facebook that there will be a Resurgence Gear ride and gathering on Aug 5, the slots for the first 30 riders were filled within 12 hours.
It was a "good problem" for ride organiser Ban Hock Hin's (BHH) managing director Rex Tan, who was equally pleased when 50 riders turned up for the 2pm ride on time.
Mr Tan, 38, told The New Paper: "It was a good mix of riders and motorcycles. That was what we were hoping to see, riders chilling and getting to know each other.
"This was clearly not a one-brand ride."
Biker Kendrick Tan, 27, said he was struck by the two-wheel diversity "seeing all the different rides that turned up for the ride".
We need to change the riding culture and mindset. It is just a matter of time as Singapore bikers are now becoming more safety conscious as compared to a few years ago.Ban Hock Hin managing director Rex Tan
There were dirt bikes, tourers, sport bikes, cafe racers, hypersport bikes, adventure motorcycles and naked bikes in the 73km inaugural ride.
Participants arrived with varying skill levels too.
There was also a touch of glamour when TV host and actor Bobby Tonelli arrived on his British racing green Triumph Thruxton.
Mr Tan, whose company distributes the abrasion-proof Resurgence Gear riding jeans, added: "We would like riders to be aware of the Resurgence Gear brand. More importantly, we want to influence them to wear protective gear whenever they ride."
The riders were broken into five groups of 10.
The journey started from Labrador Park to Kranji Dam, where the group had a short photo shoot.
Exiting the Pan-Island Expressway towards Tuas into Jalan Bahar, everything seemed to calm down, said participant Poh Yu Seung, who had recently returned from Kyrgyzstan after a two-month motorcycle adventure with his wife.
He described that portion of the ride as "soothing", especially when the route took them past windy roads flanked by farms.
Another rider, Ms Vanessa Khoo, 24, said she was encouraged to see bikers on smaller machines suiting up. Some wore mesh jackets while others were decked in leather jackets and riding jeans.
Ms Khoo, 24, who rides a 149cc Yamaha R15, said: "People always assume that riders on small motorbikes almost never wear safety apparel when they ride. But on this ride, they took the initiative to dress right and prove others wrong."
After Kranji, it was then an orderly dash to Seletar's Soek Seng 1954 Bicycle Cafe, where the riders had a tea break from the sweltering heat and snapped more photos of the motorbikes neatly parked outside the cafe.
The group's end point was BHH in Defu Lane, where there was a small reception of food and drinks.
Adding that more rides will be planned, Mr Tan of BHH, said: "We need to change the riding culture and mindset.
"It is just a matter of time as Singapore bikers are now becoming more safety conscious as compared to a few years ago."
Catch the video highlights of the Resurgence Gear ride at www.facebook.com/groups/ResurgenceGang/#
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
