Indonesia is a vast archipelago, over 17,500 islands and nearly 5500kms wide she requires cheap, fast and easy transportation to move her people. You don’t get a Nobel to guess that the motorcycle fits the criteria for most of her two hundred and seventy million odd inhabitants.
Speak to someone in the know and you will find out that Bandung is the Indonesian city that boasts the largest collection of unique motorbikes. Even by world standards, we are talking rare and rarely found on other cities streets. No surprise then to hear that the number of motorcycle communities in Bandung is far greater than just about any other city in Indonesia.
To celebrate these groups, and motorcycles in general, we recently we got together with our friends from BBQride Bandung, they’re a Bandung based group of girls and guys who host a variety of motorbike events throughout the year. Obviously, 2020 threw a massive proverbial spanner in the works of their event schedule making them very interested to do a collaborative event. After a few months of lockdown, we also wanted to do a spot of flag-waving and add a bit of buzz at our store. Out of that first meeting was born the Deus Do-A-Deal Parts and Cycle Swap Meet. The idea was to create an event where people could come to find and hopefully buy, some hard to get motorbikes or rare as hens’ teeth spare parts. Government restrictions on numbers within our store meant we had to keep this refined and elite and not a hoi polloi free for all.
We drew a circle on the calendar, two days 11-12 December 2020 where we chose to invite motorbike hobbyists or seekers of dream bikes. We had it all from small to large engine capacities. Fullsize to miniature motorbikes and a room full of parts.
We ended up with nineteen curated sort after cycles on display. In a straight and great line through the centre of our store they were proudly parked and displayed.
Our Bengkel area was filled with mechanical finds and hard to finds, motorcycle frames, engines, exhausts and every other imaginable part or accessory unique to bikes.
The idea was to let the visitors wander about and interact with the sellers, exchange information and hopefully for everyone there, see some money and registration papers change hands.
Each afternoon, saw some of the various communities come, parking their bikes in front of the shop. Hot coffee brewing and the smell permeating our shop is the perfect accompaniment to our event. Bandung’s weather had been getting colder in the afternoons of late so that helped make the whole thing seem cozier and comfortable.
The atmosphere warmed the afternoons, people mingled and exchanged their stories whether buyer, seller or just motorcycle enthusiast.
Apart from the diehard motorcycle lovers, we also welcomed some visitors who had heard the noise we were doing a little something-something and wanted to stick their head in and see what all the fuss was about. They came alone or with families which we thought was great and added overall inclusiveness to the event. Besides, as most people in Indonesia do ride cycles or scooters, everyone knows a little or a lot.
Two days was not enough to fulfil all the wishes of the plethora of motorbike lovers that call Bandung home. Our restricted capacity added another dimensional operational challenge to everything, hopefully soon the restrictions will lift and we can return to holding bigger and longer events like this soon.
Deus Ex Machina Bandung is very grateful to all the different community friends who came to enliven and the committee from BBQride Bandung who have helped in the continuity of this event.
