Bikers' paradise

It's half past seven on a Thursday evening and this beach-side café on Jumeirah Beach Road is packed to capacity. But you'd be excused if you didn't notice the crowd. There are at least two dozen motorcycles parked outside — Harleys, Ducatis, BMWs, KTMs and the like, all vying to grab your eyeballs. Inside, it's the bikes again that take centre stage. They're everywhere — in conversations, on the floor, on the walls, even on the toilet doors. Clearly, the Bikers Café, the only one of its kind in the UAE, is living up to every bit of its name. "It's a whole new experience," explains café manager Dimitrije Simonovic, a Serbian architect and interior designer who conceived the idea of the café with its Emirati owner. According to him, bikers have a distinct personality. "When people buy bikes, they buy into a new lifestyle and become a new person. They like the look and feel of their bikes and like it when others look at them too. They wear good clothes, protective gear, go for rides with other bikers and hang out together." No wonder then that large groups of bikers descend on the café every day. Simonovic estimates that there are around 5,000 bikers in the UAE, 70 per cent of them with Harleys, 15 per cent with super bikes and the rest with adventurous models. He says there are three typical weekend scenarios at the Bikers Café. The first is when groups of riders gather for breakfast in the early hours before they take off on their rides within Dubai or to the Fujairah coast and Kalba. Similarly, they throng the place in the evenings on the way back from their rides. There are also those who come during lunchtime during good weather. The place is hugely popular with non-bikers too. Visit the cafe at any time and you will find many of the 170 seats occupied by families, both Emiratis and expats. Simonovic says the café has a decidedly local touch although it is inspired by the American Diners and the Ace Café in London. "We didn't want to exclude non-bikers just as we didn't want a place that serves just hotdogs and burgers. Everyone is welcome here and they enjoy our mix of cuisines. Our Emirati breakfast is especially popular. So are our Mediterranean, international, Asian and other specialities." The attention to detail is difficult to miss. A busy notice board welcomes you when you enter. It has many posts on it — bikers offering number plates and motorcycles for sale, others making requests for parts and accessories, announcements of upcoming races and so on. On the left side stands the world's only Honda CB 750 garage-built Guerilla Punch by Wrenchmonkees, while a customised 1000cc Ducati 999 Martini edition vies for your attention on the right. There are many innovative features like the helmet hangers on the walls and the signs on the toilet doors — a woman seated on a Vespa and a man mounted on a bike. Photographs of motorcycles and bikers through the ages abound on the walls. Five television screens beam different bike shows and live events. There is also a shop that sells T-shirts, caps and other bike merchandise. Diehard bikers love the feel of the place. "It's like no other," says Ricardo, a biker from Portugal who rides a Ducati Monster. "I am here whenever I am free. I have made a lot of friends and there is so much to talk about. I bring my wife and kid along too and they love it." He says the bonhomie that bikers share is unique. Last week, when his Ducati had gone for servicing, a fellow biker offered him his Triumph, no strings attached. "That's the kind of bonding we enjoy." "We are like a family," says Aleksandar Subota, a Serbian biker who rides an Aprila Tuono. "It's fantastic. Everyone comes here with their bikes and their gear. The ambience is good and they have great food as well."