Beirut’s biking community, and friends and family, celebrated three entertaining days at the city’s Waterfront as the Beirut Bike Festival revved its engines and rolled into town under the auspices of the Motorcycle & Touring Club of Lebanon.

2500 people attended the extravaganza of bikes music and entertainment over the three days from September 19^th to 21^st 2014, in the company of iconic motorcycle brands including Harley-Davidson, BMW, Ducati, KTM, Aprillia, MV Augusta, Piaggio, Kawasaki, and others. Gargour Automotive Company, the only authorized distributor of Jeep® in Lebanon, revealed an exclusive Jeep® Wrangler Harley-Davidson Limited Edition at the Festival.

A diverse audience benefitted from a packed schedule of enthralling activities, including new motorcycle releases, bike games, bike challenges, motorcycle stunt shows, live street art painting on a Jeep® Wrangler by the notorious Beirut based graffiti artists ASHEKMAN, and a custom bike contest. A thrilling line up of bands had Ruby Road, Amadeus Awad, Lazzy Lung and EPIC playing live to packed venues. Swap meets, collectibles, dealers and vendors added to festival proceedings.

The highlight of the event was the Thunder Parade on Sunday, September the 21^st. 1400 motorcyclists donned their riding gear for a massive parade headed by 50 Harley police bikes and the Jeep® Wrangler special edition customised for Harley-Davidson that was sold during the event for $90,000. The Parade was held in partnership with the Lebanese Internal Security Force (ISF) and all major motorcycle clubs and groups. Another prominent aspect of the event was KTM Rok Bagoros Stunt show and the showcase of the ‘Zero’ Bike. The event was further accentuated by the Custom Bike Contest with close to 40 bikes in nine different categories.

“We were delighted with the spirit of inclusivity, camaraderie and excitement that permeated the Beirut Bike Festival. The event was attended by all motorcycle clubs and groups in the city, and had iconic global bike brands present. It really was a celebration of the best attributes of riding culture, and the importance of friends and family – not to mention the excitement of concerts, entertainment, custom shows, and so much more. Harley-Davidson was proud to be a part of the festivities,” said Marwan Tarraf, Managing Director of Harley-Davidson Beirut.

For Harley-Davidson Beirut, the Beirut Bike Festival was excellent platform to spend time with its rider family in Lebanon. “Events like the Beirut Bike Festival are a great way of celebrating the camaraderie and spirit of adventure that powers Harley-Davidson Motor Company. We are delighted at the success of the event, and salute Beirut’s riding community for its inclusiveness, enthusiasm and verve,” said Elsa Abi Nader, Regional Marketing Manager at Harley-Davidson MENA regional office.