The motorcycle season has started in Kaunas – bikers have rolled out into the streets

The motorcycling season in Kaunas opened with a minute’s silence for the retired brothers. The celebration ended with a promise to meet in a year, but in a different place.

If the first Sunday of May is dedicated to all mothers, then the first Saturday of the same month is dedicated to motorcycles. On that day, the Lithuanian motorcycle world celebrates the opening of its season, joins columns, rolls through city streets and shares the news with others. Having started in Vilnius 33 years ago, the season opening event has spread all over Lithuania. Bikers gather in Šiauliai, Alytus, Marijampole, Kėdainai, Kaunas.

“In Kaunas, we used to meet at the “Svarstykles” restaurant. From there we moved through the city streets to Vilnius. The merchants of the central market used to throw petals at us, and they gave flowers to the girls sitting on the motorcycles”, said Linas Pečiukaitis, vice-president of the club “Forever Free MCC”, chairman of the Mototourism Commission of the Lithuanian Motorcycle Sports Federation, about the long-standing tradition.

As the motorcyclist community grew, the restaurant “Svarstykles” and its access became too narrow, so the season opening celebration is organized for the second year in the Town Hall Square.

There are people who bother us? It happens. What do we answer them? That we love them!

“The celebration is not only for us, but also for the city,” said L. Pečiukaitis, who for the second year contributed to organizing the festive start of the season in Kaunas, was happy with the successful format of the celebration and the growing interest of the public.

Last year, according to him, around two and a half thousand wheeled participants came to the festival. This year, even more of them gathered in Kaunas. If you count the escorts behind the drivers, the number would be even more impressive.

As the community of steering brothers grows, so does public interest. According to Kazimieros Čeponis, the head of the Lithuanian Bikers’ Congress, one of the founders of the club “Motobroliai”, the season opening celebration is a great opportunity to get to know motorcycles and the people who drive them.

Photo by Simon Baltušis.

“We are waiting for everyone. And those who have motorcycles and those who only think about them. When people come, they find out where there are driving schools, what sports disciplines, what tourism opportunities, what services and who drives motorcycles. Motorcycles are not “outsider” transport. Everyone knows the famous pilots Steponas Darius and Stasis Girėnas, one of whom was a motorcyclist and rode around Kaunas on a motorcycle”, K. Čeponis had no doubt that the citizens will also learn more interesting things at this year’s season opening celebration. Let’s say there are electric motorcycles, and kids with a weakness for two-wheeled vehicles can attend clubs.

“It is not always and not all information can be found on the Internet, so such meetings with the public are very useful”, – L. Pečiukaitis assured that after conversations with motorcyclists, a common citizen radically changes his opinion about drivers of two-wheeled vehicles. Until then, I thought that motorcyclists were eagles of the streets, they finally realize that they try to contribute to road safety more than anyone else and actively educate the public on this topic. Also, they look menacing only because of their leather clothes and helmets, but they are actually open and easy to talk to.

“There are people who bother us?” It happens. What do we answer them? That we love them!” K. Čeponis laughed.

After traditionally starting the season opening celebration with a minute’s silence for all the steering brothers who cannot be together, the riders ended the event with a promise to meet next year at the same time, but in a different place. After the maintenance work on the Town Hall Square, the space will be inaccessible to any kind of transport, so bikers will have to find a new place.

“We already know where we will meet next year, but we won’t say it yet,” intrigued K. Čeponis.

Photo by Simon Baltušis.