Motorcycle Karma

Logline

Four guys go to India on a motorcycle adventure – the problem is three of them have never ridden before!

Synopsis

Four Australian sound recordists go to India on a motorcycle adventure of a lifetime. They want to travel the village back roads, from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea and shoot a doco along the way.

The plan is to ride the classic Enfield ‘Bullet’, a throwback to the British bikes of the fifties. Initially built for the Indian army, Enfields have an aura of power and a thumping, loud sound. Many villagers feel only a man of importance would ride an Enfield. There’s only one hitch! Three of the guys have never ridden motorcycles before or even been to India.

Arriving in Chennai, the guys are overwhelmed by the crowds, the food, an explosion of the senses. They discover that Raj, a guy they met online who promised to organize their bikes for them, is nowhere to be found.

Their search takes them to Pondicherri, where they come across Mani the Mechanic who helps them prepare the bikes for their journey across the sub-continent. Learning how to ride in the chaos of India is challenging enough, though not as challenging as four male egos dealing with each other. And, none are prepared for the chaos when the Asian Tsunami comes crashing into their lives. Deeply affected after their short involvement with the cleanup and relief effort, their journey takes on new meaning.

Motorcycle Karma is not just a simple travelogue story, it gives the viewer a real insight into how contemporary Aussie males think and feel, especially when confronted with life outside their comfort zone. They fight have accidents and travel through villages very few foreigners have visited before. Definitely not powder puffs, nor do they carry their macho shields, India pushes buttons, exposes their strengths and weaknesses. They even have problems with the sound gear!

As they learn to ride the guys also learn to deal with each other. This is ‘men’s business’ on the road. When the bikes are running smoothly the world is in harmony. When they play up, everything goes wrong. They say there are a million mechanics in India, by the end they have probably visited them all. Their adventures take them far beyond the marketplace, but through it all the guys always manage to have a laugh and never take themselves too seriously. In this strange, ancient land we want them to succeed, to fly with the wind and be free.