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Photos: Vespa enthusiasts showcase extreme mods at Indonesian festival
Updated On Aug 29, 2018 09:29 am IST
Every year, Indonesians from teens and granddads, to mechanics and students, gather in eastern Java to celebrate their love of the iconic Italian Vespa scooter. For some, it's an 'extreme' kind of love, where the vehicles are customised to resemble metallic monster bikes straight out of a Hollywood dystopia. Hundreds of enthusiasts travel to the festival in Kediri to show off their creations - ranging from restored vintage Vespas to Mad Max-style tanks fitted with fake machine guns, a dozen extra tyres, or eerie stuffed toys as hood ornaments.
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Extreme Vespa enthusiasts drive near the site of a scooter festival in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. Every year, Indonesians from teens and grandads, to mechanics and students, gather in eastern Java to celebrate their love of the iconic Italian scooter. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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A mechanic works on turning an old Vespa bike into an extreme tank to sell, at a workshop in Kediri. For some, it’s an ‘extreme’ kind of love, where the vehicles are customised to resemble metallic monster bikes straight out of a Hollywood dystopia. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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Hundreds of enthusiasts travel to the festival in Kediri to show off their creations – ranging from restored vintage Vespas to Mad Max-style tanks fitted with fake machine guns, a dozen extra tyres, or eerie stuffed toys as hood ornaments. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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To enter into competitions at the festival, every customised vehicle must have a Vespa engine and most contestants try to retain the brand’s iconic fairing - the curved front of the scooter. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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Local girls take pictures of their friend sitting on a modified extreme Vespa while briefly visiting an extreme Vespa festival. Other embellishments are up to the owners and their budgets. While many can only afford scrap metal or reused material found at a junkyard, some others splash out. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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Vespa enthusiasts ride after attending a weekend festival for extreme Vespas in Semarang. Peded, a 43-year-old grandfather who has been modifying Vespas since the 1990s, says he likes his scooter to “tell a story”. His own Vespa sports massive buffalo horns from the Toraja tribal land on Sulawesi island. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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The three-day festival, now in its third year, is one of several held across the country. Highlights include a contest to pick the best-looking entry and dirt-track races for the speedier bikes. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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Vespa enthusiasts dance at a music concert at a scooter festival in Kediri. The enthusiasts often attract glances and smiles from locals because of the designs of their elaborate Vespas. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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As the vehicles are often unlicensed, many travel at night to avoid traffic police. Mechanical problems arise, with some of the more ramshackle machines often breaking down. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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Mostly, the gatherings are about catching up with fellow Vespa-lovers and having fun. “We are independent, but we gather like a community,” said Julia Ningsih, 19. (Darren Whiteside / REUTERS)
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