Read about the Mother of all "desi" Bike Trips.. by an Indian, on an Indian motorcycle.. who did it just for the love of it..!!
Some bikers love drag races, some bikers like doing stunts and some bikers prefer to go on Road trips on their motorcycles.
Road trips like the "Bharat Parikrama" and "Great Indian Road trip" have covered the length of India. A recent one called the "Great Australian Road trip" is presently being done in Australia. Trips like these have been well publicized and sponsored by corporate houses.
Even bikers like you and me now do biking trips across the country. Recently a friend of mine went to Leh on his Pulsar 200 along with his friends.
Inspired by these reports, the other day I spoke to my Girl friend/Fiancée over the phone about my plans to do a Bangalore-Pondicherry-Bangalore road trip on my bike (Pulsar 220). Here is the summary of her reaction..
"What..??"
Such a long trip..?? On a bike..??
Why can't you take the bus..??
Are you turning into a street Rowdy..??
Imagine if I tell
"I want to travel around the world, across 5 continents, spanning 19 months, ALONE, on a motorcycle and WITHOUT ANY SPONSOR..!!"
I am certain that my Girlfriend will dump me.!!
Over the years my ear drums have been institutionalized to that saccharine voice.. so even if we were over the phone (2,500 Kms apart), I could clearly make out that ominous thunder clouds were gathering over my head. So with all my years of experience, in order to minimize further damage, I promptly added..
"Only if you give me the permission.. dear..!!"
Success..!! Disaster (read NAGGING..!!) was averted this time. But deep down I felt sick that I can't do something that I had been cherishing to do for sometime now. And oh yes, I know.. I SUCK..!!
Now Imagine: If I tell my Girl friend/Fiancée that "I want to travel around the world, across 5 continents, spanning 19 months, ALONE, on a motorcycle and WITHOUT ANY SPONSOR..!!" I am certain that the Nagging would cease permanently.. Because she would dump me.!!
It might sound amazing but a 37 year old called Bharadwaj Dayala who hails from Vizag Andhra Pradesh, has done exactly this. Bhadradwaj has circumnavigated the globe riding Alone on a Hero Honda Karizma in 19 months..!! Bharadwaj successfully completed his journey on 4'th Nov 2007 which was originally flagged off on 2'nd April 2006 at Vizag, Andhra Pradesh.
Even Hero Honda refused to sponsor his trip..
the cost of the trip was around Rs.50 Lakh, collected by his friends and wellwishers..
What's most noteworthy is that Bharadwaj has completed his trip without any sponsor. The cost of the entire trip was around Rs. 50 Lakh, which was entirely collected by his friends and wellwishers. Even Hero Honda refused to sponsor his trip, when they realized the legal implications that they might land into, in event of his death during the trip. Also unlike the corporate sponsored/publicized bike trips like "Bharat Parikrama", "Great Indian/Australian Roadtrip", Bharadwaj did not have a support crew who would follow him along the way in a four wheeler.
Maybe Bharadwaj isn't exactly a market or media savvy man to sell his idea/story to a sponsor or publishing house. Maybe he isn't an able photographer to chronicle his trips in sweeping artistic photographs. Maybe a few people might even call him an insane guy to plan such an audacious trip. But Bharadwaj definitely deserves a much more accolades and publicity for his amazing feat.
I can't offer him monetary benefits for his exploits but I can at least I can make sure that a few more guys should know about his amazing "Solitary Journey across the World on an Indian Motorcycle".
His trip has been chronicled in a blog: "Around the World on Motorcycle". The last update on his blog was back in July 25, 2007.
Now don't just sit there, go ahead show some respects to this guy.. Visit his blog. Leave a few comments.
Meanwhile I'll try to motivate my Girl Friend/Fiancée by telling her about Bharadwaj Dayala and his amazing solo trip around the world. Maybe she'll let me go on short bike trips along with my friends.
Here are a few excerpts from his blog:
This is not a sponsored tour and the entire planning, logistics, funds, communications, paper work, permits, insurances, transfers, shipments, repairs and arrangements have to be done by me or by supporters at home..
I was riding riding riding...day and night....for three days. My eyes bulged out like onions and were watering continuously with fatigue....and lack of sleep and my body was achining in every muscle with continuous sitting for more than 14 hours a day....
If I had not gone to the French embassy then at least no body would know that I am overstaying...but now that they know that an Indian in overstaying, they may look for me and arrest me at the French border...
To ride and to go to a new place and enjoy the new surroundings, new people, new food. Everything is fun and you will be happy. But not if you have to do it everyday, 24/7 all through the year
Route of Bharadwaj Dayala
You may be liking pizzas and burgers and meat but try eating all that for a month. I have been eating that for 9 months now..
Loneliness as a problem can not be explained, only to be experienced..
Each shipment cost me almost double the cost of my bike itself, it would have been much cheaper if I bought a new motorcycle of the same quality in each country and just threw it in the sea when I left, but I want to take only an Indian motorcycle..
Bharadwaj Dayala tells The Hindu: "Many have done it before, but on far superior bikes, I wanted to do it on an Indian bike, and I have done it"
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Disclaimer:
This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.
