Every biker’s dream is to explore the world on a motorcycle where they get to witness the changing landscapes, culture and meet new people thereby fuelling their dreams of travel and passion for riding. Sameera Dahiya and Praveen, from Bangalore wanted to set out on a ride within India, but this time it was to send out a message of peace harmony and love.
The slogan titled ‘Heal the world’, was a 24 days and 19 hours journey covering all the 28 states their capitals and the 6 UTs thus covering 16300 Kms on road. The idea conceived by the duo, was when they felt the need to preserve the nature and wildlife in India and around the world, thereby making the earth a better place to live in, atleast for the upcoming generations. It was clearly time to give back and preserve nature and also, the culture, language, food, beliefs that exist around and all this knit together makes the world we live in, our home. Our slogan for the ride hence named Heal the world’, heal it from all the sufferings and issues that exist and to move forward in harmony and love, says Sameera.
India is a land of diversity with varied landscapes, culture, people, religion and food. The richness of the land stands unparallel to the rest of the world, and to experience all of it in a single ride is a dream come true moment. We were covering 3 to 4 states, at times in a single day by riding 12 to 14 hours. This ride holds a very valuable experience which we will spread and share with the world and take it to our graves. And to do it with your life partner is the cherry on the cake, it was the fastest Honeymoon ride, says Sameera, reminiscing the ride.
Every ride requires some minimal research, but for anyone to do a record ride such as this, it required meticulous planning on the routes. The couple started their research in June 2019, where they started to map out their routes and finalised their trip. Speaking about the research that went behind the ride, Praveen says We had to spend 3.5 weeks on our motorcycle preparations and to get everything in place. We purchased a kit of backup spares and motorcycle lubricants like engine oil, chain lubricants, coolants for the journey. We kept our luggage very minimal and carried all essentials which we would use in our journey. The year 2020 has been tough by all means and to do a ride amidst the pandemic situation makes it more challenging. We made sure we had our COVID tests done periodically and we followed all safety norms such as wearing mask, using hand sanitizers, and since we were mostly on our motorcycles we were comparatively safer. At all borders, we underwent a COVID test and ensured we followed the protocols, adds Praveen.
Sameera was riding on a 2017 KTM 390 duke while Praveen had a 2013 KTM 390 duke, and preferred to complete their journey on the same, as it would help them understand better about the model and are aware of technical snags that could possibly occur. Both of us have been riding the KTM Duke 390 for last 3 years and we were comfortable with the motorcycle. We have ridden our bikes on different roads and trails in the past few years. Also working on individual’s skill and techniques does helps in managing all unknown roads and conditions, says Praveen explaining about their motorcycle.
An All-India Ride cannot be smooth and hassle free, as it would have many challenges such as road conditions, weather, political conditions, issues with motorcycle and so on. Staying connected and aware of all these factors is highly important as it will prepare you for the worst situation.
A motorcycle ride which involves more number of days requires the bikers to have the right attitude, strong physical and mental health. This journey was more of an endurance ride, where your physical and mental health will be put to test. Myself and my husband had to lose 10-12 kgs with proper diet and exercise over months before we began the journey. Also, what we need to inhibit is a calm and composed mind which would help us face challenges that come our way. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going, highlights Sameera on the efforts that motorcycle rides demand.
It is in times of these, we understand the bond of bikerhood, where we receive support from the biker family and the community. On our way we met bikers from our network who guided us through the rides. Bengaluru is a cosmopolitan city and is an IT hub with lot of young minds always on the lookout for adventures. Biking has been one area that has seen a massive growth over the years, and this city is the capital of biking, says Praveen about community of motorcycles.
Sameera Dahiya, an IT professional has been riding for the past 5 years and has covered Pan India in parts prior to this Fastest All India Attempt. One of the mainstream activity of Sameera is, empowering women by teaching them to ride motorcycle and taking them on tours across India. On the other hand, Praveen has been an IT professional for the last 17 years, who has owned around 25 bikes and few cars over the years. He has travelled across India and has been touring since 2000. We have been riding together since 2016 and our first long distance trip was, when we did Bangalore to Rajasthan and back, which was followed by rides across India. We thank our experts for guiding us through this ride and we hope the community of motorcycling gets stronger reaching out to lot of younger minds across the globe, signs off the duo.
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