The Silk Odyssey- 4 bikers to conquer the silk route

Motor-biking across one country to another is a feat in itself. Yet, there are four Indians who have decided to race against their personal constraints and bike across international boundaries to create a world record. A motorbike expedition consisting of four avid bikers will see them riding through the less travelled but historic Silk Route- Myanmar, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia to reach their final destination, London. The team comprising of Kumar Shah, age 55; Rahul Amin, age 46; Dinesh Dawda; age 47; and Bhavin Kodiyatar, age 36 will visit 19 countries in 137 days. Addressing the media at a press conference held in the city, the bikers spoke about their “dream ride” and the importance of it.

The bikers taking up the challenge are no ordinary men; riding is their passion which has given them the strength to brave health issues. Rider, Rahul Amin is attempting a World Record by riding a 150 cc Aprilla during this ride. Despite having faced several injuries at a very tender age which resulted in him becoming physically challenged with a condition known as Hemiplegia. Nevertheless, none of it has stopped him from his passion of riding. “Since childhood I have been told not to engage in certain activities due to my condition. I channelised it in a positive way and began cycling, swimming, rock climbing and now biking. I have already been mentioned in the Limca Book of Records and my next dream is to make a world record,” says Amin. He adds, “If I can, you can”, which is also the moto of this journey. Drawing inspiration from Amin, Dawda and Shah both who have suffered heart attacks in the past decided to join him. “I was advised by my doctors not to undertake this as I had recently suffered a heart attack. But, I realised that life is too short to just run after money and I want to fulfill my childhood dream of riding,” says Dawda who belongs to the hospitality industry. Bhavin Kodiyatar is a doctor by profession and a passionate rider. He will accompany the team and assist them in taking care of their health.

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The four riders who were strangers to each other until last February where they met at the India Bike Week, have been united by their passion to ride. The team will be visiting Handicap Associations in all countries en-route and their main aim is to interact and encourage the physically challenged. They believe that a physical condition should by no means be a barrier or a cause for you to not achieve all that you wish to. Club 29 Pune will spearhead this social cause and the city will also act as a stopover for the bikers. “Pune is vibrant with motorcyclists; therefore, we are looking forward to receiving a lot of support from here,” explains Shah. This story is enough to inspire the most passionate riders to take on large biking challenges similar to this. Many of us have a life that restricts the ability to do what these brave riders are doing but maybe some of us can look into buying a motorcycle to enjoy that dream in our own way.

The team will be traveling from Ahmedabad, crossing Pune and then going ahead with their journey. Kumar Shah adds, “We will start the journey on April 20 and reach London by September 3. We are yet unsure of where the flag off will take place as we would like the Prime Minister to do the honours. Therefore, we hope our message reaches him.”

Zeenat Tinwala