By BC Thimmaiah
Taking group trips on motorbikes to explore unexplored places is common, but a solo trip across India’s borders, covering 21,000 kilometers without touching any metro city, that too on a 33-year-old bike, is commendable.
The feat has been done by a 44-year-old rider born in Mysuru, Sandeep N. Ananthaprakash, currently residing in Bengaluru.
He used the Yezdi Roadking Classic KA-09-E-2189, 1990 model bicycle manufactured by Ideal Jawa (India) Ltd., which had a major production unit at Yadavagiri in Mysuru. Sandeep is the first person to complete this challenging and tough road challenge along the borders of India in a Yezdi.
Naming his road trip ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ commemorating the 75th year of independence in 2022, Sandeep left his home on 27 September 2022 and reached the Kerala border of Kannur on 28 September and end their journey in Kannur on 28 September. November 24 — 58 days, 21,000 kilometers. His additional message from the trip was “Save Vintage and Classic Vehicles”.
Unmatched resistance level
“At a time when there is a rule to scrap vehicles that are more than 15 years old, I wanted to show that no matter how old these motorcycles are made in India (Mysuru, my hometown), they are still tough and durable . they mean machines that can face any challenge and have an unmatched level of endurance.
Sandeep is a veteran biker and has been road tripping for over 22 years. “I had a passion for travel since childhood and my first trips were by bike from my home in Vidyaranyapuram to Chamundi Hill and Karighatta Hill in Srirangapatna. I have always connected with nature. Ideal Jawa is my dream bike and I have four of them in sparkling condition,” he says proudly.
So what made him choose a border trip? It is just to thrill the adventure and do the feat that no one has achieved so far. “After a bike ride in Leh-Ladakh, I wanted to explore places like Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutch. So I decided to do a border ride and from the beginning I was determined not to touch any city in the metro,” reveals Sandeep.
Second hand bike
Sandeep bought the bike from a bank manager 15 years ago and hasn’t made any modifications. “I have kept the vehicle in showroom condition and only had the front suspension changed for this particular long haul. When I started the route, Google maps showed me 23,000km with 2,000-3,000km extra. This would cost me Rs. 3.5 lakh. I contacted many cycling clubs in Mysuru, Bengaluru, Ooty and Tamil Nadu, but help did not come from anywhere,” he says.
“I had to sell another Yezdi bike where I managed to raise Rs. 1.5 lakh and the rest came from my personal funds and support from friends and family. Motul India sponsored the oil and lubricants throughout my trip and I’m in debt,” he says with a smile.
Extreme weather conditions
Giving a glimpse of his journey, Sandeep said that he has seen extreme temperate, medium hot to extremely hot and bitter cold weather. “While the temperature on the southern borders is at least bearable, the weather on the borders of Gujarat (Rann of Kutch), Punjab, Wagah with Pakistan and Longewala is extreme and hovers above 41 degrees Celsius. I hit Leh after from Punjab, which was minus 11 degrees Celsius and snowing heavily. Due to snowfall, I couldn’t go to Nubra Valley and returned to Srinagar and reached Pathankot and entered Bareilly in UP,” he exclaims.
From UP, he moved to Sikkim and covered West Sikkim and North Sikkim as there is border with China on both sides. “I entered Arunachal Pradesh and again touched the border with China at Bum La Pass and reached Zero Point (border with China). Later I entered West Bengal and one night the bike carrier was cut off in the ‘highway. It was dark and I had a contact in Calcutta. He connected me with the Biker Club of a nearby village. They asked me to come 17 kms and somehow I reached where they fixed the carrier and welded the metal,” he reveals.
Strong cycling community in the NE
The cycling community in the Northeast is aggressive. “Our cycling clubs cannot match their united spirit in any way. Remarkably, they are all very helpful and good-hearted. From West Bengal, I entered Assam and reached West Bengal border and reached Nagaland, where I got the contact of a Royal Enfield bullet club. They waited for me on the road in the middle of the night, booked a hotel room and brought food from their home,” he reveals.
“They drew another route with all the guide points as most of the areas of the Seven Sisters State are under the control of the Indian Army. And some of the areas had impenetrable and dangerous jungles. They contacted with other Bike Clubs to give me a new route. As a result, my journey to the border was reduced by 1,000 kilometers,” says Sandeep.
A hard journey for six days
The entire Northeast is experiencing unprecedented development and he had to face a difficult time riding for more than six days as he had to travel through dry areas where rocks were being cut. “My bike had to withstand a lot of pressure and I was carrying some spare parts that weighed more than 250 kg. I generally prefer to tour in peak monsoon as I love nature and nature will be at its best during monsoon. I avoid dry off-road. Here, I used all my skills learned over the years to navigate the hostile path,” he says.
Sandeep later entered the Odisha highway and the right side shock absorber was cut and Odisha (Bhubaneswar) was 260 km from that place. I reached Kharagpur and got a contact from another mechanic in Bhubaneswar and somehow managed to cover 260 kilometers and it was a highway. The mechanic was a 70 year old man and he was very happy to see me, my bike and my adventure. He changed both shocks as the shock on the left side was also on the verge of cutting,” he reveals.
Night journey of 1,064 km
Sandeep then crossed Andhra Pradesh and reached Chennai in an overnight journey and covered 1,064 kilometers. “When sleep overtook me, I stopped on the highway for tea and continued. I reached Mahabalipuram and rested for 2 days and reached Danushkodi, Rameswaram and covered Kanyakumari,” he says.
He entered Kochi and reached Kannur on November 24, ending his 58-day solo bicycle journey. Then he entered Kodagu and reached Bangalore via Mysuru. About his food and accommodation arrangements, Sandeep says that the west coast was not pleasant in terms of food and was expensive. “He used to avoid fatty and non-vegetarian foods. The water from the north-east was the best, as it came from mineral-rich natural springs alongside the roads,” he reveals.
“I preferred hot, freshly cooked food with locally grown vegetables. I stayed in budget hotels where there was space to park bicycles. On many roads, I stayed in dhabas on rope beds and also carried a sleeping bag . I stayed out of dhabas in places in Rajasthan, Jammu, Nagaland, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh,” he says.
Sandeep has been an aggressive roadie for 22 years. “I prefer monsoon cycling. It’s a thrilling experience with lush green forest and moving clouds. It’s like enjoying nature, risky but worth the effort,” he says.
Fuel mixing is only possible in Yezdi
In Rann of Kutch, Sandeep had fuel to last 250 km and lost a road to cover another 45 km. “I had to turn back and had wasted 90 km of fuel while entering Punjab. I had another 38 km to get to the nearest gas station. It was just a straight road and salt lakes on either side, not a soul or a shop. I had no fuel for 18 km. Fortunately, I met a truck driver from Sardarji and asked for diesel,” explains Sandeep.
“Sardarji gladly gave me half a liter and I mixed the fuel. When I got to the nearest gas station, I only had 100 grams of fuel. Only a Yezdi Roadking can take mixed fuel. If it was any other four-stroke vehicle, it would have suffered on a deserted road,” he says.
Looking back, Sandeep says his pride in his Yezdi has grown immensely. “I’m ready to travel even a thousand kilometers now and I’m sure my bike will handle that,” he says.
Sandeep lives in Bangalore with his wife Hamsa Bhargavi, who works at Biocon. They have a daughter Keerthana, a sixth standard student.
