GNR presents Rider Diaries Part 3

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On April 20, 2020

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For a biker, nothing compares to the sound of a bike’s engine purring

Have you been to all the states of your country and the neighbouring nations? Have you tasted diverse delicacies or befriended strangers and shared a meal with them? Our rider Manju Sagar has done all that and more.

He has traveled all 28 states of India and the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan. His first long expedition was when he rode 18,000 kilometres across 20 mainland states of India. A ride he called “Long Way Round”, inspired by the series of the same name by Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor, set him on a road and journey that was endless.

To continue with his fervour for explorations, his next ride “Overlanding in the Himalayas”, October 2019–March 2020, was set in the laps of nature and Asia’s very own Himalayas – the natural barrier separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan plateau. A 5-month long ride of 21,000 kilometres covered all the states bordered with the Himalayan range. Now many more such rides to come, Manju aka mentlmanja shares his piece of mind with Gear N Ride.

How would you describe yourself?

Biker, traveller, adventurer, explorer

When and how did you start motorcycling?

Started motorcycling in 2013, with my Biker boys – Battalion Bikers

How many motorbikes have you owned/ridden and what is your longest ride?

I’ve owned one and ridden many. My longest ride is “Overlanding in the Himalayas”. It was for 5 months and I rode 24,000 kms.

What is so empowering about riding a motorcycle?

Handling breakdowns, setbacks and delays

Any takeaways from your motorbike riding experience?

Be patient, calm and learn as much as you can from the world

Motorbiking is considered a dangerous hobby. What to look out for on the road? How to stay protected?

Road conditions, animal and people crossing over, road signs, be intuitive about oncoming traffic behaviour, be prepared to fall and needless to say – ATGATT