Mangaluru :
City-born UK Bangalore-resident Sushanth Shetty, 28, is aiming high on adventure next time round.
Sushanth in a self-challenge- The East India Express – planned a 12,000 km ride across 12 countries, and seven time zones – alone and in 15 days. But his goal went awry due to certain variables he could not control. His next adventure in 2016 will be well planned and executed.
Sushant who was in Mangaluru, told TOI: I’m working on something big which needs lot of funds. That’s why I cannot reveal what it is as of now. The plans should firm up in the next six to seven months.
This is the first visit of Sushanth along with Patrick”- the Hayabusa to his home-town. I visited Manjeshwar, my dad’s home town and later to mother’s place Sajipa, near Ira village (Bantwal Taluk). I took Patrick where I thought he would not go. He enjoyed it and so did I running him on the red-dust laden quarry roads. I did not think he would take it, he did sportingly.”
Regarding his East India Express ride, what he would do differently, if he had a go at it again? Pakistan is unreliable for the next decade. Interestingly if I had been granted entry, the day I would have reached Lahore there was a bomb blast. Imagine that. I just wonder what would have happened to my plans. But since that did not happen, I would prefer a hotel for solitude between the rides and would have lied to ride earlier part of the year as the bitter cold made my progress difficult. If it was warm I would have covered more distance. As far as Patrick – I would not change him for anything,” Sushanth said.
While Sushanth will leave for UK in two weeks, his Hayabusa would leave India for UK in about two months’ time after getting him serviced at a dealership in Bengaluru.
On Tuesday Sushanth went to Moodbidri where he met some enthusiastic bikers and then rode three Ghats – Agumbe, Kudremukh and Charmadi. He will rest at one of his friend’s estate in Sakleshpur and reach Bengaluru by Thursday.
A Josephite, Sushanth did his mechanical engineering at MS Ramaiah Institute and then MS in Motorsports Engineering from Coventry University, UK. He is working for Ford Europe.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home>City> Mangaluru / by Stanley Pinto, TNN / February 24th, 2015