Vasai resident Subhash Inamdar, who will begin his 120-day solo motorbike expedition across 51 cities in 24 states of the USA, speaks to mid-day about his insatiable love for adventure
Subhash Inamdar
When Subhash Inamdar will begin (on May 19) his 120-day solo motorbike expedition across 24 states of the USA, his son will look after his electronics goods shops in Vasai. His wife will continue the daily commute to the municipal corporation office in Kandivali and his daughter will pursue freelance assignments as art director for Marathi films.
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At home, his 87-year-old mother will attend to the door bell and other commitments. The Inamdars will go about their routine, just as they have been doing for many decades whenever their family head has decided to hit the road. Inamdar’s bike travel through the US will be the second expedition abroad; but the family has sort of lost count of his biking tours within India.
Solo bike travel is an end in itself for Subhash Inamdar. A passion nurtured since his formative years in Sangli, travelling on a bike in the interiors of Maharashtra has been a regular feature for Inamdar. Initially, his parents encouraged him to cycle around the major and minor hill tops in the Sahyadri region of Maharashtra. But once he bought a motorbike (he has had three so far), he found his calling as a biker. Ever since, the bike became a means to enjoy unknown spaces and make friends. It has also secured him a place in the Limca Book of World Records. In his words, “The motorcycle is a symbol of mobility and freedom for me. It takes me close to the outside environment.”
Where there’s a wheel: Solo bike travel is a passion for Subhash Inamdar. Pic/Shadab Khan
Alone
Inamdar is a strong advocate of solo travel. For him, planning his itinerary, completely on his own, is a joy. He feels that self-planned tours are confidence-boosters. In these days of google-tagging, solo travel is even safer and every person must try it out, he insists. “If I could travel around the world despite my modest middle-class means and no special family exposure to international ways, anyone can do it.” Inamdar feels Indians do not consider travel as a long-term asset. “Travel is an investment in one’s own self. It inspires reflection, and more so when it is done alone. Travelling brings about positive chemical changes in a person’s mind. It is more rewarding than an investment in real estate or gold. Only those who make the effort, know how travelling can offer health benefits.”
FUEL’S PARADISE: Subhash Inamdar at a petrol station with his 220cc Bajaj Avenger, which he will ride in the USA
Inamdar enjoys the surprise elements in his travels like embracing the pleasant and the not-so-pleasant aspects in the same vein. For instance, he recalls a small jolt in Rome in his last Europe tour. As he entered the youth hostel in Rome, he was told that his online reservation had been cancelled. Reason: The hostel did not accommodate anyone above 40 years of age. As he stood arguing with the counter staff, two local police inspectors overheard his problem. “They tried to endorse my youth,” he chuckles. However, as the hostel authorities did not relent, the police helped him to spend the night in another inn at a discounted rate.
FRIENDS IN ALL PLACES: Subhash Inamdar with friends on the road
The cops in Europe have displayed a special affinity for Inamdar. In one of his sojourns, he was given night shelter in the police station in Naples. That was not just a money-saver, but the place held a special morning surprise for him. As he woke up and walked into the garden in the police precincts, he saw the inspector holding the hose pipe to give a gentle bath to Inamdar’s bike.
Sumedha Raikar-Mhatre is a Mumbai-based culture chronicler.
Smart stat 120
The number of days Subhash Inamdar will ride solo on his motorbike expedition across the USA beginning from May 19
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