1 continent, 2 people & a 100-day ride

It's tough to resist the tug of wanderlust. Avid motorcyclists Manas and Anuradha Dewan knew they had to stop fooling themselves. The couple had discussed a motorbike journey across Europe, but had put the plan in deep-freeze mode when sponsorships for such a sojourn failed to come through. Two years down the line, "we knew it was now or never", admits Manas. "Time and money were the only constraints."

So the 43-year-old quit his job as the chief marketing officer of a company in Oman earlier this year. The couple dipped into their savings to buy a Ducati Scrambler. Come Monday, the Pune residents will zip out of Mallorca in Spain, starting a "trip worth telling the grandchildren about". The journey is about clocking mileage in 18 European countries over 100 days of meeting people, creating bonds and documenting the cuisine and the pulse of the places they visit. "We call it Dosti on Wheels," says Anuradha, who has taken a sabbatical from her work as a corporate trainer and philosophy teacher. "We want to experience the local, make friendships, immerse in cultures and discover lesser-known places."

While they've travelled in Europe earlier, eight of the 18 countries they'll be riding through are nations they'll be visiting for the first time. "These are Portugal, Lichtenstein, Italy, Slovenia, Czechia (Czech Republic), Croatia, Greece and Turkey," says Manas. "It's an audacious journey."

Passport for the ride

The duo spent months planning the nitty-gritties – marking out the ideal routes and making modifications to the bike for a suitable seat and to accommodate bags. "Thanks to the Western India Automobile Association, we were able to quickly get the carnet, the 'bike's passport' which will allow us to take the vehicle across borders," says Manas. "The luggage bracket is what took the most time as it underwent a few rounds of trial and error."

Setting off with bare minimum luggage, Manas and Anuradha aim to be footloose. "The idea is to explore something new everyday," adds Anuradha, who will take turns with her husband of 16 years to ride the bike. "And have the freedom to spontaneously decide to linger in a town for an extra day or two."

To which Manas adds: "We have just one life. Why lose today's day in anticipation of tomorrow."

A preview to the 100-day ride

Before setting off on their own, Manas and Anuradha Dewan rode with the Ducati Valencia Group earlier this month. Edited excerpts from Manas' account of the ride:

"The Ducati Valencia group of Juan, Luis and Fran left no stone unturned to put us at ease. They welcomed their fellow Ducatista in the way a biker welcomes another: going for a ride together. … We whizzed past the light weekend traffic of the city and soon we were gunning down scenic highways. We followed the A7 until LaComa and then took to the CV520 that took us past picturesque villages and countryside. By now, we were warmed up and raring for some real riding, and that is when we entered state highway 422 along the road to Llombai. The real riding starts from here. The mountains towered over us as the road clung along the steep mountainside almost like a carelessly thrown rope. It was unusual to have a 300m road without a hairpin, and the Ducatis proved their mettle as they took to the precipitous corners guided by experienced hands. A short break for lunch at the mountain village of Cortes De Pallas and we roared back again, throwing ourselves into hairpins. It was around 2pm when we returned to Valencia. One by one, the helmets slipped off to reveal faces plastered with smiles. That's the beauty of motoring - it knows no creed or colour - just the universal language of motoring. As we hugged each other goodbye, we were flooded with offers - for beer, lunch, rides and dinners. We felt at home, loved and surrounded by friends in this beautiful city of Valencia!"