Avid bikers go by the adage: A couple that bikes together stays together. When Kolhapur boy Ashish Raorane (37), a dirt track rider goes biking at Dakar 2019, joining him on the service truck will be his better half, Tanya.
Avid bikers go by the adage: A couple that bikes together stays together. When Kolhapur boy Ashish Raorane (37), a dirt track rider goes biking at Dakar 2019, joining him on the service truck will be his better half, Tanya.
They will be the first-ever couple team to undertake the world's toughest off-road endurance test for man and machine. The 9,700-km route will criss-cross the South American continent in 14 days. Raorane said that he feels blessed about Tanya accompanying him. "When the tech-creill – she even helped clean the filters and carburettor," he said.
He explained how the support crew in the truck accompanying each biker can be the only hope in the treacherous terrain. Raorane's bike is a 450 CC KTM bike, which can take slush, dirt tracks, gravel sandy stretches, camel grass, mud tracks, and rocky terrain.
The marine engineer who spends three months off the ship dirt biking on the outskirts of Pune/Bangalore or Spain has spent nearly Rs 18 lakh on his imported bike. His bike is a petrol guzzler. It can drink up a litre of fuel for every 10 km.
He admits that along with the entrance fees participating in the Dakar is going to set him back by Rs 60 lakh. "This is equal to six international races. But the rush and high of completing the race will be incomparable." While a mere 5% of the costs are being offset by sponsorships he has to shell out the remaining Rs 57 lakh himself. "Motorsports are not recognised by the Indian government so no support is forthcoming," he said. From a chance entry to a rally in Nashik in 2015, the Raid de Himalaya, Desert Storm and the recent Panafrica Rally he has come a long way.
UNRECOGNISED
Along with the entrance fees, participating in Dakar is going to set Raorane back by Rs 60 lakh. “Motorsports are not recognised by the Indian government so no support is forthcoming,” he said
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