Chirag Rami

Member of Road Toads, UAE MC

Road Captain – BIKER BUDDIES Leap Legends Group Endurance Ride 2500km in 30 hours, UAE (28th-29th Feb, 2020)

When I first heard about Motorcycle Endurance rides, I was unsure if it was something I would like to attempt and could not get my head around the concept of riding such a long distance, with minimal rest, racing against time, it was not exactly my idea of a weekend ride.

I have been fascinated with bikes ever since I was a kid. However, it was only after I bought my first Harley and joined a group of like-minded friends who shared the same love for motor bikes, I realized it had turned from a hobby into a passion. Over years the appetite for riding has only grown & now long bike rides are more like meditation, wheels on an open road clears my mind leaving it relaxed and focused at the same time. Nothing brings me more at peace than a good ride into the mountain routes with the wind breathing through the helmet.

After several years & Kms of Motorcycle rides locally & internationally, through different weather conditions and terrains, I wanted to do something different. While riding is my passion, organizing and planning is something I really enjoy. These ideas brought together an opportunity for me, not only to plan but to attempt an endurance ride as a personal goal, that I decided to do for myself, to feel a sense of accomplishment and for the ultimate morale boost.

I thought Endurance Rides will help riders gain more confidence on their riding capabilities and stay motivated to keep their passion alive. I completed my first endurance ride in 2017 with a short 805 Kms to test waters, with 8 members of our MC joining the ride. Next we attempted the 2415 Kms in 2019 and again in 2020. The numbers kept growing with the February 2020 riders being one of the largest group in the region, with 18 riders from 3 different MC’s participating in the BIKER BUDDIES Long Distance Riders Endurance Ride as one big tribe, always riding together from start to finish.

With a large group of riders; coordination and refueling at gas stops with set break time was a tough task. Moreover, with 18 different bikes performing at different mileages based on their tank capacities especially when riding at high speeds, increased the number of refueling pit stops at every 200Kms. It was this challenge of planning and routing for a group this size that made it even more exciting with our eyes set on multiple LDR Endurance ride milestones of 805Kms / 12 hours, 1610Kms / 24 hours& 2415Kms/ 36 hours all in one attempt. Though all riders participating had years of riding experience, quite a few of them were attempting the endurance ride for the first time and had to be made aware of what to expect and how to prepare.

The ride plans were well laid out and all riders were in sync, with the weather gods almost in our favor. The actual riding and distance were not much of a task, however as we went past the 20 hours mark, fatigue started setting-in and cold was not the only thing we were fighting, but sleep causing loss of focus and concentration. Five out of the 18 riders took an informed call to stop at the 1610Kms mark for safety reasons well within 22 hours, while the remaining 13 riders went on to successfully complete the final milestone of over 2500 km in 30 hours.

Having done the endurance ride a few times earlier, I was confident about completing it, however a thought crossed my mind a few times through the ride – “What’s in it for me now?”, but having seen the joy on the faces of my fellow riders upon completion and being instrumental in guiding them to this success was a priceless and undoubtedly the best feeling. It took away my fatigue and going forward will always be my motivation to do these rides over and over again. I am sure hitting this milestone has taken the morale of all the riders to the next level and they are more confident about their capability to endure long rides.

Finally, this ride has been a mark of biker brotherhood where riders from different walks of life, putting aside their difference shave come together for the one passion they share, their love for motorcycles.

Thanks to Mr. Vivek Mehta, President of BIKER BUDDIES, for having sparked interest in more riders across the region and I appreciate his support and guidance for being a part of this special leap year endurance ride. I hope together we can make this an annual affair for interested riders in the region.

For any rider considering endurance rides, hope this write up gives a picture of what to expect and helps you make your choice. However, an advice from experience, understand your capabilities and learn to assess the situation to make an informed decision, keeping safety as a top priority.

‘Ride Hard, Ride Safe’.

Endurance rider (from right)Brian Pereira, Sanjesh Mascarenhas, Christopher Bazil Lazar, Girish Narayanan, Inam Abul, Shuja Jashanmal, Sujay Kumar, Ani Chacko, Chirag Rami, Shanker Govindan, Moiz Soyab, Jameel Usman, Ajith Jacob John, Jeevesh Cheethaparambil, Ayub Aga, Nissan Sasidharan, Sabir Aboobackar& Vivek Mehta – The Leap Legends – Biker Brotherhood Endurance Ride – 28th – 29th February 2020.