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Jatin Kotecha , 39 , originally from Rajkot , Gujarat , India recently completed his “ Grand Australian Ride ”, a solo ride around Australia .
Jatin rode more than 16,000 kilometres in fifty days covering all states and capital cities of Australia in a single trip . He started this journey from his hometown Melbourne and rode clockwise .
Meticulously planning was needed for his adventure keeping in mind all the aspects of the ride . Since Australia is a vast country , the weather conditions range from hot & humid , heavy rains & wind , extreme heat ( up to 40 degrees ) to freezing conditions ( sub zero temperatures in some places ), black ice & fog . All these conditions were faced by Jatin on the one ride .
Studying the route extensively and carrying the appropriate gear & tools was imperative to the success of his mission of doing such a massive ride solo .
“ During the 12-month period , there is only a very small window when this trip can be done ,” explained Jatin as he said that preparations took over a year .
Jatin completed his schooling from Rajkumar College Rajkot , Gujarat and graduated from Middlesex University in London , UK and thereafter settled in Australia . He is enthusiastic about travelling , riding motorcycles , climbing mountains and skiing . A businessman by profession , Jatin owns couple of businesses - Aavas Consultants ( Property Consultants ) & Ravi Blinds in Melbourne , Australia .
When it came to deciding the motorbike of choice for the ride , a lot of thought and emotions were invested in the decision . He finally zeroed in on a Royal Enfield Himalayan due to many factors .
“ In matters of the mind , a Royal Enfield Himalayan is a robust bike with a simple mechanism ,” he suggested . “ The bike is heavy and old school , in a good way .
“ With minimal electronics involved there were less things that could go wrong in the outback , saving the trouble of a breakdown .”
On the other hand , in the matters of the heart – the bike being an Indian brand was close to his heart .
“ Quite a few decades ago someone took a Royal Enfield around Australia ,” Jatin explained . “ At the time , the brand was British , and the person riding was British . Today the brand is Indian and so is the person riding it .”
Jatin grinned as he explained that his “ Grand Australian Ride ” was an amazing and memorable experience to see this country on a motorbike . Originally , he was considering a trip to Leh-Ladakh but due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time , he decided to explore Australia .
“ It was a once in a lifetime kind of experience ,” he smiled . “ There were a lot of take aways from this journey including ; anything is possible , just get started ,
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