TOI Correspondent from London: Indian biker from Navi Mumbai Yogesh Alekari , whose Adventure motorbike was stolen in Nottingham while he was on a solo round-the-world trip, can now resume his global expedition after a UK motorbike dealer donated a 2020 KTM 790 Adventure to him.
“It’s a more powerful bike. It’s overwhelming. British bikers have helped me beyond my imagination. I really appreciate that. This is the actual bikers’ brotherhood,” he said. But he is not sure if he will be able to take the new bike into India as he will have to pay 100% tariff on it. “I wouldn’t have needed to pay this if on then original bike. I request the Indian govt to waive the customs duty. When I reach Kenya I will decide what to do.”
Alekari (33), who runs a small travel company and is a part-time vlogger, was on his second round-the-world trip, covering 50 countries from India to Africa, and had crossed 17 countries on his KTM 390 Adventure motorbike when he was stranded in Britain on Aug 28. The bike and all his belongings were worth £15,000.
He found his MacBook as it was thrown out and handed to police.
“I was expecting things to go wrong in Africa, but it turned out to be in UK. London and the UK are not secure. I got tremendous support from the British people but still you can’t leave a bike 10 mins away in the UK. I met so many people who said their car had been stolen. UK is the best land for the biker community but police is not that active for theft scenario (sic),” he told TOI.
After news of the theft was widely circulated, motorbike dealership The Off Road Centre in Mansfield gifted him an upgraded model not available in India and worth £5,000. It had one previous owner.
Alekari said: “Police are cooperating with me now but it has been one month and they still have not recovered the bike. If this had happened in India, Mumbai police would have got it back within 24 hours.”
Other businesses have also donated items to him, including camping gear, a Mosko Moto tank bag and tail bag, and a Leatt jacket and boots.
The puja of the new motorbike took place at Bhagwati Shakti Peeth temple in Nottingham.
He is now back in Mumbai getting new visas for his blank passport – which the Indian high commission in London issued – and a new international driving licence and new debit and credit cards. Then he will return to the UK to resume his journey to Ireland, Europe and Africa. He has 30 countries and 35,000 km to go.
An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle in Doncaster on Sept 8. He has since been released on police bail and no further arrests have taken place.
Benjamin Ledwidge, managing director of Off Road Centre, said: “We have gifted the bike to him as his main worry was that it was a loan as there were quite a few countries he couldn’t cross if the bike was not in his name. This happened on our doorstep so we wanted to show him there was also good here and make him want to come back.”
“It’s a more powerful bike. It’s overwhelming. British bikers have helped me beyond my imagination. I really appreciate that. This is the actual bikers’ brotherhood,” he said. But he is not sure if he will be able to take the new bike into India as he will have to pay 100% tariff on it. “I wouldn’t have needed to pay this if on then original bike. I request the Indian govt to waive the customs duty. When I reach Kenya I will decide what to do.”
Alekari (33), who runs a small travel company and is a part-time vlogger, was on his second round-the-world trip, covering 50 countries from India to Africa, and had crossed 17 countries on his KTM 390 Adventure motorbike when he was stranded in Britain on Aug 28. The bike and all his belongings were worth £15,000.
He found his MacBook as it was thrown out and handed to police.
“I was expecting things to go wrong in Africa, but it turned out to be in UK. London and the UK are not secure. I got tremendous support from the British people but still you can’t leave a bike 10 mins away in the UK. I met so many people who said their car had been stolen. UK is the best land for the biker community but police is not that active for theft scenario (sic),” he told TOI.
After news of the theft was widely circulated, motorbike dealership The Off Road Centre in Mansfield gifted him an upgraded model not available in India and worth £5,000. It had one previous owner.
Alekari said: “Police are cooperating with me now but it has been one month and they still have not recovered the bike. If this had happened in India, Mumbai police would have got it back within 24 hours.”
Other businesses have also donated items to him, including camping gear, a Mosko Moto tank bag and tail bag, and a Leatt jacket and boots.
The puja of the new motorbike took place at Bhagwati Shakti Peeth temple in Nottingham.
He is now back in Mumbai getting new visas for his blank passport – which the Indian high commission in London issued – and a new international driving licence and new debit and credit cards. Then he will return to the UK to resume his journey to Ireland, Europe and Africa. He has 30 countries and 35,000 km to go.
An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle in Doncaster on Sept 8. He has since been released on police bail and no further arrests have taken place.
Benjamin Ledwidge, managing director of Off Road Centre, said: “We have gifted the bike to him as his main worry was that it was a loan as there were quite a few countries he couldn’t cross if the bike was not in his name. This happened on our doorstep so we wanted to show him there was also good here and make him want to come back.”
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