Bengaluru: UK based, Mangalore origin,  Sushantha Shetty has travelled a distance of  a distance of 12,000 km, from UK to India through 17 countries and seven time zones, on a Suzuki Hayabusa in a little over a month, with a little help from his friends. He started out from  London on October 25 and rode the motorbike for 15 days through the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran and the U.A.E.

From Dubai, the bike was in transit till he received it in Mumbai on November 28. From Mumbai, he rode the motorbike to arrive in Bengaluru on November 29. 

The same day he left for the UK.

Shetty said he had to fly from Dubai to Mumbai as the motorbike was sent by ship and he could not accompany it for want of a seaman’s passport.  Iran, he said was a spot of bother, as riding big bikes there is illegal. The ATM’s would not work for his debit card as sanctions were in place and the language was alien. However, he added, the people were friendly and generous.

He said it was cold, and the wind at night was a challenge in Germany, Iran and Turkey

The longest stretch of time he continuously rode the Hayabusa was 16 hours, from Slovenia to Bulgaria, and when sleep beckoned, he would park the motorbike, lean against it and drop off to sleep.

According to him other than a change of brake shoes, he didn’t have any problems with the bike. The vehicle will be showcased at the India Bike Week in Goa in March next year.