IT’S SUNNY DOWNUNDER!
It was business as usual one sunny evening on the infamous BIKE ME! forums.
Shit-stirring, motorcycles, laughter, despair, confession, more motorcycles, abuse, confusion, punning, and some quiet weeping.
Then member, HarryD posted this up…
Sunny Gajjar is a passionate motorcyclist from India embarking on a 2 month and 23,000km journey around Australia, starting 22nd April. http://thegrandaustralianroadtrip.com
Sunny is the founder of India’s largest online motorcycling community, http://www.xBHP.com which also publishes India’s only motorcycle-only maganize – xBHP.
Sunny’s done some pretty cool trips in the past including riding from Dubai to Italy for the Ducati week and riding around Japan in 19 days. He is sponsored by Ducati and will be riding a MultiStrada around Australia.
He does all his photography and videography himelf without a support crew and his animations and videos make his journeys very interesting.
I’m hoping to catch up and ride with him before he departs from Sydney. If you see him on the road somewhere, say Namaste!
Wow. We all thought. How cool. Then we forgot all about it and got on with our lives.
A few days later a new member appeared on the forums.
“motoGrapher”, he called himself and as it turned out it was Sunny himself.
Over the next few weeks, he blew us all away with his great good humour, his amazing photographic talent and his love of riding. And it’s always fascinating to see a foreigner’s take on our country. Come back any time, Sunny. The beer’s on BIKE ME!
Here then, is Sunny’s visit to BIKE ME!
Hello everyone!
First of all thanks Harry for creating this thread! I met up Reg at Mt Glorious when he told me that there was a thread going on here. That’s when I decided to log on. Have just sent you an SMS, will definitely catch up once I am back in Syd.
Australia has been always nice to me and I love the ‘Aussie’ spirit pun unintended. It’s been 5 days on the road and I haven’t really long distances so far. Going to hit 3k tomorrow while reaching Airlie beach. Its been an uneventful trip so far.
The videos which Harry has posted are from my previous rides (Dubai to Italy and around Japan). I did it solo (meaning it was one bike, however with a pillion, my wife who assisted me in videos). However, this time around I am completely alone, with all the stuff decked up on the MTS. I like the bike for what it is. Light and damn fast. I lost a digital slider that I was carrying on the bike to bumps on the road which made it a little twisted rendering it useless. Was going to use it to shoot videos of self.
However, still got my tripod and goPros etc on. Lets see what I can do.
And yes, I was the one, along with one more Indian in 2007 when we went around two Hyosungs. 6 years down the line its still a twin, albeit a wee more powerful and of course a Duc.
What attracts me here again? The outback and places like the Nullarbor are especially surreal. They are so contrasting to the insane populace in India and the green and cold environs of the European alps that I have been riding in.
Plus of course the highlands and the beaches. And the sun which stings you. Someone gotta replenish that Ozone.
Tomorrow’s a run to Airlie Beach and then a big left to the center of Oz.
Leaving with a couple of pics…
This was 50kays before Rockhampton today
Yesterday at the Spit
And this one was for the Anzac Day which I shot at Gallipoli in Turkey last year on my ride from Dubai to Italy
Some more photos and updates. Have done 4200 kms so far. Currently in Mt Isa. Heading towards Uluru tomorrow.
Found a lot of these on the road
And a few of these
Caught this quickie just before entering Mt Isa yesterday after a 800 km ride
On the way to Rockhampton
This is how I shoot myself sometimes
From Dawn to Dusk. A frame extract from a self video today at sunset just before Tennant Creek
No Fuel. In the middle of Barkley Homestead and Camoweeal
18000kms to go!
Gods Must be Crazy! At Aileron, before Alice Springs.
I wish I could dress up like Mad Max and ride a rusted bike this!
Here are a few more photos, have arrived at Uluru. Will leave tomorrow for Darwin!
At Anzac Hill in Alice Springs yesterday
A couple of more photos from today at Uluru and Olgas
The OZ outback, even on the highways can be beautiful if one knows what to look for!
Have reached back to Alice Springs from Uluru. The visit to the rock was wonderful.
A couple of photos from yesterday…
One of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen! This was in the middle of a highway to Alice Springs from Uluru at sunset
This photo is special. The motorcycle on the left is going around Australia. The camel on the right has traveled across Australia’s vast desert and outback, 5000+ kms in nine months from Perth to Byron Bay! Both are a special breed. An Indian is riding the motorcycle, while the camel is of a North Indian descent (they are still call Afghan Camels). The owner, Mark, calls this camel named Big Jim. As the Ducati of camels since it wins the maximum races that are held at the their local track! Thanks to Uluru Camel Tours for the insight and the opportunity!
Here in Alice Springs, I found the perfect accomplice. A new Indian friend, Pravin, and his mate, Pat, who owns a Diavel.What next? We head out to the beautiful Stanley Chasm as an excuse to a ride! Here are a couple of photos from today as teasers…
Here is me relaxing on a dilapidated wooden chair that I spotted on the side of the highway!
And Chased by the Devil in the middle of the desert!
Self Shot
I got a chance to ride the insane Diavel again and finally I saw what I must look like riding the Multistrada! And doesn’t that FOTOS plate look sweet!
I did a SaddleSore (1000 miles) yesterday from Alice Springs to Darwin via Jabiru (Kakadu NP) : http://goo.gl/maps/gFzMT
A total of 1700 kms in 16.5 hrs.
I started at 4.30 AM in the morning from AS and entered Darwin at 9 PM. The last few hundred Kms in pitch dark through Kakadu were a little disconcerting courtesy all the horror stories I heard about things that go bump on the road here.
The last 400 kms of 1750 kms today were ridden through the Kakadu National Park, which is essentially a forest. It was pitch dark when I spotted isolated bush fires. The clear night sky was punctuated by thousands of stars. Even though the first thing on my mind was to reach the bed after the SaddleSore, I reckoned this was too good a photo opportunity to pass! Here it is, thanks to my gloves which provided a make-do tripod in the road, a quick shot of what was an surreal night scene with the Ducati Multistrada!
I found this unique plant / tree growing out of the ground looking like an Alien crawling the parched red land around the sacred rock of Uluru in Centralia. In the distance are the silhouettes of the organic looking rocks of Olgas against the setting sun. I used an external speedlite for highlighting the Multistrada with the ‘Alien’ plant
G’Day. Nothing like experiencing a sunrise in the middle of the outback. This one was at 7 AM 200kms north of Alice Springs on my SaddleSore day. Amazing moment. The rays seem to reach the bone marrow!
Internal Combustion propels the bike. External Combustion can stop it! Shot along the highway to Katherine from Darwin
Today was another 900 kms day. The benefits of riding in the night in Australia seem to outweigh the hazards of it. Or so I would like to conveniently think. But when you find yourself in the outback with skies like this and a half moon showing you the way with cool breeze blowing the clouds in the sky, it is more than worthwhile to be suspicious of every shrub on the roadside to be a kangaroo or a wallaby.
Beam Me Up, Scotty – is all I can say! Shot a couple of hours ago from this posting 100 kms before Halls Creek in Western Australia at 8 PM in the night. Self shot using a Canon 5D M3 with a 14mm 2.8 Canon on a Gorillapod
GhostRider. Another photo shot at night on the Halls Creek highway yesterday. Exposure: 30 seconds. In this photo I am actually ‘filled’ with clouds. Heavenly connection!
The Boab Tree is only found in Western Australia’s Kimberly region and the Madagascar, and Africa. These are also called bottle trees due to their shape. Many of them are hundreds and even 1500 hundred years old, making them one of the oldest living organisms on Earth. I found this one on the highway yesterday to Halls Creek
Meanwhile, adding some salt to the conversation, a pic from today from Port Hedland
Lets be serious now, I have a few kays left
And I have to burn some tarmac
For those don’t know: Ghost Gums are Australian Eucalyptus trees that have white to pink barks. They certainly do stand out on the highways in the night!
A 12000km Selfie!
Heading South towards Perth. Its getting cooler now! This one was taken at Carnarvon, Western Australia today at sunset
I have reached Geraldton today. Will reach Perth tomorrow.
Meanwhile a couple odd photos from today…
Here is a video extract of what I shot today on a dirt track!
One more from the same place
Arrived in Perth yesterday. Visited the Pinnacles en route as well, here are a couple of photos…
Moonrise. This was one of the biggest moonrises I ever saw today at the unreal Nambung National Park. The limestone formations which you see are called The Pinnacles.
The white sand dunes and the white moon above en route to Perth from Geraldton
Before I retire for the night. Shot an hour ago, these.
Got the Streefighter for a day in Perth. Here are a couple of shots so far, this bike looks so amazing!
A selfie
My almost week long stay in Perth will end tomorrow. Meanwhile I have been utilizing the splendid South Perth shorefront to bring out some of my key idols along with Ducatis. So I dressed up as Batman and got Arnie from a Toyshop for a few pics. Arnie will be traveling with me for the rest of the trip on his Diavel, while I might dress up as Batman if any city needs me on the way…
I got the Panigale Tricolore for a day in Perth from the Frasers
Batman for me is one of my idols. I draw inspiration and hope from this character. He inspires me to live larger than life and he gives me hope to find strength and character to overcome life’s obstacles. A few instances in my life are also common with his storyline, hence the stronger connect. The best part is that he does not have superpowers which would totally detach his character from reality. He is also very fragile and human at the same time, battling with emotional outages.
The bike in the picture is the Ducati Panigale. Without going overboard I must say it is one of the most ‘engaging’ motorcycles I have ever ridden – visually, aurally and of course riding. Thanks to Jit Thakar for giving me company today! This is me dressed as Batman overlooking the Perth skyline. There are more photos coming up!
If Godfather rode motorcycles…
This was shot near Alice Springs a couple of weeks ago
Also, I just got to know I am riding the happiest nation in the world, eh? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22685260
Now dont get too happy and entertained on my expense. 
(There is no beer emoticon on an Aussie forum, unbelievable).
Now, everyone, back to the topic. A few days I take off from the open road and this thread has become a fun house. Serious business starts tomorrow. Augusta, here I come. Just dont rain. I dont like drab looking skies and water. Blue works good.
I am just trying to wrap around the great Aussie humour and puns so that I can also crack a joke or two. 60 days is not a lot of time to learn, But I am trying my best. 
Meanwhile, here is what I did with my ‘props’…
A visit to Gnomesville
Track to Heaven
Summary so far
Middle of Nullarbor
17000 KMS done. Selfie in Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, you can hold a 250 CC TT here!
Kangaroo Is fun with photoshop and 3D studio
Thank you very much for sharing your journey with us, mate.
May the Road Gods keep you safe, happy and fast.
About the Author
Boris is a writer who has contributed to many magazines and websites over the years, edited a couple of those things as well, and written a few books. But his most important contribution is pissing people off. He feels this is his calling in life and something he takes seriously. He also enjoys whiskey, whisky and the way girls dance on tables. And riding motorcycles. He's pretty keen on that, too.
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