BMW GS Trophy 2020 Oceania: Know your Team India

Introduction

Exactly a month ago, close to 200 people were gearing up to experience the 2020 edition of the BMW GS Trophy in New Zealand. That number looks quite big because it also includes the guys who were managing our luggage, the helicopter pilot, doctors, mechanics and the never-ending list of back-up vehicle drivers. And without these guys, an event at such a large scale wouldn’t have been possible. Having said that, the most important souls of the GS trophy were the riders. A total of 88 riders from 40 nations, each one of them worked hard to get to this ultimate destination.  

From India too, there were a few hardworking and strong riders who competed with the country and managed to reach this international stage. I tell you about them here.  

Shakeel Basha

A hotelier by profession and a wheelie master by the weekend, Shaku, as most of us call him, rides a R1200GS. A big foodie (for obvious reasons), Shaku loves to spend his weekends off the road, and that’s where he learned the art of cracking the famous garage challenge. He loves to listen, especially when everyone is talking motorcycles. Shaku loves his GS more than the mutton biryani at his restaurant.  

Sathya Ananth

Sathya is a civil engineer, and when he is not building houses for others, he is building his muscles, literally. He is so committed that he bought one F850GS just for the GS Trophy India qualifiers (he also owns a R1200GS). Sathya is a strong team player and is filled with positive attitude. He had been away from social media for the longest time but thanks to GS Trophy, he re-activated his Facebook, Instagram, Tinder and Zomato accounts.  

HK Naik

That’s what his Facebook profile says, but he goes by the name Rickiey in the motorcycling fraternity. Rickiey believes in living life to the fullest. Every weekend, you will find him either on his R1200 GS or MTB exploring some beautiful trails around Bengaluru. If it’s the latter, his son usually joins him. Talk about parenting. When he is not riding, he is running his successful business.   

Pratheek Kunder

Yours truly is a motorcycle journalist working at BikeWale. I was selected after competing with 19 journalists at the India qualifiers. I like everything that happens off the road, and when there’s a motorcycle involved, I experiment it with my skills, fitness and also a camping tent. When I’m not riding or working (both means the same), I’m exploring my new-found hobby, Crossfit.   

Shahnawaz Karim

Shahnawaz is a certified BMW Motorrad instructor and the reason he’s here in this feature story because he was also one of the marshals at the GS Trophy 2020. In fact, India gave the youngest marshal to BMW Motorrad this year. He’s the man with great off-road skills and home to some creative ideas. Without him, not a lot of GS riders in India would have acquired the skills they possess today.