UK Bikers step up to replace world traveler’s stolen bike
Yogesh Alekari had his motorcycle stolen in the UK while on a round-the-world journey. Now other bikers are stepping up to help.
Sometimes people are good. British bikers have been stepping up to help an Indian round-the-world rider whose motorcycle was stolen while traveling in the UK.
“I've got a lot of messages from British bikers, British citizens, saying 'we are with you - we are going to support you,'” traveler and internet personality Yogesh Alekari told BBC Nottingham. “A lot of people offered me riding gear. They've even offered their own motorcycle.”
Alekari had been on a trip around the globe - having visited dozens of countries already - when his KTM 390 Adventure was stolen late last month.
He had stopped for breakfast in Wollaton Park in Nottingham on 28 August, having parked his bike near a children’s play area, and returned about an hour later to discover his bike and possessions were gone. This included clothing, cash, and his passport.
That latter situation is a pain in and of itself (if you’ve never had to replace a lost/stolen passport while not in your home country, count yourself lucky - it’s a red tape nightmare). And while he’s been dealing with it, bikers from across the UK have been reaching out to help.
That includes the production company behind Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s recent “Long Way Home” series.
Responding to an Instagram post from Alekari, the company said that it had a spare KTM that it had used in filming and would be willing to lend it to him.
It’s uncertain yet what - if any - help Alekari has decided to accept, but he has told BBC Nottingham that he is deeply grateful.
“People, they have humanity,” he told the broadcaster.
For its part, Nottingham Police say they are “conducting extensive enquiries” but so far have not located Alekari’s bike or made any arrests. Police have video footage from bystanders, showing the bike being ridden away and flanked by two additional riders on scooters. But it may be that at this point there is nothing they can do.
As we reported on the day after Alekari’s bike was stolen, the UK is home to what The Economist calls “Grand Theft Global” - a worldwide industry that sees stolen goods from the UK shipped to numerous countries and resold.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
