India man on world tour has bike stolen in UK
Vehicle theft in the UK has reared its ugly head once again, as a man from India has found out.
A man from India has had his motorcycle stolen while riding through the UK as part of a round-the-world trip on a KTM 390 Adventure bike.
If you didn’t already know about the current vehicle theft issues in the UK, then some of our recent news stories will have guided you through these ongoing problems, especially when it comes to motorcycles.
In fact, one of our most recent reports detailed how the UK appears to be at the heart of a global theft enterprise. Therefore, when we heard of another theft, such as this one involving Yogesh Alekari, we were sadly not surprised.
Alekari had so far completed 15,000 miles and travelled to more than 17 countries, including stops in Asia and Europe since beginning his round-the-world motorcycle challenge from Mumbai on May 1.
The 33-year-old had his KTM 390 Adventure stolen while parked at Wollaton Park in Nottingham, last Thursday. The theft of his motorcycle also included personal belongings that are believed to be worth more than £15,000.
Alekari, who is a full-time content creator with 180,000 followers on Instagram, had been documenting his trip around the world prior to the bike being nicked.
Speaking about the theft itself, Alekari is quoted by the BBC as saying: “I was in Nottingham for a biker event and was about to head to Oxford. I stopped and parked my bike at Wollaton Park.
“I locked the bike up and it was a busy area with children playing so I thought it seemed like a safe place. I crossed the road and went to have breakfast but within an hour, I came back and everything was just gone.”
Video footage was captured by someone at the park which showed Alekari's motorcycle being ridden away, and he later shared this footage on his own social media accounts. The video showed the thief being flanked by two scooters.
Alekari, who said people had already warned him about potential theft in the UK, added: "I called the police and it seemed so strange that they just sent me a crime number. I was told they would call me back, and I waited in the park, but they never did.
“I wanted to go from Spain to Morocco, and then to the western coast of Africa, Cape Town to Kenya and then fly back to India. My dream is to ride around the world on a motorcycle. I spent a lot of money to get here and I don't want to stop now.
"I have travelled from India to here and I went through places like Iran and Turkey, which people said weren't safe - but I felt safe there. People warned me about the UK, but I thought I was away from London and it would be OK in Nottingham.”
Nottinghamshire police has asked anyone with information to contact the force, after initial inquiries were unable to locate the whereabouts of the stolen bike.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
