Indian rider selected for Ducati Globetrotter 90th ride

Ducati will complete 90 years of its existence in July, 2016 and to celebrate this occasion, the Italian bikemaker announced the Globetrotter 90th round-the-world trip which is a 30,000km journey across three continents. Over 3,000 candidates from across the world applied for the Ducati Globetrotter 90th but in the end only seven riders were selected. Vir Nakai from Mumbai is among the short-listed seven riders for the epic road trip and the only Indian to qualify. Vir will be riding the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro motorcycle and will pass a specially designed “torch” created by the Ducati Design Center to symbolically spread the fire of passion around the globe. He will commence the ride from Borgo Panigale factory after attending the World Ducati Week scheduled this weekend. Vir will be escorted by the DOC’s (Ducati Owners Clubs) from Misano to Bologna to officially start this extraordinary adventure. He will be riding from Italy to Moscow, Russia covering a distance of almost 3.850km in the first leg of the global ride. 

Commenting on his selection, Vir Nakai said: “I am totally shocked and excited because I would have never imagined I would get so far. The selection round was an amazing experience and it’s going to get even better. The final decision for Ducati would have been very tough considering that the 13 other Globetrotters finalists from all over the world are such a brilliant bunch of people. I can’t wait to ride!”

14 riders were finalised for the Ducati Globetrotter ride and they were invited to the Bootcamp in the scenic setting of the Castello di Nipozzano, in Tuscany. The contestants were run through the DRE Enduro, a real Ducati riding academy where one can learn technical skills and off-road riding tricks from professional riders. Ducati staff examined 14 candidates, who were tested on the Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro on the basis of basic mechanical skills. As a result, seven Globetrotters from seven different countries were designated, which includes Vir Nakai, Steve Fraser, Jessica Leyne, Eduadro Generali, Samuel Bendall, Hugo Wilson and Timo Schafer.