Exclusive interview with the first Indian to ride a Ducati Scrambler to Khardung La

Rakesh Bisth is an ordinary guy from Mumbai, who has just got his name in the record books. For what you ask? For being the first person to ride a Ducati Scrambler up to the highest motorable road in India -  Khardung La. This 31year old loves riding and driving and we spoke to him about his experiences  on the Ducati Scrambler during this trip.

Q1. What made you buy a Ducati Scrambler?

A. I hadn’t ridden a bike for the last three years and buying a super bike was out of the question. I have three other bikes with the highest being 220cc. I wanted a bigger more powerful bike to go for long rides on. I like riding on road and off road and I like to have fun while riding a bike. When the Ducati Scrambler launched, I took a test ride and new instantly that it was the bike for me.

Q2. Why did you want to go to Khardung La on the Scrambler?

A. It’s always been a long time coming for me to go for a long ride to Khardung La and the moment I got my bike I did the mandatory run in of about a 1,000km and then got the 1st service done. I knew this bike would be perfect to handle any terrain thrown at it and I was willing to put it through the test. What better than a ride from Mumbai to Khardung La and on to Leh. 

Q3. Did you prep the motorcycle in any way before your ride?

A. I wanted to put a few after market safety guards but none were available so I rode the bike all the way to Khardung La and back in stock condition. 

Q4. How was the experience of riding the Ducati Scrambler in the mountains up to Leh?

A. It’s was an amazing experience. It was a long 7,000 km ride and I’ve experienced all different riding conditions along with the bike right from heavy rains to cornering in the mountains and going through river crossings.  The tyres held up really well throughout the ride and the ABS worked really well. Not to mention it handles like a dream. 

Q5. Did you have any problems with the bike on the way to and fro?

A. It was a little dicey on the water crossings. But all you have to do is be careful of the oil canister hitting a rock. A sump guard would have really helped. Otherwise it’s a very comfortable bike for long distance riding both on road and off road.

Q6. Do you have any tips and suggestions for other Ducati Scrambler owners?

A. Don’t under estimate the power of the bike. I’ve put the bike through a lot and it’s still going strong. No complaints at all.