Arctic To Antarctic Circle: Epic Bajaj Dominar Polar Odyssey Flagged Off

The ride, spanning over 50,000km, will see riders travel from the North Pole all the way to the South Pole, in a span of four months

After last year's Trans-Siberian Odyssey, the Bajaj Dominar 400 is set to undertake yet another cross-country ride - the Polar Odyssey. As the name suggests, this journey will take the riders from the North Pole to the South Pole. Setting off from Tuktoyaktuk in the Arctic Circle, the riders will head all the way down to Ushuaia in Argentina, close to the tip of the Antarctic Circle.

Only three riders will be a part of the Polar Odyssey - Deepak Kamath, Avinash PS and Deepak Gupta. Out of the three, Deepak Kamath has over 30 years of riding experience and was also a part of last year’s Dominar Trans-Siberian Odyssey. Avinash PS is a mechanical engineer by profession and an avid motorcyclist, while Deepak Gupta is a member of Group Of Delhi Superbikes (GODS).

The entire ride will span over four months, covering a distance of more than 50,000km across 17 countries in North, Central and South America. For some perspective, the riders will have to average 450km of riding everyday, to complete the journey in the given timeframe. While that sounds like a bigger challenge in itself, the riders will also have to traverse some of the most dangerous routes in the world. This includes the James Dalton Highway in the Arctic, the Atacama Desert in Chile and the North Yungas Road in Bolivia, better known as the ‘Death Road’. To make things even more extreme, the riders will be without any support vehicle.

Bajaj has done some in-house modifications to the Dominar to make it ready for this gruelling journey. This includes a larger windscreen, hand guards, all-weather tyres, jerry cans and panniers. The front mudguard has also been replaced by an ADV-style beak-like setup.

Speaking on undertaking such an extreme endeavour, Eric Vas, President, Motorcycle Business, Bajaj Auto, said, “A year ago with the completion of the Trans-Siberian Odyssey, the Dominar 400 comprehensively cemented its reputation as the motorcycle of choice for the discerning motorcyclists in India. The Dominar Polar Odyssey from the North Pole to the South Pole shall demonstrate the ‘indomitable’ product leadership of the Dominar 400. That this gruelling Polar Odyssey is being attempted on stock Dominars without any major part change and without a support crew, is a testimony to the superiority of the Dominar 400 over all other motorcycles in its class.”