Shilpa Balakrishnan: Pro-rider of the week

Shilpa Balakrishnan a is a motorcyclist of few words who lets the odometer do the talking, literally! Having traversed the extremities of the country over this decade, she believes there is still a lot more to India. for her the journey comes to an end only when the motorcycling is back at home in the parking.

Shilpa Balakrishnan & Bajaj Dominar 400

Mumbai based Shilpa Balakrishnan’s motorcycling journey started about 15 years ago. She has traveled all over India, with her recent solo expedition covered over 30 passes in the Himalayas. This 90 day solo ride took her over 90 to cover through some of the most extreme weather & road conditions. Thereby, adding the Himalayan conquest to her kitty of adventures in 2021. This new feat, to the existing tally of multiple endurance records and long odysseys. Prior to this in 2018, she went on a 6-nation ride covering India and five South East Asian countries:

Myanmar

Thailand

Laos

Vietnam

and Cambodia

She did this with three other women riders and covered 17000 kms in 56 days during the tour. Her love for travel and passion to ride motorcycles keeps her motivated and she wishes to ride many more miles all the way. Later on in October 2018, she added another feat to her cache of records. She became the first female to do a solo ride to all 4 corners of India in 29 days covering 15219 kms. This feat is recorded in India Book of Records and World Records of India.

Shilpa Balakrishnan – Not just empowering girls & women, teaching them the Art Of Motorcycling

In 2019, she started training women to ride motorcycles. The idea being, to enable women to fulfill their dream of motorcycling. The vision is to have as many women riding motorcycles and not just the stereotype scooterettes. Furthermore, she believes that its not just about riding techniques, but to also teach them:

The correct way of riding

Following traffic rules

Safety norms etc.

Himalayas with Pramerica – Shilpa Balakrishnan and her 2018 Bajaj Dominar 400

Here are the top 7 reasons we think why Shilpa chose her Bajaj Dominar 400 for this ride:

The Bajaj Dominar 400 may not be the best compared to Honda, Yamaha or other international brands.

At high speeds it is planted and is quite stable in case of crosswinds.

The Bajaj Dominar 400 is an Electronic Fuel Injected motorcycle that automatically calibrates itself and adapts when you are riding in high altitude regions.

ABS offers sufficient bite and the brake pads replacement does not burn a hole in the wallet.

Engine beat could have been smoother, but it is not very noisy, so that is not a real issue. It performs well in any given weather condition as well.

Torque delivery is linear yet allows you enough of power when negotiating a mountain pass.

For its overall dimensions, the Bajaj Dominar 400 is easy to maneuver in any type of traffic conditions.

When not riding her motorcycle, she connects the motorcycling community with talented motorcyclists and entrepreneurs across the country through her talk show @roaringcycles .

Connect with Shilpa Balakrishnan here

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