On a humid afternoon in Delhi with clouds playing hide and seek, actor Amit Sadh joined HT City on his bike as he completed the first phase of his month-long biking trip — Motorcycles Saved My Life. And the journey, he reveals, has been far from easy.

“On the very first day, after being on the bike for over 10 hours, I asked myself, ‘Why am I doing it?’ But then I passed a beautiful canal. The breeze, the sunset, a nice terrain to ride... I had answers to all my questions,” says the 40-year-old, who left Mumbai on August 25 and has crossed Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Delhi and Chandigarh, enroute to Leh (Ladakh).

“I have a knack of putting myself in danger,” quips Sadh, who has faced several life-threatening situations in his 25 years of biking. “In 2017, I was on my way to Manali, for which one has to cross Chang La (situated at an elevation of 17,688 feet). At that time, it was fully covered with snow and the temperature was minus 17 degrees. Nobody travels on that route during that time... As soon as we left, my bike slipped and then my friend’s bike slipped, followed by a puncture. As a result, we had to stay for a night there because the vehicle could not get fixed. Thankfully, the locals helped and we could move the next morning,” he recounts.

Sadh took a liking to adventure activities when he was just about five years old. Now, any free time he gets, he is ready to vroom. “That’s how much I love bike riding. It’s also my way of connecting back with life. I’ve not even finished this trip and have already planned my next one,” the Jeet Ki Zid (2021) actor says.

Passion aside, he also ensures he’s adequately prepped. Sadh, who has been to California Riding School, shares, “I’ve been to schools around the world to learn how to ride on mud, in snow etc. So, it’s also about testing my skills. While the reason for riding can be emotional, when I am on the bike, I keep my emotions aside and execute with discipline, knowledge and instincts to minimize the risk.”

Reflecting on all the biking expeditions he has been on so far, Sadh says these experiences of riding through different terrains and meeting new people have made him the person he is today. Citing a recent example, he shares, “On my way to Delhi this time, I met a truck driver at a dhaba and he told me about his life and I told him about what I’m doing. More than anything, these experiences keep me grounded. They make me fall in love with everything around me. They teach me discipline and resilience. I’m a product of all these experiences.”

This one!

In 2017, when I got stuck in Chang La

Train as much as you can. Learn about your bike before you go on a trip.

Start with places around you, within 100-200km

Mongolia

Every trip to Ladakh

First day of this trip. I rode the bike for 10 hours

Travelling for more than 200-300km a day

photos: Dhruv sethi/ HT Concept: Monika Rawal Kukreja