The Man, The Machine & The Journey

Into the mind of the rider with GAURAV GILL, India’s top motorsports star.

- Gayatri Moodliar

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE DESTINATION. We’ve heard that a million times. It needn’t be either, because the mind of the motor-head turns a bit differently. If you’re into automobiles, you look at each milestone not just as your friend and your guide, but also as a marker for the next challenge.

Gaurav Gill, arguably India’s best rally racer, is no stranger to the road or the trail. A triple Asia-Pacific Rally Championship drivers’ champion and World Rally Championship competitor, he has been into bikes and cars since he was a boy. The idea of a road trip on a luxury tourer, the Honda Gold Wing, took him back to his racing roots, because Gaurav started on motorbikes, competing in the National Motocross Championship before he made the transition to four wheels.

He’s no stranger to Honda motorcycles, of course. “When I was younger, we had the iconic VFR750RR. My uncle would take me out on these amazing bikes, and I learnt so much from him— the way he used to ride, the way he took care of the bikes, and the way he loved his machines,” he says.

The plan was to ride from Delhi to Jaipur and back. That was the plan. But once we were on the road, Gaurav found detours, picked his way through highways and country roads. Because, when you’re on the road, you don’t want to stick to an itinerary. You want to explore. “It’s very important to understand and bond with the machine. You have to respect it, you have to understand how it works, you have to be one with it. The Honda Gold Wing is a brilliant machine, a completely different kind of bike,” says Gaurav.