The Fun, Learn, and Enjoy Philosophy
We spoke to Giovanni Sala, the ambassador for KTM Adventure. With a remarkable CV, including six World Enduro titles, four International Six Day Enduro championships, and a third-place finish in the 2006 Dakar Rally under his belt, Sala had some amazing i
Bike India (BI): How do you like the 2019 India Bike Week festival?
The India Bike Week 2019 in a way has been an eye-opener for me. I see a lot of passion in India for motorcycling and passion or interest is the main way forward. An example of this would be my experience in Chile. When I first went to ride in Chile, the passion was fairly low, but, over the years, Chile began to love their motorcycles which has enhanced the South American country’s motorcycling. In this context, India already has a proper interest and true passion for motorcycling, which was an eye-opener.
What about our steps towards racing? What would you say is the way forward for us?
India already has stepped into the motorcycle racing world as you do have good riders who have taken part in a number of Baja and enduro championships and, of course, the Dakar. In my view, this is all down once again to that word “passion”, which will see India move steadily ahead.
We understand your statement about passion. This can be seen in the high number of riding schools and the number of women who have taken up riding, among other things.
This is an important thing. The scare is that if a rider crashes, he or she might lose interest in motorcycles due to fear of the machine. However, with riding schools, riders may now learn how to ride their motorcycles properly and, more importantly, safely. It is very important to understand riding techniques to make one’s hobby safer.
We do have a few big rallies in the country. What should we set up for the beginners?
I understand that you do have a few big rallies [Ed: Raid de Himalaya, Desert Storm, and India Baja, to name a few], but you should have more smaller rallies for the beginners. A smaller three-day rally would be advisable all over the country and the rural areas are quite amazing for them.
Thank you for your time, Giovanni. Would you like to come back and ride in India someday?
I would love to come to India again and ride around the country. I am much better on the bike rather than speaking (laughs). However, so far as my work with KTM is concerned, I really would like to promote the simple motorcycle philosophy of “fun, learn, and enjoy”.