The pandemic has claimed a Bengalurean biker-couple known across India for their sense of adventure.
“Everybody liked them,” says Jacinth Paul, founding member of the Bengaluru-based biker group Road Thrill, talking about Omprakash Siddananjappa and Savitri Omprakash.
Biker clubs are associated with youth. But Omprakash, 71, and Savitri, 65, never let age come in their way. In the last five years, they had completed over 50 rides on their Royal Enfield 350. One of their major rides was a south India tour covering 2,117 km.
Adventure was in their blood, says their son Om Ganesh, a software engineer at Dell EMC. “In the ’70s, trekking was my father’s first love. After their marriage in 1983, my parents went on to climb the Himalayas of Kashmir and Darjeeling. We would go on trekking tours as a family,” he says. Omprakash retired as deputy accountant-general from the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in 2011.
Three years later, his sons replaced his 100cc bike with an Enfield. “They were thrilled,” Ganesh recollects.
It was Savitri’s undying commitment that made the couple’s story beautiful. “My mother, a homemaker, was always excited to accompany my father. They planned all their trips together,” he says .
Jacinth remembers Omprakash as a disciplined rider. “They joined Road Thrill four years back. He loved long rides. He wasn’t a big fan of taking breaks between rides. They also never missed our night rides,” he says.
Their daring attitude brought them much admiration. “We would be nervous when they registered for our off-road riding events. We tried convincing them to skip them but they were adamant. To our surprise, despite some falls, they successfully completed these trips,” says Jacinth. No wonder they won the Best Couple award from Road Thrills last year.
A serious accident showed how popular they were even outside Karnataka. “They were riding to Sikkim. They had a fall in Kakinada. Fortunately, our Andhra group (Road Thrill Vizag), which was organising an event nearby, admitted them to a hospital. After that, different biker clubs helped them till they came back to Bengaluru. That showed how everyone knew them,” says Jacinth.
“They rode together and they went together. Hope they are having a good time upstairs,” says Vishal Aggarwal, a businessman and founder of the RD 350 Club.
He says senior citizens are rare in biking groups. “We find people ride till their 60s and give up. These two enjoyed their rides. Travelling on a Bullet, at that age, isn’t easy,” he says.
Omprakash was a fine photographer too, reveals Sunil Anvekar, founder of the Bangalore Bullet Club. “He captured great memories of the rides. They both would advise us to ride responsibly and wear proper gear,” he says. Ganesh reveals how Omprakash was planning to adapt to the pandemic. “With some modifications, he had turned his old Maruti 800 car into a camping car. They were planning some trips in that car,” he says.
Covid denied them that experience but the couple has left great memories for their children to cherish and inspire young bikers.
Always together
Omprakash and Savitri lived in Jayanagar, and always rode together. They were hospitalised for Covid in the last week of April. He died on May 5 while Savitri passed away on May 7.