Revving up for another feat

Trophies under his belt: Nadarajan posing with prizes from his past achievements while straddling his Honda Gold Wing 1800cc motorcycle at Bandar Sunway, Seberang Jaya.

BUTTERWORTH: Superbiker Datuk P. Nadarajan is going to prove that physical fatigue can be overcome by the mind in a 2,500km nonstop ride across all 11 states of the peninsula.

Expecting to take about 24 hours on this solo ride, Nadarajan will only stop briefly to refuel, relieve himself and get some meals.

Straddling his 1,800cc Honda Goldwing, his trick for staying alert is to exercise on his bike while travelling.

“It takes a strong mentality to stay alert while riding nonstop for about 24 hours, but I will also need to exercise while riding,” he said.

The 53-year-old factory engineering manager has developed several exercises that he does while riding. They include stretching every part of his body and even standing up while cruising to ease his posterior.

Nadarajan, who recently completed a “Saddle Sore 1000” ride of 1,600km for endurance motorcycle riding organisation Iron Butt Association, is a seasoned distance rider with eight national and international records.

His son, Velugaran, died in a 2006 road accident at the age of 17 and since then, he frequently organises challenging motorcycle journeys to create public awareness on road safety.

“When travelling, people must stop and rest when they are tired or it can be fatal. Endurance riding takes special training,” he said.

Nadarajan plans to make the trip in August and has applied for his feat to be included in the Malaysia Book of Records.

He plans to start and end his journey in Kuala Lumpur, and he is still planning his route.

“I will use the highways when I can but much of the route will go through old trunk roads, which can be quite risky,” he added.

Nadarajan, who has five entries in the Malaysian Book of Records, was even featured in America’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not TV show after riding 1,419km from Penang to Pattaya in Thailand in 22 hours on Feb 11, 2011.

Last August, he rode 1,150km in 12 hours over the Titiwangsa mountain range, crossing Fraser’s Hill, Gunung Jerai, Bukit Gua Musang and Cameron Highlands, while standing on his bike’s footrests the whole time.