The novel Bajaj Keke Rally would remain evergreen in the heart of five Nigerians- the five riders, who saw it all. Each rode a Baba Bajaj Keke through 19 states across the country.
Beaming with smiles, during the event marking the completion of the rally at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel, recently, the rally’s team leader as well as two of the riders shared their thoughts and experiences with Motoring World:
JuliusThomas – Rally’s Team Leader
According to him, the rally was originally targeted at covering 5000km, which they exceeded by almost 600 kilometers.
“We exceeded the targeted 5000 kilometers, and covering almost 5600km,” he recalled, adding, “We started from Lagos to shagamu, Ibadan, Ilorin, Lokoja, Calabar, Markurdi and other cities. We rode through 27 cities and all together, spent 43 days in the journey.
“We didn’t really rest. We traveled to locations, and once it was night, we would stay in an hotel and continue the journey the following morning.
“Bajaj, from what we found out during our journey, runs faster. It is a strong Keke. The riders themselves could not believe what they experienced.”
Motoring World: How did the riders react, when they learnt they were going to embark on 5000 km rally with Keke Bajaj?
Team leader: They were in doubt. You can’t believe it, the journey was easy and smooth with the convoy, including security agents meeting different people in the states, understanding their culture and so on. It was fun. The only challenge we had was bad terrains and weather condition sometimes. But in all, it was a smooth trip, as Keke Bajaj was able to withstand all terrains and conditions.
Motoring World: Did you by any chance meet with commercial Keke riders during the rally and how did they react?
Team Leader: On our way, we met riders. And what every one of them we interacted with told us was that Bajaj is stronger and consumes less fuel compared to others. Bajaj is a very strong and reliable Keke. Everybody can attest to that.
Keke Rider Joseph Silas Udoh’s Story
We started from Lagos to Shagamu to Ibadan, Ilorin, Lokoja and other cities. We traveled from the West to East and North. From my experience, Bajaj is very strong. I did not expect a Keke to have the ability and strength to cover a distance as long as that at a go. But, to my amazement, Bajaj did it. I recommend Bajaj to all Keke users. It is strong and reliable.
Many people we met on our way were surprised. They wondered how Keke can travel from Lagos to their cities. They asked us if we transported them on a truck. They were amazed to learn that we actually rode them all the way from Lagos.
Keke Rider Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Nwosu’s Story
You know this is the first time this kind of rally is happening in Nigeria. It was also my first experience of riding Keke to such a long distance. We covered 18 states and 27 cities in Nigeria. We went to Oshogbo, Benin, Anambra, Ekiti, Abia and other states and cities.
Having rode other Keke before, I will say Bajaj Keke is the strongest in Nigeria today. It is not because I am involved in the rally, I am speaking from experience.
It is not hidden. Many, who saw us going were amazed and impressed seeing us making a return trip. All the garages we entered, people were happy to see us. Though, some of them were in doubt before Bajaj proved them wrong.
The only challenge we had was traffic and bad roads, which in a way further confirmed the Keke’s strength, reliability and toughness. It’s an experience that would stay with me for a long, long time, and I can assure you, so are my co-travelers.
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