Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally 2016 Concludes

Monsoon brings with it a lot of muck and slush, just the kind of conditions an off-road enthusiast waits for every year. But year after year Gulf Oil and Lubricants in association with Sportscraft have been adding a twist to the tale and organising the Monsoon Scooter Rally.

This 27th edition of the Scooter Rally was once again held at the backwoods of Navi Mumbai on July 10. Riders were flagged off at 9AM from K-Star Hotel in Belapur. More than 50 participants battled for the top prize. Although the riders didn’t experience rainfall during the rally, heavy downpours over the past few days made conditions a bit tricky for the riders.

Syed Asif Ali, a rider from Bangalore of Team TVS Racing, emerged as the winner of the 2016 Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally. Shamim Khan from Nashik stood second on his Mahindra Gusto, followed by Emiral Shekharan from Navi Mumbai, who finished third. Shamim Khan won the previous four editions of Rally but Syed Asif Ali thwarted the bid of Shamim of being the record-breaking fifth-time winner. The above three riders finished in the S1 class of up to 160cc four-stroke segment. Fourth position was acquired by Sheshraj Yadav riding his Yamaha Alpha and Muzaffar Ali, astride TVS Wego, finished in the fifth position.

Syed Asif Ali, after winning the title of 2016 Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally said, “This time the course was really tough. In addition to the slushy areas, we had a couple of trucks coming in our way and forcing us to slow down. It did not rain heavily during the race, but, still it was challenging.”

Nidhi Shukla of Team CEAT, on the Honda Activa, was the best among lady riders, completing the rally in remarkable time. Former champion Manjeet Singh Bassan failed to finish in the top five riders but won the S2 class of scooters 110cc up to 160cc two strokes.  A group of first-time riders were also appreciated for their efforts. Mohsin Mehbook Khan, who was awarded the late Firdosh Wajifdar Trophy, was the best in this group.

Many riders damaged their scooters, and some even had to withdraw from the competition because of their engines getting stuck. Few riders took a tumble while crossing a giant puddle. Riders struggled to pass from steep inclines, hairpin bends and water-logged stretches.

The list of winners from various segment with their timing is as follows:

Overall Winners:

1st- Syed Asif Ali(Bangalore)- TVS Wego- 32.43 sec

2nd- Shamim Khan(Nashik)- Mahindra Gusto- 33.36 sec

3rd- Emiral Shekharan(Navi Mumbai)- Yamaha Alpha- 34.18 sec

Class S1- 81cc up to 110cc- Two-stroke:

1st- Rohan Thakur(Mumbai)- Kinetic Marvel- 36.54 sec

2nd- Nilesh Thakare(Nashik)- Kinetic Honda- 38.34 sec

3rd- Kunal Rao(Mumbai)- Kinetic Marvel- 39.10 sec

Class S2- 110cc up to 160cc- Two-stroke:

1st- Manjit Singh Bassan(Mumbai)- LML Vespa- 37.14 sec

2nd- Ravindra Singh(Mumbai)- LML Vespa-  43.58 sec

3rd- Vikram Boparai(Thane)- LML Vespa- 47.34 sec

Class FSG- up to 160cc- Four-stroke:

1st- Syed Asif Ali(Bangalore)- TVS Wego- 32.43 sec

2nd- Shamim Khan(Nashik)- Mahindra Gusto- 33.36 sec

3rd- Emiral Shekharan(Navi Mumbai)- Yamaha Alpha- 34.18 sec

Source: CarDekho.com