Kerala Engineering student, 22, dies trying ’Saddle Sore’ bike challenge

Mangalore Today News Network

Palakkad, Apr 20, 2018 :  A 22-year-old engineering student from Kerala, attempting an extreme motorcycle riding challenge, was killed on Wednesday when his bike crashed into a lorry in neighbouring Karnataka.

Midhun Khosh, a final year student of the Nehru Engineering College at Pambady in Kerala’s Palakkad district, was attempting what is known as a saddle sore challenge, where the aim is to ride a two-wheeler for at least 1,600 kilometres within a span of 24 hours.

The engineering student was killed immediately when his 250cc Honda CBR 250R Repsol Edition motorcycle slammed into a lorry that was ahead of him and had braked suddenly, police in Karnataka said, adding a case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against the lorry driver.

The accident took place near Chitradurga on the Bengaluru-Pune National Highway at 4 am.
 

Midhun Khosh was attempting to ride 1600 km in 24 hours
"Kerala police, quoting information provided by Midhun’s family, said he had a craze for speed bike riding and was participating in the Saddle Sore challenge that required riders to cover around 1,600 km in 24 hours," news agency Press Trust of India quoted the police as saying.

The saddle sore challenge is conducted by a US-based organization called Iron butt Association.

Midhun had left for the challenge on Tuesday evening, telling his mother that he was going to neighbouring Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, police said.

"Police found a sketch of the route map of his planned trip -- Palakkad-Bengaluru-Pune -- from his home in nearby Ottapalam and some jottings on the risks involved, equipment needed for emergency and eatables such as chocolates to be carried," police said.


Midhun used to regularly post photos of his motorcycle rides on his Facebook and Instagram accounts.