Getting into Adventure

A COLLECTION OF STORIES TO INSPIRE 

FREE 

COPY 

RIDING WITH

WELCOME 

Welcome to Getting into Adventure, a 

new publication designed especially for 

Motorcycle Live 2016. The intention 

with it is to try and encourage people to live their 

own adventures and do their own trips. Hopefully, 

as these pages show, it doesn’t have to be around 

the world or even outside the country, just that 

place you keep meaning to ride but always put 

off or find excuse not to. This collection of stories 

hopefully serves as a reminder that everyone 

struggles to get over that first hurdle and make 

their adventures happen. We also see how people 

never regret going and use their first adventure 

as a stepping stone into the next, building 

confidence as they go. For this issue we hear from 

people who’ve ridden for the first time to Wales, 

Scotland, France and the Americas, featuring 

riders of all walks of life and ages. 

The idea here is definitely not to try and define 

or prescribe a type of bike or even a level of kit 

you need. Adventure is personal. We go on the 

bike that connects best with us, or the one we 

already have in the shed. As has been proven 

many times, any bike is capable of pretty much 

any trip, and in terms of adventure, for the 

purpose of this publication we’re defining it 

simply as something that takes us out of our 

current comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be 

across deserts or away from home for months on 

end, just something that makes us that little bit 

nervous and excited about doing it. 

Above all else, don’t worry or fret that you might 

only have a fortnight, a weekend or even a day 

to go for a ride, because as a gentleman at the 

Stafford Mechanics Show recently told me.... 

“ADVENTURE BEGINS THE MOMENT YOU STEP OUT OF YOUR FRONT DOOR” 

See you on the road (Nathan Millward: Editor and traveller) 

CONTENTS 

GUIDE TO SCOTLAND 

Page 4-5 

RIDING WITH A MEDICAL 

CONDITION 

Page 6 

SKETCHES OF SPAIN 

Page 8-9 

GOING SOLO 

Page 10-11 

LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE 

Page 12-13 

ADV BEFORE RETIREMENT 

Page 14-15 

STARTING EARLY 

Page 16-17 

ROUTE 66 

Page 18-19 

THE BIKE THAT AFRICA BUILT 

Page 20 

SHIPPING YOUR OWN BIKE 

Page 22 

RENTING IN LOCATION 

Page 23 

MY FIRST TRIP TO WALES 

Page 24-25 

DANNY’S BUNKHOUSE 

Page 27 

WHY I WENT ON A GUIDED 

TOUR 

Page 28 

DON’T RULE OUT AFRICA 

Page 31 

COAST 2 COAST BY TRIALS BIKE 

Page 32 

GETTING INTO OFF-ROAD 

Page 34-35 

COMMON QUESTIONS 

Page 36 

NORDKAPP IN TWO WEEKS 

Page 38-40 

THE WANDERING WASP 

Page 43 

GREETINGS FROM PAKISTAN 

Page 44-45 

DESTINATION SEASIDE 

Page 46-47 

With gratitude to and all advertisers Cover illustration by Dave Webb @ Wearebeard

MIKE TAYLOR’S GUIDE TO SCOTLAND 

FOR BOTH INEXPERIENCED AND EXPERIENCED RIDERS, SCOTLAND HAS IT ALL 

AND CAN MAKE FOR A MANAGEABLE AND AFFORDABLE ADVENTURE 

It might not always seem that 

exotic, but as a place to roam 

and try your hand at motorcycle 

travel, there are few better 

destinations than Scotland. You 

can wild camp, explore the quiet 

back roads and get your first taste 

of feeling a long way from home. 

Resident Mike Taylor gives his advice 

on travelling these parts. 

WHERE TO STAY? 

In my opinion camping is always the 

best way to see Scotland. Campsites 

in Scotland are plentiful, are in some 

of the best locations and you can 

usually rock up without booking. 

Some campsites have wigwams 

or camping huts to hire, but these 

are best booked in advance. You 

are legally allowed to ‘wild camp’ 

anywhere as long as you don’t leave 

a mess. (see www.outdooraccessscotland.com/Practical-guide/ 

public/camping or Google ‘Wild 

camping code Scotland’). If camping 

isn’t for you then there are plenty 

of hotels, hostels and B&B’s, but 

these are definitely best booked in 

advance, especially if you’re heading 

to the far north or the Islands. 

WHERE TO GO AND 

WHICH ROADS TO 

FOLLOW? 

Scotland’s a big place. Do some 

research and get a rough plan 

together. The North Coast 500 

(www.northcoast500.com) takes 

in some of the best bits but can 

get very busy. If you’re heading up 

from the south do yourself a favour 

and AVOID THE A9. There are far 

better routes north. For example 

heading north from Perth via 

Blairgowrie, Glenshee, Tomintoul 

and The Lecht will give you great 

roads and stunning scenery, while 

hardly adding any time on to your 

journey. You can come back south 

via Glencoe. The Islands are worth a 

visit with the likes of Mull and Islay 

only a short ferry crossing from the 

mainland. ‘Island Hopper’ tickets 

are available allowing you to string 

islands together and cross as you 

please. Again, booking is advised, 

but if you do choose to roll up last 

minute a space will often be found. 

If you are planning a trip my advice 

would be to head to the more remote 

areas and try and hit the tourist 

heavy areas like Skye, Loch Ness and 

Glencoe mid-week when it’s quieter. 

The important bit is to research 

what you want to see and do. Get a 

rough plan but keep some flexibility 

in there. If you’re getting rained out 

somewhere, better weather is usually 

a short ride away. 

WHAT TO PACK? 

Waterproofs and good warm 

base layers are a must. Scottish 

weather can quickly change from 

cold and wet to hot and sunny, so 

bring sunblock too. Lots of people 

will recommend different midge 

repellent but see what works for you. 

Avon Skin So Soft seems to be the 

popular choice. A midge net to go 

over your head is the best solution 

but not always the most practical. 

There are plenty of petrol stations; 

even the far north has 24 hour fuel 

available. Some of the Hebridean 

Island’s fuel stations and shops may 

be closed on Sundays. A basic tool 

kit including a puncture repair kit is 

always useful. Make sure you know 

how to use it too. If you’re planning 

on camping and swithering over 

what tent to choose, make sure it can 

stand up to strong winds. It’s usually 

the wind, not the rain, that will cause 

you bother. Not everywhere accepts 

card payment so try and carry some 

cash. Bring a map, you can get by 

without GPS but a map is essential 

and phone signal can be poor. 

COSTS? 

Fuel in the north of Scotland is 

usually a bit more expensive than 

the south, especially in the more remote 

parts. Campsites are usually around a 

tenner with Wigwams/Glamping huts 

around £20 per person, often with a 

minimum charge for two people. Hostels 

are also around the £20 mark. B&Bs 

can sometimes be found for £25 per 

person but are more often in the £40 - 

£100+ bracket. Hotels can be even more 

expensive. Good local pub/café food can 

be found for £10-£20 for a main meal. 

Supermarkets are the same as everywhere 

else but it’s far better to shop local and try 

some local produce. 

ANYTHING ELSE? 

“Will my bike be suitable?” Yes. Any 

bike is suitable for a trip round Scotland. 

If you have under a 100 mile tank range 

bring a wee fuel bottle. 

“What are the roads like?” Usually in 

good condition and relatively empty. 

Lots of the roads in the more rural places 

are single track, even the ones that are 

marked as A roads on the map. Single 

track roads have signs telling you how to 

WHAT IS WILD CAMPING? See www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/Practical-guide/public/camping 

Wild camping is when you pitch 

your tent or other forms of 

accommodation in a place not 

designated for camping. In England 

this form of camping isn’t permitted, 

and requires a spot of stealth 

camping in order to get away with it. 

use the passing places. If you’re stopping 

for a photo or a wee rest make sure you 

don’t block the passing places. 

“Doesn’t it rain all the time?” No. There 

are palm trees in Scotland and white 

sandy beaches with blue seas. Central 

Scotland, especially around Fort William 

gets lots of rain as does Skye. When it’s 

good, the North West is the best place 

to be. The East Coast is generally drier 

though arguably less scenic. 

“Will my bike be safe?” On a whole, 

yes. If you are staying in Edinburgh or 

Glasgow secure parking is a must. 

“What’s haggis like?” It’s amazing. 

“What’s a bothy?” A bothy is a basic 

shelter, usually left unlocked and 

available for anyone to use free of 

charge. Some are on private estates so 

just check first. Find them at www. 

mountainbothies.org.uk 

For more of Mike’s advice and travels 

see: www.WintonMassif.co.uk 

You do this by finding a spot well out 

of sight and camping in such a way 

as to draw little attention to yourself, 

and certainly leave no trace behind. 

Alternatively, if you ask permission 

from the land owner beforehand 

then it isn’t usually an issue. In 

Overnight in a bothy 

Scotland wild camping is legal 

however. Under the Land Reform 

(Scotland) Act of 2003 you can camp 

on most unenclosed land, be it in the 

mountains, by lochs, or even by the 

side of the road. Use a stove rather 

than a campfire, make sure to take 

Any bike will do 

away any mess and don’t camp in 

large groups, and you’ll be fine. On 

global trips you will generally have 

to wild camp, with Scotland a perfect 

place to find out whether it’s for you 

or not. Find a good spot and it can be 

a very liberating form of camping. 

Fantastic scenery on your doorstep 

4 Find out more at www.gettingintoadventure.com

RIDING WITH A MEDICAL CONDITION 

LEGENDARY MOTORCYCLE TRAVELLER SAM MANICOM ON HOW HIS 

TRAVELS HAD TO CHANGE FOLLOWING HIS KIDNEY TRANSPLANT 

You never know what’s around 

the next bend. As if from 

nowhere, life can throw a 

health issue your way that threatens 

your ability to ride. I can only draw 

on my personal experience of the 

couple of times doctors have told 

me my motorcycling days were over: 

when I had three slipped discs, and 

when I needed a kidney transplant. 

In both cases I didn’t want to believe 

them. So I did what I could to beat 

the situation and carry on riding. 

Plenty of people have overcome much 

more traumatic challenges. 

After the kidney diagnosis, I worked 

out how to carry the dialysis kit I’d 

need on a motorcycle and asked if 

I’d be safe to travel overseas. The 

answer was a cautious yes. I started 

to design a trailer. It looked possible. 

Cumbersome, but possible. 

I was lucky enough to get a kidney 

transplant, but then had to think 

about how to deal with all the antirejection 

drugs when I was on the 

road. My trailer, with a solar-charged 

cooling unit, a mini wind turbine, 

and of course a direct link to my 

bike’s charging system, would help 

keep medications cool. And I could 

have top-up drug supplies couriered 

to me wherever I was. Life began to 

look better and better. 

What really concerned me was the 

number of things that’d be out of my 

control in developing countries. My 

passion was for such places, but the 

stomach bug risk was daunting. I 

didn’t want to lose my new ‘plumbing’. 

It’s important to remain pragmatic. In 

my case, I needed to focus on riding 

where I wasn’t so at risk. Europe 

opened its doors and I started to 

consider the stunning riding that’s 

to be had in Australia, New Zealand, 

Canada, Southern Africa, and the 

USA. I’m writing this from a wildcamping 

spot in the foothills of 

Yosemite whilst on a six weeks tour 

of the States. (I never did need the 

trailer in the end). 

I’m nobody special. What matters 

is that I’ve been able to adapt to my 

situation and find a way to carry 

on exploring. One of my favourite 

sayings is that after every storm 

comes the sun. It’s a mind-set thing. 

I count myself extremely lucky. 

That mosquito bite on my neck is a 

blooming nuisance though! 

P.S. If you haven’t signed up on the 

Organ Donor register yet, please do. 

Sam made his first solo trip aged 

16. He has been overlanding in 

one form or another for much 

of his life since then. Sam is the 

author of 4 acclaimed motorcycle 

travel books. When he’s not on 

the road you’ll find him doing 

travel presentations. You can 

find out more about his books at 

www.sam-manicom.com or find 

him at the Adventure Bike Shop 

stall (2C36) where he will be 

signing books. 

see us on stand 2C36 

5 Brands 

of Soft 

Luggage 

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Unit 19, Inca Business Park, Acton, Suffolk CO10 0BB 

t: 01787 372901 e: info@adventurebikeshop.co.uk 

choose from over 100 brands 

Specialised Protection 

Seats 

6 Brands 

of Hard 

Luggage 

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Crash Bars 

Screens 

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new limited edition 

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Suspension Adventure.Bike.Shop @Adventure_Bikes 

in store now 

see us on stand 2C36 

The Adventure Bike Shop is based in Suffolk and is owned and operated by Cliff and Jenny Batley, who set up the business following their own global trip from Australia to 

England. It’s one of very few companies that have in stock a thorough selection of clothing, luggage and equipment. Well worth a visit. 

BUILDING LEGEND UPON LEGEND

SKETCHES OF SPAIN 

The Valley of the Fallen, NW of Madrid 

LONG TIME TRAVELLER TO SPAIN DUNCAN GOUGH ON HOW TO GET 

THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TIME ON THE ROAD 

Why Spain you might ask. 

It started for me the very 

first time I visited the 

country, I just felt at home. Some 

of it was where I was, in a small 

village south of Ronda (Andalucía), 

the village was very poor but very 

friendly. I loved the high mountains 

and birdlife, the hot sun and smell of 

dust, crickets and cicadas touched a 

chord within me from my childhood 

in Africa. 

The Spain I go to feels more foreign 

than say France and yet is more 

accepting and friendly. 

With the strictures on my time and 

budget I can’t just take off into the 

unknown and cross continents. 

But I can have great adventures by 

doing it in a way that is about the 

experience of ‘going’, not setting 

‘tick-box’ destinations. 

To quote Louis L’Amour, “Too often 

I would hear men boast of the miles 

covered that day, rarely of what they 

had seen.” 

I don’t rush through, counting the 

miles; 3,000 miles in a week may 

sound like an adventure but if you 

haven’t SEEN, then it’s just a boast. 

It only takes a little bit of ‘seeing’ to 

notice the impact of geology and the 

cultural history around you. Strange 

birds and beautiful flowers, clouds 

of butterflies, there are new sights 

and smells at every turn. I believe in 

travelling like a sponge not a bubble. 

How do I do it? Lets say I have a full 

week and the following weekend 

- 9 days. First thing is what ferry 

sailings can I get? A factor is how 

far from Portsmouth or Plymouth 

you are. If you are lucky you might 

even make a Friday evening sailing. 

Booking a long way ahead is a very 

good idea as they do sell out, plus it 

commonly makes it cheaper. If you 

have to change dates much nearer 

the time this is possible with a small 

re-booking fee. Once you have your 

sailings, all of which are overnight to 

Santander or Bilbao you will know 

how many days you actually have 

in Spain. Don’t see the ferry as an 

inconvenience but as the prologue to 

your adventure. 

There are those who stay drinking 

in the bar with their mates. I am 

normally on my own, but always find 

interesting people to talk from all 

walks of life. On board I often find 

that there is that strange dissolution 

of class and ‘British’ etiquette, that 

prevents interaction with strangers. 

This is a good start because in Spain 

you are going to meet people who 

love to interact, to be helpful and 

generous. 

I spend quite a lot of time on the 

upper deck watching for birds and 

cetaceans (whales and dolphins). 

There maybe hours of just the 

endless rolling sea, and that 

beckoning horizon. There will be 

conversations about 

whether you have 

seen anything, but 

I also revel in that 

distance, that otherworld, 

devoid of all 

the familiar patterns 

of my everyday home 

life. The sudden 

glorious sight of a hundred curving 

dolphins or a cuvier’s beaked whale 

and calf bring a surge of joy, they 

weren’t timetabled but because I was 

there and watching I was gifted an 

exciting experience. 

I love that sense of expectation of 

adventure coming as the boat glides 

towards the dockside. I will have 

a destination in mind for this first 

night, but the how to get there will 

only be roughed out. I might have 

met someone on the ferry who has 

described a new place or route, 

or someone new to Spain (as has 

happened a number of times) who I 

offer to guide for the first day. 

On a ‘distance’ day I set off not 

long after 8am and will arrive at 

my destination around 8pm. In 

that time I may have travelled 

“THE MOST 

IMPORTANT 

THING IS TO 

BE AS FLEXIBLE 

AS POSSIBLE” 

anywhere between 400 and 600 km 

(250 - 400 miles). That may sound 

extreme, and it might be if your bike 

is uncomfortable after an hour, or 

needs fuel every 100 miles. However 

the roads in Spain are nearly all 

great. I recommend having actual 

paper maps that you can open out 

and see a chunk of country (the 

Michelin 1:400,000 series are very 

good). I favour the ‘N’ roads over 

the motorways, they are more 

involving and it is easy to stop or 

turn off whenever you feel like it, but 

in practice I spend a lot of time on 

the yellow and white roads. Average 

speeds can be up to 50mph. If I 

spend 3 hours out of my 12 hours in 

stops I can still cover 400 miles! 

The most important thing is to be as 

flexible as possible, a loose itinerary 

and attitude is the most rewarding. 

You might stop in a small town and 

find a wedding underway, you say 

to someone “Ella 

es muy hermosa!” 

- She (the bride) 

is very beautiful. 

Maybe you get 

invited to join the 

celebration, a fiesta 

is happening, or 

tables being set out 

for a cena pública - public supper... 

Change of plan, we’ll stay the night 

somewhere here. If I do book I rarely 

do it for consecutive nights. 

I often camp for two nights and 

then stay in hostal or a parador. 

The paradors are a government 

run chain of hotels all across Spain. 

They are often in old palaces or 

monasteries and very, very good 

(www.parador.es). 

Any attempt to speak Spanish is 

normally welcomed, however bad it 

is. A few simple phrases will make 

all the difference; Por favor - please, 

gracias - thank you, Hola, buen día - 

Hello, good day, Lo siento, mi español 

es poco - I’m sorry, my Spanish is 

little, adios or hasta luego - goodbye, 

so long. Many Spanish know a certain 

amount of English but are shy of 

using it, the attitude of some Brits 

doesn’t help. Show willing and you 

may well find your coffee paid for or 

a free liquor at the end of your meal. 

The Spanish like to travel when they 

can, many return to their ancestral 

town or village in the summer. As a 

result there are loads of small family 

run hotels - called hostals (not 

dormitory style), anywhere away 

from the massive foreign tourist 

trade they almost guaranteed to be 

good. Same with all the numerous 

bars and restaurants; local trade 

means poor quality doesn’t last long. 

By the way, unless you are in a big 

city or on the costas it is normal to 

pay at the end, trying to pay as you 

order is a bit insulting - implying 

that there is no way you are going to 

stay longer than that one item. 

Consider leaving your vehicle in 

a smaller town and catching an 

express coach or train into the 

big cities. I have done this to visit 

Madrid for a night leaving my moto 

in the hostal car park in Burgos. 

Riding or driving into Madrid is not 

a lot of fun (in my experience). 

My adventures are about what I find 

and what I paint. If I like the look 

of a cathedral or a castle I stop. If 

there is not a guide to it right there 

then it is easy to look it up on the 

internet later. Spontaneity is the key, 

not being pushed by a sat-nav and 

totally planned out itinerary. Travel 

your own way, that’s my advice. 

My books 

of Spain’ 

will give 

you many 

ideas for 

routes and 

places to 

visit. 

Find it on 

Amazon. 

“TOO OFTEN I WOULD 

HEAR MEN BOAST OF THE 

MILES COVERED THAT 

DAY, RARELY OF WHAT 

THEY HAD SEEN.” 

El Mirador de la Tierra de Campos near Palencia 


At the top of the Grimsel Pass, Switzerland 

w 

FRIENDS 

COULDN’T MAKE 

UP THEIR MIND 

SO I WENT ON 

MY OWN 

for the trip but it did cost a bit more 

than that. For luggage I just used two 

Kriega bags that strapped to the back of 

my 2002 CBR600. 

I tried to avoid toll roads where 

possible, but it depends on how many 

miles you have to cover as I found they 

were definitely the quickest way of 

covering ground, especially if you don’t 

have that much time. 

It was nerve-racking setting off. I 

worried about the language barrier 

and the food, as I’m quite a fussy eater. 

I worried about breaking down and 

if something happened would I still 

be able to complete my trip. Once in 

France I realised it was easier than I 

thought. After about ten miles it didn’t 

feel awkward riding on the right hand 

side of the road. I just had to take my 

time rejoining the motorway and I 

soon found that around 250 miles a day 

seemed fine, though I could go up to 

300 miles, but then you find yourself 

missing things, so it’s a compromise. 

My confidence grew and grew. After 

the first day I thought, ‘this is nothing, 

it’s no different to Wales or Scotland.’ 

I also learned to put my trust in other 

bikers, realising that wherever you are 

in the world they’ll always help one 

another out, especially if they can see 

that you’re a long way from home. 

The trip made me realise how much I’d 

missed out on over the years because 

of the fear I’d had of going alone. Now 

I can’t wait until next year and would 

definitely go solo again. I find you 

always meet more people travelling 

like this than you do travelling as a 

group. My advice would be just to go. 

Know where you want to go, have a 

general idea how you’re going to get 

there and you will find good people 

along the way. Most of all you’ll have 

a good time and wonder what all the 

fuss was about. 

In the future I would like to ride 

overland all the way to my native home 

of India. I’d happily take the CBR or 

maybe something more comfortable. 

Definitely something I can service easy. 

It’ll happen if I make up my mind for 

it to happen. I would go tomorrow if I 

could! 

My final piece of advice would be to 

try and tell your family where you’re 

heading and what time you’re going 

to get there. This stops them from 

worrying and it’s so easy now with 

WiFi and mobile phones. Just have a 

system to keep them informed of your 

location. I text them when I’m leaving 

and tell them approximately when I’m 

due to arrive that evening. That way it 

puts their minds at ease and allows me 

to enjoy the adventure. 

PLANNING YOUR OWN TRIP 

TO THE ALPS 

Michelin’s online route planner tool is a great tool for helping plan and 

cost up your route as it also factors in toll costs. Travel insurance is 

also essential as the EHIC card (formerly the E111) does cover you for 

emergency treatment within the EU but doesn’t cover you for repatriation 

or other private expenses. Be sure to check your travel insurance doesn’t 

exclude motorcycle travel. Navigator Travel is one insurer that doesn’t 

impose any restrictions on biking. 

For country by country information on legislation and what you need to 

take see www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abroad, with the RAC also 

offering European breakdown cover. 

For accommodation sites like www.booking.com make hotel bookings 

a breeze. Keep your plans flexible and booking for the next night 

on the road is a common approach. For navigation a GPS unit can 

be invaluable for navigating busy cities, but always where possible 

complement it with a paper map, just in case the GPS packs up, or you 

lose it etc. Apps such as Co Pilot are handy if you just want to use your 

mobile phone and download maps to use off-line. RealRider is also a 

great app that alerts emergency services in the event of a crash, giving 

peace of mind to people back home. 

Michelin Route Planner 

www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes 

Navigator Travel 

www.navigatortravel.co.uk 

Country Legislation Information 

www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abroad 

RealRider 

www.realrider.com 

i 

Stalin kitted his bike out with 30 and 20-litre bags from Kriega, a tankbag from Oxford and an Airhawk seat cushion 

The Stelvio Pass, Italy 

WHEN FRIENDS CHANGED THEIR MIND AT THE LAST MINUTE, 36 YEAR-OLD STALIN 

ISSAC FROM LEEDS DECIDED HE’D MAKE HIS FIRST TRIP TO THE ALPS ALONE 

I 

work in Leeds as a mortgage 

advisor. I get four weeks holiday 

a year in total but it’s difficult to 

take more than seven to ten days off 

at a time as I have a wife and young 

child. But my wife understands that 

I sometimes need some time for 

myself. 

In the past I’ve done three day 

trips up to Scotland and across 

into Wales, but I always wanted to 

go further. When I dropped the 

bombshell to my wife that I was 

going away for a week she wasn’t 

happy. ‘Why not take me,’ she said. 

But I told her that unless I get a 

sidecar it’s just not an option right 

now! She came around in the end, 

agreeing that it’d be good for me to 

see other countries so that when 

our daughter is a little older I’ll have 

more experience to take the family 

away on a foreign holiday. 

The original plan for a European 

trip was to go with two friends as 

I thought it’d be safer in numbers 

and hadn’t at that time considered 

going on my own. Then one friend 

said he couldn’t take the time off, 

the other one said he had other 

commitments, though really I 

think his wife wouldn’t let him go! 

I thought about cancelling it and 

trying again next year. 

That’s when I started reading 

magazines and saw that people go 

all over the world on their own. 

I thought that if they can do it, 

then so can I. I figured if the worst 

happened then I’ll be carrying a 

mobile phone and can always fly 

home if things do go wrong. 

The planning was the hardest part; 

convincing myself that I was going 

to do it and realising that everything 

was down to me; the routes I would 

take, how long I would stay in a 

place, and if I had a breakdown 

I would have to fix it. It was all 

going to be down to me, and I was 

nervous. 

The first thing I did was book the 

tunnel. At least then I knew what day 

I’d be going and that I’d definitely be 

going. I planned the first three days of 

the trip and after that decided to let it 

be an adventure. The first day I would 

be in France, the second and third in 

Germany, and after that, I wasn’t sure. 

I was just going to make it up. 

In terms of documentation I took my 

passport and VO5 certificate for the 

bike. I called my insurance company 

to let them know I’d be taking the 

bike out of the country and booked 

breakdown cover with the RAC. 

I budgeted between £700 and £800 


LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE 

PROVING YOU DON’T NECESSARILY NEED A LOT OF EXPERIENCE OR A NEW BIKE 

TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE, MOTHER OF TWO VICTORIA WRIGHT RIDES FROM JOHN 

O’GROATS TO LAND’S END DRESSED AS A SNAIL 

My family has always been 

into bikes. My mum used 

to run a motocross track 

just outside of Worcester. I got into 

biking a bit later on, passing my CBT 

two years ago at the age of 33. 

For my first bike I bought a CBR 

125 and would just ride it around 

the local area with one of my mate’s 

who had a YBR125. We’d just go 

down to the pub on them and have 

a bit of a laugh. Nothing serious. I 

never thought I’d ever travel very far, 

especially not now as a mum of two. 

Then friends of a friend mentioned 

they were doing a charity ride from 

John O’Groats to Land’s End and I 

just really liked the sound of it. By 

then my mum had passed away and 

I thought it would be a great way 

of raising some money for charity. 

They were doing it for Macmillan. I 

though I would do it for St Richard’s 

Hospice in Worcester. 

People were amazed that I was even 

contemplating a trip like this, as at 

that point I’d not even done many 

miles on the bike and the guys 

I’d be riding with were all really 

experienced enduro riders. But I 

wanted to do it and my husband 

Aidan said, ‘go for it.’ 

I bought the bike especially for the 

trip. The others were all doing it on 

C90s and I thought it’d be a good idea 

to be on the same bike. I bought it 

off a friend in the village. It had done 

91,200 miles and was held together by 

masking tape. We only paid £400 for 

it so couldn’t complain. 

I decided to go dressed as a snail 

because it just seemed to match 

the speed of the bikes. I spent 

months making the costume out of 

tumble dryer ducting pipe. It was 

embarrassing wearing it, especially 

testing it around the village. People 

were looking at me like I wasn’t right 

in the head. 

“PEOPLE WERE 

AMAZED I 

WAS EVEN 

CONSIDERING IT” 

The trip was six days in total. It’s 

all the time we could each afford 

off work or away from our families. 

We set off from John O’Groats on 

the Sunday afternoon and got to 

Land’s End the following Saturday 

morning. I was nervous setting off. 

I didn’t know what to expect, but 

I soon got into the flow of it and 

found my confidence improving the 

more miles we covered. 

We averaged around 250 miles a 

day. The most draining part was the 

speed they wanted to ride at as we 

were pretty much flat out with our 

heads on the tank the whole way. 

Had I travelled alone I probably 

would’ve travelled at a slower pace to 

take in more of the scenery, but we 

did have a lot of miles to cover in the 

amount of time we had. 

We camped the whole way and had 

some torrential rain in Scotland, 

resulting in a leaking tent. There there 

were also a lot of midges. Having to 

put wet gear back on in the morning 

did get to me and I was pretty fed 

up of always being in waterproofs. 

Overall though I did enjoy the trip. 

We also did a bit of greenlaning 

along the way and just travelled 

the back roads. We didn’t take any 

motorways and tried to avoid the 

main A roads as best we could. We 

ended up going off in all directions 

and covered about 1000 miles in 

total. 

Other than being away from my 

husband and kids for a week the 

thing I enjoyed most was the far 

north of Scotland. I’d been up to Fort 

William before but never further 

than that. I absolutely loved it up 

there. The roads were single track, 

all through the highlands, lochs and 

alongside white beaches. It was like 

a mini TT with all the little bridges. 

I loved that part of the trip. I knew it 

was going to be nice up there but just 

being out on the open road gives you 

a different perspective on things. 

After this trip I probably would be 

more confident to go on my own and 

not as part of such a big group. As 

a group you can’t ride at your own 

pace, but then at the same time the 

support for organising the logistics 

of the trip and the backup should 

any of us have had a mechanical 

problem was brilliant. 

One thing I realised is that you don’t 

really need to go all out with loads of 

gear; it’s just a case of if your bike’s 

running then you can go anywhere 

you want. 

If I was to do it again I’d do B&Bs 

and probably on a bigger bike. 

The C90 was good, though I 

wouldn’t mind a bit more comfort 

along the way next time. But to 

be fair, despite all the miles I was 

never uncomfortable, which was 

something I was apprehensive about. 

People were telling me I was going to 

suffer, but I didn’t! 

When the kids are older we will go 

off and do some more riding. It’s 

the light at the end of the tunnel for 

the time being. At the minute one 

of us does something, or the other 

does something, so it’s difficult to 

do things together. Our six year old 

rides motocross and kids in his class 

can’t even ride a push bike without 

stabilisers. I’m nervous about them 

getting into road bikes, but then if 

we enjoy riding bikes as parents, it’s 

hard for us to stop them! 

Ultimately though, if an 

inexperienced 35 year-old mother 

of two can ride the length of the 

country, then anyone can. 

Victoria’s Just Giving page is still 

open from the trip so if anyone 

would like to donate to St Richard’s 

Hospice please visit www.justgiving. 

com/fundraising/Victoria-Wright81 

At the start of the trip, heading south 

PLANNING YOUR OWN 

TOP TO BOTTOM TRIP 

Decide when you have the time to go. 

Give yourself as much time as possible. Some 

people do the route in a day for the challenge 

of it and it is certainly possible, but remember 

there's a lot to see between the two points of 

Land's End and John O'Groats. Like Victoria 

you might prefer to stay away from the 

motorways and ride only the scenic roads which 

will take longer. 

Starting from the bottom and heading north, 

the coastal roads of Cornwall and Devon are 

a great place to ride, then beyond Bristol take 

the time to duck into Wales and up through 

the Rhonda Valley and on towards Snowdonia. 

From Liverpool consider taking the ferry 

across to Ireland or over to the Isle of Man for 

something different. 

Back on the mainland cross to the east coast 

and ride along the North Yorkshire Moors, 

then into the Pennines and over the border. 

The west coast of Scotland is usually the most 

interesting so consider following that all the way 

up through to Applecross, Ullapool and onto 

Durness, before taking the fabulous coastal road 

across the top to John O'Groats. Even consider 

taking a boat to the Outer Hebrides on the way 

up, using CalMac ferries to island hop before 

venturing back to the mainland. 

As Victoria and her riding companions proved, 

any bike will do the trip. Pack as light as you 

can. Know basic puncture repair skills and have 

breakdown cover if it’ll put your mind at ease. 

Use it as an opportunity to visit people you 

haven't seen for a while. Or alternatively do bits 

of it at a time if you can't do it all at once. 

Motorbike Adventures of Britain offers some 

useful online guides to areas of the country, 

whilst Simon Weir’s Bikers’ Britain lists over 

70 routes and tours across the country. For off 

road routes consider joining the TRF. 

Just remember adventure is in the mind, not 

in the place you're riding through. Look for it 

and you'll find plenty of adventure right here 

in the UK. 

91,000 miles on the clock 

Snail outfit complete with tentacles 

“IF AN 

INEXPERIENCED 

MOTHER OF 

TWO CAN DO IT, 

ANYONE CAN!” 


ADVENTURE BEFORE RETIREMENT 

56 YEAR OLD GORDON SARGEANT FOREGOES THE PENSION AND 

CONCENTRATES ON THE ADVENTURE, EMBARKING ON A TRIP OF A 

LIFETIME FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE AMERICAS TO THE TOP 

At the age of 56 I was starting to 

get a bit fed up of work. I was 

driving a crude oil truck and 

working a lot of hours. I thought there 

must be more to life than this and the 

trip through the Americas was always 

something I wanted to do. I didn’t have 

enough money but I borrowed some off 

the bank. I sold my van, sold my KTM, 

and I said to the wife that I’d be going 

away for what I thought at the time 

would be four months. It turned out to 

be six. 

We’ve been married 32 years and have 

two kids, so she’s used to me now. ‘As 

long as we can afford it,’ she said. And, 

‘As long as you’re coming back!’ She was 

a bit worried about my safety at first, but 

it’s so good with apps like Facetime you 

can talk to people not quite everyday, but 

often enough to put them at ease. 

Getting the bike there was easy. Londonbased 

company MotoFreight flew it into 

Buenos Aries. All I had to do was drop 

it off at Heathrow, then on the way back 

the bike came by plane out of Vancouver. 

I did think about buying a bike out there, 

but half of the fun is playing around 

with your own bike and getting it ready 

for the trip. I’d had a BMW R1150 GS 

in the past, but it’s actually more fun to 

ride a smaller bike, hence why I went for 

the Honda CB500X with a few upgrades 

from Rally Raid. You can still overtake, 

you just have to think about it a bit more. 

It can be tiring at the end of the day, but 

it was definitely the right bike for the trip. 

Size wise it was so easy to move around. I 

was boss of the bike, whereas the GS was 

becoming the boss of me. 

My route was from Buenos Aries down 

to Ushuaia at the foot of Argentina, back 

up through South America, across the 

Darien Gap into Central America, up 

into the United States, Canada and all the 

way to the top of Alaska. In total it was 

six months and 24,500 miles. I’d done 

trips through Europe before but nothing 

as big as this. 

In terms of budget I decided on £100 

a day overall, and that was to include 

emergencies. I figured it’d be cheap at the 

bottom of the Americas, which is one 

of the reasons I wanted to do it that way 

around. I soon found out that £100 a day 

was more than enough, especially as I 

was wild camping and cooking my own 

food much of the time. My total budget 

for the trip was £15000, but I didn’t 

spend all of that. 

I do everything myself where I can. I 

change my own tyres and always take my 

emergency this and that. You’ve got to if 

you’re riding alone for a long duration. 

I didn’t get lonely. I always found plenty 

of people to talk to. You can get lonely 

in a crowd of people, but if your mind’s 

engaged and you’re enjoying what you’re 

doing then you’re not going to get lonely. 

“AT THE AGE OF 56 

I WAS STARTING 

TO GET A BIT FED 

UP OF WORK” 

I did feel nervous at times but I learned 

to sort it out in my head. You always 

worry about the worst thing that will 

happen. You run scenarios through 

your head, that you’ll come around a 

corner and there’ll be a bloke with a 

gun. Ridiculous situations that you go 

over again and again, and it just makes 

you worry. ‘Why are you worried, just 

switch it off. Think of something else.’ 

That’s what I told myself. I thought about 

something good happening and ninetynine 

percent of the time it did. 

I got through five rear tyres in total, two 

for the front. I’d source tyres on route. 

Some were more expensive than others, 

especially up in Alaska, and sometimes 

you have to fit what you can find, but 

there’s always a way of finding one. Fuel 

consumption averaged 65-70mpg and the 

bike was bullet proof. If I dropped it I’d 

still have to take stuff off in order to pick 

it up, but I could still lift it on my own, 

and when you’re riding isolated roads 

alone that’s important. 

I did feel a bit out of my depths a couple 

of times. Up in the mountains of Peru, 

tired and hungry, and nowhere to buy 

food, I fell off in the sand with my legs 

trapped under the bike. I’d not seen 

anyone for a good while and it was 

roasting hot and I started to panic. Then 

you calm down, think things through 

and that’s when I realised I was only 

laying in soft sand so was able to dig my 

way out. Common sense in the end! 

Once I’d reached the top of Alaska and 

met my goals I didn’t have the heart for 

travelling any further. I started missing 

my family, thinking about what I was 

going to do when I got home, sorting the 

bike out, taking up fishing. I needed to 

dig the front garden and all of a sudden 

it was time for me to come home. When 

I returned home my wife said she’d have 

to get used to me being in the bed again. 

The dog ran straight past me and for 

several days wouldn’t come near me. 

I think he’d got the monk on with me 

being away for so long. 

I was in a bit of a haze at first after getting 

back. I returned to work, though I went on 

the trip not knowing if I’d get work when 

24,500 miles to the top! 

I got home or not. I just knew that I’d sort 

something out. 

“It’s good to have him back,” explained 

Gordon’s wife Julie. “It was nice when 

he was away. I got used to it. But it’s nice 

now he’s back. He’s come back in a much 

better mood. He was getting fed up and 

annoyed with everything. He needed to 

do something.” 

Gordon resumes: On the road you have 

all this time to think and realise how 

well she looked after me. I thought, 

when I get back I’ll sort a few things out. 

You let things slide, even the decorating. 

It was a good opportunity to reset the 

clock and I needed it. Several people 

have asked how I feel now I’m back, and 

I tell them, I feel absolutely fantastic. 

Gordon is currently fitting Rally Raid suspension and wheel upgrades to his CB500X 

PLANNING YOUR OWN GLOBAL ADVENTURE 

The first place to start without any doubt is Horizons Unlimited (www.horizonsunlimited.com). It’s a community 

forum of travellers posting the latest information on routes, visas and problems along the way. ADVRider.com 

can also be useful, but focuses more on ride reports than pure information. Chris Scott writes a book called the 

Adventure Motorcycle Handbook containing useful information. A new website by the Overlanding Association 

(www.overlandingassociation.org) provides easy to reference information on visas and safety alerts. The Foreign 

Office alerts err on the side of caution. Many places they will advise you not to go, but many people travel through 

with no problems. Some Central American countries on Gordon’s route would have had travel warnings against 

them. Do lots of research but try not to look for single point answers. People will tell you which is the right bike, 

the right time of the year, the right equipment. All of this is personal. Take what you feel is right. Determining 

budgets and time is difficult, especially with border crossings involved. Some countries require a document called 

a Carnet de Passage, issued in the UK by www.carseurope.net. These can be very expensive as the fee is based on 

the value of your bike. An expensive bike means an expensive Carnet. Bikes are seldom insured properly outside 

of Europe and North America. You have to be prepared to lose your bike to the trip. This is why many people still 

prefer old and cheap. Or affordable and simple in the case of Gordon’s choice of bike. 

Rocky Mountain National Forrest 

In terms of finances I’ve stopped 

worrying about the pension. My dad 

had a stroke and spent the last two 

years in a hospital bed. He worked 

himself into the ground. He was 75. 

He had an allotment, but he didn’t go 

anywhere. I do feel you only have so 

much life left and there’s a lot of world 

out there and there’s a lot of things I 

want to do. At some point I’d like to 

ride to Kathmandu, but first I need to 

spend some time with my family and 

save some money up. But you always 

need something to be dreaming about. 


STARTING EARLY 

HAVING MET AT UNIVERSITY AND WITH LITTLE MONEY TO SPARE, 

STUDENTS SEÁN AND CHARLOTTE EXPLAIN HOW THEY STILL SPEND THEIR 

SUMMER’S RIDING MOTORBIKES 

No better way to explore.... 

Trip 2, Eastern Europe 

Seán had always been into bikes 

and passed his test when he was 

17. I always thought they were 

hopelessly uncool and my parents 

always warned me off them. 

Then in the summer of 2015 we 

were supposed to be going to Nepal 

to work for a charity during the 

summer break. Just before we flew 

out the earthquake struck and the 

trip was cancelled. We were offered 

the chance to go to Morocco instead 

and with the money refunded for the 

flights to Nepal we decided to buy a 

motorbike and ride there. When that 

charity work also fell through we 

decided to just spend the time riding 

around Morocco instead. 

Ten days before we left Seán took 

a train up to Yorkshire to buy 

the Honda Rebel 250. We were 

originally looking for an old 

Transalp or Tenere but they were all 

old and tatty for the amount we had 

to spend. That’s when we saw the 

Rebel 250, which was even older, but 

we thought it looked cool and only 

cost us seven-hundred quid. 

We set off to Morocco with a Tesco 

tent strapped to the side. We could 

only fit one roll matt so we shared 

one between us. The proper Rebel 

panniers were £200 so Seán took a few 

fridge racks, hacksawed them apart 

and fastened them to the side. We 

bought some army rucksacks for £6 

that clipped to the improvised racks. 

We had a tank bag and that was it. 

The budget for the trip was about 

£1700 between us for the full six 

weeks. We had seven days to get 

from Aberystwyth to Marrakesh 

and decided to take the ferry from 

Plymouth to Santander. For me it 

was the first time I’d really been on 

the bike and in the first day managed 

to weld my boot to the exhaust. 

I found it quite intense. We called it 

my daily wobble. Every day I’d burst 

into tears and not speak to him. But 

we were riding up to 350 miles a day, 

the bike wouldn’t go above 60mph 

and we were camping the whole way, 

so it was a bit of baptism of fire as far 

as first bike trips go. 

“EVERY DAY I’D 

BURST INTO 

TEARS AND NOT 

SPEAK TO HIM” 

We had a few troubles with the 

bike. Two up with our luggage we 

were way over the weight limit and 

found the suspension was so over 

loaded two bolt heads from the 

suspension were taking gauges out 

of the rear tyre every time we went 

over a bump. We got to Marrakesh 

having ridden through the night. 

From there we went everywhere; to 

El Jadida, Essaouira, Sidi Kaouki, 

Casablanca. We had 22 days in 

Morocco in the end. 

Aberystwyth beach, prior to departure 

To navigate we had a map of France 

and Spain. In Morocco we bought 

local sim cards for ten Euros each 

which came with 3GB of data. The 

coverage in Morocco was incredible 

– better than in Wales! We used 

Google Maps and there was never a 

point where we didn’t have coverage. 

We kept paper maps but never 

needed them. 

Riding in Morocco was never 

dangerous in the sense that you felt 

people were going to harm you. It 

was more the way people drove, 

but being on a 250 we were actually 

pretty quick, as all the bikes and cars 

out there are even slower. The best 

thing about the bike was definitely 

the attention it got us. We made a 

lot of friends this way. People would 

high-five us as we drove by. 

My parents were a little worried, 

especially my dad in particular who 

hadn’t travelled much in his life. 

There was an element of him that 

thought, ‘She’s my daughter, she can’t 

do that!’ Then there was another side 

of him that thought; ‘Hell yeah, that’s 

my daughter!’ I think his pride in me 

eventually overcame his worry. 

On the way back to Bristol the 

speedo caught fire. It was the first 

time it had rained and must have 

been an electrical problem. We never 

did get the bike started again. 

But our advice would be to just go 

for it. Don’t wait until you’ve got 

enough money to afford a good bike, 

because even a good bike can go 

wrong. Seán’s dad bought a new bike 

with his plan to go to Morocco on it. 

And that didn’t even make the ferry! 

I just wasn’t really prepared for how 

much motorbike gear costs. I spent 

£50 on a pair of leather trousers, £30 

on a jacket, £40 on a helmet, a spare 

pair of Seán’s gloves, £40 on boots, 

and that was the bare minimum of 

what I could find. The only thing I 

still use now are Seán’s gloves. The 

rest lasted the one summer then had 

to be binned. It was just poor quality. 

“OUR ADVICE WOULD BE TO JUST GO FOR IT” 

By the time we got home we were 

so poor, but it was still an amazing 

experience. I had no idea what to 

expect. I was so naïve. I didn’t know 

what was in-store the day we set off. 

But it felt like it lasted forever. 

This year (2016) we went from Wales 

to England to France, into Eastern 

Europe, Greece, Albania, Bosnia, 

Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and back, 

on a 1996 Yamaha Tenere 660 bought 

for £1300 off Gumtree. Our budget 

was a bit more than for Morocco and 

we were on the road for ten weeks 

between university terms. 

The second trip was good but 

different. The first one was mind 

blowing because I didn’t know what 

to expect. This time around it was less 

of a novelty. I came away thinking too 

much preparation is a bad thing. Just 

don’t go prepared, that would be my 

advice, because the more prepared 

you are the less open you are to things 

happening. The second time we did a 

year of research; the best stove to get, 

the best roads in Bosnia etc, and none 

of it really came in handy. You just 

have to go out and explore. 

For our European trip we used Air 

B&B in every country bar Ukraine. 

We also used Couchsurfing, but we 

didn’t have such a good experience 

with Couchsurfing, but I think that 

was just a one off. 

Later this year I’m going to get a CBT 

and my first bike. I’ve fallen in love 

with the Suzuki GN 125 so I’m after 

one of those. I’ve been happy to sit 

on the back and daydream and look 

around these two big trips. There’s 

never been a point up until now 

when I’ve wished I’ve been riding, 

but maybe I want a slice of the action 

for myself now. 

Our long term plan is to ride around 

the world in 2020 on a pair of Royal 

Enfield Himalayas, if they ever 

import them here. Or else we’ll start 

...than on the seat of a motorbike 

our trip in India. We’re hoping we 

can work as we go along and keep 

the funds topped up. We both study 

languages so are hoping to pick up 

translation work along the way. We’re 

aiming for Australia, then South 

America, and up to Canada where 

PLANNING YOUR OWN 

MOROCCO TRIP 

The most comprehensive and concise book 

written about Morocco is Morocco Overland 

by Chris Scott, who has produced a number 

of guide books for travellers. The book 

contains maps of good routes, camping spots, 

contacts on the ground should you need 

them. He also runs a great website called 

Sahara Overland (www.sahara-overland.com) 

with up-to-date information on the whole 

region. Bare in mind things changes regularly 

over there. Read the book and website to 

prepare, or do what Seán and Charlotte did 

and wing it. There is no right or wrong. 

we can get working visas. The hope 

is that doing trip like this will open 

doors to other things. I just don’t 

want to graduate and go straight 

into a 9-5 job, not just yet. Not when 

there’s so many other places to see 

and places to ride. 


ROUTE 66 

ADVENTURE BEYOND BEREAVEMENT AS CHRIS HANDY SHARES HIS 

EMOTIONAL JOURNEY ALONG ROUTE 66 AND GIVES ADVICE ON HOW 

YOU COULD RIDE YOUR OWN TRIP 

“Do you know what I’d like to do? 

I’d like to ride down Route 66”. 

These were the words my wife, 

Simone, said to me while we were 

planning how to use money from an 

inheritance. “Wow!” I thought, “now 

you’re talking!” What red blooded 

motorcyclist could pass up an 

opportunity like that? 

We started planning for the trip, but 

our plans never came to fruition as 

unfortunately my wife unexpectedly 

passed away before we could take the 

trip. Eighteen painful months later 

my mind returned to Route 66 and I 

decided to make the trip on my own 

in her memory. 

For those unaware, Route 66 is an 

iconic road, steeped in folklore, 

myths and mystery. It was the first 

major highway across America, 

running approximately 2,500 miles 

from Chicago to Santa Monica, 

crossing eight states and three 

time zones. Its first incarnation 

was completed in 1927. Since then 

there have been many revisions 

to the route. Each revision gives 

rise to a change in a part of the 

route, often where a town was 

bypassed. These route variations 

are called ‘alignments’. Route 66 

was officially decommissioned in 

1985 so no longer officially exists. 

Some parts of the old pavement 

have been ripped up or covered over 

by interstate; couple that with the 

many alignments that exist in some 

sections of the route and it becomes 

a challenge to follow! 

“I RENTED A 

HARLEY ELECTRA 

GLIDE WITH 

16,000 MILES ON 

THE CLOCK” 

Everyone asks, “What’s the best bike 

to do the trip on?” I rented a Harley 

Davidson Electra Glide with 16,000 

miles on the clock from Eagle Rider 

in Chicago. Other options were to 

hire a Japanese or European bike (eg 

FJR1300 or GS1200) or to ship your 

own bike. There are alignments of 

the old road that have now become 

‘off-road’, but they are few and far 

between and its not necessary to ride 

them to complete the route, so there’s 

no need for a bike with off-road 

capabilities unless you deliberately 

want to seek out some dirt! 

It’s also far easier, and cheaper, to 

hire a Harley than any other kind of 

bike in America. There is an Eagle 

Rider BMW in Chicago, but for a 

Japanese bike you’d have to travel a 

bit further. I did consider taking my 

own bike but my calculations showed 

that shipping and rental costs broke 

even at around a three week trip (the 

exact duration of my trip), plus you 

have to factor in losing your bike 

for a week or so either side of the 

trip whilst it is being shipped. On 

the plus side there is no need for a 

Carnet de Passage when bringing a 

bike into America so the paperwork 

is really easy, and cheap. 

The twenty days I had the Electra 

Glide cost me around £3,600, 

which included one way surcharge, 

Collision Damage Waiver and a 

sat-nav. Renting couldn’t be easier. 

You can reserve on-line and all 

that’s needed on collection is a 

driving licence (both parts if its 

a UK licence) and a credit card. 

Although definitely not a Harley fan 

I was pleased with my bike choice. 

Most of the roads are straight so 

cornering ability isn’t high on the list 

of priorities and since I wanted to see 

the country rather than rush through 

it, performance wasn’t crucial either. 

My typical day started early, 

normally around 7am for breakfast, 

either a continental breakfast in 

the hotel or a more substantial 

breakfast in a nearby café. In 

New Mexico I developed a liking 

for breakfast burritos. These are 

burritos containing bacon, sausage, 

scrambled egg, hash browns and 

chilli sauce. A perfect way to start the 

day in my opinion! After breakfast 

I’d hit the road, stopping frequently 

to take pictures and visit roadside 

attractions. Petrol stops offered the 

opportunity for a quick snack and 

drink. As it was so hot I was freezing 

bottles of water overnight so I had 

cold water throughout the day as the 

bottle contents slowly melted. 

Petrol prices varied by state and 

how remote the station was. It was 

always much cheaper than in the 

UK though. You have to pre-pay 

and they’ll refund what doesn’t go 

in your tank. Current prices along 

Route 66 are around $3 - $4 (£1.90 - 

£2.50) per US gallon. That equates to 

about 0.50p - 0.65p per litre! 

It’s wise to think about what time 

of year to make the trip. Too early 

or late and Chicago will be snow 

bound. In the height of summer the 

Mojave Desert will be far too hot for 

comfort. Therefore the best times 

are likely to be around April/May 

or September/October. I made my 

trip in August and was too hot all of 

the time (122F/50C at the hottest!). 

In Missouri I stopped and bought a 

mesh jacket and posted my ventilated 

leather jacket back home. Apart 

from that I wore boots and Kevlar 

reinforced jeans. I always rode with 

summer gloves but gave up wearing 

my full face helmet in states where 

I didn’t need to after I got so hot 

wearing it I started to feel faint and 

dizzy. I didn’t really experience any 

rain but it can, and does rain there, so 

take waterproofs! 

My approach to trips is to research 

my destination so I know what to 

look out for when I’m there, but not 

to ‘over plan’ the trip. I calculate the 

Gary’s Gay Parita, 25 miles west of Springfield 

duration by estimating how many 

miles I can cover in a day divided 

into the expected total distance. I 

don’t make firm plans about where to 

stop and, with a few exceptions, don’t 

book accommodation in advance. 

Accommodation in America is 

abundant and relatively cheap, and 

this holds true for accommodation on 

the Mother Road. I stayed in motels 

with a few hotels thrown in where 

necessary. When I’d had enough of 

riding for the day I just kept my eyes 

open for a likely looking resting place 

and, if the price was right, checked in. 

Rates vary and I paid between $30 

(£18) per night to $200 (£125) per 

night, but they average out at around 

$60 (£36) per night. I made my 3362 

mile trip in eighteen days. I rode 

every day apart from one day’s rest 

at Avila Beach on the Pacific Coast 

Highway. This gave me an average 

daily mileage of 188 miles for the 

seventeen days I was riding. Given 

the choice I’d have taken longer and 

ridden fewer miles each day to allow 

more time for stops and sightseeing. 

A month would be ideal for this trip, 

but there’s enough to see and do to 

fill an even longer trip if you have the 

time. If I repeated the trip I’d take 

more time in Illinois and Missouri. 

These are the first states that the 

Route passes through and towns and 

‘attractions’ are far closer together 

and more frequent than further west 

into Arizona and California, so more 

stopping time is needed in these early 

states. 

I started the trip with some fear and 

trepidation because of the emotional 

circumstances surrounding the trip. 

I shouldn’t have worried because I 

had an absolute blast and loved every 

minute of it. Several times I did find 

it emotional, especially the night I 

sat in my hotel room overlooking 

the beach in Ventura California 

on the day I completed the route 

thinking about my wife and crying 

like a baby because she was only with 

me in spirit. Apart from that it was 

Useful Info: 

Motorcycle Rentals: www.eaglerider.com 

fantastic. I had considered making 

the trip as part of an organised tour 

group, but am so glad I did it on my 

own. Not only did it make it more 

personal to me and to the memory 

of my wife Simone, but I found that 

people were more ready to talk to a 

lone biker, so it was easier to get to 

know ‘the locals’ and I could travel at 

my own pace. 

I met some great people, not ‘great’ in 

the sense of ‘save the world’ great, but 

great in the sense of being gratifyingly 

human. People prepared to befriend, 

and help a fellow human being. 

People interested, and intrigued 

enough with my accent to take the 

time and trouble to ask about and 

engage with my story. People of 

dignity, happy to share their lives with 

a person from another culture. 

Most of all it gave me a lot more 

confidence to face the future on 

my own. I’m glad I went and would 

totally recommend it to anyone. 

Motorcycle Shippers: www.motofreight.com - www.shippio.com 

Jerry McClanahan’s EZ Guide Updates: www.mcjerry66.com/ez66.php 

ESTA (US Visa Waiver Program): https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ 

Route 66 Forum (lots of useful, up to date, info): www.forum.historic66.com 

Helmet Laws By State: www.edgarsnyder.com/motorcycle-accidents/helmetlaws/ 

EPA document for freighting in your own motorcycle: www.epa.gov/importing-vehicles-and-engines 

To insure a bike if you do take your own see: www.motorcycleexpress.com 

“I HAD AN ABSOLUTE 

BLAST AND ENJOYED 

EVERY MINUTE OF IT” 

Ariston Cafe, Litchfield, Illinois 

Motels offer great value 

2500 miles: The Mother Road 


THE BIKE THAT AFRICA BUILT 

DUTCH DESIGN, KENYAN BUILT. COULD THIS BE THE BIKE THAT 

BRINGS RELIABLE TRANSPORT TO AFRICA? 

Here’s a bike we’re unlikely 

to see on these shores, but 

much like the Royal Enfield 

Himalayan - another bike that is 

unlikely to be imported to Europe - 

it’s something of a curiosity if only 

for its potential to revolutionise 

motorcycling for the masses in its 

native market of Africa. 

The bike is called the Kibo K150 

and is the outcome of a joint 

enterprise between Dutch designers 

and African production facilities. 

The idea came about in 2011 when 

Dutch entrepreneur Huib van de 

Grijspaarde saw the need to develop 

a motorcycle for the African market. 

This eventually evolved into a new 

brand producing a motorcycle 

especially developed for Africa; 

designed in Holland and built in 

Kenya. The belief is that it’ll be a bike 

capable of dealing with the harsh 

environments and tough conditions 

that only Africa has to offer. 

Currently, many of the bikes bought 

and sold on the continent are imports 

from China that are not always up to 

the job. The Kibo is different in being 

designed from the outset to be strong, 

fuel efficient, as well as being easy and 

affordable to maintain. 

“AS PART OF THE 

PROJECT KIBO 

AIM TO LAUNCH 

A RENTAL 

PROGRAMME ” 

Possible customers for the bike 

are farms, NGO’s, government 

organisations, but also individuals 

wanting a cheap but robust way of 

getting around the towns and cities, 

whilst also being able to explore the 

countryside. 

The relevant factor is the bike’s 

payload, rated to a hefty 250kg 

carrying capacity, which, for Africa 

where many people don’t own a car, 

could mean the Kibo being used as a 

reliable carthorse for the family. 

Unique for a bike builder, Kibo also 

offers a wide range of training options, 

ranging from beginner to advanced 

off-road training. Kibo is also the only 

motorcycle company in Kenya, if not 

the world, that has a designated Road 

Safety Ambassador, supplying gear and 

accessories ranging from CE certified 

helmets to fleet management solutions. 

The thinking behind Kibo is to unlock 

economic opportunities by providing 

safe and affordable mobility. The 

company operates as a social 

enterprise, intending to maximize the 

positive impact of Kibo on Kenyan 

society. 

As part of the project, Kibo plan to 

launch a rental programme to help 

riders from other countries make 

trips around Kenya and beyond 

on the bike, something that could 

be of interest to the bike travelling 

community. A couple from Holland, 

Detlef and Marleen, are about to 

embark on a 15,000 kilometres trip 

through Africa on a pair of Kibos 

(you can follow them at www. 

wemotobike.com). 

It’s definitely an ambitious project but 

one with great potential to change 

the social impact of motorcycles in 

Kenya, something that wouldn’t be a 

bad thing to happen here in the UK as 

well. For more information check the 

website: www.kibo.bike 

The Kenyan built Kibo K150 

Sweet Lamb Adventure Academy 

is a 5,000 acre facility in mid-Wales 

offering a full range of off-road rider 

training from beginner to enduro. 

Prices start from £95 for a day’s tuition 

on your own bike with provision for 

large club and group bookings. 

For more information visit 

www.adventurerallybike.co.uk 


Shipping your own motorcycle to 

destinations around the world 

can be much easier and often 

cheaper than you might initially 

suspect. It does take more effort and 

commitment but it can open up new 

opportunities and, if the trip is above 

a certain length of time, actually 

prove cheaper than renting. 

An example would be a trip across 

America as Chris Handy completed 

on a previous page. At three weeks he 

was on the cusp of it being cheaper to 

take his own bike than rent one. Any 

longer and the cost gain of taking your 

own would have quickly kicked in. A 

previous trip involving a R1200 GS, 

flown into Las Vegas and boated out of 

New York 5 weeks later came at a cost 

of £1950. To rent an equivalent bike 

would likely cost twice that. There is 

also the added benefit of it being your 

own bike, which you have equipped 

and prepared the way you want it. 

You’re familiar with it and should you 

drop it or pick up any damage there’s 

no rental company to inform nor 

FREIGHTING YOUR OWN BIKE 

SEA OR AIR FREIGHTING YOUR OWN BIKE TO A DESTINATION ISN’T 

AS DIFFICULT OR AS EXPENSIVE AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE 

damage waiver to pay. People are also 

curious about a foreign plated bike. It 

can add to the trip and help strike up 

conversation. 

Freighting a bike is also very easy 

if you use one of the specialist 

motorcycling shipping agencies (see 

the contact details for MotoFreight 

and Shippio). The bike can go fully 

loaded, complete with panniers and 

their contents, whether being loaded 

on plane or boat. At the other end 

(especially America where there is no 

Carnet de Passage required, just a letter 

of exemption from the Environmental 

Protection Agency), it’s just a matter of 

going to the airport or dock, dealing 

with the paperwork before riding out 

of there a few hours later. 

The benefit of sending your bike by 

plane rather than boat is that you 

know exactly which plane it will fly 

on and when it will land. Freighting 

by boat takes more time, means 

you’re without your bike for longer, 

and is difficult to predict exactly 

when the boat will dock. It’s usually 

cheaper though, hence why the bike 

generally returns by boat when time 

pressures aren’t so crucial. As well as 

America, Canada is equally popular 

and straight-forward, whilst South 

America is increasing in appeal as 

paperwork requirements are also 

minimal, though the cost is greater 

than freighting to North America. 

Iceland is also popular, especially now 

the only vehicle ferry leaves from 

Denmark, thus saving you a long ride 

at the beginning and end of the trip. 

Short haul destinations are also seeing 

more interest. Freighting to Turkey 

for example gives people with limited 

time the option to ride back at a more 

leisurely pace than if you had to ride 

there and back. The same goes for 

Mongolia and Russia, allowing people 

to start at the extremities and work 

their way back home. Likewise, Brent 

Leport’s story on page 38 shows the 

time savings of freighting his bike to 

Oslo at the start of his Nordkapp trip. 

South Africa and Australia are also 

popular and would be more so if it 

wasn’t for these countries requiring 

a costly Carnet de Passage, an 

internationally recognised document, 

the cost of which is calculated as a 

percentage of your bike’s value. 

Freighting your own bike isn’t for 

everyone and the safe option is 

probably on renting, though the 

rewards are undoubtedly worth the 

extra effort. Speak to both MotoFreight 

and Shippio about your options. 

STEPS TO TAKE 

1.. Choose where you want to go. 

2. Check this website to see if you need 

a Carnet for where you’re wanting to go. 

www.carseurope.net 

3 Speak to one of the shipping agencies 

about the services and costs to that 

destination and take advice from them 

on what documentation you might need. 

4 Enjoy the trip! 

Fly & riDe 

Motorbike Hire 

We offer a fly-and-ride motorbike rental service 

from Alghero and Olbia airports in Northern 

Sardinia. 

We will meet you at the airport or place of your 

choice with our CCM GP450S Adventure bikes, fully 

loaded with luggage, for a period to suit you. 

Find out more at: 

www.motohiresardegna.com 

Follow us on social media - search Moto hire sardegna 

RENTING A BIKE IN LOCATION 

ALTERNATIVELY, RENTING A BIKE IN LOCATION CAN ALSO OPEN UP NEW OPTIONS 

Shipping out to America is relatively easy and cost effective 

Another common approach is 

to rent a bike in location. This 

enables you to ride somewhere 

different without having to ship your 

own bike or go on a guided tour. 

The upshot is that it can be more 

cost effective and more flexible. The 

downside is ensuring you find and 

use a reputable rental agency. Popular 

places such as America, Australia, 

South Africa, Iceland and Sardinia 

(see Moto Hire Sardegna above) are 

easy to identify reputable companies 

with enough infrastructure to take 

any hassle out of it. India is also 

popular, where an established rental 

network has flourished. Thailand’s 

rental industry is also well developed, 

whilst Laos and Cambodia are up and 

coming, often with cash deposits and 

ad-hoc rental policies. 

Things to be mindful of are booking 

online in advance. Make sure you get 

the bike and any accessories requested. 

Some people have had card payments 

fail to go through but have resolved it 

with calls to their banks. Also check 

for deposit charges in the small print 

as it is common for companies to hold 

sizeable deposits against your credit 

card in case of damage. Many do not 

accept debit cards. Some companies 

can also request to hold on to your 

passport for the duration of your 

rental. This is to be avoided where 

possible. You may need your passport 

and in some cases people have been 

extorted for money for supposed 

damage to the bike in exchange for the 

return of their passport. 

A good piece of advice is to take 

photos of the bike before riding away 

and ensure you have been seen to do 

this. This way you’re guarding yourself 

against false claims of damage. Also 

make sure your holiday insurance 

covers you for motorcycling. Some 

place restrictions on motorcycling or 

on bikes over a certain engine size. If 

in doubt call your insurance company 

beforehand. Also be sure to take your 

driving licence and an international 

driving licence as some places may 

require this (£5.50 from the Post 

Office). 

When collecting a bike make sure it 

is safe. Some people have reported 

worn tyres, chain and sprockets on 

arrival and the last thing you want 

is a rental bike ruining your trip. 

More established companies such as 

Eagle Rider that Chris Handy used 

on his Route 66 trip all come with 

breakdown cover, so if you have a 

problem the bike will be swapped 

out. Such things will obviously be 

represented in the rental price but for 

peace of mind it’s probably worth it. 

Main dealers are a good place for 

rentals these days as many offer 

rental fleets, especially in the US. 

People have good things to say about 

Las Vegas BMW if you’re looking for 

something different to a Harley. 

In less developed rental markets 

make sure all the details of the 

rental agreement are documented, 

such as what happens if the bike 

breaks down or needs repair. Who 

is responsible for that? What is the 

process for fixing faults? Establish 

this at the outset. Most companies 

offer only basic insurance cover as 

standard, often with a large excess. 

For peace of mind it might be worth 

taking out the extra cover offered for 

a premium. Unfamiliar bikes are easy 

to drop and even small drops can be 

unduly expensive to repair. 

A great piece of advice comes from 

Jay Bhayanai who has rented 19 bikes 

across 5 countries. He says, ‘Check 

the rental agent’s eyes. You can tell 

a lot about people just by looking at 

their eyes.’ He also advises to take 

your own helmet, even if you buy 

or borrow the rest of your kit out 

there. Many places rent helmets with 

the bike, but you never know the 

condition or quality. Most airlines 

will let you carry on a helmet, but 

best to check with them in advance. 


MY FIRST TRIP TO WALES 

The stunning Brecon Beacons 

KIER BOOTH FROM DORSET EMBARKS ON HIS FIRST BIKE TRIP 

AWAY ON A WET WEEKEND IN WALES 

I’ve just turned 27 and currently 

living in Dorset. I work for Tesco 

as a delivery driver and also for 

the police as a Special Constable. I 

passed my test in January 2013 and 

got my first bike, a Yamaha XJ6, in 

February 2013. I’ve since upgraded 

to a 2003 Suzuki GSXR 600. 

I don’t normally go for far on it, 

usually just around Dorset on day 

rides. Occasionally I’ll head over 

towards the New Forest, though 

it tends to be in the Shaftesbury 

direction most the time for some 

unknown reason. Routine I guess. 

For the first time in a while I had 

four days off work for my birthday. 

I normally go on duty but fancied 

a change. Wales didn’t seem too far 

from home, meaning it was do-able 

in a day. I’d spend a day riding around 

and another day to come back. It was 

the first time I’d done anything like 

this on a bike before. 

I’d half decided I was going to do 

before popping on to PistonHeads 

(a popular motoring website; www. 

pistonheads.co.uk) for some advice. 

I asked for simple things like where 

to head to and general advice on 

planning a trip like this. 

What worried me most about setting 

off was the bike. I’d recently sold the 

XJ6 and in the three years I’d owned 

it didn’t have a single problem. I’d 

replaced it with a 2003 Suzuki GSXR 

600 and I was just a bit worried 

about reliability. Also about how 

comfy I would find it. It’s probably 

not the best bike for touring on, not 

when you’re 6ft 4! 

Other than concerns about the bike, 

I wasn’t overly nervous. I was just 

looking forward to riding somewhere 

I’d not been before and spending a 

few nights away on the bike. 

For the trip I wanted to pack as little 

as possible, so only took underwear 

for the three days, plus an extra set 

(just in case!). Then jeans and shirt 

for the evenings, and a coat. I also 

took a couple of towels as I’m not a 

fan of using towels other people have 

used, plus the normal toiletries. 

I popped into my local bike shop 

and picked the biggest tail bag I 

could find. I normally just use a 

rucksack, but didn’t fancy it for the 

few days I was up there for. The tail 

bag was a Jofama and cost me £90. It 

wasn’t waterproof sadly, but bin bags 

sorted that out! I packed so lightly I 

used everything I took. 

Before the trip I decided to fit a USB 

charger to my battery so I didn’t 

have to worry about my phone dying 

on me. I also tightened the chain, 

but other than checking the lights 

and oil nothing much else. 

“WHAT WORRIED 

ME MOST ABOUT 

SETTING OFF WAS 

THE BIKE” 

I wanted the trip to be as cheap as 

possible so had a look on Trip 

Advisor and saw a B&B in Snowdonia 

that was £35 a night. Bargain. 

I knew roughly how to get to Wales 

from mine, but soon found out I 

wasn’t as certain as I first thought. 

On the way there I got on the M4 the 

wrong way and ended up heading 

back the way I came. I didn’t notice 

until the signs were showing London 

20 miles closer than before. 

Day one was Poole – Shaftesbury 

– Warminster – Bath – Cardiff – 

Brecon Beacons then not too sure 

where. Day two I started at the B&B, 

along the A5 into Snowdonia, before 

heading to Horseshoe Pass and 

stopping for breakfast. I then headed 

up to Bangor, before coming back 

though Snowdonia National Park. 

Day three I downloaded the route 

from Google Maps and stuck my 

earphones in and just followed the 

directions for the quickest way home. 

One thing I would recommend is 

taking a map book as well as digital 

navigation. Phone signal wasn’t 

brilliant in Wales for keeping tabs on 

Google Maps and the WiFi signal in 

the B&B wasn’t very good either, so 

a physical map would have come in 

very handy. 

If I was going to do the trip again 

I’d probably stay at a different B&B 

the second night, allowing me to 

go further without worrying about 

being tired on the way back and also 

saving me having to double back to 

the same B&B that second night. 

As for what I saw, the built up areas 

of South Wales weren’t any different 

to anywhere else I’ve been to. It was 

only when I got out of the towns 

that I fell in love with the place. 

Fantastic views, fantastic roads and 

fantastic accents! 

I covered 697 miles in total (ticked 

over as I pulled onto the drive). The 

first day was just under 300 thanks to 

my detour. It took me nine hours to 

get to Wales; an hour to stop for the 

views, petrol stations (unsure how 

many miles my bike will do on a tank 

and didn’t want to risk running out!), 

and the last 70 miles I was stopping 

every ten miles for 20 minutes to 

stretch my legs. Day two was around 

170 miles, stopping a lot more often 

for photos, breakfast, lunch etc. I 

was much more relaxed. Then on day 

three I just wanted to get home, so 

took the quickest route back. 

The only advice I’d have for someone 

thinking about riding Wales is to just 

go for it. The views are worth it alone. 

The roads are also fantastic, I can’t 

describe how brilliant they were. It 

was just nice to get away by myself. 

Next time I’d like to get up to 

Scotland, but I’m going to wait until 

the summer for that! A friend has 

also planted the idea of France or 

Spain, which I really like the idea of. 

Wales was only just the beginning! 

Along the A5 near Pont Cyfyng 

PLANNING YOUR OWN WELSH ADVENTURE 

Like Kier it’s sometimes just a case of waiting until you have the time off 

work and going when you can. Booking accommodation, even if it’s only the 

first night, is a great way of telling yourself it’s happening. Make a route to 

get there. Ask mates if you think they’re going to commit and not mess you 

around. Otherwise travel solo or with spouse. Pack light if you’re are staying 

in hotels/B&Bs. Camping allows more flexibility but takes up more room. 

Make sure your bike is prepped for the trip. Check tyres, chain, sprockets. 

Motorbike Adventures of Britain (www.motorbikeadventuresofbritain. 

co.uk) has some great detailed guides for Wales and like Kier don’t be 

afraid to ask your regular forum group for advice. If it’s a good group 

they’ll only encourage you. Just remember your waterproofs! 

A brief bout of sunshine 

Capel Celyn, along the A4212 


DANNY’S BUNKHOUSE 

NEED INSPIRATION FOR SOMEWHERE TO STAY? 

Over 30,000 

customers 

now trust us to 

insure their story. 

What’s yours? 

Sometimes you just need a 

destination to aim towards, 

even if it’s only for the 

evening. Book the night’s 

accommodation, put it in the diary, 

know that you’re going on a trip that 

day and everything falls into place. 

A perfect location to do that is in the 

North Pennines and in particular 

Haggs Bank, aka Danny’s Bunkhouse. 

Danny has been a familiar face 

on the motorcycle travel scene for 

many years. He turns up at events, 

makes the bonfire, cooks up some 

communal food and is the sort 

of guy that would do anything 

for anyone. He’s also an avid 

motorcycle rider and wilderness 

survival expert. 

A few years ago he embarked on 

what was probably the biggest 

adventure of his life, transforming 

a dilapidated old mine shop and 

forge into a world class camping and 

bunkhouse facility for motorcyclists, 

walkers, cyclists and followers of the 

Pennine Way. 

As a forge the building was originally 

a place for miners to rest their 

heads and mend their tools between 

shifts underground. Below ground 

Nentsberry Haggs vein was one of 

the richest mines in the country 

producing at its peak shipping 400 

to 500 tons per month mainly to 

Belgium. Following the economic 

crash of 1930 and the drop in price 

of lead the mine closed except for 

maintenance in December 1930. 

February 1932 saw the re-opening of 

Nentsberry Haggs Mine on a small 

scale until it ceased operation finally 

in 1953. 

For over fifty years the building 

stood empty and the roof caved 

in. To look at photos of it before 

renovation you would think it 

beyond repair. Despite many 

set backs and reasons for giving 

up, Danny persevered with the 

renovation and the results are quite 

amazing. The Bunkhouse sleeps 

24, with plenty of grass to the rear 

for camping. There are also hook 

ups for motorhomes in the carpark 

adjacent. With excellent local 

knowledge Danny can point you 

in the right direction for excellent 

trail or/and road riding. There’s 

a full equipped kitchen and wash 

house and you can even take tours 

down into the original mines still 

accessible below the building. 

Haggs Bank also holds a number 

of motorbikes events, from ‘March 

Moto Madness’ to ‘Haggs Biker 

Bushcraft.’ 

Danny can also arrange personal 

ride outs and adventure activities 

such as abseiling and cycle hire. 

If you need a place to stay and a 

destination to head towards, there 

are few better places than Danny’s 

Bunkhouse. Tell him you read about 

it here and he’ll give you three nights 

camping for the price of two. 

At Principal Insurance, we take the time to understand your 

individual biking story. Call our specialist team now to find out 

how we can help you hit the road. 

MULTI BIKE MODIFIED SPORTS CUSTOM CLASSIC SCOOTER 

Call us on: 0333 241 3475 

www.principalinsurance.co.uk 

* 

WHERE IS IT? 

Haggs Bank is found on the A689 between 

Alston and Nenthead, Cumbria, postcode 

CA9 3LH. It serves as a perfect place for 

exploring the Pennines or even breaking 

up your journey to Scotland. For more 

information visit www.haggsbank.com or 

call Danny on 01434 382486 

(below) what it used to look like 

Principal Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. 

*Calls to this number cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and must count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.

WHY I WENT ON A GUIDED TOUR 

MICHAEL HOOPER HADN’T RIDDEN A BIKE FOR 35 YEARS BEFORE 

EMBARKING A TRIP OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 

I 

stopped riding in 1979 at the age 

of 18. My fearless riding style 

coupled with my complacent lack 

of road sense led me to have a lot of 

near misses. My dad never wanted 

me to have a motorcycle in the first 

place. He gave me a car and before 

summer had gone, I decided to sell 

my Kawasaki KH250. 

Over the years I have had several 

friends who owned and ridden 

bikes, so have had a try of several, 

but, marriage, mortgage and having 

children made it just a notion, as I 

couldn’t justify owning a bike. 

Funds and friendship brought 

me back into biking. One of my 

colleagues rides a BMW F800 GS. 

He was 50 this year and wanted to 

do something bike related. I used 

to work with Alan Buck at Rocky 

Mountain Adventure Bikes so 

contacted him about his relatively 

new business venture for some 

costing. Having looked at the 

feasibility and costs, it seemed a great 

idea, going to Canada with a good 

friend to ride trail bikes was a good 

excuse to get back into biking. 

Canada looked and sounded 

fantastic. Alan had always told me 

that riding is a very relaxed affair in 

Canada as most motorists obey the 

speed limits. There is also so little 

traffic compared to Europe. 

I went on the Glacier Tour, through 

Banff National Park, covering around 

500 mile with a 70/30 split between 

road and gravel tracks. I was nervous 

beforehand but surrounded by 

experienced riders I believed, ‘How 

hard can it be?’ 

Our first night we trailered bikes 

to a camp site in Banff National 

Park and that evening went for a 

familiarisation ride of approximately 

30 miles. I’m happy to say, it was just 

like riding a bike! 

The roads are incredible, with no potholes 

and very courteous road users, 

something that made the experience 

that much more relaxing, enabling 

me to take in the views and enjoy 

the terrain. The people were very 

friendly, warm and chatty. 

The off-road sections were certainly 

new territory for me. The Honda 

CB500Xs were set up for off-road, 

so it was a case of taking it easy 

until I was used to knowing what 

to do when things got a bit ‘loose’. 

Once my confidence grew we were 

pretty much up to normal road 

speed limits. The off-road sections 

were mainly logging roads used by 

the lorries for transporting logs, 

so although the roads were wide 

and compact gravel, they were still 

winding and hilly. The food was great 

and Canada is a beautiful country. 

The flight is longer than going to 

Europe and entailed a bit of jet lag, 

so if there was anything I didn’t like, 

it was just the flight, but food and 

movies sort of covered that. 

Initially I was hooked on Canada and 

was intent on looking at emigrating. 

Common sense will prevail for now 

as I head towards retirement, which, 

if I want is only a couple of years 

away. But I am definitely hooked 

on riding again and will be buying 

a bike after Christmas. Going on a 

guided trip with someone to help 

me through it was a great way of 

overcoming any initial nerves. 

Whilst in Canada, we talked about 

a road trip from British Columbia 

down the west coast of the USA. 

Now that would be a blast! I’m also 

hoping to plan a trip to the Alps and 

surrounding areas next May, once I 

have a bike! 

Protection Parts and Accessories 

for Adventure Touring Motorcycles 

SEE THEM 

ON STAND 

2C51 

Find AltRider accessories on at display Adventure at Advenute Bike Bike Shop’s booth 2C36 

Adventure open to all level of riders 

Adventure Bike Shop 

Unit 19 Inca Business Park 

Acton 

Sudbury 

Suffolk 

CO10 0BB 

+01787 372901 

info@adventurebikeshop.co.uk 

www.adventurbikeshop.co.uk 


DON’T RULE OUT AFRICA 

A PLACE FOR THE FEARLESS AND BRAVE, BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT 

WAY. ALEX JACKSON OF KAAPSTAD MOTORCYCLE TOURS EXPLAINS MORE 

You want to 

celebrate with us? 

We get it. 

That’s why we are offering you £777 

cashback on a select range of models 

to celebrate Suzuki’s win at this year’s British 

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Jonathan – Motorcycle Sales Manager 

I 

first visited Africa in 1998 to 

see a friend. I did a little riding 

out there and fell in love with 

the place. Three weeks later I went 

back again, hired another bike and 

took myself off riding and just kept 

going back time after time. I’ve just 

completed my 51st visit! 

The tour business began when I 

offered to take friends with me to 

show them around. I charged them 

a small amount to cover some of my 

expenses and from that it turned 

into a full time business. I’ve been 

operating now for over eight years and 

must have guided over 200 people. 

A typical length of tour is from eight 

days (budget tours), a ten day, a 

twelve day, a thirteen day and a 26 

day. My ten day is by far the most 

popular because that’s the one where 

you ride into the game reserves and 

ride alongside animals such as rhinos, 

hippos, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, 

leopards and hyenas. 

You don’t need to be on overly 

experienced rider to come on the 

tours. Riding the tar roads is exactly 

the same if not easier than it is here 

in the UK. You’ve got enormous wide 

roads, the amount of traffic is far less 

and the gravel roads are even quieter 

and are well graded so easy to ride. 

I try and have several different tours 

for different levels of ability. All of 

my short day tours up to 12 days 

are all done on simple roads that are 

manageable for anyone, even a novice. 

I’ve had people who passed 3 months 

before coming out and have no 

problems. More remote places such as 

Namibia I only take people who have 

ridden with me before or I know are 

competent off-road riders. There’s a lot 

of loose gravel and some soft sand. So 

there’s riding for all abilities. 

I’ve even got a guy coming out who 

doesn’t ride a bike but is going to 

follow behind in a car. In the past I’ve 

taken a group of guys who all know 

each other and ride together whilst at 

the same time putting their spouses 

in a car who will do their own tour 

and meet up a few nights along the 

way. Whatever someone wants we 

can make happen. 

The smallest bike we use is the BMW 

F700 GS which is the most common 

bike we rent out, but we do offer the 

new Honda Africa Twin, Triumph 

Explorer, R1200 GS, Yamaha Super 

Tenere, with bike rental for the F700 

included in the costs and a supplement 

charged for the bigger bikes. The price 

also includes luggage for the bike, all 

the accommodation, breakfasts, plus 

evening meals on some of the tours, 

as well as airport transfers. Prices start 

from £1495, that’s for the 8 day tour, 7 

nights accommodation, with the only 

additional costs being airfare, food, 

fuel and health insurance. 

I find Africa exciting and also get 

an enormous amount of pleasure 

introducing people to it. On the Safari 

Tour the pay off is when you see the 

smile on peoples’ faces. And South 

Africa is such a vast country. Every 

corner is different. The landscapes are 

all so diverse and spectacular. 

Since 2005 I’ve also been working for 

a couple of private game reserves as 

a safari ranger and guide. One of the 

duties is the anti poaching patrols, 

so I know the area and the animals 

very well. 

For me it was growing up in an era 

of Tarzan and Daktari. It was my 

childhood ‘thing’. For me there’s no 

better place than Africa. 

Visit suzuki-gb.co.uk for more information. 

Terms and Conditions – This offer applies to the following 2016 Suzuki models: Hayabusa/Z, GSX-R1000/A, GSX-R600, GSR750A/MotoGP, V-Strom 1000A, V-Strom 650A, 

Burgman 650 Executive, Intruder M1800RBZ. Retail customers can use this cashback as a deposit contribution if they are purchasing an applicable model on finance. 

Alternatively, retail customers can use the cashback to reduce the balance owed to their Authorised Suzuki Dealer if they are making a cash purchase. 

Offer applies to models which are privately registered between 1st October 2016 to 12th December 2016. This promotion may be extended or withdrawn at any time. 

Please visit suzuki-gb.co.uk/celebrate-with-us for the full list of applicable models. All new Suzuki On-Road motorcycles officially imported into the United Kingdom by Suzuki 

GB PLC and first registered in the UK between 01-01-2016 and 31-12-2016 will benefit from an additional one year extension to the normal Two-Year Suzuki Warranty. 

Prices starting from £1495 inclusive of accommodation and bike hire 

For more information visit www.kaapstadmat.com

COAST TO COAST BY TRIALS BIKE 

LEARNING BASIC MECHANICS 

FOR TRF MEMBER GREG VILLALOBOS THE BIRTH OF HIS FIRST CHILD GAVE HIM 

REASON TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITES IN THIS COUNTRY 

BEFORE AN EXTENDED TRIP (OR EVEN A SHORT ONE) IT CAN BE USEFUL TO LEARN 

BASIC MECHANICS. JAMES HARRISON-ALLEN EXPLAINS HOW HE WENT ABOUT IT 

“I think I’m pregnant,” said my 

wife Georgia as we were driving 

over to pick up the trials bike 

we were buying for her to learn to 

ride on. We still bought the bike, a 

Montesa Corsa 315, but she never 

did end up riding it much! 

This left me with a new trials bike 

and a new baby on the way. I was 36 

years old and had recently moved 

up to Northumberland after 15 years 

working as a graphic designer in 

London. We lived on a farm and had a 

lot of space. I also did a lot of greenlaning 

and rode a KTM. 

The idea to ride the trials bike we 

originally bought for Georgia across 

the country using only green lanes 

was born out of a joint idea I had 

with Noel, a friend who lived over 

in the Lakes. I knew the lanes from 

my side of the country. He knew the 

lanes from his side and we agreed 

to start at my end and work our way 

across. We decided to take the trials 

bikes rather than anything more 

suitable as the increasingly common 

belief is that the more inappropriate 

the bike, the bigger the adventure. 

Georgia was expecting in May and 

I knew that once the baby came I 

wouldn’t be able to get the time to do 

it, not for a long while. We decided 

then to just go and get it done and so 

picked a weekend in March. 

It took us three days to ride 

from Whitley Bay in Cumbria to 

Morecombe Bay in Lancashire. I 

barely sat down for those three days. 

The bike kept overheating and only 

had a three litre tank and the two 

extra 1-litre bottles I carried. Once did 

I run out of fuel. But we camped the 

whole way, carried a stove or bought 

pasties from petrol stations. I didn’t 

carry any spare clothes and the night 

we camped near the source of the 

River Tyne we woke to a foot of snow. 

On the one hand it was cold but on 

the other it was such an incredible 

scene to wake up to. 

There is quite a bit of road work to 

connect some of the trails but once 

you do get on the trails they’re quite 

long and make you feel like you’re 

in the wilderness. Northumberland 

in particular is one of the most 

unpopulated counties in the country 

and it feels like you’re a long way 

from anyone. We didn’t use a GPS 

or any maps, we just went on the 

knowledge of the lanes we’d picked 

up from being active members of the 

TRF over the years. It was just a great 

micro-adventure in the time we had 

available. 

My spare time is now more precious 

than ever and what I really like about 

green laning is that you can go out in 

a day and have a massive adventure 

without having to roam too far from 

home or family. I don’t know what 

other pursuit there is where you go 

out riding with friends, see a river 

and try and cross it. It’s this idea of all 

being in it together and the sense of 

camaraderie. It’s increasingly hard to 

get that in the UK but for me it’s still 

possible on the trails. I can’t be doing 

it every day of the week, but you can’t 

stop doing that thing you love. 

To watch the short film about the 

trip visit Greg’s website at www. 

gregvillalobos.co.uk 

In October 2015 I left Wales on 

my Suzuki DR350 to ride down 

the west coast of Africa down to 

Cape Town at the bottom of South 

Africa. Before I left I had only 

ridden 100 miles on a motorcycle 

before and didn’t have much 

mechanical knowledge. 

The previous Christmas 

I decided a motorbike 

was the cheapest and 

most engaging way of 

crossing a continent. 

The only problem is I’d 

never ridden one and 

knew next to nothing 

about how these 

machines worked. 

Garages are few and far 

between in rural Africa. 

I knew in riding the full 

length of the Continent 

there would be times 

when I’d have to rely on myself to 

fix problems along the way. 

The day after my CBT I booked 

my Direct Access course and 

signed up for the ‘Motorcycle 

Maintenance’ evening course at 

Hackney Community College. 

Over the course of ten sessions I 

learnt about air filters, oil changes 

and how to carry out a full service. 

It’s a hands on course and you 

mainly learn by working on bikes, 

often brought in by a fellow student. 

Even if you don’t plan on leaving the 

country it’s a set of skills everyone 

should have. Service your bike just 

once and you’ve already recouped 

the costs of the course. 

The most important thing I took 

away was the confidence to just 

pick up a set of spanners and have 

a go. Once I knew the basics I felt 

happy to read through the manual 

and see what I could do. Chances 

are if you can follow a set of IKEA 

furniture instructions, with a small 

amount of experience/confidence 

you can attempt a whole host of 

bike repair jobs. 

My DR350 handled Africa like 

a champion and whilst it’s a 

dependable bike I credit most of 

its reliability to the fact I kept on 

top of the maintenance. Regular 

oil changes, clearing my air filter 

etc. all helped prevent many of the 

problems people encounter. 

When things did go wrong, I felt 

I could fix it. I didn’t always know 

how; just that by reading the 

manual and keeping a cool head 

most problems can be repaired. 

For more information on the 

course in Hackney visit www. 

hackney.ac.uk or Google 

motorcycle maintenance courses to 

find one in your local area. 

Not all roads are black 

Some of the best roads 

in the UK are green 

Tynehead, Cumbria 

Come say hello at Stand 2D62, Hall 2 and find 

out how the TRF can help you discover adventure 

riding on your doorstep 

www.TRF.org.uk

GETTING INTO OFF-ROAD 

IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE AND CAN SOMETIMES BE HARD TO FIND A 

WAY INTO IT. HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT MIGHT HELP 

Practice and the right tyres are crucial 

www.trailrides-wales.com 

- Ady Smith Off Road Skills 

www.adysmith.co.uk 

- Desert Rose Enduro Training 

www.desertroseracing.com 

There are also plenty off road schools 

available overseas in such places as 

Portugal and Spain. Not a bad way 

of making a holiday of it. Some to 

recommend include: 

- Adventure Rider Centre - Malaga 

www.adventureridercentre.co.uk 

- Dust Devils - Spain 

www.dustdevils.ne 

- Bike Normandy - France 

www.bikenormandy.com 

- Riders of the Lost Trail 

www.ridersofthelosttrail.com 

WHICH BIKE? 

If you decide you like it then it’s 

time to find a bike. “It’s a big world 

of choice and everyone’s different,” 

explains Tony. “Some favour old trail 

bikes, some favour new. Some go 

small engine, some go big. Ideally 

for a novice you want something 

less than 400cc. This will mean 

it’s relatively lightweight and a 

manageable amount of power. Fourstroke 

will be more reliable. Next it’s 

down to your budget. The price of 

trail bikes is slowly rising, with you 

not able to find much below £1500. 

Something like a Suzuki DRZ400, a 

Yamaha 225 Serow or TTR250. More 

modern are Honda’s CRF250L and 

Kawasaki’s KLX250, both popular for 

casual green laners and not overly 

expensive to buy new or second 

hand. It’s important to remember 

that the bike will get damaged. It 

will get knocked about. There’s no 

point getting precious about it. If 

buying second hand you want to 

make sure it’s got good chain and 

sprockets, some tread on the tyres 

and that it runs and idles alright. 

Blue smoke is something to avoid. 

These bikes can and do take some 

hammer. The marketing of large 

capacity adventure bikes as suitable 

off-roaders is something to be wary 

of. A heavy bike makes for hard 

work and potential broken bones. 

An expensive bike also makes for a 

lot of worry, because you will break 

something. Light, cheap, strong are 

what you want when setting out.” 

Don’t overlook AJPs range. They’ve 

been getting some good reports. 

SWMs new range of off road bikes are 

essentially rebadged Husqvarnas and 

also seem like a sensible shot. CCM’s 

GP450 is also very good if you want 

something that can do everything 

and the changes Rally Raid make 

to the Honda CB500X give it good 

green-lane capability. 

WHAT KIT? 

Tony recommends army surplus 

stores for anything waterproof. “The 

benefit is that it’ll be cheap, reliable 

and also disposable. Expensive 

off-road gear is fine but when 

starting out it’s better to destroy 

the cheap stuff. A cheap cagoule 

material over the top of textiles will 

always fare better in wet weather. 

In terms of protection buy the best 

you can afford. If you have a ten 

bob head wear a ten bob helmet. A 

good helmet will offer maximum 

protection. Fiberglass/Kevlar/ 

carbon is better than plastic but can 

cost. Buy the best you can afford 

and make sure you try it on and it 

fits properly. Peak and goggles are 

what many recommend, though 

if you’re just starting out there’s 

no reason you can’t manage in a 

regular helmet. 

Wear body protection, including knee, 

elbow and a kidney belt, just to stop 

your organs jiggling about over the 

bumps. Good boots are a must. You’re 

looking for maximum protection, 

hence why many trail riders wear 

motocross boots. On a trip this isn’t 

always practical with a compromise 

between comfort and protection a fine 

line. Alpinestar Toucans are good, as 

are Forma Adventure boots at a more 

manageable price. Or motocross boots 

for maximum protection. Cheap boots 

are unfortunately a false economy. 

Don’t be afraid to borrow from your 

dad or friends. Old is sometimes better 

than new.” For maximum protection 

from the rain, Tony recommends bar 

muffs, as exposed gloves can soon get 

cold and wet and can easily ruin a day 

on the trails. 

TOOLS 

“A good tool kit consists of tubes, 

spanners, tyre levers, cable ties, a 

spare chain link, a tube of plastic weld 

and some ingenuity.”Tony’s advice is 

to work on your bike out of your tool 

kit when you’re at home. That way 

you know you’re carrying every tool 

you’re likely to need out on the trails. 

A first aid kit is also a good idea. 

WHERE TO RIDE? 

In the UK this is probably the 

harshest reality and the difficulty in 

finding legal lanes is what puts a lot 

of people off. In America, Australia, 

France, Spain, Portugal and South 

Africa it’s not a problem as they have 

miles of trails to ride. In the UK 

the best advice is to join the Trail 

Riders Fellowship (www.trf.org. 

uk), an organisation with regional 

groups tasked with fighting to keep 

lanes open and to organise ride outs 

and encourage new members. An 

Ordnance Survey map is also a good 

place to start. You’re looking for 

lanes marked as Byways Open To 

All Traffic (BOATS) or Unclassified 

Country Roads (UCRs), though there 

are lots of grey areas. Some very good 

and easily accessible locations to ride 

include Salisbury Plains and Thetford 

Forest. Local Facebook groups can 

sometimes be a good place to find 

local ride-out groups. Most of all be 

sure to persevere. Off-road riding 

can be a lot of fun and give a greater 

satisfaction that road riding. It can 

also open up new local areas to 

explore. Safe riding. 

TALK TO TONY 

Tony began riding motocross at a 

young age, then onto Enduro riding 

in British Championships and 

H&Hounds at expert level before 

moving onto extreme events such as 

Erzberg Extreme, Red Bull Romaniacs 

then trail riding in Europe for many 

years. He’s taught off-road skills for 

Honda Off-Road Experience amongst 

others and now works for a trail riding 

company as well as running his own 

tours in Wales, France and Spain. 

He’s a great man for tuition and for 

showing you the trails. Contact him 

at www.trailridingdayscom or email 

trailridingdays@hotmail.co.uk 

Despite what some might 

think, you don’t have to 

ride off-road to go on an 

adventure. As this publication aims 

to show, many good adventures 

have been done on pavement and 

these days you can even ride around 

the world without leaving the 

tarmac. 

Off-road riding or trail riding is still 

popular however, with it possible 

to integrate into most trips you 

might have planned. It can also 

be a great way of improving bike 

control and if you do only have a 

limited amount of time for your 

trips then a weekend camping over 

in Wales for example can be as 

adventurous as you want it to be, 

as Greg and Noel proved on their 

coast to coast trials bike trip. For a 

bit more information on how to get 

started at off-road riding I caught 

up with experienced trail rider and 

guide Tony Williams who provides 

us with a good few pointers to think 

about when starting out. 

FITNESS 

Perhaps something we’d often 

overlook but in Tony’s eyes it’s vital. 

“It does help to have a reasonable 

level of fitness as it does take it out 

of you riding off-road and is a very 

physical activity. You’re going to 

fall off and picking the bike up and 

getting back on takes a lot of effort. 

You shouldn’t be deterred though. 

If your fitness isn’t good then take it 

steady to begin with. Have an hour 

on the bike and build up to it. Don’t 

think you can do a day on the trails 

without building up to it first.” 

TRAINING 

There are so many off road training 

schools out there, all offering expert 

tuition, bike hire, equipment hire 

and a place to ride. “If you’re just 

starting out and don’t even know 

if off-road riding is for you or not 

then it’s a very cost effective way 

of finding out; much cheaper than 

buying a bike and all the kit and 

then deciding you don’t like it. It 

also gives you a chance to ride a 

couple of different bikes and get a 

feel for what fits and what’s right for 

you.” Some schools offer one day 

training, others the full weekend. 

Training centres to consider 

include: 

- Sweet Lamb Adventure Rally 

Bike Academy 

www.adventurerallybike.co.uk 

- Moto Scotland 

www.motoscotland.com 

- BMW Off Road Skills 

www.offroadskills.com 

- Yamaha Off-Road Experience 

www.yamaha-offroad-experience. 

co.uk 

- Dave Thorpe Honda Off-Road 

www.davethorpehondaoffroad.com 

- Trail Ride Wales 

Riding in groups advised 

Slow in and keep moving 


Advert_280x340.qxp_Layout 1 27/10/2016 16:40 Page 1 

WHERE TO BEGIN? 

The first place to begin is defining 

how long you’ve got, where you 

want to ride and what your budget 

is. Be ambitious but also be realistic. 

Don’t give yourself the burden 

of unrealistic daily mileages. It’s 

better to travel shorter distances 

and enjoy it than long distance 

and resent it. Once you have your 

destination or route in mind, clear 

the schedule and then what many 

find useful is to book it in place by 

reserving your ferry ticket, hotel 

accommodation or something that 

gives you a definite departure date. 

Once you have that then all the little 

decisions you were agonising over 

will suddenly come into focus and 

the trip will take place. Steps: 

1. Define how much time and 

budget you have. 

2. Choose destination best suited to 

that time and budget. 

3. Book something to cement things 

in your mind that on that date 

you’re going. 

HOW TO PLAN? 

There’s no right or wrong here. Some 

like to plan meticulously. Others 

prefer to go with the flow and figure 

it out as they go. The decisive factor 

is confidence. If planning gives you 

confidence to get you out the front 

door then do it. People interviewed 

for this publication started out the 

same way; the need to plan, and 

slowly as confidence grew realising 

they could improvise along the 

way, appreciating the flexibility this 

approach brings. Some find that 

research trumps planning. Know the 

ins and outs of where you’re going. 

Know what documents you might 

need, potential problems and sources 

of information. That way you can 

be informed but flexible. But again, 

there is no right or wrong. 

HOW FAR CAN I RIDE IN 

A DAY? 

People start out ambitious and plan 

for big mileage. Often they realise 

this isn’t sustainable nor much fun. 

400 miles is manageable on a transit 

day (depending on what bike you’re 

COMMON QUESTIONS 

riding), through Europe to get to 

the Alps for example, but 250 and 

ideally 150 is the daily mileage that’s 

going to allow you to stop, enjoy 

and take in the places you’re riding 

through. Make sure to allow days off 

the bike as well. A week of 200 mile 

days can get very tiring, especially 

if carrying pillion. Also build up to 

your bigger distances. Don’t think 

you can do them, and enjoy them, 

straight off the bat. 

HOW MUCH MONEY 

WILL I NEED 

Difficult to predict but start out by 

calculating the basics such as daily 

cost of fuel, food and lodging. This 

sets a daily budget. Then add in cost 

of ferries, flights, visas, breakdown 

cover, health insurance etc where 

applicable. Always try and be 

realistic. Don’t squeeze the budget 

so there’s no room for fun left in 

it. Make sure you allow a bit for 

contingencies such as breakdowns, 

delays, emergency hotels and things 

you might want to buy or do. Most 

countries take UK debit and credit 

cards but let the bank know prior 

to travel to ensure cards don’t get 

cancelled. Carry emergency cash 

somewhere on the bike or person. 

It can prove invaluable in an 

emergency. Longer trips are hard to 

predict. My Sydney to London trip 

cost roughly £8500 but I budgeted 

for £5000, and that was doing it as 

cheap as possible. Big trip costs can 

easily escalate. Conversely, Gordon 

Sargeant on his Pan-America trip 

took £15,000 and didn’t spend near 

that. As with mileage, don’t stretch 

yourself to the point of not enjoying 

it. Be ambitious but also realistic. 

WHAT FUEL RANGE 

DOES MY BIKE NEED? 

Where there is a road there are 

people and where there are people 

there is food, water and fuel. Bikes 

with 100 mile range have been 

around the world, or equally, around 

Wales or Scotland. It just takes more 

planning and a closer eye on the fuel 

gauge. If your bike does have a small 

tank consider taking a fuel cell or 

jerry can. These are easily strapped 

to the bike and can prove invaluable. 

Run out of fuel somewhere remote 

and people will be sure to stop and 

help, but with good planning and 

precautions there’s no reason to 

run out, even on a 100 mile range. 

Anything more is a bonus. 

WHICH BIKE? 

Answering the impossible. Simply 

there is no best bike, just the one that 

you like and want to take with you. 

All bikes are compromised. Small 

simple bikes make a trip cheap and 

can be easily fixed on the road, but 

they are slow and unsuited to large 

stretches of tarmac. Modern large 

capacity bikes are great in mainland 

Europe and North America but can 

be a liability in tough conditions or 

when riding solo in remote parts. 

Personally, you’re better off tailoring 

the trip to the bike you already have, 

rather than buying a specific bike 

for a specific trip. Also consider 

that sometimes the best bike for 

an adventure is the one you’re least 

worried about, or one you can afford 

to lose or abandon if things go 

wrong. The problem with buying new 

on finance or PCP is that it can add a 

level of worry and mileage limitation 

that impedes the ability to go on and 

enjoy an adventure. So if money’s 

tight consider spending less on the 

bike and more on the trip. 

WHAT KIT? 

Ride in what you feel most 

comfortable. Accept that you can’t 

be perfectly dressed for every 

environment and conditions you’re 

going to be riding in. Allow your kit 

to be flexible. A cheap waterproof 

cagoule jacket and trousers is the 

best way of keeping dry whilst 

retaining the flexibility of taking it 

off when it’s dry. As Charlotte on 

her Morocco trip found, avoid the 

cheap stuff. It’s cheap for a reason. 

It won’t last and it won’t perform. 

There’s a false economy creeping in 

with the budget range from most kit 

companies. Buy better stuff second 

hand if you have to. Improvise 

with army surplus gear. Listen to 

feedback from friends and forums 

who generally give honest feedback 

on what they wear. Be protected 

but also comfortable. Safety is 

paramount but you can’t be safe if 

your gear is restrictive. Lastly, most 

items you’re thinking of taking 

you won’t likely need. Carrying 

too much gear on a bike trip is a 

handicap not a benefit. It takes time 

and practice to get your kit list down 

to the bare essentials. The first few 

times you will always take too much. 

Just remember that wherever you’re 

going they’re likely to sell everything 

you think you might need should 

you actually need it. 

OVERCOMING 

OBJECTIONS 

Everyone has objections to overcome 

before a trip can happen. They 

could be internal objections - fear, 

uncertainty - or external objections 

- what others think, family situation, 

work commitments. Every trip has 

obstacles to overcome, even if it’s a 

day ride to the seaside. But identify 

your barriers, be it age, money, 

bike, parental pressure, family 

commitments etc and figure out how 

you can overcome that obstacle for 

the time you need to ride your bike. 

Often the objections are the ones 

only in your own head; the fear, the 

doubt, the worry, the apprehension, 

which is why you have to book 

that ticket or accommodation or 

whatever it takes to set a date and 

get you out on that road. The battle 

is more often with yourself than it is 

with the road. 

SOLO OR IN GROUP? 

Without intention, most 

contributors in this publication 

came to the same conclusion about 

the benefits of riding solo. You’re 

more vulnerable but also more 

approachable and can do things 

at your own pace. You don’t have 

to compromise your decisions to 

please someone else. There is also an 

argument that you’re safer on your 

own, as you tend to ride well within 

your limits because you’re aware 

of your own vulnerability. Ride as 

a group and you can find yourself 

more careless and riding faster than 

you usually might. You’re also more 

inward facing, less likely to meet 

people along the way. Again, there’s 

no right or wrong. Some swear by 

group riding, others by riding solo. 

Group riding can be a great way of 

giving you confidence to ride solo. 

Ultimately you’re either in a frame 

of mind to ride as a group or go on 

your own. Choose which works. 

Spectacular 

tours of Scotland 

Guided Tour: 24 June-30 June 2017 

The Scottish Highlands, steeped in history, 

is one of the last unspoilt regions of Europe. 

Breathtaking scenery, magnificent castles, 

amazing wildlife and open roads make this 

a motorcyclist’s dream. 

Highland Tour 

7 days / 6 nights 

Our 7-day Highland tour starts and ends in Edinburgh, the historic and beautiful 

capital of Scotland. The route takes us on many winding scenic roads to the 

most spectacular parts of Scotland: Speyside with its many distilleries and the 

wild Cairngorm mountains; the north west with its ever-changing seascapes, the 

most remote part of Scotland and then down the west coast to the magical Isle of 

Skye before returning via Argyll to Edinburgh. 

Highlights include: 

> Six days’ riding on open motorcycle 

roads 

> Crossing the unique Glenelg 

Ferry to Skye 

> Visiting the Talisker Distillery on Skye 

> Traversing the incredible Pass of the 

Cattle (Bealach na Bà in Gaelic) 

> The castles on Skye, at Eilean Donan 

and in Inveraray 

> Visiting Loch Ness and Castle Urquhart 

> Six nights’ accommodation with 

breakfast each morning in some 

of our favourite hotels. 

> Guided Tours: first night in Edinburgh 

and five nights in the Scottish 

Highlands. Dinner is included each 

night. Unguided Tours: Six nights in 

the Scottish Highlands. Dinner is 

included on four nights. Add extra 

nights in Edinburgh for £140 per night 

per room (b&b). 

Exclusions: The tour does not include motorcycle rental, fuel, ferries, lunches or 

entrance to any venues or attractions. All accommodation is subject to availability. 

Guided Tour 

24 June - 30 June 2017 

Rider 

Rider + Pillion 

Sharing (double or twin room) 

Unguided Tours 

Dates to suit you 

£1,649 £949 

£2,349 £1,349 

Notes: Rider price is for a room with single occupancy. Rider + Pillion price is for both people sharing 

a room, not per person. 

To book or find out more, 

please email 

enquiries@rentamotorcycle.co.uk 

or call +44 131 603 4466 

www.rentamotorcycle.co.uk 


NORDKAPP IN TWO WEEKS 

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME OFF WORK IS IMPERATIVE. HERE, 

BRENT LEPORT SHIPS HIS BIKE FROM ABERDEEN TO OSLO TO 

MAKE THE MOST OF HIS TIME IN NORWAY 

I’m 39, live near Aberdeen in 

Scotland and work on North Sea oil 

rigs as an inspection engineer. 

I got into bikes when I was 23. It was 

always something I’d wanted to do 

but I had to wait until I’d left home 

and had enough money as my parents 

were very against it! 

Living in the North East of Scotland 

means that the Highlands and 

west coast are pretty much on the 

doorstep. I’ve spent a lot of time there 

with trips to the west coast for a few 

days at a time each year. I’ve been to 

Germany and the Alps on trips with 

friends a few times. Until this trip the 

longest I’d ever been away on a bike 

was 8 days, and I’d never done a big 

trip solo. 

I’ve read a lot of books about 

travelling by motorcycle and for a 

long time I just wanted to ride a really 

long way. I had a general wanderlust 

without any specific places to go. 

Travelling through Norway to the 

Nordkapp was initially just a good 

idea for a destination. It’s as far North 

as you can go in Europe and it looked 

good for photos. 

I had intended to go in 2009 but 

things happened at home and I had 

to cancel, then the ferry stopped 

running. There have been rumours 

every year about the ferry re-starting, 

but it’s always fallen through. 

In 2015 I had some health problems 

and suddenly started to feel my age. I 

decided towards the end of 2015 that 

I was going to find a way to do the 

trip instead of just seeing reasons that 

I couldn’t. Essentially this is the start 

of my mid-life crisis. 

Because of time pressures of working 

three weeks on and three weeks 

off, I decided to ship the bike there. 

I’d have loved to take the time to 

ride down through the UK then up 

through Europe, and I even looked 

into leaving the bike in Norway 

while I flew home to go offshore for 

three weeks before flying back and 

finishing the journey. This would 

have meant not really seeing my wife 

for 3 months as I would be offshore 

or in Norway the whole time. As it 

was I saw her for 4 days in 9 weeks. 

I also looked into shipping the bike in 

a container direct from Aberdeen but 

couldn’t do it for sensible amounts of 

money. I even thought about hiring 

a bike in Norway but really struggled 

to find anywhere that would do it and 

allow decent miles per day. 

I called a few different companies 

and the one that seemed to be the 

most knowledgeable was Euro Bike 

Transport who have a truck that 

goes to Norway from Manchester. 

They also run motorcycle tours and 

gave me some good routes. I then 

had to get a local shipping agent in 

Aberdeen to store the bike while I 

was offshore before shipping it to 

Manchester so it could travel and be 

waiting for me once I flew to Oslo. 

There was a bit of organisation 

involved, mainly due to the need to 

store the bike and ship it on a specific 

day, but it was a lot less trouble than 

I thought it would be. If I had a 

different job I could have ridden the 

bike down and dropped it off, saving 

a lot of messing about, and money. 

The Manchester to Oslo section 

was £550 round trip including VAT 

and insurance, which I thought 

was a total bargain. It was actually 

more expensive for the Aberdeen 

to Manchester leg of the journey 

at around £700, due to the need to 

The ‘Globe’ at Nordkapp 

store the bike for 5 weeks. Flights from 

Aberdeen to Oslo were about £100 

return. I had to fill in some forms for 

the bike to say I wasn’t selling it there, 

but it was all pretty painless. 

It was my first time shipping a 

vehicle so I was pretty worried that 

the bike would arrive upside down 

or something! The fear that the 

bike would be damaged in transit 

and ruin my whole trip made for a 

long three weeks. It’s a very strange 

feeling dropping off your pride and 

joy with people that may not be used 

to handling bikes. But it arrived well 

packed and secure. 

“IT WAS MY FIRST 

TIME SHIPPING A 

VEHICLE SO I WAS 

PRETTY WORRIED” 

I have a triumph Explorer, initially 

bought to slow me down after the 

Honda VFR1200 I had previously. It’s a 

comfortable bike with plenty of power 

and easily attached luggage, whilst still 

being fun in the twisty parts. I ride 

purely on road but as I’m quite tall I find 

that the big adventure styled bikes fit me 

the best. I think you could do this trip 

on any bike that you feel comfortable 

on though. I was riding into the 

Arctic Circle in Finland feeling like an 

adventure king, when I passed a group 

of Honda C90s going the other way! 

I spent a long time trying to work out 

the best routes, trying to make sure I 

didn’t miss anything really spectacular 

while ignoring people who said not 

to bother going to the Nordkapp. 

Eventually I settled on going up 

through Sweden as the roads are better 

and I could make good time before 

taking a slightly wider loop through 

Finland, meaning I could see a little 

more of it before coming back down 

the coast of Norway. 

I made sure my route was realistic so 

that I could take shorter days if the 

weather closed in or something went 

wrong without having to worry too 

much about getting back in time for the 

flight home. 

I worked it out that I would need to 

average around 250 miles a day to cover 

the basics. This was based on what I 

would expect to cover comfortably in 

the Scottish highlands and pictures 

I’d seen of the roads. My main goal 

was simply to ride the bike, so I wasn’t 

overly concerned about needing time 

to visit attractions. There also aren’t a 

huge amount of attractions, other than 

natural attractions. 

I ended up doing around 3700 miles 

in 13 days. In the first two days I did 

865 miles through Sweden (490 on the 

2nd day) as the roads were so boring 

I didn’t really stop for anything, it was 

just miles and miles of trees! I was 

also at the start of the journey and 

desperate to get going. 

I found that I was getting really tired 

towards the end of the trip and would 

probably try to have rest days if I was 

Finnish/Norwegian border 

Spectacular Geiranger Fjord 

Stryn, south of Geirangerfjord 


to do it again. I found the biggest 

problem to be making myself stop 

at the end of each day instead of just 

riding a little further. 

I took a tent with me to give flexibility 

over where I stayed as I was a little 

concerned about not being able to get 

accommodation. I ended up sleeping 

in it three times as it was simply too 

bright as there is 24 hour daylight in 

mid-summer. However it was a real 

bonus when I found that the booking 

for the hut at the Nordkapp had fallen 

through. You can wild camp for free in 

Norway and Sweden but I tend to like 

a hot shower after a day on the bike. 

Some nights I stayed in campsite huts. 

They were pretty good value at around 

£35 a night. Other nights I stayed 

in hotels that tended to be pretty 

expensive but came with blackout 

blinds. I’d have liked to have camped 

more as it was the first time in 20 years 

I’d done it. I just couldn’t get a decent 

sleep as it was too sunny! 

I had only booked the hotel for the 

first night before I left, all the other 

accommodation was found by riding 

for about as long as I felt like then 

looking up Tripadvisor for places 

in the local area. The only time this 

didn’t work so well was on the Lofoten 

Islands as they were far busier than 

anywhere else I’d been. 

I did the trip solo, partially because 

I like the freedom of being able to 

get up and ride instead of waiting for 

other people or stop and take photos 

whenever I feel like it, and partly 

because most of my friends wouldn’t 

have been happy doing the miles I like 

to do. Some days I got on the bike at 

7am and rode until 6pm. I’m happy 

enough in my own company and I find 

that if you turn up solo on a motorbike 

people will generally talk to you a lot 

more than if you’re in a group. 

Throughout the trip I met a lot of 

friendly and interesting people, I 

don’t tend to need much company 

but will happily talk to anyone! The 

UK number plates were something 

people asked about in a lot of places 

and I found the locals to be really 

friendly and interested in the journey, 

especially in Norway. 

“YOU CAN WILD 

CAMP FOR FREE 

IN NORWAY AND 

SWEDEN” 

Before the trip I changed the tyres as I 

knew that I’d pretty much go through 

a set with the mileage and checked the 

consumables like brake pads. I did fit a 

sheepskin seat pad at the last minute. 

I’m not sure how much of a difference 

this actually made but it looked quite 

good. I fitted a USB charger under the 

seat so I could charge my phone or 

battery pack as I rode. This saved a lot 

of hassle while camping and allowed 

me to listen to music all day through 

the Bluetooth headset. I also went 

through the tool kit and made sure 

I had tools for each bolt on the bike, 

as well as the usual multi-tool, small 

socket set, puncture repair kit and tie 

wraps. 

I also added things like spare fuses 

and packed a few spare nuts/bolts of 

various sizes in case any escaped on 

the way. Basically any small things that 

aren’t expensive but would be a real 

hassle if I needed them in the middle 

of no-where. 

The biggest thing I did was replace the 

small Triumph panniers with large 

aluminium Jesse ones. This more than 

doubled the carrying capacity and 

they’re far more secure. It’s amazing 

how much room camping gear takes 

up. The only issue was a slight top 

heavy feel at low speed, made worse 

by the amount of gear I had with me, 

but I wouldn’t change the bike for 

anything else at the moment. 

I did drop the bike while doing a 

U-turn due to a sat-nav error taking 

me on a little jolly. It was a 0-mph 

drop as I stalled half way through the 

turn and just casually stepped off the 

bike as it fell over. It did no damage 

to the bike because it landed on the 

engine bar and pannier. The biggest 

problem was that I couldn’t pick the 

bike up with all the luggage on it! 

Thankfully a guy on a GS stopped 

and helped me, so it was more 

embarrassing than anything else. 

The only other issue was the seat on the 

bike. By the end of the trip I was really 

saddle sore, I think an Airhawk would 

have been a good idea but for some 

reason I was put off them before I went. 

In the Lånke area of Norway 

I loved the area in the Arctic circle, I 

had lovely weather and the scenery 

coupled with the lack of people made 

it feel amazing. The roads and scenery 

were stunning throughout, but the 

emptiness really added to it for me. 

If you can you really should go. 

Scandinavia isn’t cheap, Norway is 

more expensive than most places but 

the riding and scenery really make 

up for it. It’s a bit like the west coast 

of Scotland but 10 times the size. The 

people were friendly, the roads were 

perfectly surfaced, and I left feeling 

that I could quite happily move there! 

I’d like to do a coast to coast ride 

across the USA. I’ve been looking into 

routes and would like to head over 

Route 2 near the Canadian border as 

it’ll be cooler and more mountainous. 

Ideally I’d like to take my own bike. 

It’s slightly more expensive as I would 

only be there for two weeks, but I 

realised on this trip that I prefer to 

ride a bike that I know. 

One of many pretty lakes! 

WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE 

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF 

EVENTS AND PUBLICATIONS THAT CAN HELP 

HORIZONS UNLIMITED 

Horizons Unlimited is the website 

many go to and use to research 

their own adventures. Over the 

years a schedule of global events 

has evolved, one of which being 

in the UK. For 2016 it was held at 

Baskerville Hall in Wales, home of 

the Sherlock Holmes legend, and 

features workshops, presentations 

and advice on the things you might 

need to know when venturing 

further affield on a motorcycle. For 

2017 the event will be held on June 

15-18, again at Baskerville Hall. 

For more information visit: www. 

horizonsunlimited.com 

OVERLAND EVENT 

This is a great all-round long 

weekend festival for motorcycle 

riders from all walks of life, riding 

different bikes and interested 

in different trips. A schedule of 

speakers is on throughout the 

weekend giving advice and tips 

ADVENTURE TRAVEL 

FILM FESTIVAL 

Hosted and organised by Austin 

Vince and Lois Pryce - both seasoned 

travellers - the Film Festival isn’t 

just about bikes but about travel and 

adventure in general. It’s usually 

held in the grounds of a private 

based on their own experiences. 

A selection of foods from around 

the world is available, with good 

camping facilities and a relaxed and 

easy going atmosphere. Expect the 

Oxfordshire event to be some time 

around late August in 2017. For 

more information visit: 

www.overlandevent.com 

school within the M25 and is a great 

place to meet like minded people 

and watch some exceptional films 

about travel, films that you’ll never 

see on mainstream TV. This is 

another summer time event with 

dates still to be confirmed. For more 

up-to-date information visit www. 

adventuretravelfilmfestival.com 

ADVENTURE TRAVEL 

SHOW 

This is an annual event held at 

Olympia in London, this coming 

year from the 21-22 January. It’s 

not a huge event but is packed with 

ideas on where to go and what to do 

that you probably haven’t considered 

before. It’s not bike specific but has 

sections on biking and speakers 

from the adventure motorcycle field 

to help give you ideas on where 

to head. Film making and travel 

writing seminars are also available. 

Tickets cost £8 in advance and £10 

on the door, so not an expensive 

show. See www.adventureshow.com 

The bike arriving in Oslo 

40 Find out more at www.gettingintoadventure.com 

Also see Motorcycle Explorer Magazine (www.memrider.com), Brake Magazine (www.brake-magazine.com) and Adventure Bike Rider 

(www.adventurebikerider.com)

THE WANDERING WASP 

A QUICK INTERVIEW WITH 29 YEAR-OLD JUVENA HUANG (AKA THE 

WANDERING WASP) RIDING SOLO ACROSS THE WORLD ON A 150cc 

VESPA, FROM HER HOME OF SINGAPORE TO EUROPE 

LATEST ISSUE OUT NOW 

AVAILABLE FROM WH SMITHS UK, EASONS IRELAND AND BARNES & NOBLE USA! 

OR TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT WWW. OVERLANDMAG.COM/SHOP 

Overland Magazine is a high quality publication released 4 times a year. The magazine’s edited by Paddy Tyson, an author and overland traveller himself, and is dedicated 

to motorcycle travel, whether that’s a week in the Alps or ten years round the world. Big stories, minimal adverts. 

How long have you been on the road 

for now? 17 months. 

Where are you currently riding? 

Turkey, having started in Singapore 

and ridden overland through South 

East and Southern Asia. 

Was this the first time you’d done 

anything like this? Prior to this, the 

furthest was a 3 week road-trip to 

South Thailand and back to Singapore 

with friends. This is the first time I 

have travelled on such a big scale and 

doing it solo. 

What bike are you riding and why? 

It’s a Vespa Excel 150. I had this 

scooter since I started riding and am 

comfortable and familiar with it. It’s 

easy and cheap to maintain and not 

difficult to get spare parts in most 

parts of the world. 

Any problems with the bike? Yes, 

of course. Wear and tear is part and 

parcel of a bike’s life as long as you ride 

it long and hard enough. 

What did your family think to the 

idea? In the beginning, they probably 

did not take me seriously and were not 

happy about it. As I began saving and 

preparing for this, they knew I was 

serious. They often expressed their 

worries but at the same time, they 

know how badly I want to do this. 

I did small trips to slowly gain their 

confidence in me being able to look 

after myself. 

Did they understand your decision? 

Most of my family members may 

not fully understand. The decision to 

embark on this trip was greatly fuelled 

by the death of my friend just one week 

before he was to ride to the Chinese 

border. They know how much his 

passing affected my outlook on life. 

What was that first day like, riding 

away from home on an adventure 

that had no ending? The first step 

is the hardest. It was really tough. 

My family and I cried. I have never 

been away from home and family 

for extended period of time. There 

were fleeting seconds of a moment I 

thought to myself not to leave. 

How long did you plan and save for 

the trip? The idea came about 5 years 

before I set off. I saved for 3 and a 

half years, at times moonlighting as a 

waitress amongst other things. 

Talk us through some of the 

expenses involved? One time 

expenses are the US$7000 deposit for 

Carnet de Passage that is issued by 

Automobile Association of Singapore. 

Singapore is a ridiculously expensive 

country to be buying any vehicle and 

to apply for the Carnet de Passage. 

Then comprehensive travel insurance 

for a year. Travel vaccinations. Visas 

for some of the countries. Recurring 

expenses are food, accommodation, 

petrol and maintenance of vehicle. 

Optional ones are communication and 

visitor attraction entrance fees. 

What do you miss most about home 

when you’re on the road? Family, 

friends and food. 

What sacrifices did you have to make 

for the trip to happen? Forsaking 

social life, a KTM dirtbike and 

vacations from work to save money for 

the trip. Then, leaving my job of 6 years 

means letting go of a life of a certain 

certainty. I say certain certainty because 

nothing is absolutely certain. 

What’s the hardest part about living 

on the road for so long? Saying 

farewell to new found friends and 

family. Forging strong relationships 

with people and then not knowing if 

you will ever meet them again. 

Did you ever question if it was worth 

the effort? So far, I have not regretted 

the decision to embark on this trip. 

Is there a right age for doing 

something like this? I do not think 

age matters much as long as you are 

mature enough to take responsibility 

for yourself. 

What excites you the most about 

the trip? The next border crossing 

into a new country, dealing with new 

language, cuisine, currency, culture 

and traffic… 

What scares you the most about the 

trip? Falling sick and getting injured 

along the way. 

What have you learned most about 

yourself, and about the world from 

your travels? I had lots of doubt before 

this trip. Fear is a very strong deterrent 

to discovery. Had I let fear overrule 

me, I would have missed out so much 

the world has to offer. Amidst all the 

chaos and tension in the world, people 

are still capable of so much kindness, 

more than I had imagined. A few 

countries I have travelled are greatly 

misunderstood and suppressed by 

negative portrayal by the media. People 

fear visiting them and hence never 

know the true picture. 

What advice would you have for other 

people thinking about doing a trip, 

not necessarily a big trip, but any bike 

trip? You cannot be 100% ready for 

every situation that comes your way. 

Give yourself a reasonable target date, 

prepare the best you can, and go…. 

See thewanderingwasp.blogspot. 

co.uk or Juvena’s Facebook page www. 

facebook.com/thewanderingwasp

GREETINGS FROM PAKISTAN 

meter high Babusar Pass at around 

9pm in biting wind and then reached 

Chilas at 1.00am. This is one adventure 

of many I have experienced, but have 

dozens of unforgettable motorcycling 

experiences. 

Typical bridge crossing in northern-Pakistan 

GOHAR HAYAT FROM LAHORE IN PAKISTAN HAS BEEN 

ADVENTURING IN HIS NATIVE COUNTRY FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS 

There aren’t too many difficulties in 

exploring Pakistan by motorcycle, 

except for a few specific areas in the 

extreme North-West region adjacent 

to Afghanistan. If you stay away from 

the identified areas, there is no more 

danger here than anywhere else. 

One of many adventures for Gohar 

I have met many foreign 

motorcyclists in the last 25 years 

of riding. They are usually on a 

world tour and do not want to miss 

the amazing Karakoram Highway, 

Deosai, Khunjerab or Shandur 

Pass, and also Junction Point where 

the 3 highest mountain ranges - 

Karakorum, Himalayas, Hindukash 

- all converge at one point. I haven’t 

met anyone yet who was not all 

praise about this country, its people, 

hospitality and raw beauty of the 

majestic North. 

If I could ride anywhere in the world 

it would be the South America and 

Pan-American Highway. The appeal 

is the length and breadth of that ride, 

with the diversity of terrain giving 

me the opportunity of exploring new 

cultures, meeting new people and 

riding long distances. One day. 

Meanwhile, for anyone wanting 

to ride a motorcycle in Pakistan 

my advice would be to come and 

explore. You’d be surprised at what 

you might find here. Just one piece of 

advice: have consideration for local 

customs and you’ll be just fine. 

HOW TO RIDE 

PAKISTAN 

Gohar’s story is here to remind us 

that people ride bikes and push their 

boundaries all around the world, 

even a place many of us know little 

about such as Pakistan. Those having 

ridden through it can vouch it for 

being an incredible landscape of 

deserts, mountains, amazing kebabs 

and kind and welcoming people. 

Unlike India there isn’t a booming 

rental and guided tour industry, but 

northern Pakistan previously enjoyed 

a flourishing tourism industry so the 

infrastructure is there. Try Lahore and 

Islamabad for bike hire, or here: www. 

ridethekkh.com for guided tours. 

High in the Himalayan Mountains 

I 

started riding a motorcycle at the 

age of around 12 or 13. The year 

was 1978. 

It’s common to start riding so young 

here in Pakistan, certainly for the 

boys, less so for the girls. It mostly 

happens when parents allow it or 

don’t know about it. I’m sure most 

kids all around the world want to do 

it as early as possible. It’s in the nature 

of boys to ride. 

Over the years I have done most of 

my riding on either a pushbike or a 

Vespa Scooter. Then later on a Honda 

CD-70 and then came a Honda CG- 

125. Currently I ride a Suzuki GS-150. 

We don’t have many big bikes here 

in Pakistan. The main limitation is 

the initial cost of owning one. Not a 

lot of people in Pakistan can buy an 

expensive large capacity motorcycle 

and those who do own one have the 

fear of dropping it because of the 

unavailability of spare parts. 

I started off by exploring the suburbs 

of my home-town of Lahore in a 

radius of around 100km. After that, 

in 1983, I began exploring Pakistan’s 

northern mountainous regions. 

It was my fascination of diverse 

cultures that made me go. Nature 

gave me the reason for exploration, 

the motorcycle gave me the means to 

travel to places where usual modes 

of transportation could not take me. 

And I enjoyed meeting new people in 

different areas. 

What I enjoy most about my travels is 

the freedom. I take the usual basics: 

bike repair tools, puncture repair 

kit, a tent, cooking utensils, gas 

cylinders etc. Nothing fancy. I wear 

normal warm clothing. No high-end 

protective apparel. 

I cannot overstate the support I got 

from my father and mother when I 

started riding motorcycles. My wife, 

children and relatives have equally 

been supportive. The first question 

my father, being the fatherly figure he 

was, asked was about the photographs 

whenever I returned from an 

expedition. He just wanted to see what 

I had seen. 

My favourite expedition was one 

sponsored by Coca-Cola in 2006 on 

a Honda CG-125. We crossed eight 

high passes including Bunair, Karakar, 

Lowari and Shandoor, Babusar and 

“THE MOTORCYCLE 

GAVE ME THE 

FREEDOM TO 

TRAVEL” 

Burzil. It was my favourite expedition 

because of the level of adventure and 

difficult number of passes. 

My most challenging expedition was 

on a stretch from Jalkhad to Chilas, 

which today takes around 3-4 hours 

on newly laid tarmac road. Back in 

2009 it was still dirt and mud and 

took us 17 hours to ride. We had to 

cross 5 glaciers and on two occasions 

construct a road using rocks. Not 

foreseeing the condition of the road, 

we were not carrying anything to 

drink or eat. We crossed the 4000+ 

Not an uncommon sight in the mountains 

Good times 


DESTINATION SEASIDE 

speed of 37mph meant she’d never set 

any records, but in terms of durability, 

she was unbeatable. A name had been 

given to her; Dorothy, after her previous 

owner’s favourite character from a 

Wizard of Oz. That name had stuck. 

Beautiful scenery out this way 

It’s been 3 long years since I last 

rode this bike in anger. It’s a 105cc 

Honda CT110 that I originally 

rode back from Australia to England 

on and then a few years later rode 

from New York to Alaska, completing 

a 35,000 mile journey across the 

world. 

Time moves on and before you know 

it you’ve settled down, got married 

and found a whole host of things 

you need to be doing rather than 

riding your bike a long way. Be it 

paying bills, visiting elderly relatives 

or spending time with the people 

you love, sometimes the space for 

adventure isn’t quite so broad as it 

once was. And that’s not necessarily a 

bad thing. 

As time passes by though you do 

begin to wonder if you still have it 

in you. Does the bike still have it in 

it? Do the pair of you together still 

SOMETIMES ALL YOU HAVE TIME FOR IS TO SEE THE SEA. 

SOMETIMES THAT’S ENOUGH 

have it in you? Sometimes you need 

to find that out and test yourself. In 

many ways that’s the whole point of 

an adventure; a challenge you set for 

yourself. On this occasion I wouldn’t 

have long; just a day to hit the road 

and be back in time for dinner. 

Destination Seaside is a recognition 

that when pushed for time and 

opportunity the best thing to do is 

pick a point on 

the coast that has 

a nice route to 

get there, mark a 

date in the diary 

and hail, wind or 

shine get up that 

morning, get on 

the bike and get riding. No lying in 

bed looking for excuses. No putting 

things off any longer. 

I’ve found that no matter how miles 

you may have ridden in the past 

“ADVENTURE 

COMES IN 

TACKLING THE 

UNKNOWN” 

there will always be that same level 

of apprehension and nerves. You ask 

yourself; ‘What if things go wrong, 

what if the bike breaks down? What 

if you get cold and wet and the two 

hundred miles you have ahead of you 

are the longest two hundred miles of 

your life?’ Adventure for me comes in 

the tackling of my own reluctance. 

Based in Worcester the closest 

direction to the coast 

was west, towards Wales 

and the coastal town of 

Aberystwyth. It was a 

decision made simple by 

the scenic and winding A44 

that starts just outside of 

Worcester and leads almost 

completely uninterrupted to the sea; a 

distance of 100 miles each way. 

A 6am alarm call revealed a damp cold 

day ahead. The bike had been prepped 

and readied the previous night. Tyre 

pressures, axle bolts and oil levels all 

checked. I would pack an assortment 

of basic tools; a spare inner tube and 

a pump. It’s always best to be selfsufficient 

with these things. 

For clarification, the bike is a 2004 

Honda CT110, or Australian Postie 

bike as they’re more commonly 

known. I’d purchased it in Australia 

with 40,000 kilometres on the clock 

and a 3 year history as a postal 

delivery bike. I then attempted to 

ride it to England; coming across 

Australia, through Indonesia, 

Thailand, India, Pakistan, China, 

Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe. 

The bike never let me down; simple 

technology is often the best for such 

missions. Bar a top end re-bore in 

Seattle, new spokes in the rear wheel 

and a new throttle cable she was the 

same bike now as the day she rolled out 

the Honda factory. Average cruising 

Dorothy and I were now riding out 

of Worcester on a cold autumnal 

Saturday morning; bonfire night 

later that day. Layers of clothing 

weren’t enough to keep out the chill. 

It was bitter. Through the fringe of 

the Malverns and out towards the 

Welsh border we rode. Counting dead 

pheasants. Riding through showers 

of falling leaves. It’s the sudden sharp 

shock of exposure that hits you 

hardest at the start of these things. 

Alone on a bike, heading to nowhere. 

At Rhayader, rather than continue 

along the A44 straight into 

Aberystwyth, we turned off towards 

the Elan Valley and the Mountain 

Road running loosely parallel to the 

A44. I took a dirt trail across the top of 

the moorland. This old companion of 

mine squeaked and rattled beneath me. 

Seven brake horsepower never delivers 

acceleration, more of a constant chug. 

What if I break down out here? A 

puncture, bottom end failure at last? 

Don’t think about it, just ride. 

Back on tarmac the road through 

the Elan Valley was superb; Saturday 

and barely another soul to be seen. 

I’ve come to learn that this sense of 

isolation is the same here in Wales 

as it is in the Australian Outback or 

the steppe of Kazakhstan. I think the 

gain of doing this is to blow away 

cobwebs of the mind that begin to 

infest a sedentary life. That simple 

task of riding takes over. You ride like 

a person possessed and I suppose 

this is the benefit of being on such 

a slow bike. You’re flat out, but you 

still have all the time in the world to 

look around and acknowledge your 

surroundings. 

Aberystwyth was cold and wet upon 

arrival. Hands shaking and the 

promenade cafe closed for winter. 

Nothing much to do but acknowledge 

the ocean, take in the comfort that 

180 degrees of water gives you before 

considering the long frosty ride home. 

It takes about three hours to cover 100 

miles at these speeds. I felt every one 

of them. The weather drew bitter and 

grey. Cars turn side lights on. 

Chopping the journey into chunks 

works best for me; first Rhayader, then 

Leominster, then Worcester. Thirty 

miles at a time. I don’t understand how 

I rode this bike across the world, away 

from home for 9 months at a time. I 

realise it takes a very different mental 

space to even attempt such a thing. 

That mental space isn’t for everyone. It 

isn’t for me, not now. I’m happy with 

this instead; I’ve forced myself back out 

on the bike, challenged myself to do it. 

Now that I’ve done it I’m proud. This, I 

think, is what we adventure for; to feel 

better about ourselves. So pick a seaside 

destination and ride. You won’t regret it. 

‘Golf Course Lane’ near Rhayader 

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Wet and windy on Aberytwyth’s sea front 

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Getting into Adventure

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