Tell us a little about yourself?
Hello! My names Luke and I’m from the UK. I’m an ex-Soldier and history graduate who likes to spend my free time taking photos and riding my trusty Rally Raid Honda CB500x.
How and when did you get into riding?
I’ve been riding ever since I was 18. I deployed to Afghanistan that year, and then upon returning home, bought a little Honda CB125 to learn on and did my test. I’ve never looked back in the 14 years that have passed!
What are the best and worst things about riding?
Best and worst things for me are the weather. You can be kitted out with all the fancy gear you can buy, but if it rains and the temperature drops below freezing, it is still going to be a miserable ride. Whereas on a sunny day - some fresh wind and a country road can just about make your week. That’s not to say that the highs and lows of riding are completely tied to the ambient temperature. I think the highs and lows of the weather in itself are both the best and worst thing about riding.
Let me explain -
Like everyone, I’m guilty of driving in a car down the M4 for 4 hours, getting to my destination, and completely forgetting about the last 4 hours of my life. Sometimes, it’s a blessing as the drive was boring, sometimes its worrying. But either way, that’s 4 hours of being alive that has just been completely deleted from my memory. Now rain or shine, miserable or ecstatic, there are no 4 hours on a motorcycle that are completely gone. When I ride Cardiff to London on the M4 on a motorcycle on a cold January afternoon- I am absolutely miserable, there is no doubt about it. But with that misery, comes the highs.
The 5 minute fierce sunset as the rain stops, where all your troubles disappear. The final stretch into London, as you slow down and the windchill drops so your fingers can reanimate from the cold. Or the short smugness as you filter through the Bristol M4 Rush hour traffic and cut your google maps time down by 25minutes. Whatever happens on a bike, good or bad, is a memory - and that is precisely why I like it. In a finite world, with only finite time, why write off hours and hours of mindless distances in a car, when you can add a few more memories on a motorcycle.
Tell us about your most memorable ride to date?
My most memorable ride to date will be my world trip in which I returned from a couple of years ago. I travelled 6 continents, 75+ Countries, and 120,000 miles on the same little Honda that I have now. It took me several years, and gave me memories that will last a lifetime.
What’s the best piece of riding advice you’ve ever been given?
These a few bits of advice that I lived by on my round the world journey. Granted, I was a younger and more naïve individual at that time, but it’s always worked well for me. The most important thing that I’ve always kept to has been the following:
1. Don’t ride at night. - This is specifically for countries outside the UK/Europe. There is countless wildlife that crosses the road, dangerous people (in some places), terrible visibility and of course you are infinitely more prone to crashing from other means in the dark hours. If you do decide to brave it and it gets too cold or too risky, it then becomes an even bigger risk to camp after sunset, with no knowledge (or view) of the terrain. So morale of the story, when the sun reaches the horizon, find a spot to camp, get your warm can of beer out of your panniers and reminisce on the days ride. Sometimes things just don’t work out that way unfortunately.
Sometimes you have to ride at night, sometimes you have to camp in dodgy places because there is nowhere else. But if you’ve done everything you can to mitigate it and try to get to a destination before nightfall, then you’ve done your best!
How do you keep your bikes secure at home and on the go?
I keep my bike secure with a Litelok X1, various trackers and a cover. This so far has been ideal for me. I’ve got the confidence in the LiteLok that if an opportunist would spot the bike, then there is a big chance that they will fail to cut through the Litelok and leave it alone after a while.
Share your best tips to help others keep their bikes safe?
Best tips I can give is always keep the bike locked, and always keep the bike hidden. The world is full of people both bad and good, but unfortunately there is a common indifference to bike theft. If you keep your bike out in the open, chances are nobody will say a thing if someone is trying to saw through your lock in the middle of the day and your love affair with motorcycling will take a frustrating hit. If your bike is covered or out of sight, you will eliminate a large percentage of the opportunist thieves who would want to steal your bike.
A cover costs very little, and when locked to your wheel with a Litelok you will be going a long way to keeping it safe. Most people simply won’t notice the vehicle. Then those few who do, will have to get through the worlds toughest lock to get at your pride and joy. By the time they’ve got ¼ of the way through that, I’d hope they would either give up – Or failing that the tracker will alert you to movement and you’ll be running out of the tent or house in underwear armed with a 24mm tyre spanner.
When someone asks what kit you recommend, you say?
Kit-wise I’ve always been a lover of RevIT for motorcycle gear and Wolfman Luggage for Bags. They are both absolute powerhouses of their trades and the durability is frankly frightening. I have a strong belief both my motorcycle and my RevIT/Wolfman Gear will outlive me by 100s of years. I expect future humans to dig up my Wolfman Rocky Mountain saddle bags with a few tins of beans still preserved inside and a spare clutch cable. I’d also say don’t scrimp on locks and security. If it helps you sleep better at night, and keeps your pride and joy safe then its worth it. You don’t know how many people have noticed your bike sitting there, or watched your habits and will one day come to cash in on your security negligence.
What’s on your riding bucket list?
I still need to go to Ireland, which I have plans for this year, and Scandinavia. I’ve recently started to do shorter trips from Wales too, and I’m really enjoying the beautiful views and castles all across the Welsh landscape.
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