With New Bike Down in Deep Gravel
As a adventurous motorcycle rider, the least noble place to suddenly find yourself is on the ground. Yet there was, spooned up companionably with my latest adventure bike, in soft, deep gravel.
‘Damn it!’ I shouted angrily at the blue sky and actually relaxed a bit after I noticed a few clouds, my left knee and ankle pinched awkwardly under the heavy machine. Yes I was perturbed, but I wasn’t quite seeing red.
Luckily I was not alone and one of my friends had kindly stopped when I plunged ungracefully into the muck. As I quickly disentangled myself from earth and motorcycle (as much to save face as to reassure Thai riding buddies that I was okay), I realized that the little voice inside my head was questioning what the hell I was doing in the middle of nowhere. On a 230 kilogram new adventure bike that I’d only owned for a few days, and never did any serious riding on…
Riding a heavy adventure bike in Thailand, is a bucket list wish for many adventure motorcycle riders, and it was definitely at the top of my list when I first came to Thailand (now a long time ago). Other than some forest workers and the occasional local, however, there really isn’t much to see once you reach your destination. So, what makes riding a heavy adventure bike in Thailand so tempting?
