Taking on a new demeanour…

I have ridden motorbikes sine I was 11 and riding has always been a source of enjoyment.  I look at bikes as a way of expressing oneself, as a method of stress relief, a source of joy and (occasionally) as a great way to impress the fairer sex.  Just ask my wife!

I have, however, never had to rely on my bike for anything other than the aforementioned.  I’ve always had access to a car and I have been lucky enough to afford relatively new bikes that are unlikely to let me down, that said it has happened and every time a Triumph was to blame, to be fair it was the same bike each time.

My little ride across Europe into countries where I don’t speak the language and that will feel alien has changed the way that I look at my bike. For the first time in 21 years my view of a bike has shifted.  I have spent a lot of time planning, preparing and packing for this ride and the other night I went outside to tuck Loki in for the night and it struck me.  For 3 weeks she is going to be my home, complete with food, shelter, clothing and communication as well as transport and navigation.  Suddenly I wanted to look after her better than I had just in case I did something that might make her want to leave me stranded in Romania.  I wanted to mend the scratches and push out the dents and restore her to concours condition.

Of course I’m not going to.  I can recall how, mostly through my poor riding, each scratch got there and in some cases even see the drop or fall in my mind’s eye.  These cosmetic scars are what give Loki her personality and her name. Loki – Norse God of Mischief.  They make an adventure bike look like it’s been on an adventure not just to the shops and back.  It’s just like cutting a notch in the bedpost, why fix them?  Each one reminds me of a…. Enough of that, you get the idea, the scratches stay!  I have looked after her, she is an adventure bike and has the scares to prove it and Loki won’t carry me home she will be my home.