It’s All Part of The Adventure
When things don’t go to plan
There’s a romantic idea people have about long-distance motorcycle travel –endless open roads, perfect sunsets, and the freedom of simply riding off into the horizon. The reality is usually a little messier.
By the time we left for this trip, Richard’s bike “The Schnauzer” was already nine years old and had travelled more than 100,000 kilometres. “Old man on an old bike,” I joked more than once. “Classic man on a classic bike,” Richard would retort. “And I don’t crash,” he’d add for a dig! But there’s a certain confidence that comes from machines – and people – that have already been tested by life. Until, of course, something breaks.
And on day two, something did.
“ After a quick coffee in Worcester, we turned off the sealed road and began climbing a steep gravel track toward our campsite. Halfway up the hill, Richard’s gear lever snapped.
I felt my stomach drop. Day two. We hadn’t even left South Africa.
Richard crouched beside the bike, quietly practical, assessing the damage and reaching for his tools. With a spanner and some cable ties, he managed a temporary fix – just enough to keep us going until we could get the bike looked at properly.
We continued the climb, eventually reaching our campsite at the base of the Fonteintjiesberg Nature Reserve. Given it was Saturday, there was no chance of seeing a mechanic until Monday, so we booked in for three nights.“
Excerpt from: The Accidental Motorcyclist, 2026
In hindsight, the broken gear lever became a kind of initiation into the journey ahead. It forced us to adjust to the reality of life on the road: plans would change, things would break, and control was often an illusion.
Over the following ten months and 34 countries, we would face far bigger challenges than a snapped gear lever.
But this small moment, only two days into the trip, taught us one of the most important lessons of all – that adventure is rarely about things going smoothly. More often, it’s about how you respond when they don’t.
