The 7 golden rules for adventure happiness

Adventure

Andy and Alissa have been riding around the world for nearly eight years, covering more than 80,000 miles riding from the UK to Japan, through Southeast Asia, Australasia and the length of the Americas, and are now somewhere in Africa. Here’s what they’ve learned…

By Andy Davidson Photography Alissa Potter

Rule #1

Ride whatever bike makes you happy

Any bike will do – so long as you love riding it. That’s the only rule that matters with motorcycles. If you want to paddle your way through the Gobi on a Gold Wing, go for it. If that sparkling red Vespa makes you grin, perfect. If you dream of ripping up the Andes on a KTM 690, then saddle up. No one-size-fits-all exists in adventure riding. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need a £20,000, fully loaded monster dripping in accessories. You don’t. You don’t need a featherweight Dakar desert weapon, either.

We were told we couldn’t go two-up on a single-cylinder bike; that our Yamaha XT660R was too small. Turns out they were wrong – we loved it, and wouldn’t have chosen anything else. We’ve now gone even smaller, splitting the setup into two Honda CRF300Ls. For us, the longer the trip, the lighter the bike – the easier life gets, and the happier we are on the road.

But adventure travel is personal. What works for one rider may not work for another. We’ve met people riding round the world on everything from overloaded scooters to old Royal Enfields and even choppers. Meanwhile, plenty of folks are still at home arguing online about what bike you ‘should have’ – while the rest of us are out there, living it on the ‘wrong bikes’.

Rule #2

Remember, it’s your trip

Everyone has their own idea of what makes a great trip, and where you should and shouldn’t go. Take the time to figure out what you want from your travels. Off-road or tarmac? Camping or hotels? The Pyrenees or Peru? It’s your call – you don’t have to solo camp in the Hindu Kush for it to be an adventure. Decide what you want to do and go your own way.

You’ll always get opinions, especially when it comes to places people have heard aren’t safe – and they’re usually places they haven’t been themselves. The warnings about Mexican cartels were relentless, and for the first time in years we felt a flicker of apprehension crossing the border. One month turned into three riding remote goat tracks through the mountains. We fell in love with the country, its people and the tacos. Avoid Afghanistan? Some of our most unforgettable memories came from there. Don’t depart for your round the world trip in the middle of Storm Eleanor? Okay, that one was probably a good call.

On the flip side, you’ll also hear where you must go ‘or you haven’t really done it’. We’re often told we must ride a specific road or visit a certain place. We used to go out of our way to do it, only to find it’s not always our cup of tea. Recommendations are great, but don’t feel like you have to do and see everything and don’t be put off by someone else’s fears or travel preferences. It’s not their adventure – it’s yours.

Rule #3

Light is right

Overpacking is fine, we all do it. It just means you have to pay for postage to send stuff home later. We were heavily overloaded at the start – it took us nearly two years of continuous shedding before we got down to a lightweight setup. Now, nearly eight years on, we’re finally very minimal (apart from the huge Colombian vase Alissa is carrying in her pannier – don’t ask).

You can take as much as your rear subframe can handle – but an overweight bike makes life harder. It’s superfluous stuff that adds weight to your machine and your mind. Riding, turning, off-roading, picking up your bike, parking – it’s all harder. And unpacking stuff you’re not using every night is a waste of time.

Lay everything out you think you need, then go through each item with a ruthless eye. Try to use compact, lightweight gear. For example, we swapped all the layers, thermals and jumpers for one heated jacket that can be worn on and off the bike. Buy light, compact and low volume. Once you have it sorted, throw in a few luxuries that will make your life happier on the road. If you love to camp but it gives you cramp, take a lightweight chair. Just don’t go overboard. Our luxury items are a foldable silicone kettle, coffee maker and a ridiculous stash of English tea bags.

Light bikes and gear mean we can squeeze them into our rooms at night in dodgy areas, balance them on rickety handcranked wooden ferries and have the confidence to ride places we wouldn’t if our bikes were overloaded.

Rule #4

Set a budget

Budgeting helps you travel further, for longer. It doesn’t mean drinking river water and catching squirrels for dinner – it just stops you from blowing all your cash and having to turn back after a few mad weeks. Figure out how much you’ve got, set a rough budget and calculate how long it’ll last. You can then adjust as you go. It’s your call: spend on posh meals, fancy hotels and beers for a shorter trip; or stretch it with street food, wild camping and more time on the road.

We set a daily budget based on where we are. In pricier countries like the US, Australia or Japan, we camp, cook our own meals and keep things lean. In Southeast Asia or South America, money goes further, so we can afford a few more comforts.

Let’s say your budget is £25 a day, all in. If you camp and cook for five nights at £10 a day, then spend your full budget on guest houses the other two nights, you’ve only spent £100 that week instead of £175. That’s £75 saved. We stash that surplus in a separate pot for a proper bed, a slap-up meal, or a hot shower when it really counts.

That’s what makes it fun. Because when you’re on a long-term trip, you’re not on holiday – you’re living on the road. And when you earn your comforts, they taste even better.

Rule #5

Plan, but only a bit

A little planning goes a long way. We figure out the paperwork requirements for a country, pin a few must-see sights and roads on a map, check the weather season – and then go for it.

It’s a fine balance. Some riders go overboard, booking every day and plotting every route in advance. Others are totally carefree. Personally, we plan – but just enough. You’ll get far more out of your trip with a little prep. The zen riders can end up soggy in the wrong season, where the best mountain passes are closed. And the overplanners tend to miss the road magic that only happens when you’re not chasing a schedule.

So much changes on the road. You may meet a fellow rider heading somewhere you didn’t want to go alone. Or end up staying with a family you just met in Turkey. That Japanese rider you bumped into in Uzbekistan may invite you to his home in Kyoto for a week. Be open-minded. Go for those experiences, instead of rushing from one hotel reservation to the next.

But one thing matters above all when it comes to planning: always have a backup. Throw caution to the wind and see where the road takes you, but have a safety net in case it hits the fan. And that’s insurance. Never ride without personal medical cover. Alissa had a nasty crash in Nepal – spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula. Without insurance for that £25,000 hospital bill, we’d still be in Kathmandu washing dishes.

Rule #6

Invest in yourself

Riders spend fortunes on bikes, gear, and accessories – but rarely invest in themselves. Learning on the job works. But picking up a few key skills before you go makes life easier and builds confidence.

You don’t need to be an expert rider to travel the world – whatever your skill level, you’ll learn as you go. But if you’re new to rough terrain, hit as many off-road schools as you can. You’ll be amazed at what you pick up and how much fun they are. The UK has some cracking options, too.

Mechanics is the other big one. Tools put people off, especially if they’ve never used them. But don’t stress. You’ll figure it out. One of the most seasoned travellers we’ve met didn’t know where his spark plug was and had never changed a tube. As he popped his wooden leg on the bar in Southeast Asia, he said: ‘It’s just not my thing. I’d rather spend my time riding.’

Truth is, backstreet mechanics can fix and bodge almost anything. Help is out there. But with a bit of know-how, you’re better equipped to get yourself out of trouble. Take a maintenance class before you go. Strip your bike down as far as you’re comfortable. Practise changing tyres. Pay a mechanic to walk you through the basics. That little investment will make a huge difference. Investing in your skills gives you a solid foundation to build on, and the confidence to tackle that sandy track or fix something yourself when it counts.

Rule # 7

Enjoy it

Travelling by motorcycle is one of the best things you can do in life. But it’s easy to get caught up and stress over things going wrong, planning, dodgy borders, paperwork and mishaps. Instead, shift your mindset and learn to love those moments. Smile when things go wrong because it’ll lead to new experiences that you haven’t planned for. And happiness lives in those little unexpected things.

Take time to really appreciate what you’re doing – the good and the bad. Don’t worry if it goes wrong, things have a way of working themselves out. Have a rough plan, and a plan B if that fails, but don’t cling to them, because humans plan and the universe laughs anyway.

People are kind the world over, so don’t let the news scare you. Be open to interactions, meeting strangers and challenging yourself to ride places and do things you never thought possible. Over time you’ll change how you see life on the road. It’s not about getting from start to finish in the most streamlined way possible. You reach the end, great… now what? Home? The real story is everything in between.

Enjoy every moment of it and try not to stress any of it. Think about it that way, and you’ll stay happy no matter what your adventure throws at you.

Follow Andy and Alissa

Andy and Alissa packed up, sold everything and left the UK on 1 January 2018 to ride round the world indefinitely. They started their adventure riding two-up on a Yamaha XT660R, but recently switched to a pair of Honda CRF300Ls. Right now they are somewhere in South Africa. You can follow their adventures on madornomad.com

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