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Welcome to chapter fifty-six of our ‘Ready To Ride’ short stories series.

These are five quick snapshots of what we do, where we ride, the laughs had, and the general shenanigans and goings-on, while riding together over the Himalayas & through South India.

I’m posting these every Friday, and they’re an easy read; a few minutes are all you need.

Enjoy!

Alex Pirie
Founder & Lead Rider

“This will be fresh in my mind for a very long time, and I’m still pretty much speechless.

It’s the greatest ride that I’ve ever done, and keep doing what you are doing and don’t ever change it for any reason.

It’s a next-level motorcycle adventure on steroids.

The organisation was truly impressive.

From the very smallest detail to the taxis that picked us up. The 450’s looked like they had never been ridden and had been detailed that very morning. I knew from that moment on that I had picked the right tour operator.

Everything was perfect.

Right from the offset, Alex and Vidhya were incredible people to meet, and ran the tour like true professionals. The mechanics were equally nice to everyone and maintained the bikes, on occasion, throughout the night, while we slept.

I woke every morning and wondered what the day ahead would look like and whether it would it be any better than the previous one. Alex spoke to me several times over the two weeks and told me that I hadn’t seen anything yet, and he was correct.

Every day just got better.

If I never ride again in the next twenty years, the Roof Of India tour will always be the best trip I’ve ever done and the best choice I’ve ever made. I will see you again on another trip, 100%.

Fantastic, Epic, Incredible, Mind Blowing, Sensational, Emotional, Beyond Belief, Spectacular, Phenomenal, & Astounding.

These are just a few words to describe my Nomadic Knights Extreme Motorcycling experience.

After spending two weeks riding, it’s all down to you, and it would never be the same without you at the front. Leading fifteen naïve, gullible, and inexperienced riders into the unknown, which mostly felt like I had ridden to Mars and back.

It was magical.” – Duncan, June 2025.

Duncan gets it. It’s more than a motorcycle adventure – it’s about accepting the challenge and embracing a forgotten way of life.

You never know what you’ll come across…

Sheep. Truck. Dog. Rickshaw. Elephant.

A man standing in the middle of the road.

A cow coming straight towards you.

Chickens everywhere.

Out here on the roads of India, you could come across anything – and nearly everything. You truly never know what’s waiting just round the corner.

But do we ever, really? We can take a good guess.

Sometimes we’re right.
Sometimes we’re not.

The unpredictability of what lies ahead is one of life’s great certainties.
It can be both thrilling and unnerving.

But if we stay flexible, embrace the unexpected and keep moving forward, we’ll always find our way – no matter what’s in the road.

Not everyone can say they’ve ridden across a landscape that feels like another planet.

But our riders can.

On the Roof Of India adventure, we climb beyond 5,300 metres – where the air thins, the world falls away, and the earth turns lunar.

Vast, silent valleys.
Jagged, snow-capped peaks.

Terrain that looks more like Mars than anywhere on Earth.
Rock formations that look like abstract art.

Villages that appear from nowhere – sudden bursts of colour and life against the barren backdrop.

This isn’t just another ride.

It’s a journey through another world – and the kind of adventure you’ll talk about for the rest of your life.

The Last Hurrah!

Last weekend, we wrapped up our final ride of 2025 – and there’s nothing quite like ending the year with one more epic adventure to Everest Base Camp alongside a crew of like-minded explorers.

A huge shoutout to all our riders and the team – for their grit, determination, and unshakable spirit.

It’s been incredible to see how each journey resonates with you – your stories, photos, and reflections remind us why we do what we do.

We’ve been truly lucky to share these roads and moments with such an amazing group of adventurers.

It’s a dog’s life…

For many dog lovers, seeing dogs without a home in India can be difficult.

There’s no denying that most of these dogs don’t live the same kind of life that pets do.

But it’s important to remember that the dogs here are different.

They survive on instinct, and if you spend long enough watching them, you’ll start to notice the hierarchy within their groups. It’s quite remarkable to see them living in packs – digging holes in the beach to sleep in, travelling from town to town together, and usually being very inquisitive about humans, for all the right reasons.

Some dogs are a familiar sight in neighbourhoods and are often fed and cared for by local residents – with some even being taken to the vet when needed.

It’s another reminder that things aren’t always what they seem.

And whilst these dogs don’t have the same life as pampered pets, that’s not to say they’d necessarily be happier living as one.

Enjoy the ride.

I’ll see you on the next one.