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Image credit: www.iaincrockart.com

It was my first adventure to India joining over 100 other bikers in 2009 on the Goa to Kerala trip.

We were allocated groups and I was in a group of 4 people. I remain good friends with all of them and in particular Jim Mason.

We were passing through a beautiful tea plantation and for the first time I saw the wonderful sight of the dappled effect of the tea plants and the ladies in colourful costumes picking the tea. I got off my bike, which had my name on it, leaving the key in the ignition but with the engine off. I took some photos of the tea workers and then returned to my bike. It was gone! I couldn’t believe it.

Anyhow, there was another bike where mine was parked and this one also had the keys in the ignition. After an hour of deliberation, I deduced that despite my name being on the bike, somebody had done a similar thing to me but in error ridden off on my bike. So, I decided to get on the ‘spare’ bike and sort it all out in the evening. On I got and off I went. At the first set of corners I took a left and saw my buddy Andrew Bragg who was on his bike and stationary in the middle of the road talking to a child. I put my brakes on and to my horror they didn’t work.

I had 2 options; 1. Crash into Andrew and the child or 2. Drop my bike and use it and me as friction to stop before hitting Andrew. I chose 2 and took one for the team. Anyhow, when I was sitting in the ambulance this bloke turns up and said “was I the bloke that had his bike?” He apologised for taking my bike in error which was nice but then went on to say that the brakes didn’t work and he hadn’t got round to telling the mechanics. At this point red mist came over me and I tried to throttle the bloke.

Anyway, all ended well, my injuries were minor and it remains a story with a moral…never leave your bike with the keys in!

Tony Smith

TONY’S ADVENTURE TIP

Never leave your bike with the keys in!

ABOUT ‘ADVENTURER’S TALES’

A compilation of recollections in celebration of 10 years of Adventure Ashram, ‘Adventurer’s Tales’ is a true celebration of a decade of purposeful adventure by our charity partner Adventure Ashram, a small but mighty charity.

Complete with some great adventure tips, it not only provides handy pointers for when out ‘on the road’, but also some thought-provoking insights into the heart and spirit of adventure. Written with humour, passion and integrity, this wonderful book is a fine tribute to 10 years of Adventure Ashram. Click here to buy a copy.

If you are planning an adventure with Nomadic Knights, please consider raising funds for one of Adventure Ashram’s projects and help to make a difference to the people and places you explore. Anyone planning an adventure can choose to support Adventure Ashram.