TAMP Season 3 Episode 3 With Ben King (on The Road)

Hello and welcome to the trail and Adventure motorbike podcast with me Clive Barber and my good mate no Tom for
the days when you can't ride your bike there's always the trail and Adventure motorbike podcast
welcome back I've been looking forward to this one I've been chat to this guy for a while and we've managed to pin him
down sadly no can't make it he's tatting in France yeah it's ridiculous how much
time that guy has to go away and have fun so we've got a guest presenter mark from the lightweight adventurers
delighted to welcome him I'm sure he's going to make a great contribution and ask some great questions who is it it's
Ben King on the road here we go
foreign if you had four hours I would tell you the full story but I actually worked for Apple twice and the first time I worked
was Ben long story short got fired uh not from not it wasn't gonna make someone else put a photo with me online
it was in this before I went viral back in 2013 or so I got fired and banned
from Apple and I reapplied four years later as Dave and then I worked for for two years at
Apple come Garden because I worked a lot for the first time applied for Covent Garden and worked for as Dave for two
years Apple uh before I got found out and then left again and that's the magic of my trip
oh my God this is amazing this is so good I'm sorry about that I'm literally
honestly it's it's I don't know how I managed to work for these tech companies when I'm useless with tech it's hilarious
you're probably looking at Mark here thinking he's he's null but he's gonna say where yeah I'm a very different
looking Knoll yeah so no I was gonna say unfortunately it's not unfortunate for him he's in France touring on his
motorbike so he couldn't make it so I've asked Mark you may or may not recognize
but we we did a podcast with Mark a few weeks ago and Jamie who are the lightweight adventurers so Mark is
basically standing in for null because I invited him to come on I thought because it tends to work better when there's a
few of you having a chat because it's very much kind of a round table kind of discussion so I just realized the last
I'm not a podcast in in a little while the last mid one was with Bruce smart and 2.1 and it was I think by the end of
it I lost track of what I was saying I went through so many hell it was hazy Janes or funkabias and by and it was
about it was like it must be over two hours long and I mean we also stopped about four times so I could go for a
piss because I just drunks so Ben what I think I mentioned to you
before when we were chatting on uh WhatsApp is that obviously you've done the the one I listened to which was a
great podcast and they do great podcasts it's the adventure Rider radio stuff the one that you did when you were in Iran
with your broken arm and your dysentery or whatever it was and you'd never have guessed because you
were very professional on that you did a great job so that was back in 2018 so
what I don't really want to do with this is to rehash that kind of ground that's all there because people can just go to
that podcast in 2018 and you tell everybody about your you know around the
world trip that that you're currently on so that's a great podcast so we're going to kind of approach this from a slightly
different angle and ask some questions hopefully that you've not been asked before it's a real actually so I've
honestly I've been so buzzing for this thanks but I don't I don't really ever talk about like my triple bikes really
like not I I when I first came back I did like Yeah The Adventure Run and then Bruce and that's pretty much it um I
think I've done like two events and that's really I've done so this is yeah I'm really excited it's going to get me in the uh in the mood for Adventure
again but to fill people in it'd be really nice just to talk a little bit about we'll talk about you first of all
we always like to ask people what they've got in the garage if you've got a garage I know you live in North London not everybody in London has a garage and
then we'll kind of maybe just talk a little bit about the chronology of your trip trip so obviously you had the
accident in 2017 you start traveling on the motorbike in whenever it was and I
know you've done you've done South America you've done kind of around the world so just to put that in sequence
for people as well and we'll talk a bit about that yeah just tell us who you are and why are we talking to you but before
I begin I should probably say it's anyone this is kind of hard following on from uh from audiomotive last week
because he's like a real life superhero who actually who actually saves people's lives and then I wouldn't want you to
just crash my bike he's like insane so if anyone who's listening who's expecting someone really cool at olimoto
then you should uh switch off now but um so that's a bad sorry I should say
that because and then Evans no don't switch off uh stage I'm Ben Ben King on social media I'm the
king on the road people think I'm really arrogant but it's not it's because my last name is king that's why it's kicking on the road do you know what Ben
I've always read it without reading it properly until this week as king king of the road yeah
hang on a minute that isn't quite as arrogant because it's King on the road he's just it's Ben King it's his name
and he's traveling on the road that's fine and you know what's really funny Ben before I started but before I even
bought a CRF I wrote a CRF myself before I even bought one I watched all of your videos and nearly every single video of
yours and so we're talking two or three years ago here and I've up to this week I thought you was King of the Road well
I tried I tried to go for King of the Road but it was taken by some guy who's never ever pushed anything he's just I
think he's just off he's got the domain name but never actually used it so I was going to message him but in the end I managed to find King on the road and I
thought it could have had a bit of ring but what was great is they hear that song that what's that song um
I was like this is like this is like a sign I was able to use that song it's like copyright issue there but I use
that so in one of my videos like the first one I ever made and that song is just perfect for like Adventure because
also that song features in the film uh into the wild with Christopher McCandless which is an amazing Adventure
film that song actually features in that film as well and I was like all these things that came together then I found a
jazz band in America who did a cover of it which meant I could use it without the copyright issues they did a version they sent it to me
and I was able to use that version on my video so like all this stuff like and those guys were bikers as well the Jazz Band I was like what all these things
like just fitted in perfectly it was just it was amazing so yeah that's the song that I had I mean the film into the
wild didn't end brilliantly did it so maybe let's not emulate that one perfectly
so we've got as far as your name oh yeah so you have to keep something I go on like weird tangents and get a bit carried away we like that and and this
is only our first hit with the beer so who knows what's gonna happen after the whole crates down so uh Ben um yeah I'm now 26 yeah 26 now a set of nine years
ago uh when I was 17 uh after I was in I was involved in a car crash when I was in school luckily everyone was fine but
it really shook me up and I just thought I can't do this so I decided to drop out of school not go to university and then just start traveling so I moved to
Vietnam lived there for a little while and Saigon got into motorbikes ended up restoring all Classic Bikes uh that have
been abandoned from the Vietnam War there's still those uh so and sold them to expats and whatever most of the money
from that do some teaching on the side then head over South America got a bike headed down South America away because I
kept crashing my bike loads of times and ended up getting my buses for a little bit of it as well finally got down to the bottom and then came back to England
and then shortly after one of my good friends India she passed away with a form of Crohn's disease called
ulcerative colitis she was you know similarated to me only about a year or so older than me it was super rare to actually get you know to get cancer and
pass away uh with uh with ulcerative colitis but I thought oh I want to keep traveling but I'll do something good for
once so because the name is India I thought what if I ride from London to India to raise money and awareness for Crohn's UK and that's how the trip came
about but then I also was like my sister was in Australia at the time I thought we could go and see her and it's really
funny like when you look at a map that it gets smaller and smaller the more you look into it and I thought what if I'm already in India I'm already halfway to
Australia I could keep going but then I also went to do the South America again because I loved it I also wanted to do the long way round route as well like
going through Russia I just want to do everything I couldn't decide but I thought you know what let's just do the indiru first and the whole going to be I
already well the funny thing is really is that all this like looking at different routes and planning and I actually never even made it to India
I got to no man's land oh this is so bad I got to No Man's Land trying to crush from it you see what
yeah to be almost two years I think to get from London to to the China border of Pakistan and then you've got to No
Man's out of India and they said no you can't come in your Visa expired like three months ago or something like I had
been I hadn't been taking a look at my passport because I spent almost half a year in Pakistan just because I loved it so much by the time I tried to go to
India my Visa expired okay how to convert to Pakistan but yeah so it was it was it was it was nuts that
was so it makes it looks so sure that's basically what I've been up to and then yes the Visa expired I couldn't get indeed in India did my Visa for Pakistan
was about to expire and what was really funny is I can't remember exactly the storyline I don't know if I mentioned it in one of my individual radio one but
basically I'm pretty sure like I got a message from some rich guys in in Dubai
because he followed me and they said hey we'd love to host you in Dubai one day and I said I'm really sorry but Tobias not on my route
um I'm heading east not to not I'm gonna get to India they said oh well anyways let's let us know if you ever are in
Dubai and then I think it was that same day was it that I I couldn't get into India couldn't and I had to leave Pakistan because my Pakistan please was
about to expire so I was like oh actually hang on I'm not going to go to Dubai meet these guys who just message you in Instagram so I did I think I
don't messaging him something actually funny story I usually play Pakistan could you host me they're like yeah of course so I went to Dubai and they were
bikers they they stay in their like Clubhouse and they had loads of bikes to choose from so I got to go and ride around to buy in a KTM 690 which was
freaking awesome um which was extremely random but anyway yeah so I had to leave Pakistan because my Blues expired I
couldn't extend it anymore because I'd maxed it out I'd already spent so long there and I'd already maxed it out like
four times maybe and after extending it four times you have to leave the country so I know she wants to leave the bike in Pakistan get back to London get any Visa
in the British Pakistan Embassy in London and their plan was then to fly back and continue and then get new
Indian visa as well and continue East that's what happened then obviously came back had an issue with my Visa because I
had loads of stamps in it the first time applied it was fine this time I had loads of issues with the with my stamps I had in my passport and they thought
why have you been in Pakistan so long I've got Indian stamped by College of Indian visas and whatever so they wouldn't give it to me when ages waiting
and I finally got it finally got my uh my Pakistan Visa my Indian visa sorted literally like it was like two or three
days later that's when covered here and I was then stuck in my bike's still out there but they're crazy what's the best
thing is people always say oh but your bike's it's in pieces now it's pretty destroyed but what's what's what's the
coolest part is that it's actually being looked after by the prime minister's uh family so Imran Khan who well actually
that's a lie he's not the Prime Minister anymore if anyone who follows the news will know who's got ousted like three
weeks ago maybe yeah recently so actually so that's my claim to fame now gone because now yeah so it's his sister
I think his sister is married to my friend Abdullah who just found my
Instagram I didn't know who he was at the time and then he'd end up um so I stay with him for a while he hates me he's the most amazing person ever his
family's incredible um and yeah he's looking after my bike this is in Pakistan and Lahore presumably this is in Lahore yeah yeah
so I mean ignore the fact that he's a the Prime Minister he's still an absolute Cricket Legend as well and then
we're talking about exactly so so you know your claim to famous it's with an absolute Cricket legender a name that
would go down in the channels of History that's incredible how do you get to know these people I basically planned my
whole route through social media but like I have to say I hate actually with a passion I think social media is like
the worst thing like it's just ruling young people today but also when you take a trip it's the greatest thing
because it puts you in touch with people so for me I spend my time thinking of social media and looking like you guys went uh you're in Spain recently right
and I was just getting so jealous and I was like man why do I why am I still looking social media it makes me sad
here I'm stuck behind a desk I Want to Be Free so in that way I hate social media yeah but then you know just
because I was just jealous of you guys having a fun time because I'm a horrible person but
um but but like when you're on a trip it's amazing right because you can just connect with so many people and that was basically how I planned my route and I
would I would say where I knew people knew I was heading east and then people would just message me and say Hey listen I see your you know in this place if you
when you get to next town I'd love to host you or when you get to New York or Cape Town or wherever I've got a beer
for you or uh you know you've got a spare bed or I'll fix your bike for you there's all these different offers so I
literally I think when I set up I think it took me about six seven eight months maybe to leave
Europe um and I know some people have gone around the world in in less than that time and that's how long it's for me to
get out of turkey just because I kept getting messages on Instagram from people saying ah I see that your your
name come and meet my friend he just he's only like I don't know 300 kilometers from you I was like cool why
not so I actually just turn around and go a different direction so I was heading down Italy and some guy message me Dan Dan banks in Switzerland said hey
I'd like to shoot in Switzerland you could stay in my in my Chalet let me my family and I'll give you a tour of the Alps and I was like yes so I turned
around did a massive detour up to Switzerland and then I stayed with him he was the most amazing person ever I was supposed to head east
then Kentucky but he said oh no you must be my friend Billy he lives in the Nurburgring which is completely the wrong direction it's north back towards
England but I was like well why not um and then end up spending like I think five five or six weeks I end up staying
at the Nurburgring um just living with him and his family this guy had never met just happened to be a friend of this other guy who'd messaged me on Instagram
it was just so random and you know what social I'm not dead and social media is
full of all these characters but you you don't know from Adam and the they they could be anywhere so how do you place
your trust in complete strangers yeah it's so funny if you like the first
thing you're told when you're a kid like your parents always say don't uh don't get into like stranger's car don't talk
to strangers or whatever and basically when you're traveling that's pretty much all you do every day
is just getting into random people's cars if you're maybe if you're backpacking or oh I'm talking to strangers if you know if you're doing
Overland trip and that's literally what I did all the time and now I think about it it's actually a miracle that I'm not dead but I don't know how but it's weird
you get this we'll come on you get this like weird I can't describe
it people people meet me right and they always maybe I'll give this impression maybe I don't know but they always think I'm like this really
stupid naive person um too Fair some of the story as I tell actually I don't blame them for thinking
that actually
I feel like I'm a fairly good touch of character now um and then when I was when I was 17 and
then left England I was super naive and stupid and I ended up getting mugged in
Cambodia and got my everything's stolen from me and I was super trusting of everyone then and and I think I was late
at night walking on the beach by myself and it was this an idiot and I think I learned that like the hard way never to
and then they came out with Knives Out the bushes on the on this beachfront and that was terrifying but like
duvet it was it was cynicville I would never go back to anyone I would never ever go back to Cambodia because of that
I'm sure it's a lovely place but purely because of that one moment I'm now I'm done with him earlier but anyway um sorry if any cambodians are watching I'm
sure you're all lovely people are just that's that scar me for life at that moment anyway um so I went on a tangent yeah so after
that happened and ever since then nothing has ever gone wrong ever I've had nothing stolen no one's tried to harm me like and I think so now I'm like
super I'm like cautious but I don't give the impression that I'm cautious the lovely thing about you Ben is you you
come across you you have a a really positive attitude and that shines through on the social media that you do
and you you do a lot of live Facebook stuff don't you which is which is what I was kind of watching while you were traveling so you're endlessly optimistic
you're absolutely friendly people must warm to you almost instantly and almost
speaking as a father kind of want to look after you do you kind of recognize that in yourself that you are this very
optimistic friendly chap 100 everyone who is me always they oh the first
question often ask me is is where where I get my cocaine from um and I'm like no I'm like sorry if I
was I wouldn't be able to do a trip if I was buying this a crazy expensive drug
um because I worked oh yeah so yeah so I always I've always no matter what I've always tried to be positive and I think a smog goes such a long way so everyone
says that it's so cliche but it is true if Margo's a long way it's because he's smiling especially by yourself you're not people will see you as as not
threats and another thing is like even yeah even when things went wrong and
I know and I had like some bad moments I always stay positive because
I'd worked so hard to get on the trip people always used to think that I was like a spoiled rich kid who had my
parents give pay for my trip I like which is not the case at all and she did everything I had to work multiple jobs
which I think I talked about an adventure at a radio I was doing multiple jobs getting up like three four a.m to become to do online shopping at
the waitrose store the crazy crazy rich people in Hertfordshire who needed their food at 6am if you didn't want people to
think you were Rich you should have probably said Morrisons or somewhere like that not waitrose
I did not help myself there yeah wait wait did I say waitrose sorry I'm
in poundland I'm in poundland I was getting up at three for him to do the online shopping for the delivery drivers
for Thailand and um I would do that and then get the get the train um into another and do a full full shift
uh at Apple and then we'll finish that and then come back and do more work and it was like do that Non-Stop and I did
that for you know over 18 months I think in the end until I was so burnt out that I was just so run down from doing crazy
hours and having no days off but I just that's when I finally left and uh I think because I'd work so hard for it
and every single day like you know when like something's in your head and every single morning you wake up until you go to sleep that's that's the only thing that I thought
about was doing the trip and I would I literally would spend every day listening to Adventure ad radio podcasts watching videos on YouTube people
traveling and that's it that's what I thought about it like consumed me so when I got on the road when things went
wrong I was like oh well I knew this was gonna happen I dreamed but I've dreamed of this for so long I've worked so hard at this moment that nothing could ever
make me feel sad and I think that's just sort of state of me now ever you know from forever and do you think there was
ever a danger then when you got on the road that potentially it could let you down because you'd looked you'd look forward to it first for so long and
worked so hard for it it was this on this panace here it's on this pedestal and then all of a sudden oh this is this
is it I had she never even thought about that that's actually a good point because it could have been so disappointing and I could have just I
could have gone through Europe and just been like no this isn't being come home what's he there people thought that actually when I went to the Nurburgring and spent
ages ages there everyone social media thought are you it's just I'll put you around the world and you just stuck in
in the nevergreen in Germany and at this point I think I've been on the road for like a couple of months now because I've
gone down to Italy and then back up again and I think I actually ended up further north than when I'd left London at one point when I was like near the
Danish border and people thought that people thought I'd given up it's funny for most people that Europe is the first thing that they do when they go get like
a motorbike or go into like maybe a cyclist or a bike are they the Europe is the first place to explore and so but
for me I'd never done Europe I've done Eastern Asia and I've done South America but I'd never done Europe so for me Europe was this exciting Adventure so I
was loving it and I was like but everyone else was like what why is he spending so long in Europe like what that's so
but yeah you're right I never actually there's not a single moment when I yeah that I ever thought no this isn't me I
literally I think I just loved I think I think I was just on adrenaline the entire time honestly I think it was anyone I came back from Pakistan and it
finally like hit me oh wow like it also built up and that's when I got like the
whole like the holiday Blues like to an extreme like I'd never felt anything like that in my life that was that was a
crazy feeling coming back from Pakistan and covered here and knowing that I couldn't get back on the road again and
I was like this is all I've thought about for all I thought about all and all I've done for like five years that
was a that was a weird that was that was like that was crazy well that was going to be my next question because I I've been on the first time I went to Morocco
I think I was there for six days and I came back and I reckon I was depressed for about a month afterwards because it
had been this amazing experience for six days and it's just like I need to go and do that again and I just booked on to go
for the following year as well but it's interesting isn't it the way you're you must have you must feel like you've got unfinished business really because your
bike's still out there you you presumably you're working again now to save enough money up so you can get back
out there 100 it's um it's really weird if I if I'd known
because yes the initial plan was obviously trying right around the world and get the world record and become the
youngest whatever to go sail around the world and then I said at least as soon as I
got as soon as I got on the road it was pretty funny because when I left England everyone was saying a lot of people were messaging me saying don't let this
record like don't let it take over your you know you're having a good time make sure you still enjoy the trip just and
whatever and they're like oh you don't run out I don't understand what they were saying and it's literally as soon as got on the road as soon as I started meeting people and staying with people
and spending weeks and weeks in each place and getting to know it well I certainly realize what they meant because yeah you don't want to rush
around because it's such a once in a lifetime experience so yes and I slow down and end up as you're getting disqualified actually from the world
record because um because the the record States you can't spend more than two
weeks in one place you've got to be constantly moving in the same direction and I smoke I think I think I got
disqualified within like the first month uh from it so after that I just I just
slowed down and enjoyed it and and apparently thinks if I'd known I was gonna be a pandemic would I have sped up
and done more and and done the whole world because I could have done the whole world in in the two years to get to China I'm like I don't know I can't
have this battle in my head like would I have sped up or not personally I'm glad I did where I did because I wouldn't
have had half the experiences I had and met the people I'd met and gotten to know the place so well but then at the same time it would have been cool to
have seen more because yeah you see I've got unfinished business and I want to do it so I'm literally just yeah at the moment I have to make sure that my boss
doesn't listen to whatever I say on this podcast
um to save up um I I guess I've got to get this out so next year I want to get get this trip
done because until I've completed it I won't be able to I won't be able to rest it's like always it's always on my in my uh in my head and
and I want to go back and continue doing at the same Pace I did before last year I got a job in in marketing because okay
obviously because I came back to Pakistan then during the pandemic I was like oh look I want to keep busy so I
got a job as a waitrose delivery driver to keep myself busy you know during covet this is back when we thought it
was only gonna be a few months and then I thought I could then do that for a little bit and then head off back to Pakistan and continue then it went on
for about a year and I thought I can't be delivery driver I can't keep doing this if this pandemic is gonna go on for longer so I was like okay let's look at
doing jobs um I've got no qualifications no skills really um could be quite a fun thing to do so I
looked and I ended up getting a job in marketing and then about four months later I got a um a call from Google
asking me if I if I wanted to join Google so I actually had to leave and then I moved over to Google so I'm a Google Now
when you go back and get your bike next year hopefully Ben how long do you think the triple have you got a design of how
long it'll take Europe you're just open-ended uh you know we'll complete this what I'm doing right now with
Google is I actually love my job and it's really I'm really enjoying it until
the initial plan was just to go and go straight up but I wanna so yeah I want to stay doing what I'm doing for a
little while and also obviously want to go on the road so I mean in a deal world if I can
leave and do my trip and then come back and then go back to Google that'll be great because I really it's a great team
it's a great job itself it's really rewarding and it's what I want to do but then obviously if but I if I plan on
spending seven years finishing my trip there's no way they're going to take me back after seven years I'm like I'm gonna like shoot now what do I do do I
do it in different stages or or and I mean you could I cook around the world like most people do and do it in like a
in less than a year but I just feel like going slowly is is such a great way of you meet so many people like it's just
it's just I just love it it's so it's really funny whenever I speak with Travelers yourself or anybody that's
traveled you know extensively um by any means really it comes down to a matter of identity doesn't it they
work to pay the bills back home so they might be a marketeer they might be a tray you know they might be whichever but the heart they're a traveler but of
course traveling doesn't necessarily pay the bills it pays your existence traveling so I think it's really a matter of um self-identity and and I
just wondered what what's your take on it do you see yourself up as a traveler himself as a corporate marketing man or
what do you see yourself as so so yeah since um 2017 had the car crash I feel
like well I've always been well all I've thought about what all I've done is been traveling and when I've come back to England to save up money to go back
travel again what I've thought about is being back on the road and I've always sort of I've never sort of in terms of
like if I've been dating someone I've never wanted to commit to a girl and you know have a serious relationship because I've always known I'm leaving again and
I don't want to you know upset her or whatever so because it basically has like consumed my entire life for yeah
for nine years so yeah and also I wouldn't I also wouldn't even consider myself a biker a biking is purely like
I'm like the worst rider ever if I can like it's just a means getting round I think biking this is similar transport
well they're saying that actually and I speak to you guys about this actually as well but I really really want to get speaking of like being an awful Rider I
want to get into like more off-road riding because I've got the Bonneville the Bonneville 200 black now that was my
dream bike for years I finally got back and that's in my garage at the moment but I missed to see if I miss getting off road I went to the Peaks uh not too
long ago with some friends and we did some off-roading it it was so much fun it was like it was epic like I want to do more like already and even like last
year at the ABR Festival I couldn't ride the Bonneville off-road because well I would have just destroyed it because I'm
so bad plus one of it was not redesigned for off-road so I ended up going on the back of other people's bikes um on the back of a guy bike Edge that if you know
from Instagram awesome yeah you have some variety of like HTTP 2 MAV and that's right yeah he's they're amazing I
was going on the back of them and it was so much fun I was like oh I want to do this on a bike so I miss I miss having the CRF in England but I wish so yeah if
you know anyone who's selling a cheap like cheap jury bike whatever that would be that would be I want to get I want to
do more the CRF is the perfect bike for it I've gone from the KTM 400 Enduro bike which is very old now to a CRF 300
and it and it's fine it's a bit heavy and it's a bit underpowered but it's perfect for trail riding around here but
I think it's interesting your your journey to off-road stuff is is just a
journey that I know I was chatting I went out with some guys at the weekend into the Yorkshire Dales and there was a guy there it was about 65 and he's just
discovered a trail ridings that I've been riding road bikes all my life and he said why didn't I do this 40 years
ago this is I've had more fun today than I've had in the last 10 years worth of riding I only got into off-road riding
maybe two years or so ago you know and I repeat partly inspired by yourself Ben so cheers for that but
um I I well I bought a CRF so I bought a CRF250 and so did the the guy that I run
our Channel with off the back of your meeting with Austin Vince I watched that video when you went down and modified
your your CRF so what what delivered you at the CRF because I know what delivered
me at the CRF but what because there's a number of bikes out there that sort of capable for for what you might have
chosen but but why the CRF oh my God there's so many things I
wanted to oh there's two things to talk about this is amazing okay so funny following through when I left I was well
when I wanted to leave I initially was looking at the Bonneville for my trip back in 2016. because that's because I've always
wanted one of those since I was a little kid but then I thought it's not really a practical bike because then I started looking at the BMW F800 and the tiger
800 as well and I remember going to I think I met Austin for the first time at a travel show in somewhere in London
Olympia I think it was it wasn't that wasn't that one of the big shows it was like a small little show and he was doing a little seminar sort of thing I
think it was I think it was the lowest actually and uh I never met before and I saw him and straight away we've gotten
so well and I said about us doing this trip and he invited he said oh where'd you live I said I live in near Watford
near Hertfordshire he goes she's like 10 minutes down the road from me so he invited me to his back to his canal boat where he had his his crfs and we got
Chang and uh he said have you thought about CRF I said well no I wanted a BMW
or a Triumph and so he said no no don't go don't go for these big bikes you need something small and light and I was like
what I'm not gonna lie the first time I saw the CRF I just thought so I looked at it I thought it doesn't do anything
for me but in my head after all the stuff got seen on TV for me a big bike looked
cool and I was so caught up in wanting to look cool when I was doing this trip and I was like no I want to do a big
bike with panniers and everything and I saw the CRF and I instantly just thought no honestly I can't believe I'm actually saying this out loud right now
I feel ashamed as I say it's out loud because now I look at my CRF and I just think it's the most beautiful thing in the world but at the time I was like oh
no I want to go for a big bike that's shiny or whatever anyway I actually I actually put a deposit down uh on a Triumph Tiger 800
and I went to the Hemel Hempstead to dealership to pick it up and I hope the guy as doesn't matter anymore because
the guy when I went to pick it up the guy who was selling it it couldn't get it off the center stand and he was a big guy and I was like this is embarrassing
if he can't get it he's like a bodybuilder I'm like a weedy little stick I look like like my nickname at Apple was twiddle it because I'm so like
just like and I was like and I was like man if you can't do it I've got no hope and I
literally said that I had this weird like thing I was like nope I can't I can't go for this so I actually I actually pulled out of the deal and I'd
already put to put it down on this tiger I'd also put a deposit down on a Bonneville I think I just started just deposit down I think I had like
a thousand pounds worth of money on deposits somehow I got all the money back which is nuts normally they you have no legs
stand on there but you're right to keep it but I ended up harassing them like all the companies they can email them every day and eventually get the money back luckily but anyway Austin because
then I went with Austin's thing and I because I know that was it he said let's go for a little spin so he put some
cones out in his yard and he made me do a little figure of eight thing in his yard because obviously he was on his bike and he was going to be trusting me with Lois's bike and I think at this
point I didn't think I had a license yet I hope as the police do you listen to
this because because we because we did little it's like obviously you could see that wasn't completely dumb because I had even though I had ridden across Asia
I'd ridden across down South America and so I done and and Morocco so I've
done a little writing for years but I still wouldn't have a license in the UK so it was like I was I heard it was like on a bike while they were saying that
it's when every time I get on the bike it looks like it's my first time because I'm so bad but like I didn't crash and he's trusted me with Lewis's bike and
then we went like um on down the blames and stuff around axbridge and I loved it I thought this is great it's light and
easy and that's why I went and so I went for CRF and it's all thanks to Austin on Aussie I've been to Austin I would have gone for Bonneville or like an old
Bonneville or a Triumph Tiger or a BMW engine and he's he literally saved me and and then he did and yeah they did of
course literally the next day after buying it we went straight to his and started drilling into it and putting her shopping shopping basket thing on the
front and like all this stuff yes and then I literally crashed I went through um I went to his on he invited me down
to his one of his mini Mundos um which was actually incredible it was so good it was like a little Shakedown trip and um I was so prepared for that
uh and and I literally I think the first time I crashed I just smashed off that front basket like drilled into the bike
it came off straight away and I was like how on Earth has he managed to keep his on his bike so many years like what my
first crashing that came off anyway so clearly he's a bit much better Rider than me but yeah that's how I ended up with the CRF long story well it you know
it's funny actually because you put a luggage rack on the side of yours or Austin had put a beam across so that your bags wouldn't swing into the wheel
and I remember seeing that particular thing and and recently I was down in the south of Spain on mine and uh we had an
incident anyway and so we found a little workshop and I said to Jamie who I was riding with I said I'm going to do an
Austin Vince fix on this um and from all those years back watching him do that on your bike we did
the same on mine in south of Spain so there you go that there's your little Legacy right there but it's sitting in my garage
what luggage system then have you got on your CRF at the moment just just a soft bag which is like a saddle bag but just
flops over it's bag text it's it's cheap and it's affordable um but I ride the rally which has
typically got the fairings so and I'd snap this tool tube off and it I don't
want to spoil it for anybody that's listening and watching our series but it it snapped this thing so we made the Austin Vince brace which again if
anybody's watching this and waiting for our series I'll spoil it but but yeah and it's all down to watching you and
and what he had done to your bike so and I knew it would work so therefore we went and did it so there you go it's
fantastic I've got the fabulous new adventure spec magadans on my bike yeah I'm and I'm very envious yeah and
I'm incredibly envious yeah actually yeah on your trip recently I was honestly I really I'm praying that
you one day when I get a like a CF again here that you'll invite me into your private writing Club invite me down to
Spain because honestly you look like you had the best time honestly and Greg is like gets the coolest shots it looked amazing yeah she's a there's some I mean
there's three very very good photographers and film makers on those trips so we're we're very lucky and I
saw the First dress for the film as well uh last week oh yeah it looks absolutely nice yeah so I think it's gonna be
another crack I was I was speaking with Greg only last week and he said he had six hours footage because uh sorry Ben I
must explain that Clive and I went on separate trips to Spain at the same time so we were going south uh these guys
were coming east west so we we were intending to meet up actually but never happened but yeah I was speaking with Greg and he said you had six months six
hours of footage condensed to you know a film of 25 minutes whereas whereas we've got we've got 20 hours of footage and
we've put 28 hours of footage out on the on our Channel it should be out I think in the next
couple of weeks because he's done the first draft he's it's it's pretty much there
so listen Ben I want to change the subject slightly because I'm a parent I mean I know I don't look old enough but
I've got a son my oldest son's a little bit younger than you but not far off you now if my son went and did what you did
I would be terrified so how on Earth did your parents cope and would
you like to say anything to them well I mean that's actually partly the
reason why I made the Instagram account in the first place was because when I did the Asia trip in South America I
never told my family what was going on and I didn't tell them oh yeah so I didn't tell them that I got a motorbike
so obviously when I was in so when I was in when I was 17 obviously I had the car
crash really bad and then left the worst thing they would have wanted to hear was that
I'd just I've been survived in a car crash and just got a motorbike so I was like I can't tell them so I didn't tell
them and I was I was out there I live over a year out in the in eastern Asia
and the whole year they didn't know that I was on a motorbike they didn't know they got into bikes at all I had no
photo because back then Instagram wasn't really a thing and actually and after after having my phone stolen in Cambodia
uh after that mugging I actually I didn't have a phone anyway so I had no no place to upload or do anything so I
literally and I think there was a period when I didn't speak to her family for months they didn't even hear my voice she's looking back now I was a bad son
and I would would never do that again but yeah they knew nothing and then and then obviously then to South America on
the bike didn't tell them that either it was anyone I came back to England I finally told them what I'd been up to and this is this is where I made a
mistake because when I came back to England I stupidly told them all the horror stories that happened
she's actually not done that because then it meant it meant that when I then set off on the the Honda CRF trip to
East they knew that they knew when I was on the road that stuff happens I don't tell them about and and because then you know
because I'll you know and so it was I was so it was it was Italian my parents were super stressed like and especially
I think in Europe they were fine but when I got East to into turkey Georgia Azerbaijan Iran Pakistan especially
going through Bluetooth on that section there is you're just you know hugging the Afghanistan border for you know four
days they were very stressed then and I would often I would often remove I would
post always behind like after so yeah I would never be like like
live I'd always post like a week later or whatever so they wouldn't actually like know what was going on until after I escaped there's only one time they
ever knew where I was in real time and I think it was the only time I was ever actually properly scared probably was
when I was yeah when I was in that jail in in blochistan Crossing from Iran to
Pakistan and that's when I was really I was like okay this could actually be quite bad and that's the only time I had to call my mom hang on hang on a minute
you've just said you were in jail I must have missed this story when you crossed
into Pakistan often they'll put you in like a little police station thing while you wait for your escorts okay so you've
been arrested it was just for your own safety yeah so that's pretty normal and then but then later on uh shortly after
I was then put in a general jail um and I was like hang on a second what's going on this this doesn't this doesn't seem as chilled as the other one
and then it turned out this and I couldn't find it was good on turns out that they'd um a suicide bomber had had
uh killed himself and a couple of others nearby and today was wanted to basically to make sure that I was safe and so they
just put me in put me in jail to keep you safe which is amazing the weirdest part of that whole the weirdest part of the whole conversation Ben is when you
went I was in jail and it didn't feel particularly chilled out and that doesn't overly surprise me if I'm quite
honest
and also at this point my bike is broken so the Honda CRF anyone who is listening the CRF is the most incredible
bulletproof machine ever for two years from London to China I had not a single issue with it like it was insane and a
bear in Mind by the way I didn't leave my chain for like eight months we didn't Loop it at all I just left here because I never clearly about I didn't know
anything about mechanics or maintenance so if you want to have a bulletproof bike get a CF because you can leave it for like a little over half a year
without leaving the chain without doing anything and it's fine like how insane is that anyway sorry that was a tangent but basically the syrup was amazing the
only problem I had with it was when was the fuel the fuel tank and it's because I changed from the stock if I left the
CRF as it was I would have made it to China without any issues it was only because I changed it and put on the IMs tank which the
Amish tank is amazingly wrong but the one they gave me the one they had I think I think they gave me the first IMS
extra large tank for the the new 2017 ABS model because they had one for the
previous model but let's change it for and so I think they gave me the prototype to test out on my trip turned out they actually the seal wasn't right
and so that that's why I've broken the whatever that was the only problem I had on the entire trip was was that pretty
much and that's what happened when I was in in Pakistan and so I couldn't get out of this of this well I was finally able
to get permission from the uh the embassy in zambad to get my bike out of the uh to get out of jail because I
couldn't ride to Lahore I had to put it on a train on the back of the train and then they gave me this the command a
Commando escorted me on this train for through the desert for for ages uh to Lahore and that was the only time I was
ever properly scared because I'll admit because I was I was pretty chilled until they got the chief of police to speak to
me and they said listen trains are like the most uh targeted I think why I'm smiling as I'm saying this
trains are the most targeted motor transport by the Taliban and they'll always cross where we are near Questa they'll always guess where they'll always cross and and they'll always try
and derail a train and just cause Mayhem so they said because of that reason we can't let anyone know you're on the train and you can't you're talking on
the train you can't accept food for anyone they could try and poison you and so they had this uh come on they said I'm gonna give you a commander as well
he's gonna sit with you the whole way so I get on the train they cleared out a section of the train just for me in this Commando and every time we get to a
station he gets off and stands by the the the sort of the window thing was just holding the drain with bars across
and he sends there and make sure that no one comes up and shoots me whatever and yeah before I got on that trainer I called my mum and said listen this is
what this was happening he didn't hear from me in a couple of days then Something's Happened then cool it was
only time I ever told her I was in real time and now I look back that was a stupid idea like why did I do that
because she must have beat I mean now let me speak about it she must have she was
terrified for literally that whole time that she was waiting for that phone call when I finally got to Lahore and got to safety she must have been so stressed
and I feel so awful so I don't know again next when I'm back on the road she won't know anything until I'm back home safely in London
people are just generally nicer once you leave England and leave Europe they're just 10 times more friendly and there
was no single person yeah so after like I was just talking about the beginning all the random people that I stayed with it on my trip
but I think there's only one person out of in two after two of two years of living with locals and making medical
every single day only one person in two years was I got a dodgy vibe from and I ended up actually
leaving and said actually no I'm not gonna stay here I'm gonna leave that was only one which is nuts I'll probably I'll probably what over
I know 400 people maybe more than that that is I guess that's insane you don't
have to leave England you just have to come up north mate much more I basically I basically that's not fair
because I went to Scotland um I went down to Cornwall yesterday oh yes when I came back royal
Royal Enfield gave me a bike to borrow the Himalayan and when I first came back I was waiting for my Visa I hope they
didn't listen to this because yes well they know this but I took that took the Royal Enfield went down and whenever I see a beach or sand I have to go under
the beach and I was like oh my beach but then I've said I know how to ride off like on Sand so I was kept getting stuck
and actually burnt the clutch out of this um Himalayan and they had to come and rescue me and then they never gave me another bike after that so
um and the people that as soon as you get out of London people in Cornwall they
leave their doors open they didn't they don't lock the house they just leave their keys in their ignition it's so chill it's gonna be different to London
and then when I went up to Scotland last year on the on the Bonneville for a little road trip that was incredible it
went up to the Peaks and up through Lake District I'm actually going to the big District actually um this weekend you're coming up on the
Bonneville or are you heading off-road in the Peaks I'm coming up in the uh on the Bonneville friends of mine who
actually actually met them the ABR last year amazing couple and she's actually setting off for like a four month or so
trip to I think she was supposed to head to Russia but that's obviously out the window so I think she's now doing yeah I
need to find out actually in Europe maybe hitting a bit further east so having a little going away party for her and the pizza should be awesome and then
yeah and then hopefully maybe maybe do some off-roading on the Bonneville because I took the bottom off-roading to Wales two weeks ago
the first time doing some trailing because absolutely amazing it was it was terrifying and I put some crash bars on
the bottom of it just because I was so scared of scratching it um which is funny because the Honda I dropped to every single day I never
even cared but the bodybuilder was so scared um because it's so immaculate um but that was great fun that's what made me
even gonna do more off-roading so but yeah they got loads of bikes in the Peaks up there so I hope you one of theirs and do some do some roading
because I love it speaking of the the ABR Festival one of the questions I had is you've obviously you've been very
much in the adventure bike world for the last couple of years with your trips and you know your fantastic videos and stuff
and you're you're now you're kind of you're an a-lister a-lister adventure Rider
my question was what is and it sounds like maybe it's not quite as exciting as I imagined it to be but what's the life
like as a an A-list Moto Adventurer oh well I don't I I honestly dude I would I
do not put myself in a category I'm all I did if you look on if you look on a map all I did was right it's actually
embarrassing but the fact that these people actually invite me to these festivals speak and if you look on a map unless you win like like a tiny like
like my pinky finger like from London to China you could do that in like three weeks if you wanted to like honestly
it's pathetic they invite me to yeah there's people who've been like around the world like 10 times Austin been to
you know paved the way or you know like all these amazing people and then there's me like what is it's just not so
yeah honestly every time I get to go to these events I guess I feel so so grateful to be there it's honestly it's so much fun and also what's funny is
that most people at these events can pretty can't even understand what I say because when I get when I start talking about a trip I get so excited that I end
up speaking so fast into one so they're pretty sad they're like what's he talking about anyway especially after a brew dog uh no deal
no no beer at the ABR I think but um I guess that'll be it's great I'll be doing a talk at there I should
probably check this actually I need to double check but I think I'm going to talk on one of the little mini stages and then I'm doing a little panel talk
with um three three other guys who've been around the world they are actually the three youngest people to go around
the world amazing guys that's actually who I was in Wales with last uh two weekend two weeks ago
um we're working on a little thing and so so yeah it's it's gonna be an awesome weekend because I saw remember you said
last week that you're you're there right you're doing like a podcast at the event yeah just just been confirmed I'm gonna
do some filming and recording with the trf for one thing and then we're gonna have
a arrange a little Tam podcast social on the Friday evening just for people to
come along and say hello um we'll meet at the trf tent or whatever the venue is the stage whatever
they've got there and then we'll probably head off to the bar and have some beer so um anybody listening Ben
Mark you're both invited come along Friday evening five o'clock have a chat with everybody and get drunk yeah
absolutely it sounds that sounds brilliant doesn't it it's my first time to the ABR actually last year we we didn't quite make it down so this year
we're we're going along Jamie and I um the other lad that I filmed with and yeah I don't really know what to make at the whole place it's actually that our
first time down there I don't know if Clive's been here before but it's our first time down to it Jamie and I so we don't really know what to make of it all
but um yeah I'm excited about it it's yeah it's Inc it's incredible I mean there's loads people some people say
it's too corporate and it's too big but I I mean I've had the most amazing time and I think they've some people might be
I don't know if you any people who listened because might have complained about the queue for the bars or something I think they addressed this
they said that they've made they've got like a 40 meter long bar at this event which is going to be absolutely insane I
come so excited I think it I think it starts on like Thursday right sounds good around and spend the entire time at the bike except when I have to leave and
go to the on stage but it's honestly it's so great and yeah so they've got like the longest off-road track so you
can rent I think loads of them loads of the dealerships are getting up you can borrow bikes and do the off-road track on these bugs or bring your own bike as
well oh I'm so I'm so buzzing excuse me oh that's good and I'm so glad you guys are going as well it's gonna be amazing
so is it is a trf stand is that near to or is that need to Austin's tent because I remember he was he was there last year
and we created a little Zone around him I think the trf are going to have like a almost like a kind of an unofficial
compound of their own so they've got a stage and they're going to do I think there's a if you're a member you get free barbecue
um one night and maybe a beer or something like that so they're doing there's quite a bit of stuff and they've got their own stage as well so they're
going to have a a bunch of events Friday and and Saturday oh amazing I'm still
I'm still haven't decided yet if I'm brave enough to take the Bonneville on the off-road tracks it's like 20 kilometers above Road right the real
problem with bikes like that because I used to take my cb500 off-road it's the ground clearance that's the main issue
they'll do it but you risk you know doing quite a bit of damage to to the sump of your engine really I mean
ultimately Ben and I might regret this but uh you're more than welcome to Raz my rally around it my uh my CRF rally you're more than welcome because I'll be
going around it so I will buy you endless beer if I if I could if I could
probably you definitely regret it foreign
s i quite like about the way you planned your travel Ben is it doesn't sound like
you've done you did any planning at all you just decided you were going to do it and off you went well exactly yes the
plan was to plan a route but then that plan went out the window I'll end up to
try and save as much money as possible I ended up working right up until the last point of when I left so I left from Mill
Hill School from the adventure chair of film festival which is better off to where Austin went and used to teach and
then obviously you had the film festival there before we moved and so I settled from that venue and I literally worked right through the last point before his
Festival before I had to leave and so because I was working so much I had no time to actually plan a route
or do any preparation and I think my tires my Anarchy Wilds only arrive like
the day before I left so it was all super like super last minute can you fix a puncture oh you can't ask me that in
public it's okay I hate doing it as well I always take them into somebody
else what's what's that what's the punch is that is that when the is that when the air
it wasn't the tires didn't I really hope Austin Business doesn't listen to this doesn't listen to this talk
um the the Michelin tires didn't actually arrive the day before I left they've actually arrived after so everyone I did a big clap out from
um from the Hill school when everyone everyone counted me down from 10 and then I set up for Mill Hill school and
if I thought I was heading there around the corner everyone thought I was going to the very
increasing to France but I didn't I actually drove because Middle School will stay close to my house I actually went straight home
I went straight home I went straight I went straight to bed because I was still
drunk
I'd actually been out oh I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna explain myself now I've been out with all the 100 because loads
of hundred people were there right it was 100 I could say this now because Honda don't sponsor this event anymore I think it's now Toyota
people and we were up to like 6 a.m in the morning and I think the leading due was at eight or nine
I had about two hours sleep well sleep's a bit of an overstatement but I literally and I literally got out of ten
and I think no I think Noah was there hey you don't get this on adventure
Rider radio dude it's all this stuff I couldn't I couldn't expose any of these secrets
that back in 2018 but now I can finally come clean although Austin's gonna murder me but literally yeah I am so
yeah it was that it was nice if you look at the photos of me setting off I think Adventure spec posted a photo on that Twitter of me leaving and I'm like a
ghost I'm like super white a pale overwhelmed by the adventure ahead of you yeah
I literally went straight home slept for 18 hours then finding my tires arrived the next day fitted them and then I
thought then I finally hit it down it was a nightmare but anyway that was um so yeah basically I had that long story short I had no time to plan so I didn't
I didn't have a clue what I was doing so I literally set off finally got down south of France headed into Italy and
then although that was it the first that was it the very first person I stayed with was someone I met I pulled over the
side of the road just to I don't know why I just pulled outside the road it was a camper van I think this is in France campervan
pullover as well I've got chatting to the family they said uh are you hungry and I was like yeah and they was like
well I have to drink this fat ball I was like yes so they invite me into the camper van and they prepared spec bowl and they gave some to me I was like this
is amazing I love traveling so that was and they they were Italian family they're heading around France but they
were just like it's like day one right and they um said oh um when you get to touring you know message us so I did and
that was that was the very first concept I made after that everything everyone else I met was yeah just through
Instagram or Word of Mouth whatever and so yeah no planning and it actually worked out to be the best because when you got there when you got no plan
you can't be disappointed because you can't be let down because every day
so do you keep everybody in your little black book of um contacts now or do you just have like this amazing memory where
you go oh uh I'm in Sharon and this one guy near Le Mans once said to me or do
you actually write it down and make a note yeah so I I do I do create notes and I
like make it out of where where they messaged me whether it was on Instagram but it was a YouTube comment or if it was Facebook or you know or whatever or
if I met them and they gave me their phone number I'll make a note of how they messaged me and where I know them from because in this year initially I
was an idiot initially I was like oh well I'm sure I remember that person because you know how can I not and then
I realized hang on he got to the point where I was getting like 10 15 20 messages a day from people wow and I was
like oh my word this is Extreme I've got to start making a note now so then I made notes and then he got even more
extreme because I was like well actually no I I I put their name on my notes app my phone I was like but were they on how
did they message me was it on and then it got to the point where I was like trying to scroll through all my photos I posted trying to find out who'd
commented or whatever that's when I started being like okay right I'm going to put down where they where they messaged me on and all this stuff and so
yeah I'd literally get to like arrive heading towards the city and I'd literally have like 10 20 people that I
could like like when I got to Athens I think it was Athens or Thessaloniki and then I'll actually have like a list of
like 20 30 people that I was like which one do I message to because they bought what they want to meet and go for a ride because that's how amazing people are it
was just so and that's why you know that what you mentioned earlier Mark about that story about
this is this this is my I think my favorite story of the entire trip but I won't tell it again because I think I said it on the virtual radio but what
about when yeah when I was when I was putting that interrogation room by just north of the uh the Iraqi border but in
Eastern Turkey and then it and then I literally was like being targeted for hours and hours and I couldn't speak any
any Turkish back and it was we're going in circles and they think I'm a threat whatever and I finally I was like you know what I've got loads of people on my
phone from Turkey who's messaged me who said they would help me out if I got in trouble and I literally this is what's crazy out of that context I had loads of
people and it's crazy that one person I chose wow happened to be zapper who was the commander of the elite special
forces what team thought and he was actually their boss like like that is like that like how not the chances right
it's like something like it's like a movie I think Ben that's not just a reflection on how
fantastic people are but I think that's a reflection on you as well and what we mentioned earlier about your your
personality and your attitude and people are attracted to which is fantastic right oh yeah well I would say yeah I
guess so so you're still relatively young at 26. I know we talked to Austin
the other week and and he said he's got no interest in long-distance travel anymore do you think the world's big
enough for you to carry on doing what you were doing 100 I think when next year when when I can hopefully get
back on the road again whether I can get the Honda out of Pakistan is a whole dealer story I don't know if I actually
even get it out just because of bureaucracy and whatever now that I've got no link to the government now that
my client's been ousted uh I don't know how I'm gonna get the bike out is I was oh it's just crazy everyone was really
upset like oh no Imran Khan has been it's been booted out but I was really upset because my bike I was like wow
sure you'll still have some influence uh but I say I'm sure it'll still help actually Abdul messaged me a few months
ago and and said um he said any chance I can use the bike you know uh so you know
he's got like a farm outside of his are bad and he's had any chance I can use the bike uh around on the farm I was
like of course do it do whatever you want with the bike like you've been looking after it for years because I can't even do it's pretty much yours now like whatever he's a free so who knows
it's putting down pieces now it's probably completely completely destroyed um but
it will serious but um I think I think it's also still on the same set of tires I think it's been I've seen so tired
it's about two years now so he's pretty he'll probably have to change those tires but but yeah so if I can't get the Honda out of Pakistan
I'm thinking well I'm so torn this is this is why this is why you guys are perfect you can maybe guide me with your
incredible knowledge um I can't get that if I can't get that Honda out of Pakistan I might have to
start the trip again from England and do I do it on the Bonneville or do I go for do I buy another CRF I don't know what
to do like I love the Bonneville but then also I want to go off road and do some more do some Trails so I'm so tall at the moment like what to do what kind
of setup to go for because yeah I want to do it again you know both Jamie now I've got crfs don't you so my life's
around crfs Clive and Knowles um surround crfs so you're speaking to to
Absolute converts here but but also what I like about the CRF and something you're hitting on and actually I've got
a question surrounding it is there a bit of an underdog aren't they they're a bit of a I don't know a lot of people out there are calling vanilla and a bit meh
I love it for that and so therefore I've got quite a touch to my bike you know I've built a bit of an actual relationship with my bike nothing weird
so but to hear you say I'd start again and I'm not ready I'm you know I'd start
again and I'm not that first it surprises me to be honest because my bike's got a name and everything so but
would you just happily leave yours there and go oh that was an experience and off we pop on a different bike oh no way you
know it actually pains me to say that if if I that like that bike has become
remember I said earlier about how when I first saw the CF I was like I didn't it didn't appeal to me I wanted to go for a big cool big bike and then as soon as I
got to see I haven't started you know traveling on it and every crashing it and every little dinner has a story now
it's it's like the most beautiful thing in the world and it's the most because it literally as a tank nothing could destroy it it was going
through like Eastern Europe and the Balkans in the middle of winter and then Iran in the
middle of summer like 55 plus degrees Celsius and it survived it all like it's a machine it's incredible there's not a
single bike out there that I know that like is as good as a cr50 I think it's ultimate and so I really don't have to
ditch I want to be able to get out I just don't know if it's gonna be possible it's going to be I don't know I'm still trying I'm working at the
moment it's causing a logistical nightmare it's because of permits and stuff expiring and all right so I can't
say anything too publicly in case I get arrested in case anyone from the government of Pakistan listen to this podcast and then I'm screwed
but basically you know I I honestly I love it so much everything about it is so great and so it would pain me to if I
didn't get that out of Pakistan I couldn't see it again but I would I would gladly tear it start again but I
would love to get them back out so thinking about the the planning question again and and you know we're big fans of
well we're only talking about you know a two-week trip to Spain of not doing very much planning but is there some planning
that in hindsight you probably should have done oh 100 every Visa got expired
every single Visa I pretty much got I think three of each of these are in the end because every no joke and what's
funny about is that when I left England I didn't even know where I was going so I literally bought I can't even know
exactly what it was I think I had an Indian visa in Iran Visa I had a Russian visa just in case I went North I think I
had a Kazakhstan Visa just in case I went through the middle and I didn't know where I was gonna like
go when I'm heading east like if I was gonna go North Black Sea or south or Black Sea North Caspian I didn't know so
I just covered all my bases which is looking back now I was like it's an idiot um in the end the Russian visa never
used never used the Mongolian one or because it's done whatever because I ended up going south but so those are those obviously all expired and it was a
waste of money um but I wanted to like keep myself open which was kind of smart also kind of stupid really because I was
just wasting money but yeah and then obviously but even when I went South even though I did take even
those visas expired because I spent so long heading east by the time I got to Turkey the Iran Visa had expired I had
to get a new one then the Pakistan one expired to get a new one the engine Visa expired had to get a new one so yeah in
hindsight planning probably would have been smart but also if I planned then I would have raced through to get there
before the Visas expired and it was I had no issue getting another Visa again like it took a bit of a while and there
was a bit of a fast and expensive but if I had if I'd gone for the initial Visa entry point I would have raced through
in like a few weeks or a month or whatever and I would have missed out on all the stuff I'd done so yeah it's a
tough one yeah and you know what but it's very interrupt you I know we talked about you being scared but but I'm I'm
slightly different now do you ever sit there and worry about what might come or how you
might get there not scared it's a different it's a different feeling but do you ever think there and get anxious about how why where when in all of these
general questions which it hasn't happened it might never happen actually no I don't think I've ever
maybe that is stupid yeah yeah no that's very that's a very positive attribute I think I think it's excellent if you've
never worried then I think it's fantastic I think I think I just I think I just know that it's always maybe that's like maybe that's it it's not
annoying it's not like an arrogant way it's not like but I I just know it's gonna work out and not in an arrogant
way of thinking that I always it's just that people oh people are so caring people
want to help you out and if you're really motivated enough if you spend enough time at the border you will eventually get through
and it's not saying you know you're doing anything wrong it's just things things have always work out they
just always do with it on the road and I'm pretty sure you speak to each other they will say the same thing things work out and I know that things will work out oh sorry I hit the microphone but all
the issues I've had in South America Asia whatever everything's always gone to plan but not so it's not going to pop it's always only the plans was falling
apart but it always eventually worked out and I think I know that I just basically I basically just put Faith in
the universe and no it will work out like even Crossing into Iran like oh no yeah when I was in when I was in when I
was leaving Azerbaijan trying to get into Iran and being an idiot because obviously I don't plan at all I left it
until the very last day of my Visa before leaving as much on to cross into Iran and with the Iran Visa you have
like a set date to enter once you once you then then your Visa starts from that date it's a bit weird some days have a
date when you have to enter and then it's limited but Iran is different so I had to get to there by midnight of that plane this is me thinking that the ball
is over 24 7. turns out borders aren't open 24 7. they close at like in the
afternoon right so I think I think I was on as I'm there before midnight it's fine get to these so I'll leave that as Azerbaijan Baku but then also it's the
Formula One race Formula One race is on in Baku this is back in 2018 I think it was a it was the year that Ricardo and
thingy had their crash um and so it was that yeah and they closed the track for I can't remember
it's qualifying or practice whatever they close the track obviously and they've been signs all around the city saying if you're in the old town you
were able to get out during these dates and I was I wasn't paying attention because I was an idiot going to leave to
go to Iran and I'm locked in in the middle of the track no way what what's going on anyway I
went home into the barrier and I sat into the the police and they said no no you can't come and I was like what they
got over an F1 official someone from the FAA whatever comes over and I said listen this is what's going on I need to I need to leave
and they actually uh they get they actually which is nuts they actually opened up the barrier and they let me on
to the track Lee wasn't allowed to do a full lap of the track but I was able to do like a
quarter of it and it was and I got to take my bike onto the up to the Baku
track um it was nuts and I meant to leave and so that was first thing that worked out
get to the Iranian border turns out it's shut it closed at like it closed like six hours before I arrived in the night
and like what so I just started giving out cigarettes to all the Border guards and eventually after like an hour they were like okay they called their boss
who was in the nearby Village and he came open the barrier for me let me through then like same thing that borders closed then I
need to get my carne stamped for the vehicle that the guy's gone to sleep but they called him like everything just
worked out well and like I don't know yeah you just once you just stop stop worrying and yeah you just realized
everything's gonna work out and just lay yourself at the mercy of Fate yes that's it and that's when the best stories happen as well like if I'd if I'd
actually planned and been a smart person and actually done everything properly and not left it to the last minute and not being an
idiot and then I would have missed out all those amazing experiences so actually yeah when I get back on when I
get back on the road and I continue my trip I'm gonna continue doing things exactly the same because actually it's
great it's great fun
favorite bits of kit that you've used that you've got for traveling what's worked really well for you oh wow you're
not maybe you're just not really a kit man you just get on your bike and go the opposite honestly I am literally it's
really funny because you have to spend all this time talking about how I didn't plan or do anything I'm like obsessed with gear gears in my life I spend my
days literally every single day on my lunch break or on the train what I do is watch Gear videos on YouTube and it's
like whether it's camera gear panties soft bags camping gear I literally gloves gloves for me I love gloves yes
oh yes after this after school I'm going to ask you to send me a recommendation of Summer gloves which have a thing a
touch screen compatibility I know they're very clubs I know the very clubs because Greg sent me a pair to try out
in Spain I know I know better ones sorry sorry Adventure spit knocks knocks
awesome they're just the best gloves utterly utterly love the adventures back
Alpine glove so we'll have a glove off but it's an incredible incredible glove I loved it now there's these Knox ones
that I've got this boa thing for so they don't fall off your hand in the crash they've got these plastic things that if
you do fall off if they slide rather than break your wrist absolutely brilliant gloves a lot more expensive
than the adventure spec ones though but they're very very good two brilliant options for you straight away oh three
Adventure spec and Knox brilliant so some of your favorite um favorite books
yeah okay okay so oh actually you know what Adventure spec this is a shout out adventures book actually sorted me out
thanks to Austin Vince's hookup with a bash plate for the CRF and Bark Busters
and the Bark Busters but this is back then I didn't know how bad out just how I knew I was bad but when I fit the
bypasses I didn't realize just how bad I was at riding and thank God I put those on because those Blockbusters saved me
oh wait and hence everything hence what had no problems on the bike because they're actually playing those Blockbusters were a lifesaver uh so my
Garmin GPS unit didn't use it at all actually in the end I just ended up using my phone uh what else oh my front
screen from CRF I ended up buying the front I got the front screen from Baja works but the windows still hit me in
the face so I got a peak extension but it was still hit me in the face so then I got another pre-extension and then I
think I had like three or four Peak extensions on the hyper if I'm pronouncing it right quick
and I had like four like it was nuts and then it is that was that was that those were a lifesaver can I just say Ben that
that's the second time I've copied you because I ride the rally I had a screen extension I was going through France and
it was still wouldn't still hitting me in the face and I even said to Jamie I'm gonna Chuck another one on because that's what that's what the slab Ben did
true story so I've got two okay that has made my day that is brilliant oh that's
so cool so I would say that the what I'm trying to think now like I had like an
air pump speaking of punches I hadn't air pumps attached to my front fender that never left its bag for two years
what else um oh my motion Pro Trail tool which I got from Adventures back shout out to
Greg I never had to use it because well firstly I wouldn't have clue what I'm doing with it oh actually you know what I've got one a good one for everyone
I've recently just got these I've never I've always been riding I had an intercom system on my Schubert CT Pro
obviously that helmet's still in Pakistan so I got into riding in back in England I like to listen to music I
don't know about you guys but I I personally love when I'm writing is is to listen to The
Tam podcast
and I tried anywhere anywhere without your podcast on but but I can't hear it over
20 miles an hour with my airpods on because that's what I've been using I've been using airpods after 20 miles an hour I can't hear what's going on
I've recently got for the first time after riding bikes for I don't know how long it's been 17 for nine years I've
never ever had any uh those in-ear plugs the molded ones more ones
and I finally got got some uh this year and they are absolutely insane
um I'll do a shout out to custom earplugs in Northampton who who are insane
it was amazing and now I can actually hear yeah I can go no matter how fast I want I don't know I don't get the wind
noise but I can actually hear like over three miles now that I would that is probably the best thing I would say and you can get them from low you can
get you can get them from Ultimate Ears and loads of companies do them that is probably my biggest thing I would I would never ever ride without
them ever again that is the best thing ever I'm curious what about you guys what's your go-to I've got a center I've
got a center it's like the the intercom system it's it's the new mesh one so you
can pretty much it's Limitless I think you can get up to 24 people chatting and you have an app on your phone and you
can just scan each other's barcodes and you all connect automatically can you hear with the wind noise you can still hear even though they're not in your
area yeah I I ride with the the Senate 10c and I've got the HD ones because I'm slightly hard of hearing and I can write
it so I can write it on my CRF I can also write it on my Harley-Davidson which has got all the loud exhausts and I can hear it at any any speed the
center I think are the class leaders it's just great when you're traveling with people because you can say right who's should we stop now should we get a
coffee look there's a cafe let's go there or right watch out there's an idiot you know mowing the lawn on the
road or something like that and especially when you're on the trails if Jamie's behind me and he's fallen off
if you know if you're half a click away you can you know to turn back and help help out your Market yeah
so you had this life defining moment at age 17 you went off and you you become traveler Ben King I guess that's your
identity that's how you've missed it what would Ben King who hadn't had the car crash what would he be doing now
that is such a that's a great question okay I I make this short because you're falling asleep
so I if I hadn't done weirdly yeah I always wanted to be a teacher since I
was since I was really young I've always like I always find it really rewarding with kids I used to be a tennis coach for
many years and to teaching tennis or teaching music that was always what I love to do and I
always remember my dad actually said he said no don't be a teacher to go into marketing that's way more money and way more than me I don't know why I didn't
mention that because it's funny it's funny enough how nine years later actually or ten years later or longer I actually end up in marketing but yeah so
back end that's what I wanted to do I want to become a teacher but I was talking to him doing that all going
moving to Australia and becoming a I wanted to become an obsession drummer because drumming has always been my
thing I've drummed for many many years and when it's become a a professional Obsession drummer so I was looking at
like going to Australia to do that or or being or going it's teaching so that's what I've done so who knows if I hadn't
had that car crash it's weird to think what I could be doing right now right final question of the Sev literally
several places that you went to where would you recommend people go to as a continent I'd say South America and
actually I want to live there so when I've finished traveling I want to settle down in South America because I loved it so much in terms of actual country have
you people always say this probably but Iran is everybody goes to Iran will say
the same thing it's just the greatest place but then also Pakistan so Iran Pakistan those those two countries which
is just insane the people are amazing the food is amazing landscape was amazing yeah Iran Pakistan just awesome
but don't go during the summer if you're going to go to Iran and you go do something around don't go during the summer because it's like 55 degrees
Celsius it's insane let's go in the winter and it's 30 degrees
thank you oh my goodness that you just love him thank you so much both of you
for joining that was really good fun that chat lasted nearly two hours and uh
it was fairly non-stop absolutely brilliant I hope you enjoyed it Hey listen drop me a line let me know if you
go into the ABR or not it'd be great to meet as many people as as possible and uh grab a beer I'd hate to think that
I'm organizing anything and just end up standing there all on my own very sad
all right see you next week I got another great one lined up next week as well there's gonna be some great stories



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