Motorcycle Explorer

For anyone with a passion for motorbikes and overland travel MEM has it all for you for FREE.

Welcome to issue FOUR of Motorcycle Explorer Magazine! We’ve come a long way since issue One and those god awful layouts, for that I can only apologise. Much like a new rider with the L plates thrown to the wind and heading out into the world full of wide eyed hope – the ride is such a rush from your own perspective fully unaware of just how much you don’t know. That is of course until people point out that your riding is as ugly as sin and you have only just started to know anything about what you’re doing! Much of the advice has been kind and some perhaps … not so kind but I’m armed with a thick skin!

I’m still not at the stage where I think MEM is settled but it is taking shape and starting to form into what I hoped it would become and I have you the reader to thank for that. I don’t think MEM will ever be ‘done’ and that’s part of the charm and allure for me. Along the journey you meet people and they join that journey with you, some as full time riding buddies and some take part of the trip and then head their own way, leaving you richer for the time spent with them.

Graham Field has been with us from the start as the MEM columnist and continues to amuse and bemuse in equal measure with his honest, frank and amusing view of all things that dare to cross his Field of Vision. I’m so pleased to say that Dr Pat Garrod, author of Bearback Overland has come to join the little clan and will be speaking on Healthy Overlanding and other aspects of motorcycle exploring, a wonderful asset to the merry team, and welcome aboard Pat! Now we, as a team will be moving into interviews and there are a lot of ideas in that regard, it’s going to be a challenge but one that we’re very much looking forward to as you may get a few surprises on who we end up speaking to. Who will be heading that up? Well Tammy Alice Howard will be taking a good hard bite at this. That’s when she is not running her own business and working over at the Adventure Bike Shop of course. Make sure you tune in for her ‘Pillow Talk’ interview sessions in future issues.

Reviews! Yes MEM has moved into the gear review zone and we will continue to review books and now kit n gear for you to enjoy. A lot of time and effort has gone into doing gear reviews both on the feature section of the gloves and into the bits and bobs that come into the HQ for testing. It’s a challenge because you must give an honest view of the product, giving your own opinion and also giving the facts of the product in a non biased way – I hope it is of help to you the readers when looking for gear. Always open to suggestions and we’d like to thank the companies that have given the products to test, even if we stomped all over some – it was a hard nut to crack but it is also testament to the growing success and popularity of Motorcycle Explorer. Last but by no means least … MEM contributors! People like the wonderfully talented Sam Manicom and Lisa Morris (my god can that Jason Spafford take a mean photograph or what!) of Two Wheeled Nomad. Always on the lookout for international talent and tales as we bring you writers from Spain, Croatia, Kenya and beyond and will strive to keep doing so in future issues. Our thanks, ride safe, live, ride and explore.