World Touring At Its Best!
Born in Tunbridge Wells Kent in the 60’s, hanging around the estate in which I lived, doing normal things like making go carts, skate boards and riding bikes through the woods, all the things that health and safety would have a nightmare over now. It wasn’t long before the first set of two wheels with an engine was purchased, in the form of a Lambretta 150, that was used to race round a field much to the annoyance of the neighbours.
That soon progressed to a moped then the good old Yamaha RD 250. In those days you could ride a 250 on L plates. On passing the bike test it was a Suzuki GS 750 now we are really talking power, well around 60 BHP by today’s standard it’s a DYSON.
That soon progressed to a moped then the good old Yamaha RD 250. In those days you could ride a 250 on L plates. On passing the bike test it was a Suzuki GS 750 now we are really talking power, well around 60 BHP by today’s standard it’s a DYSON.
The ‘Ton up Louts’, July 1979, in memory of my brilliant friend Mark Horsecroft.
In those days bike trips to Brighton, Hastings, Margate and London were common place Winter and Summer whatever the weather.
The touring bug really got hold of me around the late 90s, with weekends away and trips to the New Forest accompanied by my long suffering wife Carole who rides pillion. And then we started doing trips together to the USA where we have now toured over 25 States, including Route 66 the Rocky Mountains and Highway 1. Then places like Asia, China, Tibet, India, Borneo, Vietnam, Thailand, & Malaysia. Not just on the bike also guided tours and hours sitting on coaches in the deserts of Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.
The touring bug really got hold of me around the late 90s, with weekends away and trips to the New Forest accompanied by my long suffering wife Carole who rides pillion. And then we started doing trips together to the USA where we have now toured over 25 States, including Route 66 the Rocky Mountains and Highway 1. Then places like Asia, China, Tibet, India, Borneo, Vietnam, Thailand, & Malaysia. Not just on the bike also guided tours and hours sitting on coaches in the deserts of Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.
Now it’s mostly touring on a Motorcycle and it has become a passion for both of us. We’ve toured Europe including France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy & the Netherlands. All points of the UK from Kent to Cornwall and to Skye and the very top of Scotland, Scandinavia, including Norway and Denmark.
Also The Pan American Highway in Peru, Amazonia, and over to the Bolivian Border, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. New Zealand and South Australia, not forgetting all the Mediterranean Islands we’ve raced round on a hired bike: Cyprus, Greece, Rhodes, Ibiza and Majorca & Portugal.
It’s a fantastic World out there we have gained so much experience and knowledge, from the People and the places we have visited, it just gives us the drive for more.
I’ve written the odd story for Nick Tunstall at South East Biker Magazine and now I thought it was time to put it all on this website for everyone else to enjoy.
Happy Riding,
Mark Stone.
Also The Pan American Highway in Peru, Amazonia, and over to the Bolivian Border, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. New Zealand and South Australia, not forgetting all the Mediterranean Islands we’ve raced round on a hired bike: Cyprus, Greece, Rhodes, Ibiza and Majorca & Portugal.
It’s a fantastic World out there we have gained so much experience and knowledge, from the People and the places we have visited, it just gives us the drive for more.
I’ve written the odd story for Nick Tunstall at South East Biker Magazine and now I thought it was time to put it all on this website for everyone else to enjoy.
Happy Riding,
Mark Stone.
Mark Stone at Hastings Sea Front and Promenade
