Member Profile Ron Common

two-Wheeled discovery

clubs, runs, charities and surviving off-road – is Ron common a typical BMF member?

“Iwas 15 and thought motorbikes were the coolest thing ever, but couldn't afford much and bought a Raleigh Wisp, which was more like a pushbike. But it was affordable and got me on the road. I grew up in Retford, a small town with a market square, the perfect place for teenagers to hang out. The richer 16-year-olds had FS1-Es and the older guys had bigger bikes – a few British but mostly Japanese as this was the late 1970s. I acquired a love of bikes which has never gone away.

“The Raleigh was soon replaced by a Puch Maxi, but my first proper motorbike was a CB175, which I had at 17. We didn't ride far, but our thing was going to race meetings, watching Ron Haslam, Barry Sheene. Eventually I bought a Suzuki GS750ES, which I loved. I was a bit reckless then....

“My brother Nigel has had a small shop – Bike Depot – in Worksop for 40 years. It's a traditional, independent bike shop and I've helped out there a few times. That gave me an insight into how hard you have to work, six days a week, but all the customers are really friendly. You get people who rely on their bikes to get to work, those who just use them weekends, but they all like to spend ages talking to you. I think Nigel doesn't realise just how good he is at this job and that's why he has such loyal customers. I've loved helping out but I don't think I would like to do it full-time – I'm enjoying my retirement too much.”

Off-Roading

“Nigel got me into off-roading. He had a DRZ400 in the shop and encouraged me to take it out one Christmas. A friend has a TS125, so we put the bikes on a trailer and took them down to Monks Trodd, which is an 11mile byway in mid-Wales. We didn't know that it was very boggy, which doesn't suit a DRZ. But we loved it, and this became a regular thing – it's great, being able to ride across country on a bike and see the uninterrupted landscape.

“Later I bought a KTM 400 and was riding the Strata Florida. Repeating a bit of fun enjoyed the previous year I blasted up a steep hill alongside the trail and took off at the top only to discover (in mid-air) that since my last visit a huge dyke had been built just over the brow of the hill. I nose-dived into it and was high-ended over the bars. Amazingly, a group of Mountain Rescue guys were at the same spot, (on a jolly in their Land Rover) so I was quickly sorted and taken to hospital. A separated clavical means my shot-putting days are over, but otherwise I made a full recovery.”

Overlanding and MoR

“Off-roading opened up a whole new world of motorcycling for me, and not just in the obvious way. We were out once and had a puncture. Three women riders stopped to help us and told me

Above: Tiger 800 owners enjoyed their Lake District weekends Left: His perfect all rounder and favourite riding backdrop

about the Horizons Unlimited rally. So I went along, met Craig Carey-Clinch, people like that, and learnt all about Motorcycle Outreach (MoR). I was very impressed by the realisation that my hobby of motorcycles could do some good in the world. I was ready to do something useful at that point in my life, so I joined MoR and started raising money for them. "MoR concentrates on one project in Indonesia which was set up by the late Simon Millward. Their bikes have enabled health workers to reach 50 isolated villages which wouldn't otherwise have access to medical care. One of the crucial points has been to keep the bikes maintained – the original fleet lasted for 13 years, and they were only 125s. Over time, the overall health of the population of East Flores, where they work, has improved, and MoR has won awards for its work.

“I became a Trustee of MoR, organising fund-raising. As well as attending events, I organised an annual photo competition for the international Tiger 800 community, producing calendars which I sold to Tiger owners. Over three years, we raised enough money to replace half the bike fleet for the Flores project.

“I was involved with MoR for five years but I've kept in contact with the overlanding scene, because although I haven't done any myself, I'm drawn to the people who have. They're fascinating characters and it's great to see the world through them.

“It's opened my eyes to other parts of the world, how people are and how they treat travellers. I remember hearing Norman and Maggie McGowan talk about very poor villagers happily sharing their food and accommodation with them, while people like Sam Manicom and Austin Vince are quite inspiring. The only difficulty for travellers seems to be that fitting back into our society can be quite unsettling.

“Another project I've been involved in aims to improve womens' health in Tanzania. To raise money we got 100 student midwives to help organise a scroll which was transported around the UK by the Blood Bikers. Partly as a result of that, Claire Elsdon went out to Tanzania and set up the Piklilli organisation which encourages women riders through training and proper gear to become economically independent and spread the road safety message to schools. It's a fantastic project. Claire is another overlander, riding solo London to Cape Town several years ago.

“All of these projects have been very rewarding for me. I've got so much out of motorcycling over the years, so it's wonderful to be able to put something back. I'm currently project managing Above: The Highlands are a favourite destination Below: Motorcycle Outreach has mobilised medical staff in Indonesia

Below: Fundraising is fun – MoR team at an event, Ron third from right Bottom: Precious Cargo scroll at Hampton Court Palace

Far left: At Lands end with one of the Tigers, 2012 Left: why use tarmac when there's a handy snowdrift?

the restoration of Aqueduct Cottage, a listed building next to the Cromford Canal in Derbyshire – it's another good example of what can be achieved when members of the community pull together.”

Touring & Tigers

“I've never been big on touring, though I have done some longer trips which I've enjoyed but mostly UK based. The west coast of Scotland is my favourite patch and I did a solo ride up there several years ago – just did all the usual places like Applecross, the Isle of Skye and Glencoe. It just blew me away. "When Nigel got remarried, he wanted a bike tour instead of a boozy stag night, so that's what we did, rode up to the west coast with a couple of friends – we had the best time ever. My wife Vicky had never been there, so later I took her up on the bike and had the same result.

“For me Scotland is closely followed by Wales, which isn't quite so spectacular but because it's smaller everything is closer together. There's a lot of variety, all connected by some fabulous riding roads, which you can get to in a single day. Snowdonia's great and the Elan Valley is an absolute delight – you don't have to ride far in Wales to get away from people.

“My Tiger 800 is perfect for this sort of trip. Finding a bike that will do everything is just about impossible, but I think that the Tiger is the closest anyone has got. I wanted a dual purpose bike and this had Triumph's sporty triple engine, it could tour and could even do non-serious green laning, though it's too heavy for real off-road. I'd had a GS1200 and the downside of that is that BMWs have got heavier and I'm 5'7”, so it was getting a bit much.

“I got involved in the Tiger 800 Forum and organised two riding weekends for them in the Lake District. There's been one every year since. It worked well and we had a few members flying over from Europe and the USA to do it! It makes for a good weekend, with plenty of riding and time for a social, plus we raise a bit of money for a charity. And after ten years, what started as a oneoff has become regular, and we've all become friends.

“I mostly do day rides now. I'm very fortunate to live in Derby which is close to the Peak District. I've lived here for 30 years and have never tired of getting out locally. My passion is just to go out for a day and explore the B roads and lanes. It's very different from being in a car because there's that edge of vulnerability, but you're also out in the fresh air, immersed in it. I enjoy walking too, and I have an e-bike, but a motorcycle is the only way to see so much scenery in a day and get that sensory experience.

“I ride all year round and make a photo record of each trip. After 25 years, I know many places, but there's still plenty more to explore. There's nothing better than to find an unexplored lane and seeing where it leads – getting off the beaten track often delivers the most enjoyable riding experience. By learning more about the local landscape and history, it's amazing what you can learn. As they say, 'the more we read, the more we understand, the more we understand, the more we care.' In my experience, that makes the joy of local riding even better.”

Ron's Vital stats

Age: 62 year old with a life-long interest in motorcycles. Riding For: Over 40 years since 16th birthday. Total bikes owned: 28 (cronky old Raleigh wisp to Triumph Tiger). Current stable: 3 Triumphs – 2015 street Triple RX, 2020 Bonneville speed Twin, 2020 Tiger 900 GTPRO. Most reckless moment: buying two new Triumphs in a week (last year when I retired). Most fun on a bike: Touring on my Tigers - I've had three. Favourite bike: Bonneville speed Twin – it feels, looks and sounds like a 'proper' motorcycle. Best contact: My younger brother who owns a small independent bike shop. Most inspiring: Overland riders who make huge commitments to follow their passion for motorcycle adventure. Scariest moment: Cold, wet and exhausted, stuck in a bog with a DRZ400 on an exposed welsh mountain, mid-winter with no map. Worst accident: Off-roading on the strata Florida on my KTM400 (see text). Favourite rides: Peak District back lanes, villages and dales.