Brad Ringstmeier’s incredible Indian motorcycle adventure
WE TALK to Brad Ringstmeier about his passion for motorcycles and his recent motorcycle adventure in India.
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Brad Ringstmeier has recently been on a motorcycle adventure across India.
BRAD RINGSTMEIER has always ridden motorcycles. He rode them as a kid and his passion for the hobby has seen him ride in countries all around the world.
Brad’s most recent motorcycle adventure saw him head to India where his big goal was to ride the Khardung La, near Leh Ladakah. It is known as the highest motor-able rode in the world. He completed the ride as well as many others in the country and met some incredible people along the way.
Here Brad talks about that life-changing adventure in India as well as some of the other motorcycle challenges he’s completed. Read on to find out about his Cambodia adventure planned for this year as well and watch his inspirational videos from his time in India.
How long have you been riding a bike and what makes you so passionate about the hobby?
I’ve been riding since I was a young kid. In my early 20s I began travelling around the US on my 600cc Honda F4i. Maybe not the perfect tool for touring the US but I found a motorcycle as the perfect travel companion. A motorcycle gives you a front seat to the world in ways four wheels never will. When I pull up on a motorcycle in a small village, the people are immediately interested.
I rode all the Northern Mountains of Vietnam along the China border and I noticed a reoccurring theme in these small villages. I look at the motorcycle as the medium for connection as well as Adventure. Where am I from? Where am I going? Where have you been? For me a motorcycle is an instant connection with people in far off lands.
Brad jumps for joy on reaching a checkpoint during one of his rides in India.
What inspired you to ride across India and was there special reason behind the challenge?
For my first trip to India I had one goal – ride the Khardung La near Leh Ladakah. This is questionably the highest motor-able rode in the world. Its very close to the Pakistan border and difficult to reach. Days of dirt roads and nights sleeping in small camps near military posts. Honestly, one of the best rides I’ve ever done solo… and I don’t think it would have been possible without the help of a young man I met through a post I made on Horizons Unlimited.
I was just asking for help finding a bike. I had only been in Bombay for a day when Divy invited me to come out to have food and discuss my plans. During that meeting two things happened. Divy had just completed a very similar ride with his motorcycle club and had EXCELLENT info! We planned my entire trip over a few beers and some tasty food. Secondly, that was the beginning of a great friendship!
Brad joined up with a motorcycle club during his time in India.
How much planning went into the adventure ad what was needed including visas and making sure you had places to stay?
India has an easy VOA online application… its easy to get a 30-day visa. I don’t preplan where I’m going to stay. If you book something online you are paying a huge premium and you have no control if the room is horrible. Now I just arrive and find a place. I save a lot of money by negotiating and making sure everything works in the room.
When did you start the challenge and when did you complete it?
I’ve been travelling the world and riding motorcycles for the last two-and-a-half years… starting in New Zealand and after heading to Asia. I was just hopping around renting/buying motorcycles, going on amazing adventures.
It’s the people Brad meets along the way which make his trips so memorable.
Tell us about the films you made while you were in India?
First let me explain a little about how my rides went in India. First ride was from Bombay to Leh Ladakh and back in 30 days. For my second trip I was invited by a motorcycle club called The Road Stallions Bullet Club to ride with them to Nagpur and experience a motorcycle eally called Rider Mania and then onward to the tiger preserves. I continued onward solo and rode to Assam and left my bike in Assam with a friend who started the biker club ASSAM BIKERS ((https://www.facebook.com/assambikers/) . Brad Ringstmeier
Before my final ride in India I thought there might be an opportunity to make a film about this club. What makes them tick. I wanted to tell their story. We worked together to make a very loose plan for their film and when I arrived we filmed it in two days and took a day to edit… in 3 days we made Assam Bikers from India. You can watch it here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEPdwERG_uA
I made so many friends during that ride! Loved my time in India. Here are a few other vids I made from my India ride.
What about some of the people you met along the way?
People have been EVERYHTING. My new saying is, “People are the solution to any of your problems”. I meet the most inspiring people all the time. A few years ago I decided to start telling the stories of these amazing people. In order to tell someones story they need to Trust you. Beyond that they need to feel comfortable enough to tell the truth, beyond whats on the surface.
My first attempt to tell someone’s story was a man I met in the Jungle. His name is Lim and he changed the way I look at life. He is beyond inspiration, he is motivating. He is well educated and could live in the city and make decent money but he chooses to live in the jungle and teach the community and help travelers. Everything he does is for his family and community, this is his video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZgNWcPw92M
What were the overall highlights and were there any scary moments?
India is an amazing place but I’ll be honest, it’s the most dangerous place to drive in the world. Riding a motorcycle is literally taking your life in your own hands. You are constantly avoiding accidents, one after another… it’s very hard to explain. You must have an incredible respect for the road because one slip and its all over.
Are you currently planning any other challenges for the future?
I’m really excited for my next project. In October I’ll head to Cambodia to meet with my friend LIM. On my last visit with him I helped him build a school. In the school he is teaching English and computer classes… very basic computer classes like how to use a computer, send an email, etc etc. The reason I’m so excited about this ride is this, Lockheed Martin has donated used laptops which we will be bringing to my friends school in the jungle. I say we because I will be leading a group of riders from three different countries.
Sena had agreed to outfit our riders with cam/coms devices and we will be publishing this ride from each of the riders perspectives. This will likely be one of my best rides. Exploring and helping people… life doesn’t get much better than that.
This next week I’ll be releasing a short video explaining the ride and introducing the sponsors and asking for people to help share our journey. I see the world as a global community and I’m happy to be contributing to the lives of my community.
and we will share it with thousands of outdoor pursuits enthusiasts!
Are you in training for an upcoming charity event? A professional in your chosen extreme sport? Maybe you run an adventure travel company or a mountaineering club?
Whatever your level, whatever your chosen outdoor pursuit, our audience would love to hear your story.
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