Every. Day. Ride #34 with Luther

Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Luther. I am 23 years old and have just finished my first year studying physics at Bristol university. Prior to these studies I worked, on the whole, as a film director and video editor, with a small component of that involving creating my own YouTube videos sharing my motorbike adventures.

How and when did you get into riding?

I started riding in February 2023, inspired by my dad who, after having to give up on riding in his twenties, bought his first bike in over 40 years. I recognised how special this was to him, and wanted to share in creating some unforgettable memories.

What are the best and worst things about riding?

Community. Skipping all the traffic. Moments of pure flow state.

Cold fingers. Cold toes. Gridlock traffic in 30 degree heat in a country where filtering is prohibited… *cough* *cough*… Switzerland.

Tell us about your most memorable ride to date?

My most memorable ride to date was joining the Chief Blood Biker of my region on a routine blood delivery to the different air ambulance charities. This is in order to have fresh blood supplied to the air ambulance for use in emergencies. Blood bikers are advanced qualified riders, and they make progress, so keeping up with an impeccable rider on a BMW RT with a Suzuki GS500f was no small feat. I’ve also just come back from a road trip to Switzerland. That entire trip will be unforgettable.

What’s the best piece of riding advice you’ve ever been given?

Even though I have now been riding for over 2 years, my dad continues to remind me on the importance of the vanishing point. Being from Cornwall, we get to ride some of the best twists and turns, often times down small country lanes with overgrown hedges. By anticipating that there may be a tractor, I have indeed saved myself from being run off the road by said tractor.

How do you keep your bikes secure at home and on the go?

In Cornwall I almost think I could leave the key in the bike and no one would think about touching it. But since moving to Bristol, I quickly had gangs of thieves take multiple attempts at stealing my bike, saved luckily by neighbours and my Suzuki’s combination of a solid steering lock and ductile handle bars.

My rudimentary locks did nothing to stop them, so I quickly realised security was an area I shouldn’t scrimp on. After finding my damaged bike, I ran down to the local bike shop. They didn’t sell anything for motorbikes, so one of the workers offered me his colleague’s Litelok Core, said it’s the best lock on the market, and gave me a big discount. I think those guys in the store saved my bike.

When I’m in the city, I use the Core to lock the back wheel to an anchored bar in a nearby car park. I then lock the X3 through the front wheel, and have peace of mind that breaking through those two would require a great deal of equipment and time.

Lastly, my neighbours that overlook the car park have doorbell cameras and a group chat to inform of any attempts.

Next I’m looking to add a tracker.

Share your best tips to help others keep their bikes safe?

Build or join a community. At university, I have been lucky enough to meet many other bikers, and we all support each other in finding safe places to store our bikes, good equipment to invest in and keeping an eye out for each other’s bikes whilst we are on campus or out and about.

Invest in good locks. Ever since I purchased my Litelok Core thieves have basically given up on targeting my bike. There was one time where the bike next to mine was targeted, but when they failed to steal that, they pushed my bike over out of spite.

My friends have told me to get a tracker, just in case.

When someone asks what kit you recommend, you say?
Waterproofs and my KEISS heated jacket.  

What’s on your riding bucket list? 
My dad and I would love to rent some Harley’s and ride through California up to Yosemite National Park. 
I’d also love to ride to Georgia, in Europe, from the UK.