Get to know this ABR reader…
Name: Nina Plumbe | Age: 71 | Occupation: Arable Farmer (Retired)
First bike?
Lambretta model F (1954) that I had when I was at school aged 16. It’s very rare and I stupidly sold it about 20 years ago. I moved on to an old Suzuki two-stroke 185cc.
Current bike?
Suzuki V-Strom 650. I bought it after 17 years with BMWs and Hondas.
Dream bike?
One that is designed for a woman. That is, not too high and without really wide handlebars but still an adventure bike.
Most expensive motorcycle accessory you’ve ever bought?
Different suspension units and panniers for all my travels.
Mountain passes or desert pistes?
Desert pistes. No desert is the same, and I’ve travelled many.
Tent or hotel?
I love nights in a tent but not every night. Small hotels where you can chat to locals are great.
Lifelong ambition?
To keep on riding and do a heap more travelling on two wheels. You’re never too old.
Most dangerous motorcycling moment?
In Morocco, I was following my partner off-road on a laden bike over stony and gravelly ground downhill. There was a sharp left-hand bend coming up with what looked like a sheer drop below to the right. I was in the wrong gear and had to change down quickly without skidding. I just made the bend, but only just. I still remember the terror of being so close to the sheer drop below.
Most memorable motorcycling moment?
Meeting Simon and Lisa Thomas of 2 Ride the World in the middle of the Nullabor desert. They were completely kitted out with everything you could need on their BMWs. I was on a little 250cc Honda, with a single bag on the back which I was riding from Sydney to Perth.
What do you miss most when travelling?
I love every minute of travelling but I do miss my children.
If you could meet any person, dead or alive, and ask them one question, who would it be and why?
Sir Ranulph Fiennes the explorer. I love the snow and would love to chat about his trips to the poles.
Favourite crap joke?
Did you hear about the two thieves who stole a calendar? They each got six months.