Readers Exposed: Jade Foster

Name: Jade Foster |Age: 24 |Occupation: Maths teacher

First bike?
Suzuki VanVan 125

Current bike?
Suzuki VanVan 125, Suzuki V-Strom DL650XT, and a Yamaha WR250R

Dream bike?
I don’t really have a dream bike as I love my current motorcycle. However, before embarking on an around-the-world trip on my WR250R, I’ll be selling my DL650 for funds. On returning, I’d like to upgrade to a V-Strom DL1000 or a Triumph Tiger 800 for my road-based escapades.

Most expensive motorcycle accessory you’ve ever bought?
A Giant Loop Great Basin bag, which is fantastic might I add.

Mountain passes or desert pistes?
I haven’t been to a desert yet and I’m quite scared of riding on sand to be honest, so I would have to say mountain passes. I toured around Switzerland and a bit of Italy this summer and absolutely loved the mountains. I can’t wait to go back.

Tent or hotel?
Tent always. Sometimes I put the tent up in the garden as I sleep so much better than inside or in a bed, bizarrely.

Lifelong ambition?
To successfully ride around the world and have a life filled with adventure. Hopefully, I’ll encourage a few others to get into adventure motorcycling and promote mental health awareness while doing so.

Most dangerous motorcycling moment?
Owning and riding a particularly temperamental Royal Enfield Himalayan and not knowing if it would cut out whenever I went into a corner or stopped, although it did get me through my A2 test so it wasn’t entirely bad.

Most memorable motorcycling moment?
Going through France, Belgium, around Switzerland, and a bit of Italy solo during the COVID-19 pandemic after having only ridden for just over a year. And, having struggled with bad anxiety where I wouldn’t leave the house in the past, this showed me how much travelling by bike can help my mental health issues and it has pushed me to get out and see the world more. Keep up with my travels and stories on Instagram @jaderides.

What do you miss most when travelling?
My three beautiful dogs and my boyfriend if he’s not with me.

If you could meet any person, dead or alive, and ask them one question, who would it be and why?
I’d meet Elspeth Beard and ask her for any advice she has on travelling around the world and how things have changed since she went on her first big trip.

Favourite crap joke?
What do you call a fear of giants? Feefiphobia.

If you want to be a reader exposed in a future issue of Adventure Bike Rider, email [email protected] and if we feature you you’ll get a free year’s subscription to the mag. You can’t say fairer than that, eh?