Adventurers Series : Steve Taylor Interview

For our Adventurers Series we'll be interviewing some inspiring and adventurous individuals who make adventure a focus of their lives no matter how big or small their adventures might be. In our first post we interview Steve Taylor, a local man who often comes into our shop in Faversham, Kent who has got some great adventures to his name, all of which are by scooter. Steve who is now 46 was once a British and World Supersport Race Mechanic for Yamaha. Since being diagnosed with Multiple Schlerosis Steve has raised huge amounts of money for the Kent MS Therapy Centre where he and his partner both receive support and care. Steve has achieved this by embarking on some epic solo adventures all on a Yamaha 125 Scooter. Previously Steve had rode from Canterbury in Kent to Tromso in Norway and most recently Steve travelled to Sierra Nevada in Spain. We asked him about his trip:   Describe what your days were like during your trip? A typical day involved getting up pack up the tent and camping gear . Then I would boil up some water for a cup of tea. Set off and stop at the first café for breakfast. Fill up with fuel and ride for aprox 100 miles. Stop for lunch and more fuel ride on for 100 more miles and look for somewhere to camp. Check the scooter out for oil, tyre pressure etc. Then I would study the map to plot the next days route. Was this trip harder than your previous challenges? This trip was harder than the Arctic due to the fact I suffered with heat exhaustion. I hadn't drunk enough water which is a must when riding in the heat. I was recovering from an MS relapse and in hindsight I should have delayed the ride. What’s next now you’ve completed your Sierra Nevada Challenge? I will be riding to Holland in May for a few days. In October I will be riding to the Sahara Africa. What do you your friends and family think of your expeditions? My Friends and Family are fully supportive of what I do although they are sometimes amazed at the challenges I come up with.  What were the hazards your faced on your trip? The hazards were the road surfaces, the weather and the altitude. Why did you decide to take this trip? I decided to take this trip as it involved riding the highest road in Europe. It also involved crossing the Tabernas desert the only semi desert in Europe. What equipment did you take with you? A Coleman tent and camping equipment. A spare fuel can, a map,X3 dehydrated food, a small tool kit. RST clothing, Davida crash helmet. Spare Dunlop tyres.  What is the most important piece of kit you took? Spare fuel  What Scooter did you use? Yamaha Bws 125 Scooter What did you eat on the trip? X3 Dehydrated food, a lot of fruit What the hardest part of the journey? Heat and altitude   Steve's next adventure will see him ride solo over 10,000km to the Sahara where this time he'll be raising money for the Jump children's charity. If you're interested in hearing more about Steve and his adventures, you can find his adventure Facebook page here.