When the hard-riding and even harder-partying Jerkyls invite you to Thailand for a week of fun and adventure, there really is only one response: Hell yeah!
The Jerkyls are an elusive more than exclusive group of vintage dirt track racers with an oldschool aesthetic. Well, I own an old Honda XR200 and an ancient Suzuki SP370 chook chaser — which aren't gonna win me any races — but they at least put me in the same conversation with this crew. The big question is, will I be able to keep up with the Jerkyls, both on the trail and in the bars? We have a week to find out.
The mission was a tour of northern Thailand starting and finishing in Chiang Mai and hosted by the Pattaya-based Enduro Madness crew. Being from the UK where we virtually lived in pubs, I was confident of having the partying aspect of this trip covered. But the loose, sit-down-and-slide riding style could prove a bigger challenge. It's a case of letting the back end run free at every opportunity on the many twisting gravel roads and dusty concrete slabs — a case of giving your bike a happy ending! Is it the quickest way around a corner? Probably not. Is it the most fun? Oh yes.
