Part 1: On The Loose – Honda C90 Adventure: Overland from UK to Tajikistan | FEATURE

Two-wheeled adventures come in many forms, from big-budget trips to as basic as they can get. 25-year-old Chloe Jones has opted for the latter. 

Having been inspired by the adventures of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman, the Welsh lass decided she needed to head to Kazikstan… solo on an old Honda C90.

Marine engineer, Chloe quit her job in America where she’d been working on the engines of super yachts. She headed home to Wales, bought a 1986 Honda C90 and left on her trip a few months ago. She is still going strong. We asked her a few questions about the trip, the scooter and her bike riding past. Hopefully, she’ll be writing more about it for us and it’ll help to inspire some of our readers to get out and ride on their own adventures.

Iggy

How old are you: I am 25!

Where were you born: In Anglesey, Wales! I didn’t go abroad until I was 18!

Where do you live: I don’t really have anywhere I’m living right now. When I am at work I live there and then when I’m not working I’m travelling or staying with family or friends. I have a suitcase of stuff sat in America and a few boxes in my dad’s house in the UK. Other than that I have everything I own with me on the bike!

What’s your occupation: I am a marine engineer

How long have you been riding: About 5 years but lots of time off because of big chucks spent working at sea!

What inspired you on to two wheels: A good friend showed me The Long Way Round, I become obsessed with watching adventure riders travelling around the world. After a go on his Yamaha TY80 with no working brakes and a tyre rash up my chest I was hooked and keen to get my CBT and first bike!

Dirt rider

I take it you have some experience off-road, tell us a little about that: My first bike was a dirt bike. I’ve always wanted to ride dirt. The freedom to reach faraway places in nature and the thrill of it! I spent 10 months riding dirt bikes in the USA last year, there’s a rad dirt biking community.

What is your usual bike of choice: I don’t have a usual bike. I buy a bike and ride it for a few months but to get another bike I usually have the sell the old one.

You meet the nicest people

What made you do the trip alone: If I didn’t go now I could wait a lifetime for someone to do it with me. Though I love downtime alone to take it all in and the freedom of it. I think solo travel opens me up to meeting so many new people… more than with a group anyway!

How long do you think you’ll be away: No idea. I just ideally want to reach Tajikistan before winter.

What is the plan after Tajikstan: No idea. If I have the funds, keeping going north to Kazakhstan. And if I can figure out the politics of Mongolia. No set plans, everything’s open to change.

Will you ride home again: No idea, it’s unlikely though. I like the idea of one-way travel. I’d ride to Australia if I could. Maybe one day! I could even strip the bike into parts and fly home haha!

Last forever

My bike is a 1986 Honda C90. I wanted to keep the bike as original as possible. I truly believe that adventure can be anything you want it to be, on any budget and on any bike. No modifications was in the belief of following this mantra, and also proving the 90 was up to the challenge!

I only changed the footpegs, tyres and added heated grips for a little luxury, though they only last 30 minutes before the battery dies! I also occasionally put a lower front sprocket on it for more torque off-road. I have always loved these little bikes. I love how versatile and robust they are. They’re iconic, even some non-riders have memories of this bike. It’s great to exchange stories and adventures with bikers and non-bikers along my journey.

I was still in America, due to return to the UK for the first time in months when I got a call telling me about a classic trial event happening two days after my return. Within 24 hours of hanging up I had found a Honda C90 for sale and my ex, Matthew had it loaded inside a Skoda Fabia car ready for my return! Running off fumes and jet lag I spent most of the night prepping the bike for the trial.

Anybody can do it

What started as buying it just for this event soon manifested into ideas of travelling Europe and further afield. This trip had been my dream for so long, but long-distance moto trips are often sold online as adventures with large top-of-the-range motorbikes and all the gear. This is also why I am recording the journey, to hopefully inspire people to have adventures with whatever they can make work, and also to get more women into moto.

Rocky start

The adventure began before I even left the UK! My foot pegs fell off after only 3 days, though I had ridden mostly off-road! I met these amazing people at the side of the road who insisted I came to Bradford Wharf Services to get fixed up with the right tools (helicoil kit)

When I reached the Portuguese coast a while back. This was an epic Sunset at Nazare. The same night was my first camp of the trip, I met some van lifers and we talked and sung over a campfire

Why the C90?

I couldn’t afford any other bike without committing to a very long work contract. I was having so much fun on the C90… people ask ‘why?’ and I say “Why not?” I’m having a blast on it! 3 months later I was loaded up and setting off for Tajikistan!

I don’t have a set route or big plan, I want to ride the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, so that’s the goal, but I’m not rushing this journey… well I can’t with a top speed of 70 kmh downhill. I left the UK during winter so I headed to do some riding in Portugal and Spain, which meant the mountain passes would be clear when I reached the likes of Albania, Georgia, Tajikistan!

Five epic days riding the ACT off-road route, this was above Moncorrvo and one of the best views of the day

In Portugal, I rode sections of the Adventure Country Trail which is amazing and it’s about 50% off-road. I have also been riding some sections of the Trans Euro Trail, not as religiously, just jumping on and off it when I fancy some dirt! I also won’t be riding any highways.

A fun adventure up to a ghost town with a sad history, bumpy offroad up to the town…

How long will your trip last?

I am on the road until I make it, run out of money or break down. Though I’m quietly confident even if I blow up the engine I will find a way to get it fixed… and money isn’t the end of the world. I will park up and get a temporary work contract and come back and finish it!

Riding to stay with a couchsurfer, this local bike group flagged me down for a beer and gave me lots of local food to try, fun evening despite the language barrier!

Spares and repairs

So far I’ve had two punctures, rebuilt the carburettor twice, my spokes snapped, my exhaust cracked and the mounting stud sheared, I’ve broken my heated grips in a small crash and my foot pegs fell off! I think that’s all, maybe some tinkering as well along the way.

The Honda is quite simple to repair, I carry a full tool bag: spark plug, fuel, oil, spanners, tools to change an inner tube, screwdriver, epoxy stick and a few other bits. I carry a lot, I made a video on this!

All my stuff is loaded into Lomo soft panniers, dry bag style, and thrown on with some cable ties! An old PS2 bag on the back rack with some basic aluminium plate and more cable ties, along with a couple of bungee cords for reinforcement… it’s all very simple but it’s worked well and lasted over 3 months on original cable ties! This is also in the tools video.

There’s no schedule, I mostly just wake up and go where I feel like that day, follow the wind! anything from no km to my max so far about 340km, which doesn’t sound a lot, but when you can only cover 60km in an hour and feel every bump, I’d say it’s pretty good going.

After some mad adventure in Lisbon after being stranded for a few days due to broken spokes I hit the road again. I had to push on to get some miles covered as I now only have 90 days in the EU. I took a break in a picnic area/ layby but I was sleeping on the floor. A biker stopped to check I was okay. We spent the whole day riding together, made lunch, sightseeing and even went offroad along a beautiful lake. We met his friend for dinner and we rode to his family’s holiday house for the night. You can meet some amazing people on the road.