Some very interesting people cross our path here at 250. Whether we meet them in the 250LONDON Store or at an event, when they purchase products from us, we're always fascinated to find out where that kit ends up, what journey it goes on because we just love to hear the stories and see the pictures! So when Luca Maraschin tagged us in some awesome photos on Instragram, we got very excited!!
Luca, who recently moved back to South Africa from London, has been doing a lot of incredible riding with his mates, was keen to share his experience with us so we'd like to share it with you, because it's pretty cool. Here you go, words by Luca...
OUT OF THE GREY AND INTO THE DUST
It was a few months back when I decided to leave my little apartment in Fulham, after being cooped up in it for a few days writing countless words for my master’s degree. I was frustrated with how mundane my days had become and realised that I was in dire need of some adventure in my life, some variation and views beyond my laptop’s generic screensaver. In short, I had to be on a motorcycle back home in South Africa. As this wasn’t possible, I scratched this itch by jumping onto the District Line to 250LONDON to gear-up and prepare for my travels back home. I was drawn to 250LONDON, not only from a consumerist point-of-view, but as a place where I could talk to someone who shared the same passions as I did.
I moved back to South Africa a couple of weeks later and instantly started looking for a new motorcycle - I saw it not only as a means of me breaking away from my stress and frustration that academics and life in a big city had caused me, but also of self-expression within the environment that I love. Not too long afterwards, I was the owner of a KTM 300 XCW, a machine that I believed would allow me to traverse South Africa’s wild landscapes and pursue the adventures that I had longed for, whilst sitting in my blank-white flat in London typing.
Since then, my weekends have been dominated by this pursuit. Loading up the bikes with my friends at 4 a.m. on a Saturday and driving into the bush with the harsh red glow of South Africa’s sunrise piercing our eyes, has become almost ritualistic. These early mornings ultimately culminate into us gearing up and coaxing our cold engines into roaring machines, defiant of the stillness that grips the bushveld. Feeling the bike’s will to lurch forward when we kick it into first gear, the adventure begins.
We have traversed mountains strewn with rocks that have left us breathless, yet have rewarded us with views of some of the most remote areas of the country. We have flown down dusty singletracks where the only pressing matter is whether there is a thorn-tree or antelope around the next corner. We have navigated dried-up riverbeds, towering sand-dunes and abandoned and somewhat precarious railway bridges that are the only means of crossing the torrents of water some 10 metres below us. And at the end of the day, we take off our helmets, open a few beers and recount our stories around a crackling campfire, ensuring that the memories that we have made will persist and carry us through the next week.
My motorcycle has become a tool for me to reject monotony and to take back control. It has given my weekends purpose and allowed me to define my experiences so that there is colour where there was once grey.
I would like to thank 250London not only for allowing me to express my passion for motorcycles, but also for doing the same too. Their products and support for the community are undoubtedly testament to this, and I look forward to how they grow, together with us riders, going into the future.
Massive thanks right back atcha Luca, cheers to you and your mates for sharing your adventure and photos with us. We're pretty jealous you have all of that amazing terrain on your doorstep. Make sure you come back to see us on your next trip to the Big Smoke! Happy riding Luca!