We love hearing stories of adventure, especially tales about the fascinating routes people take to get to the ABR Festival.
Members of the official ABR Festival Facebook Group may have spotted Noel Lynam’s plans to make his way to Ragley Hall from Chennai in India, via Iran, Türkiye, Bulgaria, and then north-west through Europe before arriving in Dover.
We were certainly intrigued, and impressed by the scale of his ambition, so we got in touch back in February to find out more about his journey and what motivated him to undertake such an epic adventure to this year’s ABR Festival.
Noel’s life on two-wheels began on a backpacking trip to Ko Samui, Thailand in 1995, where he was loaned a Honda Dream125. Immediately hooked, he spent every spare moment when on leave from the Merchant Navy exploring the northern areas of Thailand, including the famous Mae Hong Son Loop, Chiang Rai and Pai, all aboard a selection of different scooters.
Graduating to geared machines, Noel progressed from a Yamaha TZR 125 to a Suzuki GSX-R750. And it was while sharing a ride on the GSX-R that Noel’s future wife Kathy was also bitten by the bug to ride.
Following six years working for the British Antarctic Survey aboard the RRS Ernest Shackleton (Noel as a Navigation Officer, Kathy as a Research Scientist), this intrepid couple quit their jobs, sold their bikes, bought a 50-year-old wooden sailboat, and sailed off into the sunset. At least until 2018, when the call of two-wheels became irresistible.
Three years’ extensive motorcycling through Indonesia came to an abrupt end when the world was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, the pair caught one of the last flights out and ended up in Dubai, where they spent a further three years exploring the UAE and Oman on a pair of Himalayans.
Now looking to settle into a more permanent home, Noel and Kathy weren’t ready to commit to Dubai long-term, and instead cast their eyes East. “As much as we liked the UAE, it lacked the rawness that Indonesia gave us, and with India offering an amazing environment, especially from a motorcycle perspective, it was a logical choice for us”, explains Noel.
Kathy secured a teaching position in Chennai in July 2024, and Noel began plotting the epic route from his new home to Ragley Hall in time for the ABR Festival in June 2025. For him, the trip was a chance to catchup with shared family in England and Ireland, and “the perfect opportunity to combine a long motorcycle trip with meeting like-minded motorcycle enthusiasts.”
Noel’s journey began in late March, when customs approval for shipping his bike from Cochin to Dubai came through (with a little help from a few contacts at Royal Enfield).
After completing 40 different documents, including 17 for his Indian Carnet alone, Noel was finally able to have his Himalayan boxed, racked, and shipped to Dubai.
More customs shenanigans ensued once Noel arrived in Dubai to collect his bike, but just over a week ago, he and his beloved machine were reunited, before boarding the ferry to Bandar Abbas.
Of course, Noel could have simply transported his bike direct to the UK and caught a flight to meet it, instead of having to navigate the endless bureaucracy. But like all veteran travellers, for him the journey is just as important as the destination: “I like the discipline of a long solo ride. It gives me a point to aim for, it’s very similar to the long ocean passages we have done across the Pacific in our wooden sailboat, one gets into a particular frame of mind, being in a state of constant motion, always on the move, always looking ahead to the next destination and thus moving towards it.”
Iran was the first major point Noel was aiming for on his latest journey, and for many adventurers, just the mention of it may well have raised eyebrows, given the delicate political situation in the country. But the Irishman saw it as unfinished business, having had to cut short a journey through the country back in 2022, when some of the largest demonstrations in decades broke out.
That’s not to say he didn’t have any reservations about returning, and he was already thinking of ways he could minimise risk: “For me, Iran has always been a tad edgy. I generally keep my opinions and views to myself, and as a tourist people are generally super happy to chat. I don’t carry a drone as they seem more hassle than they’re worth, and I ensure my GoPro is switched off generally when I arrive at checkpoints, etc.”
Outside of Iran, there are a few waypoints on Noel’s journey that represent a return to familiar territory. Having already travelled through Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania in the past, he’s looking forward to retracing his steps, given “the latter two reminded me of being a child in Ireland in the late 1970s, very rough around the edges, ramshackle of sorts and bursting with unkempt lush greenery, along with great campsites – what’s not to like?”
The love of exploration and the journey taken is evident in everything Noel has done up to now, so it’s unsurprising that there isn’t one part of his route that he’s most looking forward to: “All segments of my trip have certain levels of excitement and appeal for me. I have people I’m meeting in Dubai, Iran, Türkiye, Bulgaria, and then back in the UK, so at each section I look towards this and am excited.” It’s only when he arrives at the ABR Festival that he’ll take stock of what he’s achieved and comprehend what’s gone beneath his wheels.
Having travelled directly from India (and with a little more help from Royal Enfield), Kathy will be riding alongside Noel as enters the gates of Ragley Hall at the end of June. And they’re sure to fit right in with the world’s friendliest motorcycle community that will be there to greet them. As Noel admits himself, “I like to talk, tell stories, and listen to stories from other people. Throughout all my travels, some of my best scenarios were the interactions from encounters whilst on the road, sitting around in an evening time or a random interaction at a petrol station, it all goes into the tapestry of adventure. I have no doubt that attending the ABR Festival will have this in overload. Also, I heard the food is amazing, so looking forward to that too!”
So, if you see Noel during your stay at the ABR Festival, buy him a beer, and the sausage roll he’s been dreaming of since he hatched his plan back in January, and he’ll tell you all about it.
