Back in saddle, the globe rider who landed in trouble at home

Pensioner Ian Coates spent 14 years motorbiking round the world. But it was on his return to Yorkshire that he had to be dramatically rescued. Catherine Scott meets him.
Ian CoatesIan Coates
Ian Coates

It was in 1999 that Ian Coates told his wife Judith he would be taking a few months to tour South Africa on his motorbike.

In fact Ian was away for 14 years, returning just occasionally to his home in Hebden Bridge to see his wife, children and grandchildren.

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Throughout his adventure, which saw him cover 260,000 miles and more than 70 countries, Ian survived getting lost in the wilderness, sand storms in the Sudan, camping in freezing temperatures and major surgery in New Zealand.

But it was on his return to Yorkshire that the 70-year-old mechanic was the subject of a dramatic air rescue which could have put paid to his future travelling plans and was captured by a TV crew for Helicopter Heroes.

“I came back to the UK in January,” explains Ian. “But then I flew out to Portugal to work on and old Land Rover I’d come across. I travelled around Portugal and Spain for a couple of months and then Judith flew out and we drove it back to Yorkshire.

“It was only a few weeks later that I was up in my old hay loft in one of our barns. I hadn’t been up there for 15 years, before I set off around the world. Then suddenly the floor gave way and I fell about 20 feet. I was lucky really as I just missed the tractor loading arms. If I’d hit those I would have broken my spine.”

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As it was, Ian landed on his side, smashing his pelvis and injuring his shoulder.

“I had my phone in my pocket and I rang my son Jason and told him not to tell his mother, which of course he did, so they both came up. Jason said I needed a doctor but I said I’d be all right although I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t move my legs.

“But all I could really think about was that I might not be able to do my next motorbike trip to Mongolia next year.”

When the ambulance arrived at the isolated spot along a bumpy track above Hebden Bridge, the paramedics decided it wasn’t suitable to take Ian to hospital in the ambulance.

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“They were worried I had spinal injuries and so called the air ambulance, which was there in no time.”

Ian was gently put on to a stretcher, then transported to the air ambulance and then airlifted to Leeds General Hospital.

“Everyone was so brilliant,” says Ian. “The doctors said they could pin my pelvis although they didn’t really want to. They said if I could completely rest it then it should heal. I said I’d do whatever it takes although I do find it hard not to be doing anything.”

So after two weeks in hospital and two months taking it easy at home – except for a trip to the Manx motorbike TT where, complete with crutches, he managed to ride himself – Ian says he is back to his normal fighting fit self and planning his next trip.

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“I might be 70 and I suppose I should be in a home somewhere playing bingo, but I have never felt fitter. I think it’s all the motorbiking.”

Ian never uses GPS or even a detailed route map – and rarely has any real plan about where to go.

“I have a diary with a map of the world in it and that’s all I need. And my tent with holes in. I travel very basically.”

The wanderlust started in 1999 when Ian was asked to help some friends drive a Land Rover back from South Africa.

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“We got as far as Kenya but then couldn’t get a visa for Ethiopia, and Sudan was having a war, and so we drove back to Johannesburg. I phoned my wife and asked her to send my 1991 Honda Africa Twin motorbike to me in Johannesburg, which she did, and I told her I’d ride back home to Hebden Bridge. When I got my bike in Johannesburg I rode to the most southernmost point in South Africa then rode back home – it took me a year.”

But Ian had been bitten by the travelling bug.

“I shipped my bike to Australia, to Melbourne and then I rode it round the coast of Australia, I rode down to Alice Springs and rode about nine weeks round the centre of Australia and then Tasmania. From Australia I shipped my bike to New Zealand and rode round the north and the south island. From there in 2003 I shipped my bike to Argentina and rode to the southernmost point, Ushuaia.”

He travelled through every country in South America, ending up in Trinidad and Tobago

“From there I put my bike on a tall sailing ship, 150 feet long and 450 tons, it was on its maiden voyage from Grimsby to New Zealand and it was anchored at Trinidad with no engineer so I said I would be the engineer free if they’d take me and my bike through the Panama Canal and I would leave the ship at Panama City. But when we got through the Panama Canal they asked me to stay on the ship as the engineer to New Zealand, so I did.”
 In New Zealand Ian had to have a spine operation and was told he should return home to rest. That wasn’t likely. Instead he returned to Panama City and continued his adventure, taking in more of South America, then up to Alaska and then Russia.

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“I tried to get into China but they said I needed to pay for a guide and I wasn’t doing that. I couldn’t get into Mongolia because my passport only had six months left.”

So it is this trip Ian is now planning for April next year, but he has a new bike – even older than his Honda.

“After I’m dead someone might want to make a film about my journey and so I thought I’d better keep the Honda safe so I’m doing up a 1990 Honda Africa Twin that’s been in a crash to finish off the rest of the world.

“I want to go to Kazakhstan and Mongolia and then Korea and then India. Oh, and I promised to meet some bikers there. I don’t know how long I will be away. Last time I went for four months and just kept going. I’d never even moved until I was 56. I camp rough and don’t eat much and work for my food. I’ve got into a few scrapes but on the whole people leave me alone, in fact the thieves give me money. I love every day as much as I loved it that first day 14 years ago.”

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Ian has become something of celebrity, particularly among the biking fraternity. He gives talks about his adventures and he is full of interesting anecdotes about his trips.

Long-suffering wife Judith, who flew out to visit Ian half a dozen times, has got used to him being away and she is surrounded by the rest of the family.

“She’s sound,” says Ian who is this week helping to tow Santa’s sleigh around the area with his Land Rover for the local Lions.

Despite his accident this summer Ian in undeterred about his travel plans.“I feel 27. It just shows you that its safer to travel around the world on a motorbike than to stay at home,” he joked.

Twitter@ypcscott

Heli heroes on call for county

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The Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides a life saving rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire.

The independent charity needs to raise £9,990 every day to keep its two helicopters in the air – that’s equivalent to £3.6m a year.

Since taking to the skies in October 2000, the air ambulance has carried 
more than 5,300 patients.

To find out more or to make a donation visit 
www.yorkshireairambulance.org.uk

Ian Coates’s rescue will be featured in the episode of Helicopter Heroes being broadcast on BBC1 on Thursday, December 19, at 11.30am.