Ted Simon is a well-known figure in the adventure motorcycle travel community. He rode his motorcycle around the world in the early 1970s, documenting his journey for a newspaper and later writing the book Jupiter’s Travels. The book became hugely popular and is still selling briskly almost five decades later. Ted recently turned 93 years old, and for his birthday, our host, Jim Martin, sat down with him to discuss how a rider today could have a similar trip. Ted came up with some criteria that anyone can follow to have a real adventure. During the conversation, it was revealed that Ted may not have been alone for the entire trip as previously thought and he also shared how his clear idea of what he wanted from his trip led him to turn his back on someone close to him so that he could continue his journey alone.
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When 62 year old Don Nelson from Colorado walked into a motorcycle dealership for a casual look around, little did he know what was about to happen. After the salesman offered for him to test ride a bike, Don found himself making an impulsive decision—he bought a Triumph Bonneville on the spot. Despite not having ridden a motorcycle in over 40 years, he rediscovered his passion for riding and felt immediately at ease on the bike. Now, over a decade later at the age of 75, Don prefers to travel solo, riding long distances from his home to Alaska, coast-to-coast across the United States, and to the Rocky Mountains in Canada. For Don, age is just a number as he continues to embrace the freedom and excitement that motorcycling brings.
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Throughout the year, we find ourselves busy with various tasks that are necessary for us to live and get by. At times, it can feel like we are stuck in a never-ending cycle of doing the same things repeatedly. As we approach the end of the year, we begin to reflect on how quickly it has gone by, and how quickly every year seems to pass. But, what if there was a way that you could use your motorcycle to slow down the passage of time?
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Going on a motorcycle adventure triggers the excitement of preparing yourself and your bike. Selecting the perfect jacket and pants, and even contemplating the ideal bag for your top box becomes part of the immersive experience. And for many there’s a satisfaction in knowing that their bikes and gear are meticulously prepared, ensuring they’re equipped with top-notch quality where it matters. However, there exists an entirely different approach, embraced by those who simply hop on their bikes and venture into remote areas with older motorcycles and non-technical gear. This somewhat minimalist approach is their version of thorough preparation, and it works remarkably well for them. Two seemingly polar opposite pre-trip approaches—one meticulously detailed and modern, the other laid-back and relatively minimalistic. It appears that Nick Adams, an adventure rider from Eastern Ontario, Canada, aligns more with the latter description—a testament to the diversity of approaches for gearing up for the open road.
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Helen Lloyd’s expectations and views on travel have changed over the course of almost two decades of travelling. Some years ago, Helen had embarked on a solo bicycle trip around Africa, which had turned out to be the trip of a lifetime, leaving her with a desire to return. When Helen decided to travel to Africa again, she opted to ride her motorcycle and share the journey with her partner. Even though Helen had a plan in mind for the trip, it turned out to be a series of unexpected personal challenges and revelations, which strengthened Helen’s goals and views for her future travels.
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Alan Reid is on a mission to find his nirvana, the place that just might inspire him to set down roots. He left British Columbia about a year ago on the most suitable motorcycle for him, a KLR, but he didn’t really do any planning or make a budget. Despite not even having a roadside repair kit, he possesses the most valuable tool for a successful adventure – a positive attitude. Alan's approach towards travelling and his outlook on life are unlocking opportunities for him to connect, discover, and explore. Whether his ideal destination is nearby or further away, or even if he decides to take a different direction, Alan is having the most fantastic time in his pursuit of paradise.
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When Patrick Cheever was about seven years old his dad brought home a moped, and Patrick thought it was a dream machine. He racked up mile after mile riding the moped back and forth in his driveway and around the yard. And that sealed it for him, he fell in love with riding motorcycles. And so it continued, riding, fixing, buying and selling, until something happened, not to Patrick but to people close to him. It made him question the safety of riding a motorcycle, so he walked away from the internal combustion engine and began riding his mountain bike because it was safer, or so he thought. In hindsight, he realized that he had never really let motorcycling go, and this is his story of leaving and then returning to the motorcycle.
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It was something he dreamed of doing, something on his bucket list. Brett Anderson was going to ride his motorcycle to Ushuaia one day, perhaps in retirement when he had more time. Brett had a busy life filled with outdoor pursuits such as hiking, running, motorcycling, and he also worked as an international commercial airline pilot. He was active, physically fit and busy. Then suddenly he got sick and everything changed when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. But rolling over and accepting defeat is not Brett Anderson, in fact that diagnosis was what fuelled Brett to focus on his bucket list - Ushuaia by motorcycle.
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Riding the Trans America Trail across the United States can be a challenge in itself. But add to that challenge a motorcycle that is so unsuited to the task it would almost be considered insane to tackle. At this point, Brendan O’Leary walks in to the picture, he’s an engineer by trade with a tremendous passion for working on small Honda motorcycles. Brendan decides that he’s going to buy a new Honda CT 125 and ride the TAT. And there begins the story, with Brendan putting his plan in to action starting with logistics and preparation, before he sets out on his very first, perhaps absurd, motorcycle adventure.
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Back in March 2021, the Stahlratte sailing ship, which had up until then been ferrying passengers and motorcycles around the Darien Gap, made its final voyage. Except this voyage wasn’t around the Darien, it was to Cuba. And one rider, embarking on a round the world trip, loaded himself and his motorcycle onto the Stahlratte to make a side trip to ride Cuba. After all, the pandemic was in full swing and Cuba was on his list.
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Ali Peberdy, retired motorcycle cop, has just returned from an eight week trip to Europe. Before she left, we spoke with Ali and she told us about some concerns she had, things like dropping her bike, going solo, age and breakdowns. Ali is back in the UK now and she has some stories to tell about the things she experienced on her trip, from the rude hotel receptionist to the mishap in the cornfield, and whether or not her trip concerns were valid.
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Ali Peberdy has been riding motorcycles for about forty years, she’s worked as a police officer and some of those years she was a motorcycle cop. She’s ridden thousands of miles in and around Europe with her friends and now in retirement she’s discovering a whole new world of riding. She’s just about to embark on a solo trip in Europe and has had to face some fears she has never known before. What steps did she take to address those fears and how will this shape her adventure?
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Bert Boute is, or was, a product designer. He’s now what you might call a nomad, traveling around the world on his Africa Twin motorcycle. In Bert’s family he’s not the black sheep, he’s not the odd one out, actually it was his parents that introduced him to the idea of exploring the world through travel beyond a vacation. In fact, Bert’s own grandparents are in their nineties and still travelling around in a camper van. And they told Bert to get out and experience travel while he can - before life gets him pinned down with responsibilities. His original plan was to ride for nine months, then go back to his girlfriend - but that was in 2019.
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This story has so many twists and wild tales in it that if you didn’t know it was all true, you’d think it a fantastic work of fiction. Dan Byers put everything on the line for his adventure of a lifetime and from the onset his plans have been upended so many times that it will leave you wondering how he remained so resilient. Not only that, but Dan’s story really highlights how motorcyclists look out for each other, how this common thread draws strangers together and creates friends for life.
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Dustin Nere wasn’t interested in travel, he’d barely stepped foot out of the United States. Instead he did what he thought he was supposed to do, buy a house, get married. But, things started to change for Dustin when friends gave him a 2003 DR650 and he started going on short rides with them on weekends. Then came the overnight trips and riding the Backcountry Discovery Routes. After a divorce he had more time to ride, took a longer trip and then found himself hooked. He left his dream job, sold his house and truck and then headed to Alaska and just kept going.
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When Kathleen Terner first got on a motorcycle with her future husband, she instantly fell in love with riding and she spent four years on the back of his bike until the relationship ended. But, her love for motorcycling didn’t wane and she was determined to still ride and take cross-country trips, so she got her motorcycle license and bought a bike. After the divorce and recovering from throat cancer, Kathleen decided to go on a solo trip, one that would change her life as she overcame her fear of being alone and the limitations that caused her to doubt herself. She turned her motorcycle in to the wind and discovered that life was good.
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Hank Arriazola is a long time BMW rider with a passion for travel and photography. He’s travelled extensively in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Africa, putting 540,000 miles on his 1995 BMW R1100GS. Hank also runs a BMW repair shop called MotoHank and specializes in long distance travel preparation, getting the motorcycles ready, and helping out with the required documents and items needed for that specific trip. A conversation about travel, trip preparation and motorcycle life.
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Richard Georgiou likes to pack his bike sparsely and ride off into the sunset with only some basic information about where he’s going and what to expect when he gets there. He let’s adventure unfold around him, often shooting from the hip. It’s not always comfortable but that’s the way he likes to ride. And sometimes that does get him in to trouble, like the time when he was lost on a motorcycle trip and approached a road block stocked with armed men. Unable to figure out what was going on Richard decided to hunker down and crack the throttle and… well, let’s just say that adventure has a way of finding Richard Georgiou.
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Donovan Lucibello hadn’t ridden a motorcycle in years, but when he discovered dual sport riding he decided that he wanted to ride from Montana to Alaska. Having a short window he rode one way and decided to leave his motorcycle in Anchorage with a plan to return the next year. But as it is with life, other things got in the way and then he started a new job. When he was laid off in June of last year he was crushed, but the very next day he made the decision to return to Alaska and finish his trip. And although the country was in the midst of a historic pandemic, he found that he was made to feel welcome by the hospitality, perseverance and generosity of the people he met. For Donovan, the trip to Alaska was ‘motorcycle therapy’ that helped to set him right again.
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Chris Donaldson was brought up during The Troubles in Northern Island and for years he looked towards escaping his conflicted homeland on his motorcycle with the goal of riding to Australia. But, not long after he set out he hit a ‘road block’ and as often happens in travel, plans changed. He ended up riding his Moto Guzzi Le Mans to places he thought he never would and 40 years later getting to Australia is still on Chris’ mind. An epic journey and an entertaining tale that reminds us that travel is not about the destination.
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