Ever wanted to ride around the world on you motorcycle? Author Gregory Frazier gives folks the skinny on what they need to make the dream a reality.
Riding around the world on a motorcycle stirs up notions of the lone wolf seeing exotic lands and cultures on the freedom of his trusty steel horse. But when you get past the romantic ideals, there are a lot of nuts and bolts complications to making your dream a reality. What bike do you take, what gear do you bring, how much money will it take, how will you get your bike across the ocean, what do you need to cross the border. Well, you get the idea.
The prospective world adventurer need not be dismayed, however, because author Gregory Frazier has stepped in to answer your questions with his snappy guide
Riding the World: The Biker's Road Map for a Seven-Continent Adventure.
Where does Frazier get his expertise on such unusual travel matters, you may ask? Well, the motojournalist and photographer has made no less than four trips around the globe. During those four voyages he has gone "the long way round" through North America, Europe, and Asia - similar to the path Ewan MacGregor and his pal Charlie Boorman took in their aptly named excursion. Frazier has also ridden from top of the earth to bottom, traveling up and down North and South America, as well as Africa and Asia. Literally the four corners of the earth. In fact, he could be a poster child for a global version of the Johnny Cash song "I've Been Everywhere."
Frazier, an American Indian who lives on the Crow Reservation in the Big Horn Mountains of Montana, dispenses sage advice on how to pull off a global riding adventure. He manages to express the enthusiasm and fortitude which such a journey requires, but tempers it with real world advice.
One example where Frazier snaps a reader into reality is the notion that by circling the globe they are breaking some kind of record or bound for fame and glory. The fact is people have been riding around the world for quite a while now, with the first known success occurring in 1912. As such there is no incentive to make a literal contiguous journey around the planet. Instead, Frazier has trekked around the globe hopping and skipping through borders riding on the roads he wants. The point it there are no rules to riding the world, that is unless you are trying to break the Guinness World Record, which does have strict requirements. (The fastest recorded trip, by the way, was by British rider Nick Sanders, who went round the world in 31 days.)
When charting a route, Frazier advises riders to be realistic and some roads are best left alone. For example the Darien Gap between Panama and Columbia is almost impassable jungle and serves as the main route north for drug smugglers. It's better to transport your bike by air or sea. Speaking of which, transporting your bike across borders or oceans is a hassle all its own. Frazier helps smooth out some of the bumps by telling you what to expect and watch out for.
After choosing a route, the next important step - perhaps the most important - is picking the right bike. Again Frazier steps in to deliver wide-eyed riders a healthy dose of reality. When it comes to selecting a mount, the prevailing wisdom is that it shouldn't be a machine you couldn't stand to lose along the way. If your beloved bike blows a transmission in the Gobi Desert or just about anywhere for that matter, it will cost you a king's ransom to get it back home to the States.
Bike selection should be focused on durability and comfort, and bigger isn't necessarily better. Frazier has utilized a wide array of bikes on his travels, including one journey where on a whim he decided to ride on motorcycles which were manufactured within the borders of the continent he was traveling. For regular long-distance duty, however, Frazier is partial to the BMW RS models (at least back when they were relatively cheap and affordable) but took his last round-the-world foray aboard the KLR650. When it comes to choosing a bike there is no ultimate right or wrong answer, however, and Frazier notes that everything from Goldwings to 50cc Vespas have made the journey.
The most important thing about the bike is that it becomes properly equipped for the long-distance trek. In this regard, the $19.95 book pays for itself, because Frazier doles out all the tasty tricks he has learned over the years that could save potential riders thousands of dollars and heartache when they're stranded out in the middle of nowhere with a broken ride. He also outlines how to rig your machine to carry all the extra equipment you'll need to pack along - his personal preference being aftermarket aluminum panniers.
Frazier does not neglect the checklist of what a rider needs to fill those panniers, or perhaps more important, what a rider doesn't need. Included in this is the mental and physical preparation a person needs to make their dream a reality. Also the financial aspect of a trip is discussed, as the bill for a six-month trek across the globe will be frightening for those spending every night in five-star accommodations. Frazier provides advice on how to vagabond your way across continents without ending up in debtor's prison on your return home.
Although it concerns itself with technical advice, the 160-page book is a quick and enjoyable read. Frazier makes the mammoth undertaking of a round-the-world ride seem both manageable and adventurous. We give
Riding the World a solid thumbs up. If a reader is even considering such a journey, this title is required reading.
Product: Riding the World: The Biker's Road Map for a Seven-Continent Adventure
MSRP: $19.95 Trade Paperback
Buy It Now: Riding the World: The Biker's Road Map for a Seven-Continent Adventure
About the Author: Bios from the
IPL (Internet Public Library) and
Horizons Unlimited.
