Reference Books

The following books constitute essential reference for the global rider. They were all written by notorious adventurers who can be viewed as the real pioneers of trans-continental motorcycling touring.

These books are available through the RiderWearHouse catalog from Aerostich (www.aerostich.com or 1-800-222-1994).

You can also order online from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

One Man Caravan

Robert Edison Fulton, Jr., Whitehorse Press, 1937 & 1996, 278 pages

Robert Fulton, an American adventurer, descendant of the 19th century inventor of the steamboat and submarine, can be considered as the first motorcyclist to have successfully completed a world tour. That was in 1932, Fulton was only in his early twenties, and his tale from the saddle already outlines the main challenges still faced by the global rider: complex border crossings, mechanical breakdowns, language barrier, unpredictability of the locals, etc. The book also dramatically pictures the tensions from the troubled world of the 1930s about to explode, especially in his chapter on Afghanistan. Now in his nineties, Robert Fulton shall be held at the highest rank of the adventure motorcycling Hall of Fame. Many black & white picture and hand drawings from Fulton himself are included in this wonderful book.

The Adventure Motorbiking Handbook

Chris Scott, Globe Pequot Press, 2001, 304 pages

The backcountry of developing nations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa offers ideal frontiers where you can apply your off-road skills to the pursuit of the unforseeable adventures and memories that will last a lifetime. To tackle a trip so expensive, so physically and mentally demanding, so fraught with possible danger, you need to be prepared—and veteran biker Chris Scott will give you the practical knowledge, advice, and experience he and his contributing colleagues have gained with years of remote overland travel. From researching your route and sorting paperwork, to honing your riding technique and modifying and packing your bike, you’ll find everything you need to start planning your Big Trip.

Sahara Overland

Chris Scott, Globe Pequot Press, 2000, 544 pages

10 Years on 2 Wheels

Helge Pedersen, Elfin Cove Press, 1993, 208 pages

Norwegian photojournalist Helge Pedersen achieved the unachievable: spending 10 years on a motorcycle across 77 countries and covering more than 400,000 km. The book is written as a travelogue with many pictures and takes the reader through regions of the world where no motorcycles went through before like the jungle-covered Darien Gap between the two Americas or the Siberian Far East. Helge is still an active rider, regularly organizing trans-continental expeditions with other riders.

Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers

Jim Rogers, 1995-2003, The Random House Publishing Group, 440 pages

Legendary investor Jim Rogers gives us his view of the world on a twenty-two-month, fifty-two-country motorcycle odyssey in his bestselling business/adventure book, Investment Biker, which has already sold more than 200,000 copies. Before you invest another dollar anywhere in the world (including the United States), read this book by the man Time magazine calls “the Indiana Jones of finance.” Jim Rogers became a Wall Street legend when he co-founded the Quantum Fund. Investment Biker is the fascinating story of Rogers’s global motorcycle journey/investing trip, with hardheaded advice on the current state and future direction of international economies that will guide and inspire investors interested in foreign markets.

Adventure Capitalist: The Ultimate Road Trip

Jim Rogers, 2003, The Random House Publishing Group, 368 pages

The author of Investment Biker is back from the ultimate road trip: a three-year drive around the world that would ultimately set the Guinness record for the longest continuous car journey. In Adventure Capitalist, investor Jim Rogers, dubbed "the Indiana Jones of finance" by Time magazine, proves that the best way to profit from the global situation is to see the world mile by mile." "Rogers and his fiancee, Paige Parker, began the "Millennium Adventure" on January 1, 1999, from Iceland. They traveled through 116 countries, including many where most have rarely ventured, such as Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Angola, Sudan, Congo, Colombia, and East Timor. They drove through war zones, deserts, jungles, epidemics, and blizzards. They had many narrow escapes." They camped with nomads and camels in the western Sahara. They ate silkworms, iguanas, snakes, termites, guinea pigs, porcupines, crocodiles, and grasshoppers. Best of all, they saw the real world from the ground up - the only vantage point from which it can be truly understood - economically, politically, and socially.

Riding South

Dr. Gregory W. Frazier, Arrowstar Publishing, 1999, 408 pages

Dr. Gregory Frazier, who also completed a World Tour, sketches a very "down to earth" picture of what it takes to cross South America. Putting a strong emphasis on the risks of the road (accidents, reckless drivers, robbers), as well as the importance of camaraderie among riders, Frazier helps everyone keeping a "cool head" and a concentration level at its maximum when riding through the continent.

Jupiter's Travels : Four Years around the World on a Motorcycle
Ted Simon, Jupitalia Productions, 1997, 456 pages

Ted Simon took his Triumph Tiger around the world, logging four years, 78,302 miles, and fifty-four countries. But the true journey in Jupiter’s Travels is the one which he takes into his soul. This travelogue describes the external landscape of the places he visited, as well as the inner landscape of his philosophical and personal reflections. Jupiter’s Travels has been printed in six languages and has sold over 300,000 copies.

Riding High
Ted Simon, Jupitalia Productions, 1998, 310 pages

Riding High fills in the gaps of Jupiter’s Travels with untold episodes. Simon reflects on his confrontations with the murderous “marxist hunters” in Chile, his farcical arrest in India, his observations of bizarre customs in Thailand and Malaysia, and many more and sets them against the turbulent and touching events that followed his return to domesticity.

Riding the Edge: An 83,000 Mile Motorcycle Adventure around the World!
Dave Barr, with Mike Wourms, 1998, 502 pages

Riding the Edge is an incredible journey by any standard, and to Dave Barr and the people he’s inspired, it’s a dream come true. Barr is a rugged, extraordinary adventurer who rode his 1972 Harley-Davidson around the world despite the loss of both legs in an anti-tank mine explosion in Angola in 1981. His trip lasted four years, covering six continents and 83,000 miles! He crossed several African deserts, circled the continent of Australia, and negotiated the Andes during avalanche season, visiting cities and small towns and meeting dramatically different people from every corner of the world. Many of them lent a helping hand to Barr as he traveled alone through dangerous terrain, bad weather, and challenging roads. One of only 100 people to have circumnavigated the world on a motorcycle, Dave is the first person with a major disability to do so. On an epic journey of self-exploration, Barr single-handedly created a whole new set of rules for world travel. His book is written with great humor and candor, in a familiar style that feels as if he’s sitting right next to you. Experiencing the world with Dave Barr as your guide will provide you with a fascinating change of perspective.

Russia and Central Asia by Road
Hazel Barker, David Thurlow, Globe Pequot Press, 1997, 278 pages

A thorough practical guide to traveling overland from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, Central Asian republics and Mongolia. Multiple routes are explored with mileage and road conditions information. Additional touring information make it an all-in-one travel guide for the region.

The Motorcycle Diaries - A Journey Around South America

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, Verso, 1995, 195 pages

Few people know that the famous "libertador" and guerillero who helped Fidel Castro take over Cuba in 1959, went onto a motorcycle expedition across South America in his early twenties. From his homeland of Argentina to Chile and Peru, the trip probably played a role in the formation of the "Che"'s ideology for the years to come as he was facing the social inequalities of South America in the early 1950s.

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