8 Must-Read Travel Books for Motorcyclists

Planes, trains, and automobiles are all pretty standard fare for travelers, whereas the motorcycle is an altogether different kind of machine. Best suited for more rugged adventures off the beaten path, the motorcycle requires an adventurous spirit, who doesn’t mind, and maybe even enjoys, doing things the hard way. Besides presenting unique physical and mental challenges to the rider, the motorcycle is unfairly identified with trouble makers and outlaws. But, truth be told, that mystique has a broad appeal, and is the subject of countless songs, films, and books, eight of which we’ve listed below. If you’re contemplating doing some long-distance traveling on your bike, these books will inspire you to hit the road.(Photo by David Merrett, licensed through Creative Commons.)

Long Way Round: Chasing Shadows Across the World by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman

One fateful day, while contemplating a map of the world, actor and motorcycle enthusiast Ewan McGregor realized it is possible to ride a motorcycle across the entire planet, with the exception of having to cross the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska. So naturally, starting in London, McGregor and fellow motorcycle rider Charley Boorman set off on their bikes to see if they could complete such a journey. Four months and 20,000 miles later, they had accumulated a collection of diary entries, maps, mileage charts, photographs, and filmed footage documenting their incredible journey. A DVD of the Long Way Dow television series is also available.
The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto “Che” Guevara

Ernesto Guevara would be forever transformed by his 1952 journey, mostly by motorcycle and with his companion Alberto Granado, across the continent of South America. Over the course of their travels, thanks in part to their humble mode of transportation, Guevara and Granado were able to witness firsthand, the level of poverty and injustice endured by their country’s indigenous population. Guevara would become a Marxist revolutionary, known to the world as “Che,” and help lead the Cuban revolution.
Ridin’ High, Livin’ Free by Ralph “Sonny” Barger

Ralph “Sonny” Barger is one of the key figures in the founding of the infamous Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. A notorious counterculture icon, revered by individualists, reviled by members of law enforcement, including the FBI, Barger is an unapologetic advocate of “the code of the road.” He’s written a well-received autobiography, a self-help book, and a book on motorcycle maintenance. Ridin’ High, Livin’ Free is a collection of “true life” stories shared with Barger by his fellow Hells Angels and motorcycle enthusiasts, presented with only minimal embellishments.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

No list of books for motorcyclists would be complete without Robert Pirsig’s autobiographical exploration of romantic and classical thought and their relation to Eastern philosophies, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Photographs taken by Pirsig while on the 1968 motorcycle journey described in his book, as well as those taken by Professor Henry Gurr of the route, appear on a website run by Gurr. In the book’s introduction, Pirsig writes, “(The Book) should in no way be associated with that great body of factual information relating to orthodox Zen Buddhist practice,” says Pirsig. “It’s not very factual on motorcycles, either.”
The Rugged Road by Theresa Wallach

In 1935 Theresa Wallach, the first International Vice-President of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association, and her friend Florence Blenkiron, drove a motorcycle with a sidecar from London, across the length of Africa, including the Sahara desert, to Cape Town. The Rugged Road tells the story of this unprecedented journey, an epic ride that would destroy even the most modern of motorcycles. In addition to enduring heat, rain, and sand drifts, the women at one point had to rebuild the entire engine after it broke down.
Jupiter’s Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph by Ted Simon

Since its publication, Ted Simon’s Jupiter’s Travels has sold more than 400,000 copies, and inspired many to travel, including actor and long distance motor cycle traveler Ewan McGregor. Over the course of four years, Simon, an accomplished features writer and editor, covered 78,000 miles through 45 countries on a 500 cc Triumph Tiger motorcycle. Simon describes the Triumph, which now belongs to a museum, as “a simple, solid piece of engineering, difficult to break and easy to repair. In fact, it was a comfortable bike to ride.”
India: The Shimmering Dream: The First Overland Journey by Motorcycle to India in 1933 by Max Reisch

Translated from German, this book records Max Reisch and Herbert Tichy’s 1933 motorcycle journey through the Middle East to India. The book describes the people and cultures they encountered during their ride, on no roads, across deserts, in incredibly hot weather. Both men were just 20 at the time of their trip, and were not seasoned travelers or motorcyclists. “I do not envy Americans who slave away their entire lives to go around the world in their old age,” writes Reisch. “For them, such a journey is the fulfillment of a life. But for us, it was an education.”
One More Day Everywhere: Crossing 50 Borders on the Road to Global Understanding by Glen Heggstad

The current climate of distrust and political upheavals has inspired much travel writing of late. Writers and travelers, professional or otherwise, are exploring the ends of the earth in the hopes that we, as a human race, will recognize each other as brothers and sisters, as opposed to strangers and enemies. Motorcyclist Glen Heggstad writes of the people he meets in his travels across the globe, “as a species, we still like other far more than is reported” Heggstad’s book, One More Day Everywhere: Crossing 50 Borders on the Road to Global Understanding, presents the natives of faraway lands as potential friends, not foes. On his website, which features photos and videos complimenting his book, Heggstad writes, “Time and time again, the truth surfaces, although governments don’t get along, people do.”