Motorcycle Misadventures

Daniel Todd Emerges Muddy After Long South American Motorcycle Journey

Today, long lost motorcycle misadventurer Daniel Todd reappears after completing a journey of about 18,000 kilometers in South America. The route took him through Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, all three Guianas, back into northernmost point of Brazil, and then down the coast to Rio De Janeiro just in time for Carnival. No major mishaps to report -- just rain, mud, mosquitoes, breakdowns, border crossings, and tipsy dugout canoe rides across the rivers. English Guiana brought 1000 kilometers of jungle and lots of humongous mud holes. Nope, there is nothing like that sicking thud when your forks bottom out, your rims get bent, and the mud is so deep that the bike stands up by itself, says Daniel. Finally emerging onto tarmac he was pulled over by a cop who screamed at him in pidgin English for having mud on his license plate. To this, Daniel says he remembers riding away on wobbly rims, watching the cop shrink in the rear view mirror and asking himself, "Did I really just tell a policeman to kiss my ass?"

Look for more updates and a Motorcycle Misadventures podcast with Daniel Todd soon.

Read the 2004 post on Daniel's planned journey.

To contact Daniel please email him at danieltodd12 at hotmail.

Alice Sexton Rides a Breva 750 Across the USA

WIMA USA president is riding cross-country to the Moto Guzzi Rally in Weirton, WV on a Breva 750 at the same time I'm riding the Breva Around the Adriatic. We met just recently in San Rafael - she says I'm going to love the bike (great news!) and she also introduced me to a few other women reporters in the motorcycle industry, which was great fun. Check out Alice's blog, Vroom! while she's on the road.

By the way, WIMA (Women's International Motorcycle Association) is a wonderful organization and even if you're not a joiner if you are a woman motorcyclist it's a must...friendly, helpful, and non-denominational :-)

Visit WIMA USA.

Daniel Todd Headed for South America

Daniel Todd and I have been playing phone tag for about three years and finally caught up with each other. He's on his way from Puerto Rico, where he's lived for the past 10 years, to ride through South America for about 6 months. He shipped his Kawasaki to Rio, and will leave from there. He's fluent in Spanish and Portuguese by now and is looking forward to exploring the culture in a deeper way than he could last time when he was just "getting by" in Spanish.

Oh yeah, now I have to admit that the deadly sin envy struck me, though I haven't fantasized about South America much. We talked a long time - how's Ted Simon? Back from his 2nd RTW trip, writing Book II of Jupiter's Travels. And Gregory Frazier? I saw him, and Benka, too, at the Airheads camp at Burning Man a couple of years ago, and had an email exchange just yesterday. He's in Indonesia, "Damn hot over here, 40 degrees and humid. Now I know why bats only move around at night, sleep during the day," he says.

Gregory is getting ready for his 5th major trip, and says he'll stop by San Francisco on his way from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia. Daniel hooked up with Gregory in Indonesia and they had a good time...too good a time. Mariola Chichon (Ride of the Heart) Still recovering from her accident in the Gambia, ready to get back on that bike and finish West Africa. I see Benka's book is out -- in Slovanian language. The people at Horizons Unlimited? Still getting that motorcycle travel info out; Gregory's dispatches are posted there. Me? Oh dang. Another breakup -- us motorcycle girls just can't seem to keep a relationship going (see ya, hon, be back in a few months!), but I know men who have the same problem, so maybe it's not a gender thing. Anyway, I'm free to do a couple of weeks in Switzerland this summer, that is, if I can find a bike, and for sure Tasmania and Australia this winter.

What else? We talked about the importance of exercising mind and body while traveling. (Should have mentioned patience, too, but maybe that's a given.) Daniel runs a health and fitness business and I remember reading a great article by him on exercises you can do on the road. I run every day at home, but not so much on the road, though I do carry my yoga mat everywhere. In India they understood completely but everywhere else they thought I was a nut. (A strong, healthy nut :-)

Daniel's website WorldMotoBiker is often down as it is today, but check back often to see the amazing things he's done. I urged him to set up a blog like this one so we can keep track of him better. I hope he does.