Des Molloy and Dick Huurdeman look like the sort of guys who should be sedately steering a sleigh in a Santa parade, not riding old single-banger British bikes half way across the world through some of the most difficult and remote terrain imaginable. Des’s son Steve joined this intrepid pair as a cameraman and general factotum for the highs and lows of an incident-packed three-month trek from Beijing to Arnhem on ‘Penelope’, a 1965 Yorkshire-made 650cc Panther, and ‘Dutch Courage’, a 1954 Norton 600.
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With his daughter Kitty, and friend Myles they attempt to marry a modern re-enactment of Robert Pirsig’s 1968 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ride, with the American marketing of The Last Hurrah – Des’s book of riding across the world on a near-vintage UK-made Panther motorcycle. On the correct-period 1965 Honda Superhawk and R69S BMW, they follow the back-country roads of 1960’s America in the wheel-tracks of Pirsig and his friends the Sutherlands, recording their thoughts and experiences, often comparing with the bestselling philosopher.
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Des Molloy and Dick Huurdeman look like the sort of guys who should be sedately steering a sleigh in a Santa parade, not riding old single-banger British bikes half way across the world through some of the most difficult and remote terrain imaginable. Des’s son Steve joined this intrepid pair as a cameraman and general factotum for the highs and lows of an incident-packed three-month trek from Beijing to Arnhem on ‘Penelope’, a 1965 Yorkshire-made 650cc Panther, and ‘Dutch Courage’, a 1954 Norton 600.
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Following on from his highly successful The Long And Winding Aotearoa, George is at it again. This time George rides Percy, his trusty Kawasaki KLR650 around Australia interviewing 18 interesting and diverse characters. As always George shares the secrets of his soul, entertaining and informing as he does the ‘Big Lap’. Much more than a bike travel book, this is a read for everyone.
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This is not a travel book … not a biography, nor a book of social or historical commentary. This is a reflective record of a boisterous adventure of substance. Deep down, most young people want to jump on a motorbike and ride off into the sunset, to places unknown. Sadly, for most, these aspirations remain only dreams. Our protagonists lived out that dream. We all have pasts, just some are bigger and more excessive than others.
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When in doubt – zig zag! Sometimes you do have abandon a dream when the reality sinks in that the stars are just not aligning. The Covid world we now live in is impacting on all of us, often directing our aspirations in directions not previously considered. My riding around Australia on Penelope was to come to a wonderful climax in October and November 2021. The timing was such that I was going to be able to progressively attend the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island, be part of grandson Arthur's seventh birthday celebrations, attend the Australian Panther Owners' rally near Bendigo, before going to Tasmania to explore and hopefully track down The Plastics (Mark and Pete) who featured so prominently in our No One Said It Would Be Easy saga of 45 years ago.
It is not often that the arrival of a bill is good news. Not usually a moment to savour or celebrate. However, let me share my joy. My next book to be released records the re-enactment of Robert Pirsig’s 1968 ride across the northern states of the US that spawned his best-selling book ‘Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance’. After sourcing the correct period Honda and BMW motorbikes my little crew of daughter Kitty and mate Myles did our best to follow in the wheel tracks of our predecessors and put down our experiences and thoughts. Trying to marry Pirsig’s deep-and-meaningful thoughts, which through his alter-ego Phaedrus challenged thinking back to Socrates, and my often shallow and immature ones was difficult. Clearly he had a lot to say and much of it is very interesting.
It’s a funny old time. The world is in the grip of a pandemic which has been affecting us all in different and often very personal ways. Some countries have gone brutally hard through having authoritarian regimes demand compliance to restrictive protocols.
