I think that at some stage in every young person’s life, they dream of riding off into the sunset on a noisy, anti-social motorbike. Sometimes it is simply a thirst for adventure, other times it is to throw off a yoke of convention that is threatening to define … and constrict.
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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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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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This is something I wrote for Bike Rider Magazine about a recent fun event I organised. “They’re nothing but blue smoke and pedals!” would have been an oft-uttered refrain In the 1950s by riders of ‘proper’ bikes when disparagingly referring to the spindly two-wheeled devices ridden by the less-than-affluent.
Dear, dear me, what a torturous path all our lives have led over the last couple of years. Reading my last ‘Journey’ blog … which was way back in August 2021, I note that I’d already given up on a raft of exciting plans but still had an adventure in the wings which was exciting me. So how did that pan out?
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.
