Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World

In 1982, at the age of just twenty-three and halfway through her architecture studies, Elspeth Beard left her family and friends in London and set off on a 35,000-mile solo adventure around the world on her 1974 BMW R60/6.

Reeling from a recent breakup and with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools, all packed on the back of her bike, she was determined to prove herself. She had ridden bikes since her teens and was well travelled. But nothing could prepare her for what lay ahead.

When she returned to London nearly two and a half years later she was stones lighter and decades wiser. She’d ridden through unforgiving landscapes and countries ravaged by war, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs. She'd survived life-threatening illnesses, personal loss and brutal accidents that had left permanent scars and a black hole in her memory. And she’d fallen in love with two very different men.

In an age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs and, in some parts of the world, readily available and reliable maps, Elspeth achieved something that would still seem remarkable today. Told with honesty and wit, this is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure.

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Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World

In 1982, at the age of just twenty-three and halfway through her architecture studies, Elspeth Beard left her family and friends in London and set off on a 35,000-mile solo adventure around the world on her 1974 BMW R60/6.

Reeling from a recent breakup and with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools, all packed on the back of her bike, she was determined to prove herself. She had ridden bikes since her teens and was well travelled. But nothing could prepare her for what lay ahead.

When she returned to London nearly two and a half years later she was stones lighter and decades wiser. She’d ridden through unforgiving landscapes and countries ravaged by war, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs. She'd survived life-threatening illnesses, personal loss and brutal accidents that had left permanent scars and a black hole in her memory. And she’d fallen in love with two very different men.

In an age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs and, in some parts of the world, readily available and reliable maps, Elspeth achieved something that would still seem remarkable today. Told with honesty and wit, this is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure.

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Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World

Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World

by Elspeth Beard
Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World

Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World

by Elspeth Beard

eBook

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Overview

In 1982, at the age of just twenty-three and halfway through her architecture studies, Elspeth Beard left her family and friends in London and set off on a 35,000-mile solo adventure around the world on her 1974 BMW R60/6.

Reeling from a recent breakup and with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools, all packed on the back of her bike, she was determined to prove herself. She had ridden bikes since her teens and was well travelled. But nothing could prepare her for what lay ahead.

When she returned to London nearly two and a half years later she was stones lighter and decades wiser. She’d ridden through unforgiving landscapes and countries ravaged by war, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs. She'd survived life-threatening illnesses, personal loss and brutal accidents that had left permanent scars and a black hole in her memory. And she’d fallen in love with two very different men.

In an age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs and, in some parts of the world, readily available and reliable maps, Elspeth achieved something that would still seem remarkable today. Told with honesty and wit, this is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781782438052
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
Publication date: 07/06/2017
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 320
Sales rank: 226,670
File size: 22 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Elspeth Beard is a motorcyclist and award-winning architect. She runs her own architecture company, specialising in creating and remodelling interesting and unusual buildings. She lives in a converted water tower in the southeast of England and still enjoys riding her collection of motorcycles, which includes her trusty BMW R 60/6.

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

Part 1 London to Sydney

1 Wimpole Street: Early Adventures 7

2 What Becomes of the Broken-hearted: Making Plans 18

3 First Days on the Road: New York to New Mexico 35

4 Pretty Boys and Biker Gangs: New Mexico to California 52

5 Part of Me: New Zealand 63

Part 2 Sydney to Madras

6 Pit Stop in Sydney: Australia 75

7 Surviving the Outback: Sydney to Alice Springs 91

8 Laying Demons to Rest: Alice Springs to Perth 106

9 All is Lost: Bali to Singapore 119

10 It's a Dog's Life: Singapore to India 130

Part 3 Madras to Kathmandu

11 Welcome to India!: Madras to Calcutta 155

12 Double Engine, Selfie Start: Calcutta to Kathmandu 170

13 On Top of the World: Nepal 181

Part 4 Kathmandu to Home

14 From Serenity to Chaos: Kathmandu to Varanasi 195

15 No More Lonely Girl: Agra to Rajasthan 205

16 Through the Storm: Delhi to Srinagar 216

17 Falling Again: Kashmir 229

18 No Exit: New Delhi 240

19 Road to Revolution: Pakistan to Iran 249

20 Bell Helmet For a Burka: Iran to Istanbul 261

21 Home Alone: Turkey to London 275

Part 5 The Aftermath

22 All Things Must Pass 287

Appendix: Excerpts from my Journal 305

Acknowledgements 311

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