If Zen and the Art … is the worst motorcycle book, what is the best?
There are many nominations for this title and different people will have different opinions but, for me, Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon wins the prize. The writing is simple, humble, and unpretentious.
1973 - I was partying at UConn and pretending to get an education. I had a motorcycle but I don't remember which one. Considering that I lived with the two biggest dealers on campus it's a wonder I remember anything.
1973 - Ted was loading up his bike to go for a ride. This ride would last four years and cover 63,400 miles. And it was on a Triumph! Not the most reliable bike of the day.
In those four years Ted finds a panoply of challenges, experiences, friends, and fiends. He finds ways to overcome the challenges and fiends, and to optimize the friends and experiences. He does it as a person would, with an inquiring mind, a bit of trepidation, and a lot of curiosity. No mystical spirituality required!
Ted grows and the reader grows with him. He's a marvelous writer who is able to convey his thoughts and actions as if you were right there with him. It's not an action thriller but rather the memoir of a man you would love to go for a ride with.
I met him once at a motorcycle show. I almost missed him because he was just sitting there like any other person who wanted to get out of the sun. No big sign pointing and shouting, “Look at me. I'm a really big deal!” We chatted a bit about our experiences in Africa before others begged for his attention. I came away thinking that he exemplified the epitome of the adventure traveler. Doing it not for fame and glory but simply because he wondered what was around the next corner.
Note - this is available on both Amazon and audible.com - highly recommended!
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