7 Motorcycle Adventure Books!

The best thing about motorcycling is that you just have to put your helmet on, hop on your bike, and take off. And adventure is just one throttle turn away and how far you go and when you stop is up to you.

There's nothing like traveling on your bike, even if it's just for 30 minutes; The freedom, the bliss, and the excitement is hard to describe with words...

But sometimes you just need a little inspiration and a guide to do things on your bike you never dreamed about. Afterall, you need a little change of scenery now and then, and your local back-roads need to take a break from you once in a while. So that's why I put this short list of wonderful (and a DVD) on motorcycle travel books to inspire and maybe even guide you on your next adventure.

A Regular Guy Discovers Enormous Adventure...

I think we all dream of cashing in our belongings, quitting our dead end job and just traveling the world on a motorcycle. Rene Cromier truly understands how life is supposed to be lived, by being adventurous and exploratory.

After reading this book, I am almost tempted to do the same thing. I was really interested to read how he met friends along the way and that he wasn't even a rich guy. He was just a regular biker with a dream, which I think most of us who read this book will have that in common with him.

Also, this book wasn't just about his experiences on the road. He went into great detail about what you can expect while traveling on the open road, including the ups and downs. I like that kind of realism and I love the pictures he lets us see. It makes me feel like I am on the road with him by just looking at the pictures. For those of us who can't escape our lives just yet, reading this book and looking at the pictures is the next best thing. It's well worth your time to read this amazing story!

What Would You Do If You Lost Someone?

Full Disclosure: I am a fan of Neal Peart. If you have never heard of him let me explain. He is a legendary drummer in the band RUSH. I grew up with their music and played drums myself.

The book is about more than just a lone adventurer wanting to travel the world. This is about one man's quest to rediscover himself and his place in this world after having the unfortunate experience of losing his wife and daughter.

I know if I had that experience I would be devastated and wouldn't know how to cope. Some may drink and others may just give up, but not Neil Peart. His sadness led him on a journey throughout North America and down through Mexico, which wasn't even planned.

What I love about this story is how it isn't actually about traveling the world on a motorcycle. It is about a man who reunites with his family and friends, while grieving at the same time.

It is almost like a personal story about his family instead of a story about his travels. Neil does a great job in showing the reader how he found peace on the road. I think anybody who has ever lost a loved one should definitely read this book. It might change their lives forever. I am very biased because I grew up listening to Rush and admiring Neal Peart as a drummer. But I know you'll find his writing quite interesting and thoughtful. His adventures are even more interesting.

No Motorcycle Adventure Book List Would Be Complete Without A Good Book On Sturgis...

Joe Matus seemed to really enjoy life and wanted to live it to the fullest. He wanted to get his friends to go with him on a road trip to Sturgis, but they all had excuses for not going. So, he decided to just take his motorcycle and ride there himself. I must say I admire that attitude. He shouldn't have to wait for others to make up their minds. Obviously, his friends don't have the same passion for real living that he does.

He and his motorcycle, Pork Chop, are the real characters in this non-fiction story. However, I get the impression that Joe had a secret audience on that trip. This audience was the future readers of his book. He gives the reader so much information about his trip and includes many beautiful pictures, which made me feel like I was right there with him.

I think Joe's purpose for this trip and for this book was to encourage others to leave their normal boring lives for a little while and start living their dreams. I must say after seeing how his trip turned out I may very well be there in Sturgis with old Joe next summer. Whether you've been to Sturgis or not, this is an entertaining read that you'll want to share with your friends.

This is a must read...

Ted Simon is the real life easy rider from the 70s. Except, his travels brought him all around the world and gave him a chance to become involved with different cultures.

You can tell he experienced true adventure by facing hardships and excitement along the way. He didn't even let a little thing like ending up in a Brazilian prison stop him from enjoying the open road. What I love about his story was the time period that he went on this journey. The 1970s seemed like a great decade for going on adventures like this.

There were no I-Phones, cell phones, internet or GPS. Just a guy and his motorcycle looking for adventure. This is how one is supposed to travel the world because I think not knowing what is up ahead is what makes it the most fun. If Ted had prior knowledge of the dangers that were ahead, he probably might have hesitated and that would have killed the experience.

I don't think anyone in modern times could pull off this same experience that Ted had. He truly had a remarkable journey. This is one book everyone should read even if you don't ride a motorcycle.

When my biker buddy recommended this book they told me it was about a biker who earns a membership into the Iron Butt Association.

At first, I thought the name of that association was some kind of joke. But now, I realize it is called that because it awards people with a membership into their organization that can travel 1000 miles in 24 hours. I guess you have to have an iron butt to withstand that much distance in such a small time period.

However, while I was reading this book I started to notice that it was more of a romantic story than a story about a motorcyclist. In fact, it was written by the woman who fell in love with the motorcyclist, Terry. She talks about how she fell in love with him while experiencing extreme weather and exhaustion on the open road.

I am not usually into romantic stories, but the way a motorcycle adventure brought these two closer together really moved me. If you are a tough motorcycle guy, don't get turned off by the love theme of this book. You might actually enjoy it because it makes you think about what miracles being on the road can really bring to your life. Good 'chick book' and if you like soaps or you want to get your relationship more interesting, it's a good read for you.

Going into this DVD, I didn't know what to expect. After all, I had just read through the illustrated book version (below), so I wasn't sure how they were going to lay this DVD out for viewing.

I have never been a huge Ewan McGregor fan or a fan of reality TV for that matter. However, the Long Way Road is a brilliant miniseries of adventures that let the viewers see London, Ukraine, Russia, United States and more. I loved seeing Europe on video instead of just in words or illustrated form. My only problem with the video of this journey was how the illusion of "two risk taking bikers" was faded.

These guys were celebrities that had camera crews and support vehicles constantly by their sides in case of emergencies. I mean I know they were still in danger by riding into hostile territories, but anytime a camera is following you the realism is never there.

That is why reality TV doesn't work to begin with. In real life, you don't have a camera crew following you. I like the stories where there are just pictures and words, because it makes the adventure feel more personal and I can use my imagination. Here you can't really use your imagination.

The best thing about this DVD was just seeing these different countries in motion picture form, but the bikers were not too impressive by "easy rider" standards. This DVD Is Worth The Small Investment Especially If You Get The Book Below With It.

An Illustrated Book Version of The DVD Above...

A friend recommended this illustrated book to me about two bike riding friends that go on a motorcycle journey around the world. When I first picked up the book I was amazed to see that it was Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, two actors I have heard of. I couldn't imagine how celebrities could take a journey like this and not get hassled constantly.

As I read through the book I saw that they had been chased by paparazzi constantly throughout Europe and even encountered dangers with gunman in the Ukraine. As for the illustrations, they gave me a firsthand look at how different the world looks from outside my own country.

As somebody who has never left America, this book has shown me what true economic turmoil is and how good we actually have it in the United States. Not only that, I feel like I already know Ewan and Charley from their movies and so it makes me feel like I am a third biker going on this journey with them. This book is definitely a great book to give someone who wishes they could go on an adventure around the world and a perfect supplement to the DVD version above. This book is well worth your time and small investment and if you get the DVD above you'll really enjoy tying it all together.