- Joined
- Jan 24, 2006
- Messages
- 5,159
- Reaction score
- 345
- Location
- Brakpan, South Africa
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS HP2
I recently read One Man Caravan by Robert Edison Fulton Jr.
He travelled around the world on a motorbike back in 1932, the oldest recorded such event, so can therefore proudly be called the First Man to travel around the world on a motorcycle.
Robert had just finished his studies and was sitting at a table in Vienna when a female friend asked him what he was going to do next. He surprised himself when he responded to her saying that he was going to ride around the world on a motorcycle.
Another friend sitting at the table responded by saying his dad owned the Douglas motorcycle company and would gladly sponsor his bike.
And so began his 18 month, 22 countries tour.
How did he manage to take this photo way back in 1932??
Desert Isolation
The bike and all the modifications he has made to it
Chasing the mud monster in Turkey
In one of the comic scenes in the book Robert describes how he arrived at a Japanese hotel where his riding boots was removed by one of the girls of the house. Later as he was standing start naked ready to jump into the bath, he heard a shuffle behind him and there was the lady of the house, sleeves rolled up ready to wash him from head to toe. She was joined moments later by her daughter and together they scrubbed him till he was too red to distinguish between blushing and scrubbing. When they eventually led him to the bath, another two girls were already waiting in the bath to pamper him even more . Here’s the author after all that pampering…
Robert was quite a learner individual and spoke many a quotable quote during the journey.
Herewith a few of his gems:
"All of us,' he said, 'have hopes of being poet, artist, discoverer, philospoher, scientist; of possessing the attributes of all these simultaneously. Few are permitted to achieve any of them in daily life. But in travel we attain them all. Then we have our day of glory, when all our dreams come true, when we can be anything we like, as long as we like, and, when we are tired of it, pull up stakes and move on. Travel -- the solitude of the mountains, the emptiness of the desert, the delicacy of the minaret; eternal change, limitless contrast, unending variety.'
"...all the disadvantages of good roads: high speed, and almost total lack of that inspiring factor in travel -- the welcoming hand of the interested stranger."
"I probably did too much thinking in India. I blame it on the roads, for they were superb..."
"In London it had seemed impossible to travel without the proper evening clothes. One could see an invitation arriving for an Embassy ball or something. But on the other side of Europe with the first faint tinges of faraway places becoming apparent and exciting, to say nothing of vanishing roads and extra weight, Embassy balls held less significance."
"But wherever there is man, there must be some sort of route"
"No doubt you are wondering what you will find, out there.' The Commandant said it for me.
'Well, it would be useless for me to try and tell you. The desert tells a different story every time one ventures on it..."
……….and my personal favourite
"One measure of a man is what he does when he has nothing to do."
Robert Edison Fulton Jr died in 1994 at the age of 95.
Do your self a favour, order this book on Kalahari.net. You will not be disappointed. :thumleft: :3some:
He travelled around the world on a motorbike back in 1932, the oldest recorded such event, so can therefore proudly be called the First Man to travel around the world on a motorcycle.
Robert had just finished his studies and was sitting at a table in Vienna when a female friend asked him what he was going to do next. He surprised himself when he responded to her saying that he was going to ride around the world on a motorcycle.
Another friend sitting at the table responded by saying his dad owned the Douglas motorcycle company and would gladly sponsor his bike.
And so began his 18 month, 22 countries tour.
How did he manage to take this photo way back in 1932??
Desert Isolation
The bike and all the modifications he has made to it
Chasing the mud monster in Turkey
In one of the comic scenes in the book Robert describes how he arrived at a Japanese hotel where his riding boots was removed by one of the girls of the house. Later as he was standing start naked ready to jump into the bath, he heard a shuffle behind him and there was the lady of the house, sleeves rolled up ready to wash him from head to toe. She was joined moments later by her daughter and together they scrubbed him till he was too red to distinguish between blushing and scrubbing. When they eventually led him to the bath, another two girls were already waiting in the bath to pamper him even more . Here’s the author after all that pampering…
Robert was quite a learner individual and spoke many a quotable quote during the journey.
Herewith a few of his gems:
"All of us,' he said, 'have hopes of being poet, artist, discoverer, philospoher, scientist; of possessing the attributes of all these simultaneously. Few are permitted to achieve any of them in daily life. But in travel we attain them all. Then we have our day of glory, when all our dreams come true, when we can be anything we like, as long as we like, and, when we are tired of it, pull up stakes and move on. Travel -- the solitude of the mountains, the emptiness of the desert, the delicacy of the minaret; eternal change, limitless contrast, unending variety.'
"...all the disadvantages of good roads: high speed, and almost total lack of that inspiring factor in travel -- the welcoming hand of the interested stranger."
"I probably did too much thinking in India. I blame it on the roads, for they were superb..."
"In London it had seemed impossible to travel without the proper evening clothes. One could see an invitation arriving for an Embassy ball or something. But on the other side of Europe with the first faint tinges of faraway places becoming apparent and exciting, to say nothing of vanishing roads and extra weight, Embassy balls held less significance."
"But wherever there is man, there must be some sort of route"
"No doubt you are wondering what you will find, out there.' The Commandant said it for me.
'Well, it would be useless for me to try and tell you. The desert tells a different story every time one ventures on it..."
……….and my personal favourite
"One measure of a man is what he does when he has nothing to do."
Robert Edison Fulton Jr died in 1994 at the age of 95.
Do your self a favour, order this book on Kalahari.net. You will not be disappointed. :thumleft: :3some:
