Jane goes global

October 2001. NEC bike show with friends. Always dreamed of doing a big serious bike trip and there was Nick Sanders advertising his Motorcycle Around the World Challenge.

I had watched Terra Circa and Mondo Enduro on telly with an absolute fixation, a couple of brothers and their mates riding their bikes across Europe and Russia and in to the states a long time before anyone famous had done it and here in front of me was my way to do the same. I had always joked I was born 100 years too late and should have been a settler or frontier explorer in the western united states all those years ago, I didn't have the nick name Calamity Jane for nothing.

Anyway after barely a nudge from my friends and I was in deep conversation with Nick and half an hour later I knew it was what I wanted to do. 7 days later and back at the bike show after a frantic week of raising the funds I signed up to go round the world on my motorcycle in 3 months. It would be the fastest circumnavigation around the world by a group of riders, 21 of us, on record and it would turn out that more women have been recorded in space than having ridden around the world on their motorcycle. An official 18000 miles, we guessed around 25000 after talking to Nick and as it turned it would be 32000 miles in 87 riding days.

What drew me in was not just the riding experience, it would be something fulfilling just for me on the inside. Without sounding like a saddo I was divorced, several years earlier, single no kids, dead end job and my dog had just died and I felt nothing was there to stop me except me and if anyone asked me why? I would reply why not??

Anyway it soon became clear that the Honda Firestorm that I had was not the right bike to do the trip. Mainly because the petrol tank was the size of a tea cup, the only failing as far as I was concerned, in an otherwise totally capable machine. As it turned the other 2 women whom I was to be teamed up with by Nick both had BMW's and they had already approached BMW for bikes. They were really keen for us to all ride their newest bike in the fleet the now cult BMW R1150GS Adventure. For 2 of us not a problem, although the weight would take some getting used to, but our 3rd member was 5'3" and as tough as she was she simply could not touch the floor. Finally BMW dropped the bombshell that it had to be all 3 of us or nothing. Well that was the end of that although they kindly fitted us each out from top to bottom with gear it left me looking for a bike and the rest is televised history in 2004 with Charley and Ewan finally doing the honours their way round.

I finally settled for a 6 year old BMW R1100RS sports tourer with 48000 miles already on the clock. Sadly due to the practice mileage I had run up on the Honda over 10000 miles in four months on a less than 2 year old bike nobody would give any sensible money for it. Your know the story "ooh high mileage that never be able to move that……." So a mate bought it for a gift of a price and I found my BMW. I had it on trial for a whole weekend before I bought it, at least they appreciated what I was about to do and that the bike had to be the right one for me, how many dealers would do a "Try before you buy" offer like that. I had a major service done £1200 no less but it had to do big miles day after day so it was new discs 2 new throttle cables, 2 sets of clutch cables, both in case of disaster a new speedo cable the old one snapped on the way back to the dealer before buying it and everything else you could imagine. There was a slight low knocking at the bottom end before I bought it and they assured me it would disappear after the service. That would come back and haunt me later. Anyway I collected my bike a week later, just six days before the bikes were shipped and much to my concern that knocking was still there. Oh you won't have any bother with that they assured me. Too late now!

One week later the meet at the ACE Café. Interviews with the press and our official send off. Not too far for the first leg, the Motorcycle Museum at Birmingham and then on to the shippers just down the road and crate the bikes. 12 exhausting hours later and home again.

The next three weeks were the longest ever just waiting for the off and then August 5th 2002 it was Heathrow and up, up and away. An afternoon was spent looking at the sites in the Big Apple and up early next morning to a strangely empty New York in the August heat, to collect the bikes. Another hot morning spent de-crating and assembling the bikes, screens back on, mirrors back on, inflate tires, top up oil and then a short trip to Ground Zero and away. Having lived in the States for 4 years back in the 80's no drama's there for me and the trip proper would start in the morning.

On the trip itself it was a never ending "Road to no-where" Always new always changing, if imperceptibly at times when we were in the desert but it was like riding in front of a film travelling mat or moving scenery. The scenery, often spectacular, always memorable was not a important as the unfolding dramas between a group of 24 strangers flung together with the same goal for everyday for 3 months. The riding started off gently with a 240mile jaunt to the first hotel in the country on the first day, the next was a solid 370 miles, day 3 and 460miles was the order of the day and that was the shape of things to come. Regular days of 500 miles plus and then on day 8, a day I shall never forget, whilst riding at 120 miles an hour fully loaded with 3 months gear, tent and fuel behind my team mates when bang and I lost the right hand side of my engine. Luckily I was one of the few teams to be using intercoms and just managed to scream loud enough for my nearest team mate to hear before she went around the mountain bend about a mile ahead of me. I am glad to say we did have a back up truck at this stage and after scooping my bike into the back of it the service garage, The Bike Shop, a BMW dealer thank goodness in Anchorage had a whole head waiting for my bike by the time we got there.

Well they did the decent thing and serviced everyone else's bikes first so by the time I left late next afternoon I and a my 3 now riding group were nearly a whole days ride behind everyone else. Over the next 58 hours, including our sleep, we rode 2586 miles south in to Canada to finally catch up with the rest of the riders. 3 Hours sleep and we were off again.

In those first 4 weeks we didn't have a day not in the saddle and we covered 14500 miles with only 2 days with any rain.

On our trip we took in USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India on Royal Enfields which was an absolute blast 9500 km in a couple of weeks, then back on our own bikes in Turkey, "The land with No Bikes" Greece, Italy, France Spain, Morocco, then back north into Spain France and home landing on 6th November just 3 short months after leaving.

We saw 12 different oceans and seas, and a couple of lakes big enough to be seas, 17 mountain ranges that I can remember 5 deserts and 5 continents and I lost count of the rivers. All very different but strangely the same.

The people made the trip so memorable. It is often said the "those that have the least give the most" and from my own experience I can say that I found it to be true. Wherever we went the indigenous people were always helpful, often going out of their way to aid us in moments of difficulty. Always respectful if often causing more than a little stir being a woman on a bike, particularly in India and the Arabic nations we went through but never a problem. Mostly I was seen as a bit of a spectacle, nothing new there then, as something unusual but never a problem. Of the people I rode with some have become lifetime friends, others kept themselves very separate. All I can say is that I know many of the Guys that rode on the trip were affronted by the very idea that 3 women wanted to do the trip let alone succeeded in doing it. For myself I am just a biker who happens to be a girl. I am no better or any less than anyone else. I just share a passion with many open minded people who delight in all things with an engine and two wheels, for the rest of them they are the poorer for not being open to the experience of sharing the trip to the full.

Nowadays I live in Cheddar not far from where I grew up with Graham Saunders whom I met on the trip around the world. Together we now run Toursareus.co.uk, taking clients to the MotoGP around the world and taking others on riding tours in Europe and from next to the United States. It will be a round trip starting in San Francisco taking in the National Parks Such as Yosemite, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon to name but a few for 2 weeks immediately prior to Laguna Seca MotoGP in July. We have tested the routes, hotels and bike hire company ourselves and we go on the tour with our clients unlike many other companies who just act as an agent for someone else's tours. It is the personal service we give our customers that keep them coming back. We are now the biggest privately owned company in the UK offering these race weekends and trips. Our tour is 12 nights hotel and includes bike hire, Harleys, BMW, FJR, Hondas to choose from, standard insurance and entry to the national parks that we visit. This is from £1,999 for bike and rider. Clients can add on extra nights in San Francisco, or the 3 nights at the MotoGP at Luguna Seca at an extra charge. The Luguna Seca weekend starts at £599 per person. We pride ourselves in tailoring our packages to suit individual needs. (check prices with Graham on 01934 742554 before going to press please) We don't do huge mileages, 250 to 300 miles average daily, on our tours like we do ourselves but we do like to take our customers on a great ride to remember.

My other life is as Manager for the latest addition to the Girlsbike2 family in Bridgwater in Somerset. Here again personal service is the name of the game. Having been around for 4 years now many ladies will be aware of the company who specialise in fitting out ladies in motorcycle gear. Unusually at Bridgwater, having teamed up with Branson-GB with Motorcycles from 50cc to 250 cc and second hand bikes of whatever size they happen to be, we also offer a range of Men's gear. With top brands such as Richa, Alpinestars, Spidi, Arai Shoei and Shark to mention but a few our experienced team are always on hand to offer personal and friendly service not to mention a lifetime of experience of having been on bikes to draw from and to raise the bar when it comes to knowledge-able and helpful service to not only women but also to our male customers and our many learners and new riders who come to see us.

My current bike is once again a BMW. Now the R1150RS twin spark with servo brakes and ABS everything a woman could ask for when it comes to a great all rounder. With the hard luggage I know I can leave it anywhere and it is safe.

My average mileage over the last 8 years has been 30000 a year with a high in 2002 of 80000 in 12 months on my various bikes of the time. Always on a twin of some sort I love the character they have, the BMW offers me comfort, presence on the road and a big tank, always useful when touring.

I use a Baglux Touring Seat to reduce shoulder width of the saddle for feet secure on the ground, with such a weighty bike as well as not getting an aching rear end is paramount if you want to ride more than 50 miles a day, a sheep's skin is my secret weapon for the ultimate comfort. Forget your Airhawks a bit of wool where it counts is the best thing I have found after years of trial and error to save from a raw rear in the summer heat.

Another great touring tip is wear your flight socks whilst touring. We all suffer from swollen feet if we sit down all day and it's no different on your bike. Add to that the heat in the summer and we all get sausage ankles both painful and unsightly don't you know.

Jane is the manager at Gilrs Bike 2. For details of their biking gear for women visit www.girlsbike2.com