British Motorcycle Gear

By Joe Berk

I recently purchased a copy of Elspeth Beard’s Lone Rider, the story of a woman riding her BMW around the world in the early 1980s.  To give you the bottom line up front:  You need to buy and read this book.  It’s that good.

I first became a fan of around the world motorcycle stories back in the early 1990s when I read Dave Barr’s Riding the Edge (another excellent read).  I think I’ve read all or nearly all of the books in this genre, and I’ve written reviews on several (I’ll provide a set of links at the end of this blog).  Some are these books are outstanding, others are truly terrible, and most are somewhere in between.  Lone Rider firmly belongs in the outstanding category.

Picture this:  A young British woman in her early 20s decides to ride her 600cc BMW around the world, and with no sponsors and nothing in the way of a support network, she does so.   By herself.  On some of the worst roads, most hostile regions, and least friendly environments on the planet.  On a street bike, for which she fashioned her own panniers and top case.  This was before you could buy a ready-made ADV bike.

It took Ms. Beard a couple of years to complete the journey, partly because she had to stop and work to fund the trip.   I was captivated by her story, appalled by the way she was treated in a couple of places, and saddened by what I would describe as a surprise discovery decades after the ride ended.

Lone Rider is well written and well organized.  The chapters are about the right length (I read one or two chapters each night before lights out), the photos are good, and the writing is superior. Prior to reading Lone Rider, I always thought I wanted to visit and photograph India; the book disabused me of that notion.  I never had any desire to own a BMW motorcycle; the book convinced me that I had that one right.

At 336 pages, Lone Rider is substantive and I found it hard to put down.  It really is a masterpiece of motoliterature.  If you’re looking for your next good motorcycle book, Lone Rider is it.  Trust me on this one.


Here’s that set of links I promised:


Never miss an ExNotes blog:



Don’t forget: Visit our advertisers!



Joe Berk

Recent Posts

25 and 50 Yard ARX .45 ACP Results

By Joe Berk I am giving the .45 ACP ARX 118-grain bullets a thorough evaluation…

19 hours ago

Winchester 231 and Alliant Power Pistol .45 ACP ARX Results

By Joe Berk When you’re a retired engineer who likes to play with guns…well, read…

4 days ago

India 2025: Jain Temples, Crowds, and More Culture Shock

By  Mike Huber India 2025: Part VI Waking up the next day was a little…

1 week ago

Dialing In A .45 ACP ARX Load

By Joe Berk This is what happens when you’re retired, it’s raining, and you have…

2 weeks ago

India 2025: Alawar to Jaipur, Step Wells, and Forts

By Mike Huber India: Part V As I woke up in my dark hotel room…

2 weeks ago

9mm and .45 ACP ARX Load Testing

By Joe Berk I recently received my order of Inceptor ARX 118-grain .45 ACP bullets.…

3 weeks ago