Adventure motorcycling means different things to different people but they all need commitment - physical, mental and financial - to make the rewards are far greater.
Could 2008 be the year you decide to make The Big Trip? Then a book has just been published that tells you everything you need to know to plan and complete the journey of a lifetime.
Adventure Motorcycling, by Robert Wicks, has just been published in hardback (ISBN: 978 1 84425 435 4) by Haynes and is available for order online at all the usual quality retailers such as Amazon.
This 176-page book offers practical information for planning and embarking on a successful adventure on two wheels and draws extensively on the experience of adventure motorcycling experts.
It's an indispensable resource written from first-hand experience.
Adventure Motorcycling covers three key areas:
1. Before Leaving Home
Preparing well in advance for your adventure is the first step and this section provides a comprehensive review of everything that needs to take place before you leave home - from budgets and paperwork to deciding on the size of your group.
More practical issues include choosing the correct motorcycle and the most suitable route.
2. On the Road
You've taken the plunge and committed the time and money to an overland adventure - now life on the road begins and this section covers a range of topics including motorcycle maintenance, border crossings, personal health and navigation.
3. Typical Adventures
This final section gives a real sense of what can be achieved by telling of three very different adventures, each with its own geography, budget, encounters and objectives. That said, the riders all had one thing in common - the experience of a lifetime.
With more than 200 colour photographs from some of the world's greatest adventure rides, this book will inspire, enthuse, invigorate and enable everyone - expert and novice alike - to undertake a motorcycle adventure with confidence.
The author has worked in sports marketing for 10 years and has always had a passion for motorcycles and adventure. He's completed a number of adventure rides on BMW motorcycles and travelled to more than 50 countries, including Iceland, Peru and Japan.
He's also an avid outdoor enthusiast and keen photographer, has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and is a paragliding pilot. He grew up in South Africa but now lives in the UK and works in London.