Join Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano as she sits down with adventure motorcyclist, author, and traveler Elspeth Beard, who was one of the first women to ride around the world by motorcycle. Elspeth dives into the details of her two-year round-the-world trip, from 1982 to 1984 on a 1974 BMW R60 bike, and how the experience changed her life, including the highs and lows of such an intense adventure.
Overland Journal Podcast Episode 278
The Overland Journal Podcast is brought to you this week by Hankook Tires
Guest Bio:
Elspeth Beard
I have been described as one of a select band of bold women to ride a motorcycle around the world. I left in October 1982, in the days before sat-nav, internet, email, and mobile phones. The bike I chose for the trip was a second-hand 1974 BMW R 60/6 flat twin, for which I paid £900 in 1979 (the equivalent of about $1,800 then). This was a substantial sum at the time, especially for a machine that already had 30,000 miles on the clock.
Living Legends: Interview with Elspeth Beard
For the few of us in the know, Elspeth Beard has long been regarded as a living legend. But in recent years she has transcended her underground status and is finally getting the recognition she deserves—for being the first British woman to ride a motorcycle around the world.
Host Bio
Ashley Giordano’s first foray into overland travel involved a 48,800-kilometer journey from Canada to Argentina with her husband, Richard, in their well-loved but antiquated 1990 Toyota Pickup. Currently cruising along the iconic Silk Road in a 2008 Toyota Tundra, her full-time navigator duties are rewarded with bowls of plov and lagman noodles, hikes in the Tian Shan, and countless cups of fragrant Tashkent tea. As senior editor at Overland Journal, you can usually find Ashley buried in a pile of travel books, poring over maps, or writing about the unsung women of overlanding history, including her enduring inspiration, Barbara Toy. @desktoglory_ash
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