- Japan – Kyushu - May 1, 2026
- Adventures on Borrowed Time - April 17, 2026
- It’s Now or Never - April 3, 2026
Old Bikes, Distant Places
By Nick Adams
Adventures on Borrowed Time. Old bikes, Distant places. By Nick Adams.
This is the second book by Nick Adams I have read. I grabbed it literally last minute before leaving to the airport off to try do yet another couple of rides. I chose it mostly based on the title which caught my attention.
I previously found Nicks writing very easy reading and this book is the same, easy flowing writing. I completed this book during three flights from North QLD to Asia as I never seem to find anything in the onboard entertainment worth watching.
Nick lives close to a region that is on my bucket list to ride. The Ontario Highlands. I’ve followed the pages for the Ride the Highlands tourist organisation for a few years.
It was nice to read about some of Nick’s riding in that area and then much further afield to the remote far east side of Canada. Whilst I hope to revisit the west of Canada later this year (long as there is enough aviation fuel) I am less sure about riding the East as there isn’t any motorcycle rentals in that region despite four of Canada’s biggest cities being located there. But I might yet rent in the USA (if things there return to normal) and ride some of the region.
Nick is some years older than me but I sympathise with what he is talking about regarding trying to do as much riding as possible sooner rather than later. Actually it’s something I write about often on this blog. I find it noticeably a little harder every year. I already have crossed off revisiting a few places where riding conditions were challenging and have question marks about others.
But Nick clearly still has much more stamina than me. Despite being in his 70’s he rides vintage bikes, in cold wet countryside, on iron butt distances with lots of mud and gravel. Sounds almost hardcore but it is in his home country and conditions he is used to which helps. As I start to find flying long distance and negotiating foreign roads more challenging I may pivot back to riding closer to home.
Nick makes some observations in this book I found myself nodding to but then some that I did not. He says how he was bitten by the motorcycle touring bug and that was it. A great way to describe what happened to me also I think. It bit me hard.
Besides other notes about motorcycle travel Nick reminds that riding any two wheel vehicle no matter if a scooter or Gold Wing is a special feeling and experiencing the places you are travelling more closely is incomparable to driving a car. He adds riding is this amazing thing of flying along the ground sitting in the air. That’s true isn’t it? We sometimes forget how incredible riding a motorcycle actually is.
But he admits he suffers from motorcycle tribalism and has a like of certain styles and makes, namely old Moto Guzzi’s and he also clearly has a dislike of riders on new BMW GS ADV bikes in modern rider gear while seeming to always be cold and wet in his leathers and old school rain suit. Sorry Nick but that’s putting form over function.
Regardless this is a good motorcycle travel book. Nick is a skilled writer. I enjoyed all of it and the pages flipped by very fast. Get it on your kindle for just a few dollars.
Hmmm, might have to check this out. Just finished a book by Elspeth Beard which was very good called “Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World.” Highly recommended!
Hi Mark,
That is a fantastic book.
This is not like that, more casual, a collection of ride reports, easy reading.
For something like Elspeth Beard’s adventure I recommend Timeless on the Silk Road by Heather Ellis which is even better.
Thanks, I’ll check it out!