KM: During your trip you did all your own bike repairs - Do you have mental checklist to get started on identifying the issue? What were the most common issues you faced on the bike?

EB: I did all my own repairs; having brought myself a Haynes manual I took the engine apart before I left so I could learn all about it. I was fairly obsessive about servicing my bike during the trip; I would change the oil every 3000 miles no matter where I was. I kept a very detailed maintenance schedule in the back of my note book and I would check my bike over almost every morning before I left. Buying a second hand bike meant that when I left in 1982 she was already eight years old with 45,000 miles on the clock so she needed constant looking after if she was going to get me home.

Most of my problems were with the electrics, which was the one part of my bike I never really understood. I found engines with moving parts easy to understand but currents passing down wires which you couldn't see were always a bit of a mystery to me and still are!

KM: You travelled to many unstable and downright dangerous places - how do you even begin to prepare for putting yourself in a risky situation?

EB: I tried not to think about the risk and danger, sadly as a lone female traveller you will often be seen as an easy target. However I think that if you exude confidence, hold your head up high and look purposeful the risks are reduced. With my helmet on I could pretend to be male but if I needed help I could remove my helmet, shake my hair and smile sweetly, so you have to learn to use what you have to survive. I also wore the most unflattering clothes I could find to draw as little attention to myself as possible and I always tried to move quietly though countries. It's also worth remembering that serious motorcycle gear in those days was only made for men with all the baggy bits in the wrong places so it was quite easy to pass off as a bloke.

Whenever I entered a new country I would always spend the first few days observing the women to see how they dressed and how they acted, I always tried to remember I was a guest in their country.

KM: What do you wish you knew before you left?

EB: More about the electrics on my bike!

KM: We love bike rebuild stories - Did you plan to do the rebuild when you got back or was it a case of conquering another challenge?

EB: When I got back I wheeled my bike into the back of my parents' garage and didn't look at her for months, I didn't even unpack her, it was almost as if I didn’t want to accept the trip had come to an end. But after six months I decided that after all she had given me she deserved a complete rebuild. I removed the engine and gearbox and stripped them down and rebuilt them, I re-sprayed the frame in my attic and put her back together again and she is still running today.

KM: What advice do you have for those who are still “waiting for the right time” in their life to do the things they dearly want to?

EB: Don’t wait for the right time as it will never come, you just have to go. One of the hardest things is actually leaving but once you’re on the open road and realise what an amazing experience you’re having all your fears will disappear. Conquering one's fears is what makes you stronger.

You can pick up a copy of Elspeth's book, Lone Rider here.

