Jupiter's Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Motorcycle

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Summary: Wake me up!
Review: Kept waiting for the book to get better but ran out of pages before it did. I felt Simon left out too much and was just riding to put on miles. Would agree with an earlier reviewer that there was too much (fuzzy) philosophy. I also thought the material was too dated and could have been updated somewhat. I was disappointed probably because I expected much more judging by the other reviews.

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Summary: You Need This Book!
Review: Looks like a book about a guy riding a motorcycle around the world, doesn't it? Well, Jupiter's Travels is that and a whole lot more. It's an inspiring object lesson in turning a dream into reality. It's also a reminder that there are more good people than bad people in the world. Ted Simon's experience shows what wonderful things can happen when you finally realize you can't have a contingency plan for everything and that if you embrace risk and the unknown, you'll be the richer for it. I've ridden more than 200,000 miles on motorcycles, but I am in absolute awe of Mr. Simon. Now, at the age of 70, he's retracing his route - this time on a BMW. He broke a leg in a spill last summer in Africa and had to spend a couple of months in Nairobi recuperating. At last report, he was heading north through Colombia. The guy is a living legend and a helluva writer, too.

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Summary: Hands down, the best motorcycle travel book I have ever read
Review: Ted immersed himself in the cultures he encountered. I felt like I was meeting the people as he met them. His insights and observations are candid and revealing. Through every trial and tribulation I was feeling his discomfort and his victories. A good read for anybody interested in world travel and a "must read" for anybody interested in motorcycle travel.

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Summary: A book of travel, yes, but infinitely more than that
Review: Ted Simon was a writer first and a motorcycle rider somewhere after that. Do not confuse this book with a mere description of places visited and how to keep a bike running. Jupiter's Travels includes some of the most insightful writing about carrying on through one's life; now hurtling, now crawling, but always with his senses fully operating and his mind delightfully able to capture and describe penetrating glimpses. Mr Simon reflects on the many ways of dealing with the variable textures of humanity, the testing of one's mettle while admitting to shortcomings, and in doing so this the book involves a greater metaphorical value, something that few so-called travel writers ever attain. Mr Simon's resourcefulness, his strategies, and his often intuitive approach to living on the road for four years will provide any reader, and particularly a prospective long-term traveler, with a book that will be remembered and perhaps even consulted in retrospect. When the boat is late and the sky is dark, when the customs people are being intransigent and the alleys seem full of bandits, when the dust becomes so thick that you can chew it -- you will find yourself wondering: how would Ted Simon deal with a time like this?

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Summary: A unique travelogue of a world-trip by motorcycle
Review: Ted Simon writes an evocative travelogue of his round-the-world promotional trip on a Triumph motorcycle.
The first half of the book is beautifully written and can be appreciated by bikers and non-bikers, alike.
The scope of the undertaking, both in travel and in writing, tends to bog down the second half of the book, and some of the extended lay-overs become a bit tedious.
For the sheer flavor of an extended bike trip and the adventure of travel to "the back of beyond," this volume is a worthy addition to any personal library.

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Summary: One of the best books ever written
Review: This book captures first hand the now little known adventure of a British journalist who set out to ride around the world on a motorcycle. It is an incredible story and something any reader should enjoy. Every teenager/student should be issued with this book so that they can understand what adventure is [they should also be issued with Ernest Shackleton's story]. It is also a period piece capturing something of the flavor of the early 70s -- although not so obtrusively that it would offend those who scorn that period. The writing is direct and honest. The author does not shy away from ridiculing himself at times -- the linen suit incident still stays with me 15 years after I first read this book. This book provides insight into not just the authors thinking but the behavior of people in different cultures across the world (Ted came to accept problems calmly as help always seemed to come along). I read this book while in hospital and sadly gave it away to a fellow patient who I had been friendly with. It probably changed my life, as I still sometimes think of some of the incidents described. I will buy a copy for my son one day so that he will understand what adventure is. [Contrast this to that dreadful "Zen & the Art of..." book]. Ted travelled around the world on a Triumph Trident (perhaps the last ever made) -- not a BMW or a Harley. No support team, cell phone or GPS satellite navigation. This book let's you share the experience.

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Summary: THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE NOW!
Review: This book has a long publishing history and has sold more than 300,000 copies in many languages. Although it was unavailable for a while, there was always strong demand, so I resolved to publish it myself. This American edition was published in 1996 (not 1997, as stated above) and is available NOW.
Although the journey was made by motorcycle, it is anything but a book about bikes. It tells of the insights and vicissitudes experienced by a person attempting to encompass the world in which he lives. There are many pictures and maps. You can read samples at my web site.

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Summary: The Trip of a Lifetime
Review: This book is the next best thing to being there, all over the world. Another good one, with great, coffee-table sized photos though less text: 20 Years On Two Wheels, by Helge Peterson

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Summary: I call this boob 'my Bible'.
Review: This book was given to me by a good friend when I was preparing for a big trip on a motorbike. This piece of work inspired me, made me contemplate to give up my job (which I did) and encouraged me to take off. It is not only well written, it is an inspiration for adventurers, provides insights, inspires, .... Everybody contemplating to become a traveller should read this book.