Without detracting from Ted Simon and all before, the modern term Adventure Motorcycling should reasonably belong to the brothers Vince, et all, from 15 years ago. But it is generally credited to Chris Scott in his books using this in the title. His introduction starts “What is Adventure Motorcycling? As far as I am concerned it involves a challenging unsupported journey into the wilderness or a significantly strange country”.

Since then interest has increased exponentially as a result of increasing restlessness, leisure time, image and the publicity of the odd celebrity trying a hand (or wheel) at it. This has led to Joe Public’s usual response being “Oh, like those two actors” when talking about any trip beyond tarmac.

Not only have numbers of participants increased but also firms supplying vehicles, equipment, clothing, stories via DVD, books or downloads, etc. - all using the expression Adventure Motorcycling. It is around us everywhere, yet not fully deserved any more if considering the original concept.

The expression Adventure Motorcycling is becoming too broad and diluted a term. It is now generally far removed from Chris’s description and used by travellers, posers and suppliers alike to present or describe almost any journey that involves going outside of the M25. I suspect the greatest percentage of equipment never goes far from where it is sold, probably the Home Counties of England, other that a run down the A7 to the sun - or for the really adventurous, the alternative N7.

Should we leave the expression Adventure Motorcycling to where it is now mostly used, the marketing and posers, and those truer to the original idea of “unsupported journeys into the wilderness” start to use another term?

How about kicking off with the suggestion of "Extreme Motorcycling"?

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Vitim Bridge Clubwww.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533442
www.sibirskyextreme.com

"" Extreme Motorcycling "" brings to mind young guys on moto cross bikes performing stunts that involve aerial acrobatics .

Not quite what this site is about !

How about Overland Motorcycling ?
[Mind you it's a bit hard to do it over water .]

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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

I think that most are comfortable with whatever you'd like to label it and wouldn't feel threatened by others enjoying their pastime whether a poseur or a 'real' adventurer.

That said, as one who might reasonably be labelled "poseur", I'd be interested to understand your definition of "the original idea of unsupported journeys into the wilderness”.

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Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand

That was Chris's definition, but I interpret -

-'unsupported journeys' to be just the rider(s) and what they have, without a series of 4x4s in tow containing mechanics, translators, spares, heavy equipment, medics, fixers, etc. Riders having to primarily rely on their own ability and ingenuity to get them through and deal with immediate problems.

-'wilderness' to be somewhere where the infrastructures of modern life and civilisation are not abundant. Out of ones normal environment, perhaps.

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Vitim Bridge Clubwww.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533442
www.sibirskyextreme.com

Okay.

So are you just saying drop the "significantly strange country" from the definition? Just trying to understand the proposition.

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Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand

How about 'gone riding'.

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Unattended children will be served espresso and given a puppy.

Does a weekend trip to North Wales count then?

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This old world keeps spinning round, it`s a wonder tall trees ain`t laying down.

Tony you trying to rattle a few cages.
Its a funny thing cos I did a few biggish trips in the late 70s (for me at that time they were well out of my norm or comfort zone these days they are nothing more than tourist runs anyway - probably were back then but felt big at the time in my tender years ) I have also pushed out in different directions since the late 90s some places were true wilderness or very Alien but were great fun or experiences.

I may be old fashioned but back then as now I called it touring on a motorbike. Is this not all it is. Add all the bolt on bits the buzzy lingo whatever really its just touring - maybe off the beaten track a bit but touring all the same.

So I propose we could call it Motorcycle touring - quite gritty don't you think.

Back in my younger days, I was heavily into downhill skiing. Would miss maybe 10 days in the season. Back then, where we were going and what we were doing, we just called it 'skiing'. It's just what we did.

Now I see it on tv, and they call it 'EXTREME SKIING!!!'. Guess it's important in this 'hey, look at me' society that is going on in the western world. Twitter is a prime example of this, I think...telling the world that you're going for groceries.

I don't get it myself, so I just say: 'I'm going riding'.

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Unattended children will be served espresso and given a puppy.

How about using the term "Holiday" if you HAVE to call it something.

Personally I hate labels so as I am concerned you can call it anything you like ("Bob" perhaps)

I can follow the OP train of thought easily enough, there are plenty of mobile touratech adverts out there who seem to miss the point. I was waiting for a ferry when a pair turned up and spotted my Dragon/Elefant/finnish rally stickers. The first question was why did I put the stickers on the Bonneville when I'd need a GS or KTM to do those. These two had been on their trial run for their big trip to Brugge!

My intial thought was to label them as ******s. Then I thought, what the heck, if they enjoy themselves spending £20K for a week in Spain before they go back to playing power rangers on sunny Sundays who really cares. My only worry is that anyone interested in real travelling might be put off by their insistance that you need three GPS's between two and a yellow painted aluminium thingy to hold your butties. That I guess is where this site comes in.

I'm with the guys who suggest "Motorcycle Touring". "Extreme" anything (the possible exception of ironing) will just attract Bill and Ted lookalikes who''ll want to wear orange and ride in circles.

Andy

I agree, I have always considered all my trips away from home to be "touring". But then, that is because thats what they were

Did anyone else read that in the voice of Edmund Blackadder or was it just me ?

If you really are into extreme ironing.....
Extreme Ironing World Championships

I'll drink to that. Personally I don't give a monkey's ballbag what anyone else wants to define me as - assuming anyone could give a flying bugger in the first place.

But if I'm caught in some sort of moral or social dilemma, I do tend to use the maxim "well, I am on holiday" to decide the issue.

Cheers

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Simon

London-Cape Town 2004-06
Buenos Aires-Vancouver 2008-10:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/fitzpatrick

I think you'll find that A/M started long, long before T/Simon and the brothers Vince, despite the excellence of their travels. But they wrote or filmed it better than many before them. You must check this out, and find a world of travel by bike you never dreamed of. There are accounts out there of what earlier riders did. If you've been at Ripley, then you won't have missed Paul Pratt, who travelled by bike in a way which is gone forever. He may not write as well as others, but he did in circumstances which would daunt some modern travellers. There's Elspeth Beard,and a few other women riders, there's the "One Man Caravan " bloke, and a number of others. And I don't refer to only RTW, for motorcycle adventure certainly doesnt depend on that. More can be better, but it's surely not necessary for a fulfilling trip. I've suggested before that if you scribe a 3000km circle from a place in Western Europe,say from Edinburgh or Swansea, you'll find a treasure of places to go which tick the box.

The definition given of A/M, however now corrupted, still stands, IMO. Those who pay someone to take them on a tour certainly have fun, but have no adventurous journey, rather like voyeurs in a peep show, who never get 'the full monty". Commercial tours in motorcycling (or mountaineering*) are the corrupting element.

*See John Krakeur's "Into Thin Air" to see how destructive commercialism can be.