He bought his first motorcycle at 15, and Steven Barnett, initially from Los Angeles, has ridden throughout almost 80 nations in the 5 a long time since.
Now, at 77, he’s getting ready for the largest journey of his life: an try to set the report for the oldest man to motorcycle around the world.
Barnett, who moved from the US to Panama 20 years in the past, is scheduled to fly to Madrid, Spain, on March 7, earlier than embarking on a journey throughout 27 nations, together with France, Australia and Peru, masking an estimated 50,000 miles.
The retired professor expects the journey to take not less than a 12 months. He says he’s trying ahead to getting on the street and “having no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Though he’s solely been planning for a few months, a heart assault final 12 months — which left him requiring stents — satisfied him not to delay.
“You never know how long you have,” he tells NCS Travel. “You’ll never be as prepared as you would like to be, but that’s not an excuse for putting things off.”
Barnett says he was impressed after studying a NCS article about Bridget McCutchen, who was vying to change into the youngest lady to solo circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle.
He reached out and met her in Panama in December 2022, about a 12 months earlier than she efficiently accomplished the journey.
“I said, ‘Wait a minute. If she can do it as the youngest woman, why can’t I do it as the oldest man?,” he says, admitting the concept hadn’t actually occurred to him till he realized of her story.
After discovering there was no listed report holder, he contacted Guinness World Records.
“I figure 78 or 79 is far enough up there to set a record,” he provides. Guinness World Records confirmed that this was the case and his utility was accepted.
A veteran of long-distance motorcycle journeys, Barnett says he loves “the freedom to go anywhere” and “connect with people and locations that you just can’t do when you are enclosed in a car.”
In October, he purchased a model new motorcycle, a Suzuki DR650, and spent a number of months modifying it for the journey, including a larger fuel tank and stronger suspension.
With medical clearance — together with a heart scan — he’s keen to fly to his place to begin in Madrid. “Everything’s good,” he says. “Once I get on the plane, it’ll be a big sigh of relief.”
From Spain, Barnett will make his approach throughout Europe, driving by way of France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
In order to meet Guinness World Record necessities, Barnett should ride the similar motorcycle for the total journey, and doc this progress. He might use different transport just for sections “otherwise impassable by motorcycle.”
He’s enthusiastic about visiting locations he’s by no means been earlier than — particularly Central Asia, the place his route will take him by way of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan earlier than heading on to China.
From China, he’ll ride down to Laos, Thailand and Malaysia, then by way of Indonesia, earlier than flying to Australia, the place he hopes to “get in some scuba diving” in addition to cross the continent. After that, he’ll ride by way of Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia on his approach again to Panama.
“That’s the plan,” he says, “knowing that plans never work.”
It’s unclear if or how the present Middle East disaster will impression his journey.
While Barnett feels match sufficient for the journey, he acknowledges his age will form his strategy.
“It used to not bother me to be on a dirt track out in the middle of nowhere,” he says. But now, he’d somewhat be driving in busier areas.
“I’ll be much more careful about that this time around … Because I can’t lift up the bike the same way I did when I was 50.”
Barnett says he’ll keep in motels, hostels and visitor homes en route, however tenting is out as a result of he doesn’t like sleeping on the floor. Budget gained’t be a concern, nor will taking day off work — retirement, he says, has some perks.
While he enjoys taking in the sights, he says it’s “the people you meet on the way” who outline the expertise — like befriending and “bumming around” with one other motorcyclist in Brazil regardless of no frequent language, and being invited to eat with a household whereas driving to a waterfall in Laos final 12 months.
“It’s a roller coaster,” he provides. “Some days you say, ‘This is so cool being out here. This is the greatest thing in the world.’ And other days you say, ‘Holy beep, what am I doing out here?’”
He plans to pack gentle however will likely be bringing his toy raccoon Rocky — a “great icebreaker,” he says — and his mandolin.
“I hope to both meet some other people to play with and maybe learn some local musical influences,” he says.
Barnett has been sharing particulars of his journey through social media, and says he’s been surprised by the response.
“I’ve really encouraged a lot of people,” he says. “They say, ‘Wow, you’re doing that at your age, that’s really cool and kind of inspiring.’ So that makes me feel really cool.”
His spouse of 43 years, Karen, has supported him, as has McCutchen, the younger motorcyclist.
Despite being, as he places it, on “the opposite side of the poles in terms of age, gender and place in life,” they’ve stayed in contact, with McCutchen providing pointers from her personal journey.
“I think that she can be an example that I pass on to others — young and old — to just go for it,” he says.
The heart assault, he says, solely strengthened his resolve. Two months after his well being scare, he set off on a three-month ride by way of Vietnam, visiting UNESCO-listed website Ha Long Bay, and the Ho Chi Minh Road.
“My cardiologist thought I was crazy,” he says. “But I told him that’s what he fixed me for.”