Emilio Scotto

This is the best book on motorcycle adventure travel I have read so far. It's about this crazy Argentinian who sets out to ride around the world on an 1100 GoldWing (!), with hardly any riding skills, and even less mechanical skills. He starts out carrying "everything" (up to and including full scuba gear!), but gets robbed of it all after a few days. The rest of us would have gone back home, but Scotto continues his journey with $53 or so in his pocket, no gear, but an impressive ability to show more charm his way to free meals, beds (with and without company) and gas money.

Scotto is a great story-teller, and I easily forgive him the spices I am sure he must have sprinkled over his stories. Some of you may remember a "teaser" in the 2005 edition of Cycle World Adventures magazine, where he more or less carried the GoldWing through the jungle in Guinea, West Africa. show less

Emilio Scotto had the courage and hutzpah to travel around the world on a Honda Goldwing called the Black Princess. He had a guardian angel watching over him for in times of no food, no money, no shelter, no gas, and needing repairs to the bike, there would always be someone there to help him. People like to help people is the take away from this book.