Riding Across Five Continents on a Honda: A human interest story

In 1997, writer Jugatsu Toi set off on his Honda motorcycle with the goal of traversing all five of the world’s inhabited continents. In November 2009, at the age of 61, Toi completed his crossing of Eurasia, reaching his ultimate goal at the Honda Headquarters in Aoyama, Tokyo.

North America, May-September 1997 (104 days) and 19,487 miles on a Honda XRV750 (Africa Twin).
Toi is an experienced illustrator, freelance reporter and well-known writer who also directs feature films and documentaries.

For the journey of his dreams, Toi selected a Honda XRV750 (Africa Twin) and a Honda NX650 Dominator for their reliability in tough environments. These two reliable companions carried Toi across the torrid desert, the frigid tundra and other terrain of the most daunting nature. With the two bikes help, Toi traveled more than 75,000 miles while facing many hardships. And Toi kept riding, believing the essence of his journey to be the discovery of truth and hope, however small the forms they took. Nothing could dissuade Toi from exploring the unknown or taking in the kaleidoscopic experiences of the long road ahead.

Starting at Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean, Toi rode south crossing both Alaska and Canada. After passing through sacred Native American lands in the Western United States, he entered the deserts of Mexico. Finding himself in the middle of the rainy season, he continued south through five Central American countries. He proceeded to the southern border of Panama, reaching the Darién Gap, a vast swampy area that separates North and South America. Toi then rode north toward the Gulf of Mexico. On the way, he again experienced the Central American rainforest, this time passing through Belize. After crossing Mexico for the second time, he entered the United States, passing through the American South, including Florida, and making his way along the Eastern Seaboard to New York City.

Australia,July-August 1998 (46 days) and 7,855 miles on a Honda NX650 Dominator

Starting in Brisbane, Toi rode west on the Great Western Highway, where the long road trains dominate the road. Approaching the southern coast, he entered the vast, treeless expanse of the Nullarbor Plain and continued west until reaching Perth. Toi then dared the infamous Canning Stock Route, riding over 900 red sand dunes along the way. Next, he took the Tanami Track, a two-lane dirt road, to the east. In the center of the Australian continent, Toi looked with wonder on Uluru, the great sandstone rock formation sacred to the Aboriginal people of the region. From there he headed east, returning to the point of origin, Brisbane.

Africa – The Dark Continent,February – June 2001 (100 days) and 12,400 miles on a Honda NX650 Dominator

Starting in Morocco, Toi rode in a convoy through the Western Sahara, where many mines still lay buried. He then proceeded south through the West African nations of Mauritania, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. In Ghana, he took a flight to Kenya, thereafter passing southward through Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and onward to his goal: Cape Town, South Africa.

South America – The Lost Continent including the mighty Amazon,April - August 2005 (117 days) and 14,000 miles on a Honda NX650 Dominator
Starting in Lima, Peru, Toi passed through the Atacama Desert, the world’s largest coastal desert. He proceeded south through the Chilean Patagonia, reaching Punta Arenas, the world’s southernmost port. He then rode north, this time traversing the Argentine Patagonia. After experiencing the grandeur of Iguazu Falls, one of the three largest waterfalls in the world, he passed through Brazil to Belém, a city located on the banks of the Amazon estuary. After riding through French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela—roughly the area where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set his novel The Lost World — Toi once again turned to the south, passing into the Amazon rainforest. Loading his bike onto a flatboat, he went up the Madeira River, a tributary of the Amazon River. Toi then made his way across the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, into Bolivia. At last he crossed the Andes, returning again to Lima.

Eurasia,July-November 2009 (120 days) and 18,600 miles on a Honda XRV 750
Starting at Cabo de Roca in Portugal, Toi passed through Spain, France, Italy, the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey, where Europe becomes Asia. After riding through Iran, he traversed the Central Asian nations of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Tracing the Silk Road trade route, he rode through China, Mongolia and Russia. His final stop was the Honda Headquarters in Aoyama, Tokyo.

The longest ride...