Oh, how we love tales of overlanding adventurers. Each its own odyssey, steeped in personal challenges, foreign cultures, serendipity and conflict. But here’s one that’s completely different. Imagine riding an obscure Belgian-made FN motorbike from 1910—an extremely rare machine from the dawn of the era—across the world.

When I first heard about Ron Fellowes’ journey on Facebook, I was certain he’d never make it. Motorbikes from 1910 were essentially handmade and primitive beyond description. It’s no exaggeration that it would have been a challenge coaxing the FN across town, let alone tackling an epic 14,600 mile trans Asian and European ride—from Kathmandu, Nepal to Liege, Belgium.

Ron enjoying a hot meal at a truck stop (dhaba) near Bikaner, India. Despite the steady stream of trucks arriving and leaving, Ron was lulled to sleep by the drivers' constant chatter. Even the flashing lights and honking of horns didn't disturb the exhausted rider.

It took Ron, a diesel engineer and lifelong vintage motorcycle devotee, a whopping 42 years to source and fabricate parts for the restoration of his 360cc, inline four cylinder, shaft driven FN. After such an extraordinary effort, most would have been content to place their prize antique in a museum. But the challenge of riding this mechanical marvel from bygone years across the world had been Ron’s intention from the moment he discovered the pile of rusting parts.

No Room for Watermelons is centered around Ron’s overlanding adventure, covering details about the bike, preparation for the journey and the long ride itself. I seriously doubt if another soul could have pulled it off. Just keeping the FN moving was a daily challenge. Toss in every conceivable weather condition, wildly varying topography and myriad hazardous road conditions from the Himalayas, across India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and the EU, and you have all the makin’s of a REAL adventure.

I’d have read this book if it was written in crayon by a semi-illiterate. But it’s quite the opposite, and Ron and his wife Lynne, have delivered such a well-written and wonderful story, I couldn’t put it down. Do yourself a BIG favor and get a copy, too. MSRP: Paperback: $19.00 | Kindle: $9.99 OldBlokeonaBike.com

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