Simon Gandolfi (born February 11, 1933, in London[1]) is an English writer and long-distancemotorcycle rider. He has ridden over 110,000 kilometres (68,000 mi)[2] on solo, unsupported rides in America and India including:
2007–2008, Mexico to Tierra del Fuego via Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina: 34,000 km (21,000 mi) on a 125 cc Honda
April–December 2009, Tierra del Fuego to New York: 46,000 km (29,000 mi) on the same Honda
November–June 2010 – 2011, India: 18,000 km (11,000 mi) on 125 cc Honda Stunner
April–October 2013, India: 16,000 km (9,900 mi) TVS Motor Company TVS Phoenix 125
A 2010 tour of India was undertaken in defiance of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, of which he said "The attack infuriated me and I saw all the tourists cancelling and so I rode around India, and if a grand old man like me can ride around India at my age, it can't be that dangerous."[3] The 2008 solo ride was undertaken when Gandolfi was 73,[4] 2010 when he was 77, and the 2013 solo ride around his 80th birthday.[3][5] The 2013 ride around India was published as a series of contributions to The Guardian's "Backpacking" travelogue section between June and October of that year.[6] The column on his ride, which was planned to span India to England, ended when he suffered broken ribs and other injuries after being kicked off his bike by a heifer in the road.[7][8]