Man cruises over 104 countries in a span of five years on his BMW R1200GS

Michelle L.

December 19, 2017

Photo credits: http://www.ocregister.com

When things take a turn, some people make full use of the opportunity to explore the adventures they never expected to embark on and Ed Bach is one of them.

Bach, who found success and a wonderful lifestyle in the real estate business, got divorced and decided that it was time for an epiphany. He decided that he would embark on a 159,000-mile journey on a motorcycle throughout 104 over five years.

It certainly sounds like a very ludicrous plan to drop everything and hop on a bike journey but that was exactly what Bach did. He sold his house in 2012 and found home in his BMW R1200GS.

Photo credits: http://www.ocregister.com

“I had no job and no wife,” said Bach, 51. “But, I got a lot of something in return. I got a lot of time, so I figured I might as well do something with my time.”

“I literally got on my bike and took off,” said Bach, who’s been riding motorcycles

“I went from living the fancy life to sleeping alongside the road or abandoned buildings for the next five years.”

With a one-man tent, laptop, few sets of clothes on his bike, he pointed north and just followed the way until he reached the northern tip of Alaska. He managed to get through Mexico, Central America and South America. He even set foot in Argentina and put the bike on a plan to Madrid, Spain and cruised almost every country in Europe.

Photo credits: http://www.ocregister.com

Next, he rode south to Africa, through the Sahara Desert, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia and Ghana.

We’re not finished. He even went back north and circled the Black Sea and crossed Russia. Then he went south to Africa, crossing the Sahara Desert, passing through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia and Ghana. Bach turned around and headed back north, crossed the Sarah a second time, circled around the Black Sea and traveled through Russia.

He then made his way to Southeast Asia in Philippines and returned to the United States through Florida and then Fullerton.

Photo credits: http://www.ocregister.com

“On my trip, people would ask me what I was going to do tomorrow,” Bach said. “I would say, I don’t know. I never really planned anything. I would just kind of figure it out as I went along, and I liked it that way.”

“The difference between my trip and most people’s trips, is my trip wasn’t a motorcycle trip per say,” Bach said. “My trip was about exploring the world and seeing the world from my perspective, and the motorcycle was the means of taking me to these places.”

Any bike enthusiasts out there can probably relate to Bach and his firing passion for adventure. If you have any stories about your motorcycle journey, feel free to tell us your story!