Elspeth Beard
Page updated 12-Jan-2011

Photo copyright Peter Orme
Nowadays Elspeth Beard is a talented and world renowned architect (to see her website click here) - she has recently been featured on the Grand Designs TV programme - but back in 1980 she was just a student with a burning desire to travel. She bought a 30,000 mile second hand 1974 R60/6 from a friend of a friend in Cornwall and after several long trips in Europe and the British Isles she set off in 1982 on a three year journey around the world.

Elspeth started in the US, going on to Australia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia then back into western Europe and home, becoming the first British woman to circumnavigate the world by motorcycle.


1980s photo of Elspeth shortly after returning home,
by Peter Orme

She survived two major accidents, in Australia and Thailand, and did a lot of major repairs herself. She also made her distinctive and easily repairable panniers-with-top box herself out of aluminium sheet and rivets while living and working in Sydney .

You can read her full story by clicking here.


Photo copyright Paul Blezard.

 

We have also been contacted by her boyfriend, and you can read his feedback (click here)

 


2006 photo of Elspeth and her R60/6 being interviewed by
Nick Sanders for his Biker Britain programme.
(The white bike is Elspeth's everyday machine nowadays,
an R80GS Basic with large Dakar tank).