Why Not?

The spirit of adventure and the allure of travel captivate each of us. As children, we are inspired to dream and pursue our passions. As we grow our success is measured by how we achieve our goals, accomplish the impossible or beat the odds. I’m Allan Karl and this is my WorldRider Journey of Adventure & Discovery. I will pursue my dream and accomplish something no man has ever done: I will circumnavigate the globe alone from top to bottom, and all the way around.

Who hasn’t dreamed of taking an adventure trip around the world? Inspired by the fabled journeys of Marco Polo, the around the world sail of Ferdinand Magellan or the fictional Phileas Fogg’s 80 days around the world, modern day adventurers attempt global journeys relentlessly. In 1999, Bertran Piccard and Brian Jones were the first to successfully circle the globe in a hot air balloon. Michael Palin took 80 days to go around the world without boarding an airplane, and Dave Kunst spent 5 years walking around the world.

For me, I’ve chosen to do this journey on my motorcycle — a single cylinder BMW F650GS Dakar. With a few important modifications to my bike and a packing list that will grow shorter as I realize what I really need, I mounted my bike on July 4, 2005 and began a journey that will span two years and cover 50,000 miles through more than 50 countries and all 7 continents including the Arctic Ocean and Circle.

Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to travel the world, write about it and document it through words, pictures and sounds. To learn more about the world and myself and with minimal cargo space, I will travel alone without a support team. I will visit dozens of World Heritage Sites, national parks, diverse cultures and experience immense diversity in climate, geography and terrain — all of which will be the subject matter of of my writing, and a book and documentary.