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PRESENTERS
The Presenter list for 2025 is building... Here are some of those already confirmed!
(click each image for more information)
Markus Mayer
Round the world on a scooter? You betcha! Markus Mayer has a massive following as 'La Vida Vespa' and although recently returned to his native Germany he's saddling up again to come to Oxford and tell us all about his marathon trip on 10" wheels. Infact, he's decided to ride to Oxford via Nord Kapp on his 75cc two stroke scoot...
Supported by Dunlop Tyres
No matter how you like to ride, there’s a Dunlop tyre that’s perfect for you and your bike. Ever since John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre in 1888, Dunlop have been at the forefront of tyre technology. They never stop trying to improve riders’ grip, control and safety. Continually developing new technologies they have an incredible range of tyres to suit every kind of adventure and touring machine. All new technologies are thoroughly tried and tested in racing conditions so you can concentrate on nothing but the road ahead. And just ride.
Molly Harrison
First time at Overland! Molly started riding as an adult and quickly fell in love with everything two wheels. She taught beginner motorcycle classes in the US for 8 years, and she’s ridden on the racetrack and off road. Her long distance touring has included much of North and Central America, Europe and Asia, staying with locals whenever possible.
She will be giving two talks this year – one on solo motorcycle travel through Mexico and Baja (including useful information on the Baja ferries and the Baja 1000 desert race), and another talk on finding adventure wherever we are. Molly has a corporate job in the USA, but like many of us, dreams of longer adventures.
She keeps honeybees and chickens, hikes and camps with her two energetic dogs, rides her mountain bike to work, and makes routine pilgrimages to MotoGP/desert races, concerts and festivals, interesting tourist spots and riding destinations. Molly tries to say yes to everything, which has included working on a pit crew for the Baja 1000 and eating absolutely anything.
She will be giving two talks this year – one on solo motorcycle travel through Mexico and Baja (including useful information on the Baja ferries and the Baja 1000 desert race), and another talk on finding adventure wherever we are. Molly has a corporate job in the USA, but like many of us, dreams of longer adventures.
She keeps honeybees and chickens, hikes and camps with her two energetic dogs, rides her mountain bike to work, and makes routine pilgrimages to MotoGP/desert races, concerts and festivals, interesting tourist spots and riding destinations. Molly tries to say yes to everything, which has included working on a pit crew for the Baja 1000 and eating absolutely anything.
Chris Scott
Author of the Adventure Motorcycle Handbook and many others, film-maker, guide and Sahara specialist Chris Scott has been recce'ing new Algerian routes across the Sahara, but knows everything there is to know about interesting routes in Morocco too, and that's what he'll be talking about at Event 2025. His newest edition of 'Morocco Overland' will be published then as well, and available at The Overland Event
Kinga Tanajewska
Kinga started riding in her teens in her native Poland, however, her love affair with the roads less travelled really started when she was living in Australia in her twenties, wanted to explore those big open spaces and found that sports bikes just weren't cutting it...
Enter an F800GS and she's never looked back, exploring first Australia and then, following a life-changing crash in 2015, another F800GS and a solo world trip. Now seven years on the road and counting, Kinga called her trip the "Are we there Yet?" tour, a reference to the fact that it doesn't have a finish point. We're so pleased that she has agreed to come and talk at Overland no matter where she is in the world next August! Check out her travels here
Enter an F800GS and she's never looked back, exploring first Australia and then, following a life-changing crash in 2015, another F800GS and a solo world trip. Now seven years on the road and counting, Kinga called her trip the "Are we there Yet?" tour, a reference to the fact that it doesn't have a finish point. We're so pleased that she has agreed to come and talk at Overland no matter where she is in the world next August! Check out her travels here
Ted Simon
We're delighted that he has confirmed his attendance again! He's Ted. He’s Jupiter. He really needs no introduction, but he and his Triumph are the reason thousands have saddled-up and set off to explore the world.
If you haven't read 'Jupiter's Travels' or 'Riding High' about his 4-year RTW ride in the 1970s, you really should...
Despite having just celebrated his 93rd birthdayTed is determined to join us again at this year’s Overland Event. He calls it his favourite travel event of all and we usually ensure he's accompanied by both of his round-the-world motorcycles. Come and meet him - he's a remarkable character!
If you haven't read 'Jupiter's Travels' or 'Riding High' about his 4-year RTW ride in the 1970s, you really should...
Despite having just celebrated his 93rd birthdayTed is determined to join us again at this year’s Overland Event. He calls it his favourite travel event of all and we usually ensure he's accompanied by both of his round-the-world motorcycles. Come and meet him - he's a remarkable character!
Mark Ball and Rich Hall
Yes, they sound like a comedy duo, and these guys went down a storm last yearm but you shouldn't miss them if you like green laning! Somewhat awed by the presenters they were going to see at the 2018 Overland Event, Mark & Richard felt it a bit of a cop-out to ride to Oxford up the M4 in an hour and a half.
Instead they plotted an “Overland” route from the deepest South West, avoiding tarmac whenever possible. Travelling the many and varied green roads our beautiful country has to offer, getting to the event became an event itself.
Since then they have plotted routes everywhere and extended them into multi day trips. If a year off work and crossing the Sahara is proving difficult to organise, then think smaller. Learn how, using cheap and simple resources, to piece together a route picking up as many of the UK’s “green roads” as possible to create a “mini adventure” you could complete in a day, a weekend, or even longer!
Instead they plotted an “Overland” route from the deepest South West, avoiding tarmac whenever possible. Travelling the many and varied green roads our beautiful country has to offer, getting to the event became an event itself.
Since then they have plotted routes everywhere and extended them into multi day trips. If a year off work and crossing the Sahara is proving difficult to organise, then think smaller. Learn how, using cheap and simple resources, to piece together a route picking up as many of the UK’s “green roads” as possible to create a “mini adventure” you could complete in a day, a weekend, or even longer!
Supported by Dunlop Tyres
No matter how you like to ride, there’s a Dunlop tyre that’s perfect for you and your bike. Ever since John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre in 1888, Dunlop have been at the forefront of tyre technology. They never stop trying to improve riders’ grip, control and safety. Continually developing new technologies they have an incredible range of tyres to suit every kind of adventure and touring machine. All new technologies are thoroughly tried and tested in racing conditions so you can concentrate on nothing but the road ahead. And just ride.
Ken McGreevy
We first met Ken about 12 years ago in his native Ireland when he was about to set off east on a GT550 Kawasaki, because it’s the bike he had at the time. He consequently wrecked that machine in the Kazakhstan desert while racing to make a presentation to the UN. Yes really… Since then he’s travelled where and when he can and as we write this he's on his current bike, an Africa Twin, and heading north through the Americas on a very important and touching mission. With luck he'll tell you about it and celebrate his friendships from the road. Ken is a copper and what you’ll realise during his presentation is that it's a career that teaches you many things, like knowing how to get un-arrested from the most bizarre situations. On almost every continent it seems. Sure what’s travel if it’s not a bit of craic?
Trui Hanoulle
Riding over from Belgium we're so pleased Trui is coming back to Overland. Currently in India working on her 'Move She Does' project we'll soon have full details of what she'll be presenting.
Dr Sasha Carter
Sasha is an Intensive Care Doctor who has spent many years in A&E, but has also travelled alot, whether by bike or not. We are delighted that she's going to be joining us, running a workshop on how to prepare for a road trip, what to take in terms of first aid kit and how to deal with common ailments on the road. She'll look at dealing with some trauma too, using stories from Sam Manicom, Geoff Hill, Nick Sanders and many others to cover the important topics. But before you ask, no, this isn't a first aid course like BikerDown.
David and Emy Woodburn
Originally hailing from Western Australia and the Philippines respectively, David and Emy are now living in rural Georgia USA, but their overlanding story is truly remarkable. Click this link for just a bit of their global sidecar history
Richard Georgiou
Richard and his trusty Transalp have created the 'One Man on a Bike' series of books, from his first in 2014 about heading south to the Sahara, to his most recent, published in 2021. Riding all over Europe and North Africa, he readily admits to being something of a hapless traveller...
Despite not having ‘much upstairs’ and not being able to touch the ground (even on tippy toes - his words) he gets out and does it anyway. Come and hear him rambling on about getting it wrong, getting lost, big bike little legs, and his latest book, Morocco Bound.
Despite not having ‘much upstairs’ and not being able to touch the ground (even on tippy toes - his words) he gets out and does it anyway. Come and hear him rambling on about getting it wrong, getting lost, big bike little legs, and his latest book, Morocco Bound.
Lisa and Simon Thomas
Since 2003 when they first left the UK on a BMW R1150GSA and an F650GS, Simon and Lisa Thomas have ridden something like half a million miles through 78 countries, breaking records and more than a few bones along the way.
In 2016 their original bikes were upgraded to a BMW R1200GSA LC for Simon and an F800GS for Lisa, which they’ve been riding around Mexico, Canada, Alaska, and the USA. But Covid brought them back to the UK where they are temporarily stationed, preparing to get back out there and continue their quest to ride through 122 countries and on all seven continents.
We’re thrilled that they are to be part of the Overland Event this year. We hope they'll tell some remarkable stories, while they'll also be running some photography sessions and Lisa will be cooking up something really special: an on-the-road cookery workshop!
Find out more about their mammoth trip here
In 2016 their original bikes were upgraded to a BMW R1200GSA LC for Simon and an F800GS for Lisa, which they’ve been riding around Mexico, Canada, Alaska, and the USA. But Covid brought them back to the UK where they are temporarily stationed, preparing to get back out there and continue their quest to ride through 122 countries and on all seven continents.
We’re thrilled that they are to be part of the Overland Event this year. We hope they'll tell some remarkable stories, while they'll also be running some photography sessions and Lisa will be cooking up something really special: an on-the-road cookery workshop!
Find out more about their mammoth trip here
Richard and Mopsa English
A remarkable couple, Richard and Mopsa English rode their Triumph sidecar outfit around the world in the 1980s and did their utmost to remain patriotic throughout, but times were changing. The factory they bought their bike from went bust while they were on the road and parts became increasingly difficult to get. Wars ensued and empires shrank still further, but their story is a brilliant one and the book it produced – Full Circle – is superb.
As well as having some great tales to tell, they will be accompanied by Tommy, their poor abused Triumph. Come and meet all three!
As well as having some great tales to tell, they will be accompanied by Tommy, their poor abused Triumph. Come and meet all three!
Fern Hume
Although Fern's epic global ride aboard her DRZ400 began back in 2011, now that she's back in the UK she hasn't stopped travelling. Now though, she's been exploring the world on micro adventures, setting a £1000 budget and seeing where in the world she can get to, hire a bike and ride until the money runs out. You'll be amazed at what's possible! It's a 'grand idea' indeed.
Sam Manicom
Sam’s first solo trip was by bicycle into Europe when he was 16. Many backpacking, hiking, cycling, sailing and hitch-hiking journeys later, he wanted to do something completely different, so set off to travel the length of Africa on ‘Libby’, his BMW R80 GS, only a few weeks after first learning to ride a motorcycle.
What he’d planned as a one-year trip turned into an eight-year, 200,000 mile, 55-country adventure around the world. 4 years into the trip he met Birgit and they began to ride together, she with only 600 motorcycling miles under her belt!
His four books Into Africa, Under Asian Skies, Distant Suns and Tortillas to Totems vividly describe that epic journey.
He’s also a contributor and an editor of The Moment Collectors: Twenty Travellers Tales from Around the World. You’ll find several of the overlanding nuts who are contributing authors, at the Overland Event this year, where Sam will be presenting and running a workshop on what’s involved with getting sponsorship for your trip.
What he’d planned as a one-year trip turned into an eight-year, 200,000 mile, 55-country adventure around the world. 4 years into the trip he met Birgit and they began to ride together, she with only 600 motorcycling miles under her belt!
His four books Into Africa, Under Asian Skies, Distant Suns and Tortillas to Totems vividly describe that epic journey.
He’s also a contributor and an editor of The Moment Collectors: Twenty Travellers Tales from Around the World. You’ll find several of the overlanding nuts who are contributing authors, at the Overland Event this year, where Sam will be presenting and running a workshop on what’s involved with getting sponsorship for your trip.
Max Jowett
If you managed to see Max last year you'll have heard about his ride down West Africa and why he was home without his bike... Well he's been back out there and now we're ready for CRF in Africa; the sequel! Incredibly widely travelled Max has led mountaineering expeditions to the Annapurna region of Nepal among other things. He enjoys winter mountaineering, rock and ice climbing, and 25 years ago set up a charity called Wheels 2 Work in the South West.
It’s a motorcycle loan programme for disadvantaged people, that stretched over five counties and had nearly 300 motorcycles on the road, helping isolated people access work and education. He also ran two motorcycle dealerships investing all of the profits back into local communities through Wheels 2 Work.
It’s a motorcycle loan programme for disadvantaged people, that stretched over five counties and had nearly 300 motorcycles on the road, helping isolated people access work and education. He also ran two motorcycle dealerships investing all of the profits back into local communities through Wheels 2 Work.
Helmut and Bea
This lovely couple from the beautiful Bavarian town of Burghausen sold everything they had to be able to set off on a global ride in 2011, but back then they didn’t realise they’d be on the road for five years and ride through five continents. It was a trip which not surprisingly had a massive impact on their lives. Since then they've been hard to pin down as they don’t seem to stop travelling, but if their current overland trip works according to plan they’ll have a remarkable story to tell at next year’s Overland Event. They've parked up their well-worn Transalps and embarked on a mission to ride the toughest Aussie outback trails on... two 50-year-old Kreidler mopeds. Yes, really.
Supported by Dunlop Tyres
No matter how you like to ride, there’s a Dunlop tyre that’s perfect for you and your bike. Ever since John Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre in 1888, Dunlop have been at the forefront of tyre technology. They never stop trying to improve riders’ grip, control and safety. Continually developing new technologies they have an incredible range of tyres to suit every kind of adventure and touring machine. All new technologies are thoroughly tried and tested in racing conditions so you can concentrate on nothing but the road ahead. And just ride.
Chris Kirby & Dave Owen
Hailing from N Wales, Dave has been riding since 1971, first heading overseas as a pillion in 1984, on an XS750 to Brussels. Graduating from uni (where he met Chris) aged 40 as a mature student in 1995 he worked at AstraZeneca till 2009, making sure he got away every year! 2004 was 3 weeks in India with a 350 Enfield, then a pan-Europe trip on a W650 the following year. In 2006 he did the inaugural 3-week EnduroAfrica with Chris and incidentally met our own ‘MotoSkills’ tutor ‘Cogs’ when offroad training for Africa. Next few years saw explorations of France before redundancy in 2009, when he set off the next day to ride solo round Australia.
Big rides at home or in Europe followed every year – many with Chris – before they both rode Miami to San Francisco in 2023 on Harleys, the trip they’re going to talk about.
Chris is now a part time coach and mentor to European tech CEOs, but spends the rest of his time rock climbing, biking and doing vast amounts of physio as various bits of him break down!
Big rides at home or in Europe followed every year – many with Chris – before they both rode Miami to San Francisco in 2023 on Harleys, the trip they’re going to talk about.
Chris is now a part time coach and mentor to European tech CEOs, but spends the rest of his time rock climbing, biking and doing vast amounts of physio as various bits of him break down!
Glynn Roberts
At the age of 21 Glynn broke down on his first trip abroad in Italy. No return ticket, next to no money (not even for a prized sticker for the bike), he rode the 1,500 miles back in four days at 30mph to save fuel money, living on 30 pears and a homemade loaf of bread!
The experience didn’t deter him, but rather it gave him the confidence to take on more adventurous challenges and trips, culminating in a 3 year round the world ride 6 years later.
In 2018 he made an impromptu trip to visit his niece in Mongolia on his 37 year-old BMW R80 G/S.
He’s continued the 'breakdown' theme over the years, breaking down on every continent, narrowly making the trip home from Mongolia last year.
Glynn’s presentation is not an A to Z on how to do anything. But he does have some photos and a bunch of slightly bonkers stories from his trip to Mongolia and back.
The experience didn’t deter him, but rather it gave him the confidence to take on more adventurous challenges and trips, culminating in a 3 year round the world ride 6 years later.
In 2018 he made an impromptu trip to visit his niece in Mongolia on his 37 year-old BMW R80 G/S.
He’s continued the 'breakdown' theme over the years, breaking down on every continent, narrowly making the trip home from Mongolia last year.
Glynn’s presentation is not an A to Z on how to do anything. But he does have some photos and a bunch of slightly bonkers stories from his trip to Mongolia and back.
Jocke Selin
At The Overland Event this year Jocke will be sharing his knowledge about maintenance, emergency repairs, tools and other tidbits, because he believes that everyone is capable of servicing and maintaining their vehicles.
He’ll cover situations you need to expect (puncture, fall, water ingestion), how to prop your bike up on the trail as well as servicing on the road and how to build the right toolkit. But he might include some other packing tips-n-tricks at the end.
Jocke has been tinkering with mechanical things all his life, be it bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles or cars. He loves sharing his knowledge and has been writing several online pieces about motorbikes, kit, tips and travel. He’s also a regular contributor to Overland Magazine!
The best thing he knows is just getting on his motorbike to head wherever the curves take him. He’s been skulking around Europe for 20 years, be it Nürburgring, Portugal, The Alps, Eastern Europe or the Nordic countries. The feeling is even better when Caz, his fiancé, is riding nearby.
He’ll cover situations you need to expect (puncture, fall, water ingestion), how to prop your bike up on the trail as well as servicing on the road and how to build the right toolkit. But he might include some other packing tips-n-tricks at the end.
Jocke has been tinkering with mechanical things all his life, be it bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles or cars. He loves sharing his knowledge and has been writing several online pieces about motorbikes, kit, tips and travel. He’s also a regular contributor to Overland Magazine!
The best thing he knows is just getting on his motorbike to head wherever the curves take him. He’s been skulking around Europe for 20 years, be it Nürburgring, Portugal, The Alps, Eastern Europe or the Nordic countries. The feeling is even better when Caz, his fiancé, is riding nearby.
Kona & Patrick
Kona and Patrick live in Perthshire and are possibly the world's least likely adventure riders. Kona (Australian) is a high-intensity computer geek and narrowly-escaped professional poet, and Patrick (Norn Irish) is a compulsive inventor and recovering mechanical engineer. They both learned to ride in the 1980s (when bike licences came with cereal packets), and then had long gaps in their riding careers. Kona got re-obsessed in 2016 and Patrick was duly forced to get a bike so he'd have some chance of seeing her during riding season. Kona's pet project is the Crieff Cloverleaf in Scotland. Patrick is heartily sick of conversations about Kona's pet project, so please don't ask him!
In 2023, sick of long, dark Scottish winters, they swapped their car for an old Transit, packed up a mobile office and two CRF250Ls, and drove down to the south of Spain. Staying in Andalucia, they spent a few weeks working remotely and exploring the local area on their wee trailies. It was so much fun they decided to do it again next year, for even longer and are probably there now. This presentation is their light-hearted take on a near-miraculous feat: having an overland-ish adventure while staying in one place and still being at work!
In 2023, sick of long, dark Scottish winters, they swapped their car for an old Transit, packed up a mobile office and two CRF250Ls, and drove down to the south of Spain. Staying in Andalucia, they spent a few weeks working remotely and exploring the local area on their wee trailies. It was so much fun they decided to do it again next year, for even longer and are probably there now. This presentation is their light-hearted take on a near-miraculous feat: having an overland-ish adventure while staying in one place and still being at work!
Jayne Attwood
Keeping body and mind in shape when you're travelling by bike is vital and a bit of yoga in the morning is a great way to do that. Jayne has been doing Yoga for 25 years and professionally teaching it for nearly 15! She's also an advanced indoor cycling coach, a pilates instructor and is even qualified in pilates to treat orthopaedic conditions. Jayne will be running yoga sessions each morning at The Event. Mats will be available but you may want to pack your own!
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