Michael Martin
Geographer, photographer and adventurer Michael Martin has been exploring the world for decades. Be it in the deserts of Africa and Asia, on Himalayan passes at altitudes of over 5000 metres, or in the icy Canadian Arctic: the BMW GS has been his loyal companion for over 30 years. In the interview, the 61-year-old tells us about dicey moments, spectacular destinations and the special role his motorcycle plays. He also shares with us what he would have done differently in retrospect.
You experience the country in a more intensive way.
”Michael Martin
Adventurer, photographer, public speaker
How has travelling shaped you or changed you?
I’d be more inclined to say that I’ve shaped these journeys. I’m curious, fearless, very resilient, both physically and mentally, and I’m good at organisation. I’ve been travelling since I was 15 years old and I was able to envision my desired life path at a relatively young age. I made it happen, too. Of course, I’m also fortunate that thanks to lectures, books and television films, I am able to make a living from it.
How do you prepare yourself for your trips? Do you have any rituals?
Minimal preparation! Between the trips (sometimes up to ten long-distance trips a year), my office work, family and friends, there isn’t much time left. I pack shortly before departure.
I slowly get into the travel mindset as soon as I’m on the train to the airport.
You make most of your trips by motorcycle. Why is that?
Up until 1991, I travelled exclusively by car and I had been to the Sahara 45 times by then. When the region suddenly became inaccessible due to civil war and uprisings, I had a problem. Nothing compares to the Sahara – an incredibly exciting, adventure-packed and beautiful part of the world. I still wanted to bring back some captivating stories, so I decided to hop on my motorcycle and make the journey even more exciting.
Did you go straight for a BMW motorcycle?
Yes, and there’s an interesting story behind that. Like thousands of other bikers, I’m sure, I wrote a letter to BMW asking if they could support my “Transafrika” project by providing motorcycles. To my surprise, they responded. My concept won them over and luckily, my letter was read by a fan of Africa. They loaned me three R 100 GS bikes. That’s how the partnership began, which has endured to this day.
You haven't used anything but a motorcycle since then?
Exactly! Firstly, I had to learn how to properly ride a motorcycle in Kenya. In doing so, I immediately understood the cult status of motorcycles. It’s so much fun, and you can get closer to the country and its people. You feel every temperature fluctuation, every change of the wind and you can experience the country in a more intensive way. Additionally, the motorcycle acts as a cultural bridge. It attracts locals and opens up conversations. You’ll be invited for tea by monks at an Ethiopian monastery or by farmers in their huts – all thanks to the motorcycle.
What do you like about BMW motorcycles?
After riding the R 100 GS, R 1100 GS, R 1150 GS, R 1200 GS Adventure, R 1250 GS Adventure and most recently the R 1300 GS, I can clearly say: their complete reliability. Despite its weight, the handling of the GS is fantastic off-road. The assistance systems offer enhanced safety and the bikes have never let me down. Although, there’s a funny story there…
Tell us about it!
In the ‘90s, the R 1100 GS had a big nut installed in the Cardan housing, which centred the Cardan shaft. At that time, it wasn’t bonded, but rather simply screwed in. After a thousand bumpy kilometres of riding through Africa, it came loose in Uganda fell out and disappeared without me noticing. This nut had a diameter of 30 mm – impossible to find it in Africa. I’d already given up and stopped a lorry driver to ask if they could take me and my motorcycle to the capital. The driver took a look at the hole in the housing, quickly chopped down a tree using a machete and then carved out a bolt to secure the Cardan shaft. The bolt protruded by about 15 cm, but I was able to cover the last thousand kilometres with it.
Have there been any risky situations where you were truly terrified?
A few, and they never had anything to do with nature. It was always political topics or crime. One example is when I crossed the green border from Libya into Chad. I was riding through a minefield. The minefields were signposted, but you still wonder if the rain could have washed the mines into your path. There was another dicey situation in 2003, when a group of bikers were kidnapped from the “Graveyard Piste” area of Algeria. I could have been one of them. However, I always follow a simple rule: Before I set off in the morning, I ask the locals about the current situation. On that day, I asked a petrol station employee if the route was safe. He hesitated to answer, which gave me a bad gut feeling. When I asked the owner of a neighbouring establishment, he said: “Not okay.” So, I took a much more boring route, which probably saved my life.
Where in the world would you like to visit again because it’s so beautiful?
So many places! But Namibia, the Altiplano in Bolivia and the Himalayan passes – those are the places that always fascinate me.
In your public speaking work, you take people along on your journeys – what is most important to you in that regard?
Good pictures, good music and exciting storytelling. You need to make the audience feel moved. That only works when you’re passionate about it yourself – and I am! I tell my stories from a wealth of travels, bring along numerous maps for orientation and interweave it all with my personal experiences. Ultimately, it’s all about conveying how it feels to ride a motorcycle. It’s less about the technology or the tyres, and much more about how I’ve adopted BMW Motorrad’s motto of “Make Life a Ride”.
Community questions
Is there a photo that has particular significance for you?
There are so many… but probably my first motorcycle photo, which was taken at Lake Turkana in Kenya. Three motorcyclists riding through a landscape made up of dark volcanic rock. White dust is being kicked up around them, which shines brightly thanks to the low sun in the background. That was in the early ‘90s – before autofocus – so I had to set up and position the camera very precisely. My camerawoman at the time was tasked with pressing the button at the right moment. I didn’t know how it would turn out until three months later. I think there’s a lot of this adventure motorcycle spirit in it.
Is there something you would do differently in retrospect?
I always limited my motorcycle trips to long-distance travel. I’ve never ridden a motorcycle through Europe or Germany, because I didn’t have enough time in my day-to-day life. It was only the COVID pandemic that urged me to take a trip from Rügen to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. During that trip, I realised how great Germany is for motorcycling. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, Franconian Switzerland – I found them all to be very exciting. The biggest advantage over long-distance travel: I took hardly any luggage with me, because I stayed at hotels. A GS without luggage and on well-maintained roads – that makes riding a motorcycle even more fun.
What’s left on your bucket list?
Definitely Southern Europe. I’ll be getting the R 1300 GS Adventure soon and then I’ll head south. I’m picturing Albania, Greece and the Black Sea. I’m not too interested in the north anymore, because I’ve spent too much time in the freezing Arctic. I was convinced by the recently acquired knowledge that seemingly dull countries can be a biker’s paradise if you stick to the winding roads. You simply experience countries in a different way when you're on a motorcycle and that’s the magic behind every trip. So, I have a very clear goal: take more motorcycle trips in Europe and Germany.
Around the world on two wheels
Michael Martin’s new book “Auf zwei Rädern um die Welt” was released on the 19th of February 2025 by the publishing house Ludwig Verlag. In it, he looks back on the 33 years he spent touring the world on his GS. At www.michael-martin.de you can order a signed copy and can request a personal message.
