Episode 382: Hoes of History: Anne-France Dautheville

In the 1970s, when solo motorcycle travel was considered a man's world, Anne-France Dautheville simply decided she was going to ride into it. A French journalist, writer and adventurer, Anne-France first discovered long-distance motorcycle travel in 1972, when she became the only woman among dozens of riders in the Paris-to-Ispahan Orion Raid. She continued into Afghanistan and Pakistan, and returned to France determined to prove that she could go farther. In 1973, riding a small Kawasaki, Anne-France became the first woman to travel around the world alone by motorcycle. Her journey took her through Canada, Alaska, Japan, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Europe, a roughly 20,000-kilometer adventure undertaken decades before GPS, smartphones or the conveniences of modern solo travel. But Anne-France's story isn't simply about motorcycles. It's about what happens when a woman refuses to accept the limitations other people place on her. After facing rumors and skepticism within the motorcycle world, she answered not with an argument, but with an even bigger adventure. She turned her travels into books, including Une Demoiselle sur une Moto and Et J'ai Suivi le Vent, and continued exploring the world on two wheels for years. Follow us on IG: @homance_chronicles Connect with us: linktr.ee/homance Send us a Hoe of History request: [email protected]