At age 63, Portuguese motorcyclist Francisco Sande e Castro completed one of the most remarkable round-the-world motorcycle journeys ever undertaken — 140,000 kilometres, 62 countries, six continents, and seven and a half years in the saddle on a Honda VFR1200 Crosstourer.
The Journey Begins
Francisco Sande e Castro started negotiations with Honda Portugal in 2012, pitching what the marketing chief Carlos Cerqueira called a “crazy idea”: a full circumnavigation of the globe by motorcycle. Honda Portugal signed on, and in September 2012 Francisco set off on his Crosstourer with an original goal of two to three years. As with so many great adventures, the plan evolved.
The first leg took him across Europe from end to end — a warm-up for everything that followed. Crossing Turkey, he headed straight into Iran.
The Iranian Nuclear Incident
Iran produced the most dramatic episode of the entire journey. Francisco stopped at the foot of an Iranian nuclear facility to take a photograph. With no one apparently around, he took the shot — and was immediately surrounded by military personnel demanding to know why he was there and what he was photographing.
What followed, in his own words, was “worthy of a spy movie.” Facing accusations of espionage and the very real prospect of an Iranian prison, Francisco relied on a last-ditch diplomatic intervention by Portuguese authorities to secure his release and continue the journey.
Southeast Asia and East Timor
From Iran, Francisco rode into Southeast Asia, where he spent a considerable amount of time. In Thailand, his daughter joined him for part of the trip before returning to Portugal.
He then travelled by boat to Indonesia, and from there to East Timor. He arrived in Dili, but was soon forced to return to Portugal for professional and personal commitments — a pattern that would repeat itself several times and was the primary reason the journey stretched far beyond three years.
His Honda Crosstourer sat in a hotel car park in Dili for approximately six months, waiting for his return. When Francisco came back, he picked up exactly where he had left off.
Australia, Fiji, and Japan
The next goal from East Timor was Australia. While the motorcycle was shipped by boat, Francisco flew ahead — and used the spare time to visit the Fiji Islands, travelling without his motorcycle for the first time.
In Japan, Francisco received an unexpected invitation: Honda’s chief engineer for the Crosstourer — having heard about the journey — asked to meet him. During the visit to Honda headquarters, the bike received a full service: new tyres, fresh oil, and new filters, preparing it for what was supposed to be the final leg.
Crossing the Americas
From Japan the Crosstourer shipped to the west coast of North America. Francisco rode north from Los Angeles to Seattle, then crossed the United States coast to coast, finishing in Washington D.C.
Rather than stopping there, he pushed south:
- Through Mexico and Central America, despite warnings about Guatemala and Nicaragua
- By boat across the Darién Gap into Colombia — impassable by land
- South through Peru and Chile along the Pacific coast
- Back east across Argentina to the Atlantic
- North into Brazil, where his party was approached by pirates while descending the Amazon by boat — fortunately without serious consequence
Africa: The Hardest Leg
The Crosstourer was shipped from Brazil to South Africa, and Francisco began the final and most gruelling stretch: West Africa, south to north, against the advice of many who knew the route.
Countries crossed on the African leg included:
- South Africa
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Gabon
- Cameroon
- Nigeria
Endless mudslides required the help of local communities to push the loaded bike through. Francisco fell into holes in the jungle floor, sometimes waiting hours in the heat for someone to come along and help lift the Crosstourer — too heavy for one person to right alone.
Arrival in Lisbon
Francisco Sande e Castro reached Lisbon having completed a journey that defies easy summary:
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | ~7.5 years (approx. 900 days of riding) |
| Distance | 140,000 km |
| Countries | 62 |
| Continents | 6 |
| Motorcycle | Honda VFR1200 Crosstourer |
| Departed | September 2012 |
| Arrived | 2019 |
The Honda Crosstourer: A Reliable Companion
Francisco chose the Crosstourer from the outset and it proved equal to the task, despite being — by his own admission — a heavy bike ill-suited to some of the terrain it faced.
After 140,000 kilometres, the motorcycle required remarkably little intervention:
- Engine: The V4 engine never required a major overhaul, not even a valve adjustment
- Suspension: The most frequently serviced area — fork seals replaced multiple times; rear shock absorber bearings replaced
- Consumables: Oil, filters, and tyres were changed regularly throughout the journey
- Major breakdowns: None
Roadside repairs were handled by Francisco himself, often with assistance from local workshop owners encountered along the way.
The Book
Francisco Sande e Castro plans to document the full journey in a book titled Around the World in 800 Days — though he notes it was closer to 900 days of actual riding. The book will include stories of sleeping in the open, sharing meals with families who had almost nothing but offered everything, and surviving swarms of mosquitoes across multiple continents — all without taking any medication throughout the entire trip.