Venturide: a 12‑month motorcycle world tour (Jean Malissard)

Primary intent: Interview / portrait.

Motorcycle trip planning is often romanticized as pure freedom. In reality, it’s calendars, visas, budgets, body fatigue—and the quiet determination to keep going when the day gets long. In 2016, Jean Malissard, a 26‑year‑old management consultant based in London, launched Venturide: a solo, 12‑month motorcycle world tour targeting five continents, around 40 countries, and more than 60,000 km. We spoke about the spark, the preparation workload, and the way a dream becomes a project you can actually start.

If you want to support his adventure, he set up a donation scheme on his website.

“Can you introduce yourself in a few words?”

Jean Malissard: Hello! I’m Jean Malissard. I was 26 at the time (born in 1990) and I’ve lived in London for about 20 years. I have a brother (27) and a sister (22). I studied at the Lycée Français de Londres, then business school in the UK, and I’d been working for four years as a management consultant at Deloitte in London.

The motorcycle world is new to me—but travel isn’t. I discovered that passion during a university exchange in Santiago, Chile. I traveled a lot across South America and it left a real mark. Since then, I travel whenever I can, and I’ve passed that bug to my sister Coralie, who I love traveling with. Since I started working, it’s been harder to find the time.

“Tell us about your project—what is Venturide?”

Jean: To describe it, it’s simple: a solo motorcycle world tour over 12 months. To actually make it real, it’s much harder—I quickly understood it’s almost a full-time job.

The plan was five continents, around 40 countries, and roughly 60,000 km total. I want to see the planet’s richness with my own eyes and meet as many people as possible—understand what connects us and what makes us different. Timing-wise, it felt right: I’m young, healthy, and Deloitte guaranteed me a job when I return.

“Are you going with anyone?”

Jean: I’m leaving solo, but my father—also a rider—will accompany me from London to the Turkish border. So we’ll share the first three weeks on the road.

“When do you leave, and for how long?”

Jean: I leave London on September 3rd, 2016—when my sabbatical starts. I’d thought about leaving in February on my birthday, but I got my motorcycle license in December, so that would have been too ambitious given everything to prepare before departure.

“Do you have a fixed route? How much room for improvisation?”

Jean: I’m keeping room for improvisation—chosen or imposed (geopolitics, weather…). But I still built a day-by-day itinerary, available here. I needed it to estimate fuel budget based on distances. And you also need an idea of entry/exit dates for each country for visas.

“How did the idea of Venturide come to you? Main motivation?”

Jean: A few years ago, I wanted to do it in a Land Rover Defender, but the cost would have been huge. Then I watched Long Way Round and Long Way Down—two riders on BMWs traveling long-distance—and I immediately knew I wanted to do it by motorcycle.

At work, I also saw many older colleagues regret not having done what they wanted when they were younger—feeling it was “too late.” I didn’t want to live with that regret. It felt like time to act.

“What does this trip represent for you?”

Jean: A mix of freedom, pleasure, discovery, happiness, the unknown—life, really. It will change me; I’ll come back different. But I’m not leaving to reject my daily life. I’m leaving to live a dream.

“Is it difficult to set up a trip like this?”

Jean: Yes, on several levels. I didn’t have enough funds, so finding sponsors or partners was difficult—but I’m not giving up before departure.

There are many fronts: admin, legal, health, finances, budget, sponsorship, mechanics, physical preparation… and that’s not even everything. You need to be comfortable with project management.

“What advice would you give future riders?”

Jean: If you want sponsors, give your project a social/charitable angle. And don’t forget physical preparation—don’t rush.

“A final word?”

Jean: Two things:

1) If you find the project interesting and want to help, you can join the “1 euro donated = 1 km traveled” scheme. You can donate here—thank you.

2) If you want to follow the journey, here are the useful links:

What this kind of motorcycle trip planning looks like in real life

Jean’s answers are a good reminder: beyond the dream, a round-the-world ride is built on constraints you can’t ignore.

Time is your real currency. On a 12‑month ride, the “admin days” (visas, maintenance, border logistics) are as real as riding days.
Distances have consequences. Budgeting fuel means thinking in daily mileage, not just continents. Long highway transfers can be mentally tougher than slower scenic roads.
Weather reshapes routes. Crossing mountain regions can turn from pleasant to risky quickly; keeping slack days avoids forcing a stage in bad conditions.
Connectivity is not guaranteed. Plan for offline navigation (downloaded maps) and keep critical documents available without relying on signal.
Body management matters. A professional trick we use at Planet Ride: when the route is long, build the day around two focused riding blocks rather than “pushing until you’re done”—it reduces mistakes in the last hour, when fatigue peaks.

À savoir aujourd’hui

This interview reflects a 2016 departure plan. The core lessons remain true: the preparation workload, the need to budget fuel and time, and the value of building flexibility into your route. What you must verify before leaving today: entry requirements by country, insurance validity across borders, and current rules for temporary vehicle importation and licensing.