Anne-France Dautheville: as free as the wind
18/07/2023
Lisa Di Blas
Anne-France Dautheville was the first French woman to travel around the world on a motorbike. We wanted to ask to this determined e resolute journalist and writer a few questions. Here her exclusive interview for MissBiker.
How did you approach the world of motorbikes and what was your first bike?Â
It all started in May ’68: strikes in Paris forced me to walk a lot; as soon as peace returned, I bought myself a Honda CB 50 – I didn’t have a licence – and in September, for my holidays, I rode all the way to the Mediterranean, at 70 km/h on the downhills and with the wind in my hair. And that was the beginning of the end!
Where did the inspiration for your world tour on a motorbike come from?Â
I had quit my job as an advertising copywriter, travelling/writing was a dream, they had to take me seriously.
Australia, Brazil, Afghanistan… Which country has most marked your experience as a motorcyclist?Â
The motorcycling experience was not my goal. I just wanted to see the world and enjoy the ride. Three countries in particular impressed me with their beauty and people: Afghanistan, Peru and Australia.
What was the reaction of people at the time seeing a woman (a very very beautiful one!) travelling alone on a motorbike?Â
I was like colour TV! They came up to me, they were amazed, they laughed, we were all happy, we were measuring the gap that separated us and yet we were exchanging curiosity, laughter, kindness. Having said that, I was by no means beautiful, too skinny in the Orient, my eyes too light in South America, etc. and anyway, there was no place for seduction in my travels.
How do you decide to leave the easy road, the quiet life, a good job… to do what you love most? And how does it feel when you discover the meaning of freedom?Â
Well, I actually had a very comfortable and interesting life; but slowly, I realised that dedicating myself in my work to washing machines, beauty creams, salami, basically a series of products to be launched was no longer for me… at a certain point I became certain that I was paying too much for my money. My life no longer made sense and I didn’t want money to influence my choices.
Solo travel: can you name three things to bring and three things to leave behind (they can also be emotions)?
Curiosity, caution, trust. A boring, heavy book that lasts the whole trip. A mechanics manual for the motorbike. Some make-up to boost morale.
What is the most valuable help you can rely on in case of difficulty during a solo trip?Â
The kindness of people who help you.
What was the most intense experience during your travels?Â
There have been 500,000 of them! But most of all, that late afternoon in Afghanistan, when sitting alone on the top of the Bamiyan Buddha, I saw the sun slowly descend over that magical valley; I think I have never felt such profound peace.
A solo trip is often an opportunity to discover yourself. What is the most important lesson that motorcycling has taught you and what have you discovered about yourself?Â
That determination is an excellent quality: you fall, you start again. It rains, you continue, etc. And that you can abandon a project when it becomes impossible or unreasonable without losing your soul.
How has the world changed since the 70s and 80s for a woman who wants to go on a solo trip today? Is it better now or before?Â
I love the song ‘C’était mieux après’ (‘It was better before’)! I have often been told that there are disgusting websites on the Internet that spread terrible images of European women and that there are people who are stupid enough to believe that all girls behave like in porn movies. In my time, that did not exist. And maybe the world was happier….
Memories that excite you for a lifetime: can you name the most extraordinary place you have visited on a motorbike and an unforgettable person you have met during your travels?Â
I told you about the Bamiyan Valley, then there was Ochre Pits, a rocky area with incredible colours in the centre of Australia, and then a sunset one evening on the Causse de Larzac plateau, or the climb up the Col de Vizzavone in Corsica in the snow, and then the sun waiting for me on the coast. There hasn’t been one person, there have been dozens of them, gentle or passionate, funny, tough or all of them at once.
So for you, is the motorbike a physical, spiritual or emotional experience?Â
All three! The body reacts to everything the road offers: the scents, the freshness and sweetness of the air, the vibrations in your arms… The joys, the wonders and the discomfort when the weather is bad. And then also that magical feeling when the road is monotonous and time no longer exists.
Finally, could you give some advice to the women in the MissBiker community who want to embark on a solo trip?Â
Absolutely not: the world has changed, humans too, and motorbikes even more. I have the wisdom of dinosaurs, it hasn’t been relevant for a long, long time!
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