Gord Zans was born with a drive to push his limits. Retired as a Commanding Officer of a fighter squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force, he now focuses that energy on finding challenging riding around the world. Most recently, he discovered it on the Victoria Falls to Cape Town safari.

Gord Zans

Gord’s father raced motorcycles in Germany before coming to Canada and winning the North American sidecar championship in 1969. Young Gord would be at the races every weekend, riding around the track on the various bikes his father got him whenever he got the chance. He cut his moto-teeth in gravel pits and off-road riding but the majority of his early years were on pavement.

Professional Ridesharing with Gord Zans

The demands of a career in the Royal Canadian Air Force meant there was little time for recreational riding. Gord pushed his limits in the air, first by flying the CF-104 Starfighter. Next he flew the F4 Phantom on exchange with the German Air Force before moving to the CF-18 Hornet. Being stationed in Germany from 1983 to 1992, and again from 1996 to 2000, gave him opportunities to ride the Alps from Germany to Austria, and through Switzerland, France, and Italy.

In 1999 Gord and his father did a five-week self-planned trip in Morocco on their BMW GSs. It was his first exposure to adventure riding and he was hooked.

When he retired from the Air Force in 2013, Gord got back into motorcycling in a serious way. From his home base in Ottawa, he rode all over the Eastern seaboard. Adventure touring with Edelweiss soon followed—on a trip through Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, another tour to Thailand and Myanmar. In early 2018, his travels took him on adventure in Patagonia with RIDE Adventures.

Explore Amazing New Cultures & People Along the Way 

Gord’s enjoyed three self-organized on/off rides through the Alps of Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Switzerland, with people he met on the Asian tour. Other friends joined him on a self- organized trip through England, Scotland, and Wales. He’s looking forward to a two-month run in 2019, following the Silk Road from Istanbul, Turkey, to Xian, China.

Not surprisingly, Gord enjoys ‘spirited’ riding, and he has a knack for finding others who share his perspective. In Patagonia, he spent much of his self-guided ride with five Hollywood stuntmen. “Their kind of spirit was the same kind of spirit I experienced in a fighter squadron—relatively close and in formation. They were smart, rode aggressively, and were like-minded.”

“On Rene’s trip, three of us who were more aggressive riders could ride ahead at a speed that was comfortable for us. Because we were moving relatively fast, we had more time to stop, soak up the scenery, and take pictures. We all ended up at the hotel at the same time to enjoy the social aspects together.”

Stopped for a break on a mountain pass, the Renedian group was surprised when another group of riders pulled up. They were even more incredulous when the tour leader turned out to be Charlie Boorman. Again by chance, Gord ended up right behind Charlie on a ‘spirited’ ride down the other side.

“I was super impressed with Renedian. Having been a senior officer who has planned and executed international exercises, participated in international operations, and been the Commanding Officer of a fighter squadron, I understand the important role of leadership. I was very impressed to see the level of organization, professional execution, and calm and effective leadership of Rene and Piet, especially during the more stressful moments.

Gord couldn’t name one highlight—the different countrysides, the differing and challenging riding surfaces, how much the scenery changed from desert to lusher areas, the moonlight landscape, the Namibian dunes, and the safari in the Okavango Delta— that stood out from the rest. Victoria Falls, with the British tradition of high tea on the terrace, was surreal. The silhouette of elephants against the setting sun during the Chobe River cruise was a very spiritual moment.

“Adventure riding is exhilarating and replaces the adrenaline rush I got from flying fighters. I’ve been fortunate to travel the globe in my military career and now want to experience more of the world by motorcycle. One of my most memorable military experiences came after the Berlin Wall came down. As I assisted former enemies in meeting NATO standards, it gave me an opportunity to witness them becoming friends.

“Now I embrace transformative experiences on my motorcycle.”