The Beginning of an Epic Journey

March 10-16, 1931: A Bold Decision

In the bustling colonial city of Saigon in March 1931, 22-year-old Justine Tibesar made a decision that would define her legacy. After extensive travels across America, Japan, and China, the young adventurer from Luxembourg stood in the FN motorcycle agency owned by Mr. Martiny and had an audacious thought: why not return to Europe by motorcycle?

As Paul Destoc reported in FN Sports magazine, the moment had an element of destiny to it. Finding a Belgian motorcycle dealership in French Indochina seemed almost miraculous to Justine.(1) With savings accumulated during her world travels, she purchased a 350cc FN M70 Touring Standard—frame number 62196, motor number 8045—despite having no prior experience riding motorcycles.(2)

The Three-Day Crash Course

For most people, learning to ride a motorcycle might seem a gradual process, but Justine approached it with characteristic determination. As a skilled cyclist, she adapted quickly to the “unruly machine” after receiving basic technical instructions. Contemporary accounts note that in just three days—from March 13 to March 16—she went from complete novice to licensed rider.(1)

In her own words, quoted in the FN Sports magazine: “The technique is explained to her, and as she is a good cyclist, she quickly masters driving with bravura.”(1)

March 16, 1931: The Departure

With minimal preparation and maximum courage, Justine departed Saigon on March 16, 1931.(1) Her luggage was strapped behind her saddle—a modest amount of supplies for what would become a 22,000-kilometer journey. Her destination: Bangkok, Thailand.

The road ahead promised immense challenges. As Justine later recounted, “I had my luggage behind my saddle, and on the rutted paths it was not easy to keep my balance.”(1) This understatement would prove prophetic—merely days into her journey, she would suffer a serious fall near Phnom Penh that would force a ten-day recovery.

The Beginning of Hardships

The departure from Saigon marked not just the beginning of a journey, but the start of an extraordinary series of challenges. Almost immediately, Justine encountered the difficulties that would characterize her entire expedition:

• Rough, barely existing roads that tested both rider and machine
• River crossings where her motorcycle repeatedly became stuck
• The need to protect her motorcycle from curious locals who sometimes tampered with it
• Nights spent in the open air, often uncertain of her exact location
• The constant struggle to maintain adequate water supplies(1)

Yet despite these immediate hardships, Justine pressed forward with remarkable resilience. Her journey had begun—a solo female motorcyclist embarking on a route few would attempt even today, armed with nothing more than basic riding skills, a sturdy FN motorcycle, and an indomitable spirit captured in her philosophy: “Everything is possible, you just have to want it with all your heart, then it succeeds.”(2)

The departure from Saigon was more than just the first step of a long journey—it was the moment when Justine Tibesar transformed from traveler to pioneer, setting in motion an adventure that would soon capture the imagination of the world.

References:

(1) “Artikel Justine Tibesar englisch.pdf” – Report from the magazine “FN Sports” / October – November 1931 by Paul Destoc

(2) “La fabuleuse histoire de Justine TIBESAR.pdf” – Le fabuleux raid de 22.000 km, en 1931, de Marie Justine TIBESAR, à moto du Vietnam à Arlon by Jean-Marie Zimmerman