JUSTINE TIBESAR, A BELGIAN PIONEER
After seeing the photo of the remarkable Justine Tibesar on the cover of OBM471 (Old Bike Mart, issue 471, Sept 2024) I sought some more information on what must have been an epic ride from Vietnam to Europe in 1931.
I could not find much, just the short article and photo here which I’ve translated from the original French. In the absence of more information one can only marvel at this young woman’s determination.
Perhaps a reader from Belgium can provide more detail.
‘The incredible adventure of Justine Tibesar or the revenge of women!
‘In 1931, then aged 22, Justine Tibesar, a seasoned traveller from Arlon, began the greatest challenge of her life: connecting Asia and Belgium by motorbike!
‘So she bought an FN M-70 350cc from a dealership in Saigon and learned to ride in just three days.
‘She leaves Vietnam for Cambodia but a serious fall immobilises her for 10 days. This incident in no way affects her will.
‘She hits the road again and travels through many countries such as Thailand and India.
‘During her journey, the young woman and her surprising machine attract all eyes. If the roads of Eastern Asia are perilous, this is nothing compared to the arid lands of the West.
‘Justine Tibesar must then equip herself with a sidecar to transport her water and fuel reserves.
‘She crossed Pakistan, Iran and even Persia where the terrible living conditions made her seriously ill.
‘Despite all these difficulties, Justine Tibesar completed her journey via Eastern Europe – almost a formality compared to her previous stopovers – and arrived in Arlon on January 22, 1932, with 22,000 km on the clock.
‘She is welcomed with honours by the managers of the motorcycle department of the Fabrique Nationale in Herstal.’
Paul Jenkins, Queensland, Australia
(We too were unable to find out any more about Mlle Tibesar. If anyone can tell us more we would be delighted to hear from you. OBM Ed.)
Publication: Old Bike Mart
Issue: December 2024
Website: www.oldbikemart.co.uk
Author: Paul Jenkins, Queensland, Australia
