Welcome to the website of Sjaak Lucassen
Here you'll find all information about this extraordinary globetrotter who travels around the world on his 'rather' unusual motorcycles.
Who's Sjaak?
- Date of Birth: October 2, 1961 in Maashees - Netherlands
- City: Maashees
- Marital status: ...
- Height: 1.90m
- Weight: 88kg
- Education: L.T.S.- Engineering
Secondary Horticultural School; Vegetables/Flowers
Shopkeeper's diploma - Profession: World traveler
- Driver's license: A-B-E
- Top speed: ??? At over 300km/hr you don't have time to watch the needle
- Weakness for: The beer tap ;-)
- Favorite snack: Frikadel speciaal, chocolate and liquorice
- Favorite music: Rock music. Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Favorite female singers: Sinead O’Conner, Melissa Etheridge, Kate Bush, Janis Joplin
- Favorite country: Russia
- Favorite continent: South America
First Vehicles
At toddlers age it was already obvious that Sjaak was different from other children. Why exactly, that’s something mum and dad didn’t know.
Around his 11th birthday he earned his first real money. He used it to buy a 125cc Vespa scooter. A kart and a car to race about later, there stood a Yamaha moped on the doorstep at the age of 16.
In no time this Yamaha was illegally tuned up and as the holy terror of all school going cyclists he stayed on that thing till he was 21, because he disliked cars.
Meanwhile he got himself a 250cc Yamaha cross motor, on which he got rid of his school frustrations.
After finishing school he started a market garden on his father’s fields. For that he purchased a Bedford van.
At that time he was also working at potato trader Bongers in Maashees as jack of all trades.
Later on cars came one after the other. Like a 134 cubic inch/2 litre Alfa and a VW Golf GTI. At the same time Daf cars were standing all around the farm, for reverse driving races on circuits.
“Riding a bike will be my death sentence”, he knew for sure, therefore he waited till he calmed down a bit. Anyhow that’s what he thought. The adrenaline kick took over and taking curves far over the limit was the result.
Bitten
Because he always thought bike vacations were too short, he took half a year off and shipped his bike, a Honda CBR 900 RR Fireblade, to Australia. 23,600mi/38.000km later he sent his bike the same way back and went for 6 weeks backpacking through Indonesia. That country he loved, but backpacking he hated. He missed his wheels. In the mean time he got bitten by the travel bug. Therefore he planned an once in a live time journey around the world.
After 2 years of making money he leased out his land and resigned from his job. Without the help of any sponsors he went on the road in May 1995 in order to make his dream come true. In the following 3 years and 1 week he covered over 100,000mi/160.000km in 40 countries.
During this trip he was regularly interviewed for radio or TV and he was seen in magazines and newspapers.
This way he became widely known as ‘Fireblade Sjaak’.
Russian Restaurant
Japan, Mount Fuji
Pakistan, Karakoram Highway
Five years and five months
After his world trip he didn’t want to revert in the every day routine. Therefore he did over a hundred presentations in the Netherlands and abroad, attended exhibitions/fairs and wrote his travel report in 11 issues of Motoren & Toerisme. He also started writing a book. Meanwhile new plans were made. Sponsors were searched and fortunately found, so he could depart well equipped. The brand new YZF R1, sponsored by Yamaha, was even before the first 60mi/100km were covered, assaulted with an angle grinder and welding machine.
Aluminium panniers were made and every small cavity was used for storage.After a lot of blood, sweat and tears he left from the motor fair in Utrecht on 4 March 2001. This time he remained 5 years and 5 months discovering the world, covering 155,000mi/250.000km in 77 countries.
During this adventure Sjaak wrote for MOTOR Magazine and for MotoPort Magazine.
He became widely known as ‘R1-Sjaak’.
At home he started to edit all his experiences into the book "Life on 2 Wheels", a documentary DVD was made and he still gives presentations.
Bolivia, Uyuni Salt Flats
Russia, shovel ride
China, Great Wall
Snow Squad
During the Dutch MotoNewz fair in 2006, Sjaak was present with his R1 on the Yamaha stand.
There he met Marcus Kingma, known from his records like -Riding around the Netherlands (937mi/1508km) within one day- and -Motorcycling through 15 countries within 24 hours.-
Marcus asked Sjaak if he would like to celebrate New Year on a wintry North Cape. Already for years Sjaak carried the plan to go with his bike very far towards the north. Being asked to drive to Europe’s northernmost point, his eyes started to twinkle and enthusiastically he agreed. A couple of weeks later the team that was named Snow Squad departed.
Sjaak on his world travel R1 and Marcus on a Yamaha YBR 125.
Due to the mild winter weather their home-made spikes worn fast on the asphalt which was frequently visual. Together with time pressure, this made them decide to turn around before they reached their goal, having no doubt whatsoever, that this challenge once should be brought to a successful end!
The attempt to reach the North Cape didn’t stay unnoticed. An invitation in the support act of the World Championship Ice Speedway on the Dutch 438yard/400meter track in stadium De Smelt (now named De Bonte Wever) was the result.
Here the spikes functioned very well!
Snow Squad Team
Norway, Ice-covered Road
World Championship Ice Speedway, Assen
On the road for KiKa
In 2007 during the Dutch TT Sjaak received out of the hands of Moto GP rider Colin Edwards the key from a brand new R1.
Shortly after, Sjaak headed with it for the North Cape to explore what they could expect on that route during wintertime. Being back, the preparations began.
The adventure started live from the Motorbike fair in Utrecht on 3 February 2008. Their goal was to bring a flag of KiKa, a kids cancer free foundation, to the Children of the World Monument on the North Cape and by doing so collecting money for KiKa. This time they succeeded!
North Cape (summer)
Almost at the North Cape
Children of the World Monument
Winter 2009
According to Sjaak’s feeling, all of this wasn’t extreme enough and together with Doris Wiedemann, whom he knew from previous trips, a new plan was worked out.
The two wanted to ride in the middle of winter from Key West in Florida, the southernmost point of continental United States, to Alaskan Deadhorse, its northernmost point accessible by road.
Early 2009 the moment was there. Over snow and ice with temperatures around -28°F/-30°C, a harsh trip led the two adventurers to the frozen ocean.
There Sjaak looked at a tempting pristine white plain towards the North Pole...
Welcome to Alaska
Arctic Circle
Pristine Plain
On the ice
To ride over snow and ice roads turned out to be possible, but how about the snow dunes covered polar ice?
On a special prepared R1 Sjaak started early 2013 a trip from Barrow in Alaska - via the polar ice on the Beaufort sea – to Key West in sunny Florida.
To be able to carry sufficient fuel, Sjaak pulled a sledge which had a mobile home on top.
The ride from the northernmost tip of continental USA to the southernmost point ended on the island Key West.
Detailed reports and the next adventure under Adventures!
Barrow, Top of the World
On the Ice
Sunny Florida
NathaSja Tour
Besides seeking out the cold, Sjaak still had the urge to be on the road in ‘normal’ weather. Together with Nathalie, a friend he has known since childhood, they chose Russia as their destination.
This resulted in a trip that even included Asia.
The chosen travel bike was …
How could it be otherwise.
Welcome to Turkey
Putin's backyard
Great shirt
The North Pole keeps beckoning...
The North Pole cannot be reached with a normal motorcycle. For many years now, Sjaak has been converting a standard R1 into aRctic1.
For detailed reports ► Adventures
info@sjaaklucassen.nl
+31610414544
Website by CornReclame
Text and layout Sjaak's sister
© Sjaak Lucassen 2025