At Rusty Stitches, we are always excited to explore the true spirit of motorcycle culture and the pure joy of the open road. We love the community, the machines, and the epic stories of motorcycle travel. In this episode, I sit down with Job Leussink from Moto Adonis, not to talk about another custom bike build, but to talk about his epic journey to Mongolia on his Honda Africa Twin RD07, which he undertook a few years back.

Oil flowing instead of blood

Cold beers at De Heks
On a sunny Sunday early evening, I meet Job on the outdoor terrace of his favorite pub, De Heks in Deventer. The historic pub is buzzing with life. Job greets me with a friendly smile and orders two cold beers. We find a wooden table at the edge of the terrace in the sun, ready to dive into a story that has to be told.

Who is Job Leussink?
Job is a down to earth guy who clearly had oil flowing instead of blood. In his youth, mopeds and motorcycles were his entire life. From moped sprinting to racing on a 50cc machine, that was his world. You would expect him to become a mechanic from the very start, but no.
Instead, he worked as a youth counselor for a while, helping young people find their footing. But during those years, his evenings were spent in a garage. Of course, he was still wrenching, and slowly his interest shifted to the art of custom bike building.
Today, Job is a professional custom builder, just like I expected from his early days. But his journey to Moto Adonis was still not quite what you would think. First, there was a big trip he had to get out of his system.

From Deventer to Mongolia, all because of Facebook
Job’s adventure started with a simple connection on Facebook. He got in touch with a fellow custom bike builder living in Mongolia, and they quickly bonded over their shared love for custom machines. Job made a bold promise. He told him that one day, he would ride his motorcycle all the way to Mongolia to visit. But did he go right away? No. As many can relate, life just keeps going on and on. Obligations, work, family, a house… everything keeps you here.

The moment he actually decided to go happened during his work as a counselor. Job was talking to a young guy, advising him to take risks and follow his dreams. Right then, it hit him. He realized he was giving advice he wasn’t even following himself. That was the trigger. He decided to practice what he preached: he quit his job, gave up his apartment, and packed his bags.

Let the road decide!

Setting off on the Africa Twin
Job did not spend months planning his route. His travel style was simple: let the road decide. He made his 1997 Honda Africa Twin RD07 ready himself, replacing the wheel bearings, checking every single bolt, and giving it a major service. Then he bought a basic tent, a sleeping bag, and a gas stove, packing some clothes, tools, and spare parts. For motorcycle clothing he bought a secondhand jacket and pants and just pointed his front wheel east and got riding!

His route took him through Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland, before reaching his first major milestone: the Ukrainian border. Crossing into Ukraine was his first taste of a real, exciting border crossing. For the first time on his journey, he left the easy, open borders of the European Union behind. Suddenly, he was standing in long queues, surrounded by armed guards, dealing with customs paperwork for his motorcycle, and waiting for passport control. It was the first moment he truly felt like he was entering another world, but it was only the beginning of a much larger journey.

Into the warmth of Russia
After Ukraine, Job crossed into Russia. Back then, embarking on such a crossing was still possible and safe, a stark contrast to the closed borders and geopolitical tensions of today. Despite the typical western stereotypes, he experienced nothing but incredible helpfulness and hospitality from the Russian people. Right at the start, when his debit card failed to work at a Russian border, two older motorcycle riders he met there stepped in to help him out.

As he traveled further, local Russian families constantly took him in, fed him, and refused to accept any money, telling him it was their contribution to his journey. Of course, there were some challenges too. At one point, a clearly tipsy police officer pulled him over, claiming Job was speeding and demanding fifty dollars. Job knew how the local system worked, refused to pay, and calmly demanded to see the radar gun. The officer laughed, shrugged, and let him go without a fine.

An unexpected turn in Mongolia
Eventually, Job crossed into the vast, open steppes of Mongolia. Paved roads made way for dirt tracks, and the sense of freedom was absolute.
At one point, while riding through the empty desert, he stumbled upon a traditional eagle festival entirely by chance. Out of nowhere in the middle of the dry plains, local nomads had gathered with their magnificent golden eagles to celebrate their ancient hunting heritage. It was a breathtaking, raw experience that he had never planned for, but that is exactly the beauty of letting the road decide.

The festival was absolutely amazing, but as soon as the sun went down, all the Mongolian locals suddenly packed up and disappeared on their horses, leaving the plains completely empty. There he was, in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, he was not completely alone; a few other travelers were still hanging around. Spontaneously, they decided to set up camp and throw a party right there.

Since Job was the only one with a motorcycle, he volunteered to fetch supplies. He rode off to a small village a bit further down the track (a one and a half hour ride) to buy food and drinks, while the others stayed behind to pitch the tents and build a campfire. When Job returned, carrying six massive five-liter bottles of beer and some provisions on his Africa Twin, he was welcomed as an absolute hero. They partied deep into the night, a magical, spontaneous night in the middle of the desert that he will never forget.

From there, he tackled the final kilometers towards the capital to finally meet his Facebook friend. But plans had to change. Due to delays and everything taking much longer than planned, riding all the way back wasn’t going to happen that year. So, after a few weeks of wandering around Ulaanbaatar and sharing great times with his new friend, he caught a flight back home. He spent the winter in the Netherlands, waiting for the seasons to change so he could fly back and pick up his bike.

But the most impactful part of his trip happened when he least expected it. During the flight back to Mongolia, Job met two Dutch doctors on the plane. They told him about an orphanage they ran in Choibalsan, in remote eastern Mongolia, which had recently burned down. Once Job was back on his Africa Twin, he decided to ride all the way to the far east of the country to help them rebuild and to work with the kids for some time.

It was a deeply grounding experience that completely shifted his perspective on life. Spending time with children who had virtually nothing, yet were filled with pure joy and resilience, made him look differently at the first-world problems we often complain about back home. He realized how much we take for granted. Moreover, the contrast between his own freedom (being able to travel the world on a motorcycle just because of his passport) and the limited future of those children hit him hard. It made him deeply aware of the sheer luck of his birth. Rolling up his sleeves to help rebuild their home became the most rewarding part of his entire trip.
If you want to know more about this project or want to offer support, you can read all about it on the All for Children website.

The way home
Although it wasn’t the journey home he had originally expected, an exciting next chapter was already waiting for him: a new apartment and the start of his professional career as a custom bike builder at Moto Adonis. He had actually lined both up during his winter stay back in the Netherlands. So, after saying goodbye to the kids at the orphanage, he spent a few final days with his fellow bike builder before heading back into Russia. To make the massive trek across Russia manageable, he put his motorcycle on the Trans Siberian Express and hopped on a flight to Moscow himself. From Moscow, compared to the distances he had already conquered, it felt like a short ride. A few days later, he was back home in Deventer, ready to start his new life.

Of course, it is impossible to share every single adventure Job experienced on his massive journey, so I have only highlighted a few chapters of his grand story. Still, I believe this captures the beautiful essence of an unforgettable ride. For Job, traveling solo is the only true way to experience the world. It forces you to step out of your own bubble and completely connects you with the people you meet along the road.

Thank you, Job, for sharing this incredible story with me. I only have one last question for you: what is going to be your next great adventure?
With a big smile, job replies, “Well… I just became a dad!“

Author: Arthur Renkema