A group of 10 US motorcyclists embarked on a week-long “dream ride” around the nation yesterday, aiming to spread the message that people are never too old to realize their dreams.
Headed by documentary filmmaker Peter Starr, the group set off on a 500km-plus ride from Taichung early yesterday morning.
“I came over here a year ago, based on seeing a video,” Starr said before the ride.
Photo: Chan Chao-yang, Taipei Times
“I was so impressed with everything that happened, not only with the riders and the ride, but the people of Taiwan generally,” he said.
Starr, who came to Taiwan and took a 1,100km ride around the nation then, said he hoped to increase the level of communication between Taiwanese and US riders.
Of the 10 US riders, five are more than 65 years old and the average age of the whole group is 72.
The eldest of the 10 US riders is Gerald Larson, 79, who said the trip would be a great way to commemorate his 80th birthday on Friday.
“The [Taiwanese] ‘grandriders’ epitomize the dreams and the energy of seniors,” Larson said. “It’s a great pleasure and honor to be with them.”
The US riders will take a shorter route, heading south to Chiayi County and Alishan, before turning east to Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) in Nantou County and then to Hualien and Yilan counties.
Their route will then wind from Yilan County back to Taipei on Monday.
Starr said the trip was organized to pay tribute to Taiwan’s “grandriders,” the group of elderly motorbike enthusiasts who inspired him and other US motorcyclists to pursue their dreams.
An editor at Motorcyclist Magazine and a producer at the Discovery Channel, Starr visited Taiwan last year to interview the Taiwanese “grandriders,” who became well known after a video of a bank commercial commemorating their trip around Taiwan was posted on YouTube.
Five years ago, the 17 men, with an average age of 81, embarked on a 1,178km journey around Taiwan by motorcycle to fulfill their dream of seeing every part of the country.
This year, their adventure was made into a 90-minute film, Go Grandriders (不老騎士), which has taken in NT$4 million (US$136,900) at the box office so far, according to the film company.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
LIMITS: While China increases military pressure on Taiwan and expands its use of cognitive warfare, it is unwilling to target tech supply chains, the report said US and Taiwan military officials have warned that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could implement a blockade within “a matter of hours” and need only “minimal conversion time” prior to an attack on Taiwan, a report released on Tuesday by the US Senate’s China Economic and Security Review Commission said. “While there is no indication that China is planning an imminent attack, the United States and its allies and partners can no longer assume that a Taiwan contingency is a distant possibility for which they would have ample time to prepare,” it said. The commission made the comments in its annual
RSS