RTW on a thumper... Round the World ADVenturization

Paul,

I really enjoyed your photography and commentary. Sorry Cuba didn't work out for you, but you certainly covered a lot of ground on your trip south. My son was just in New Zealand and it looks like an amazing place for a moto adventure.

All the Best,

Good thing you didn't go to Cuba this go around, I heard the aduana official was on holiday or something and that all the bikers have to wait a week before all the paperwork can be done That take up some quality bike on island time

Goodluck getting things sorted out, I know how they can be.
Stop by Oklahoma some time

looking forward to heading to ride NZ, just got a quote for $700 for shipping the bike from LA, complete no other fees on arrival...

if your son has any places he saw that are definite must sees let me know, i am going to start a compiling a list of places to go and see as it seems it has everything in such a small area, don't want to miss anything, and on researching it seems most of the places ar well off the beaten path, so...as a plus loads of off road riding

you still gonna build an RFS bike?..... you would be famous.... .... or at least a little more so.....

i just read the Cuba Stahlratte log, i guess my gut feeling was right about not going...


right now stranded in the middle of Texas with busted trailer bearings...just another kind of adventure :huh

Where at in the lovely state of Texas are you?

In Sealy hopefully heading west tomorrow after doing a little Macgyvering...

Hopefully, you are already on the road and past San Antonio by now. If not, you know where I am, if I can be any help.

Lol good luck. I'm south of there about 100 miles. Hope your macgyvering goes well..

Good luck sorting everything.

NZ in about a year... that sounds like how I plan my time. And I might be there around then. Who knows realy though. Keep a look out... we might have to have a few rounds of beers.

good luck Paul.

hey paul i have been following your adventure from the start and have been loving it all the way,if you need any help with coming to nz or some where to store the bike i am a hour away from christchurch airport and would love to help if i can,you will love nz ,foggyred

i update on this in a week or two, something in the works...

i had already passed you both by the time i read this...but thanks for the offers of help

its a little vague but its good enough for now, beer sounds good in any country, we'll have to plan that meeting point when i have more definite plans laid out

thanks

thanks for the offer of help...

i've been looking into shipping the bike there and it seems it will ship to Dunedin, so at a guess i'm thinking thats at least 3 hours south of you...but either way we should meet up for sure, any ideas on local knowledge for good tracks that i would never find send me a PM

you'll know when i'm coming if you see updates from this thread

no worries paul, just let me now if i can be of any help,best time of year is jan,feb,march but then nothings guaranteed with the weather.

it'll be a good test of the Klim Goretex then...

I read your report, Going back through it with a pad and pin , For my little trip,coming in November.
I notice you have your gear on and looking around at the people it has to be hot there,, Do you have ice in your pockets?
Is the gear that good to keep you cool, Are you just real tough,,,,,
and what clothing gear do you recommend....
I got my note pad out , The back account may say no!!! Some of that Klim is high dollar stuff.
Thanks
Mike

riding gear is a real debatable subject, different brands, different textiles, different claims of what they will do for you as a rider...so i 'll give you my take on it

for me personally the weather hot or cold doesn't really bother me too much either way, i lived in hot climates for years, 12 years in Nevada, then more years in Morocco, Kenya, Bahamas all really hot places, but one thing if you can get used is wearing enough clothes. Fully vented clothes or mesh gear is good when moving except it will dehydrate you a lot, so an under layer is really required (your thermal liner) and keeping it done up all the time if you can bear it, i know it sounds strange that wearing more goes against logic.

This is where the dehydration comes in and you can avoid to some extent as when you stop yes you will sweat but once you start moving you will cool down again and your sweat will act in you favor and create an evaporative cooling type effect, think swamp cooler wind over water, your wet skin will cool you down as the breeze goes up your sleeves, keep everything closed and this will last longer...obviously wetting your shirt down will act as the same thing, or a cooling vest is good.

no for the reason for Klim or some equivalent high dollar gear...

if you ride a lot, for me 63,000 in the last 22 months for example, you will wear a lot of brands gear out, literally and you will replace it, so do this a few times and you end up at Klim, the quality far exceeds the cheap companies and if you had bought it in the first place you would be ahead of the game (dollar wise) and it does perform better, much better, holds up better in an off, quality and price by design i guess i'm saying here - i am a good example of this, i have worn out most of my gear and have new Klim gear sitting waiting to go for the next segment of my ride

for cold weather...as long as my hand are warm i'm good - so heated grips

just remember if its not Goretex and some companies alternate version of it, then its not Goretex and it won't work the same even if they claim it will

hope all this rambling helps