Five weeks, 12 countries and just practice!

[edog200]

Originally Posted by Rema in Paluda

Wouldn't it be a idea to get an estafette system, with riders from the neighborhood showing the hidden Gems, because the routplanners will shoiw way to big roads, while it would give a way more exclusive Film, when you really take in the local roads that really differentiate that Region from the rest of the world.?

I would gladly pick you guys up in Lille or Mons, to show you the real innards of Wallonië and belgian/dutch/german Limburg, then the unknown ardennes onto Eisengebirge without any Highway...

I think you are spot on. This is a great idea. But I still think we need another one or two.

[fraser2312]

Originally Posted by edog200

Here's another alternative to get us to our destination....the Triumph Tiger 800XC.

I rode this in the UK, but didn't go anywhere near the dirt with it.

I love the look of these but never tested one yet, I think this would be a great alternative to the KTM of your 2012 trip, you'd probably be one of the first people to do a RTW trip on one. Who knows, let Triumph know that you'd be interested in using it for your trip and they might loan you one

[Rema in Paluda]

Originally Posted by edog200

I think you are spot on. This is a great idea. But I still think we need another one or two.

Ehm i think a bit more to be shure, you'll need to have back-up guys too, and some global routing according to what you had planned, or were peoaple have good original idea's to go paths less travelled, to give the film something *extra* but foremost to get people in the wheels to venture the road less traveled in their respective countries, the Dutch Ride-On couple has byw lots of knowledge of "the Stans" as we call them here.

[edog200]

Well one year out and it's time to start working on a route and getting some knowledge. But let's have a go at a word map of the trip.
London railtunnel, Belgium, east through lower half of Germany, into Austria and got to go back to the Czech Republic to visit family, Poland, Ukraine, southern Russia, Kazakstan, into back end of China heading south, get view of Mount Everest( they tell me you can see it from China), wander east to North Vietnam, then south west into Laos, Thailand and right down the peninsula, slip into Indonesia and island chain, Timor, Darwin Australia, sraight south to Mount Dare, a long swim a Dalhousie Springs then a west east French Line crossing of the Simpson, beer at Birdsville, into the channel country of south western Queensland then south east to little old Sydney town.......20,000k's I think. Now some questions I need to ask myself?

1. Can we do this?
2. Is it achievable in 2 and half/ 3 months max
3. Can we make a decent film of the journey
4. Will people be interested, or has this route been done to death? I recall hearing of a double decker bus traversing this route 17 times during the sixties, packed with hippies.
5. What could we bring to the story that hasn't been told?

[OceanMtnSea]

Originally Posted by edog200

Well one year out and it's time to start working on a route and getting some knowledge. But let's have a go at a word map of the trip.
London railtunnel, Belgium, east through lower half of Germany, into Austria and got to go back to the Czech Republic to visit family, Poland, Ukraine, southern Russia, Kazakstan, into back end of China heading south, get view of Mount Everest( they tell me you can see it from China), wander east to North Vietnam, then south west into Laos, Thailand and right down the peninsula, slip into Indonesia and island chain, Timor, Darwin Australia, sraight south to Mount Dare, a long swim a Dalhousie Springs then a west east French Line crossing of the Simpson, beer at Birdsville, into the channel country of south western Queensland then south east to little old Sydney town.......20,000k's I think. Now some questions I need to ask myself?

1. Can we do this?
2. Is it achievable in 2 and half/ 3 months max
3. Can we make a decent film of the journey
4. Will people be interested, or has this route been done to death? I recall hearing of a double decker bus traversing this route 17 times during the sixties, packed with hippies.
5. What could we bring to the story that hasn't been told?

In my humble opinion, you should just try to have a good time - adventure will find you. If you want the adventure to find you sooner, travel on overloaded scooters. Whatever you do - do not try to do the NGO propaganda BS.......you are not on some social mission.......you are there to experience the good and bad of the route and the fate associated with the timing of your rides.

Yes, so it has been done before - so what - if you want to do a route no one has done try riding the long-way-round-down-across-whatever on the moon or mars. It would be pretty boring cause you are not likely to meet anyone interesting on the route (although green humanoids would liven things up a bit).

It is not so much the route, but how you will create an interesting story about the people, places and happenings. Do not try to please everyone, be objective and have solid opinions and create a bit of controversy - you already have very great videography - no worries people will be interested. .............and have good maps.......I always like to follow an RR with good maps.........maps tell you alot about the route that will never make it into the video or write-up.

Just let it happen. If you force it - it will look contrived.

[Malcolmlovesbikes]

Hi reading the route

into back end of China heading south, get view of Mount Everest( they tell me you can see it from China), wander east to North Vietnam, then south west into Laos, Thailand and right down the peninsula,

. Does this mean your plan is to ride through China to Vietnam. I'm just wondering about the expense of the guide.
Best Regards and good luck
Mal

[edog200]

Originally Posted by Malcolmlovesbikes

Hi reading the route . Does this mean your plan is to ride through China to Vietnam. I'm just wondering about the expense of the guide.
Best Regards and good luck
Mal

I've heard this guide costs around $100US per day, but I have to research it. If this cost is split between, say four riders, I'm hoping that it won't be too much. More research needed on our part. However the benefits are significant. The area we are intending to traverse is tough wilderness with beautiful landscapes. Those isolated communities really interest me as well. Those types of people are survivors and there is a richness and great texture to their views on life. I'm convinced the trip would be lesser for it, if we didn't visit China. I think it is a must.

And then there is that transition between the Eurasian Steppes and moving into sub-tropical and ultimately tropical Vietnam that greatly interests us.

I think we need to do everything we can to ride through China.

[Malcolmlovesbikes]

Thanks how I wish I ciould join in.
Regards and good luck Mal

[edog200]

Originally Posted by OceanMtnSea

In my humble opinion, you should just try to have a good time - adventure will find you. If you want the adventure to find you sooner, travel on overloaded scooters. Whatever you do - do not try to do the NGO propaganda BS.......you are not on some social mission.......you are there to experience the good and bad of the route and the fate associated with the timing of your rides.

Your views strongly resonate with me. Good time first and everything else will fall into place....usually. And those that don't? Well at least you have a reserve of good humour to hopefully get you through what ever the particular challenge may be.

We have now had one serious and two half serious enquiries about joining us and I raised your point about having a good time being the priority to those riders. However, to have a good time, we need a small group that has the right skills set for the job. It would be great to have a team member who could boost our skills in navigation, logistics and critical thinking (read common sense).

We have a serious enquiry from a highly respected New Zealand rider with an international reputation that comes with those qualities in spades. I've have had the pleasure of riding with him on a pretty tough ride and he's exactly what we need. I sincerely hope he comes on board and in due course I could formally announce him as a team member. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

Darren and I would like to make a good quality doco and tell a good story, but definitely no social mission for us, but looking through the lense of another's life can provide wonderful insight into our own lives. If we could achieve that together with some bloody awesome shots of bikes "doing it" and I'd be happy.

If we could walk away with a great time, a great doco that motivates, or inspires people to get on their bikes, that would do me.

[cgwt]

Originally Posted by edog200

I've heard this guide costs around $100US per day, but I have to research it. If this cost is split between, say four riders, I'm hoping that it won't be too much. More research needed on our part. However the benefits are significant. The area we are intending to traverse is tough wilderness with beautiful landscapes. Those isolated communities really interest me as well. Those types of people are survivors and there is a richness and great texture to their views on life. I'm convinced the trip would be lesser for it, if we didn't visit China. I think it is a must.

And then there is that transition between the Eurasian Steppes and moving into sub-tropical and ultimately tropical Vietnam that greatly interests us.

I think we need to do everything we can to ride through China.

Edog, not sure if y'all ever ran into Franki's thread. I thought he did a great job of his ride in China and he is Chinese??!!

These are links to his threads.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=614181

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=486945&highlight=franki

I have never met the fella, seems a reasonable person and if he cannot join, maybe he can help with info?

I'm envious of you chaps, thought if one can get a new Triumph 800 xc, it would be a good trip to 'test' the bike.

I'm going through the "long way round and down" dvd's, again. The one common problem the chaps ran into was time, always muttering in their daily cams about having to ride to get to the next place and no time on the side of the road (read "no site seeing")!!

They did not properly invested time into researching the roads (areas they will be in) and what their 'mission' will be, I think.

'Mission' statement options:
1) Ride and enjoy
2) Ride for the sake of getting to the other side [COLOR="rgb(255, 140, 0)"](Long way's round and down)
3) Ride, enjoy and record it all, with the least of 'deadlines', to meet. (I think this is where y'all want to be?)[/COLOR]

So, TIME allotment for a good trip will have an 'open end' to it, I think. Last year I went on a 5000 mile trip and thankfully had an 'open end' on it. I had a few weeks that I could have spend longer on the trip if needed be. I realize it might not work for everyone, however it will be so encouraging to see that someone out there could do the "longer trip" option without the ever closing in 'deadline'. Not trying to say you have to do a never ending trip!!!

It is one thing to say,in the planning phase, you will go there and there and there and just point out the next place. I have seen some of your vids, I'm sure I 'preaching to the choir'!! [COLOR="rgb(255, 140, 0)"](This is actually a wish I have that not another ride report with tooooo little time allocated to do the ride will be posted or be for sale out there.)[/COLOR]

Watching the dvd's and having to listen to everyone complaining that the trip was just a flash, that is really annoying as hell!! Please, let this not be one of those ride reports.

Enjoy and all the best with the prep. Would still like to go!!

[edog200]

So, TIME allotment for a good trip will have an 'open end' to it, I think. Last year I went on a 5000 mile trip and thankfully had an 'open end' on it. I had a few weeks that I could have spend longer on the trip if needed be. I realize it might not work for everyone, however it will be so encouraging to see that someone out there could do the "longer trip" option without the ever closing in 'deadline'. Not trying to say you have to do a never ending trip!!!
[/QUOTE]

Firstly, thanks for the tips on the China side of things and I will study those links.

Time is not so much a challenge for me but it is for the other riders. We have 3 months max.

Yes Riders I say! I'm pretty certain another rider will join Darren and I and hopefully we can announce this soon. It should be a real surprise to our New Zealand adventurers as he is very well known in that country.

Anyway, the three of us do have limits on time, we are all in the midst of our careers. But if we research well, we should be able to get those stories you are searching for. There is another challenge that really books ends the trip and that is the crossing of the Simpson Desert in central Australia. You are not allowed in the desert after the 1 October, or there abouts. Simple reason really. It is bloody hot and very dangerous.

I'd personally like to take 6 months. However the reality is that we are finding it real hard to get riders that bring with them the appropriate skills and can take 3 months away from their careers and families.

There is a simple answer to this question. After I retire, I'll do it again....just slower.

[cgwt]

"There is a simple answer to this question. After I retire, I'll do it again....just slower."

Glad to see you have plan B.

Hope one don't have to retire at 72? But then again, .... Tony did a awesome job with Walter C

[KTMK]

I have been following this thread with great interest, mainly because I am the second rider in the team, hopeful we may have a "Third Man", not in the John Geiger sense but a real player who will bring expertise and experience to the team.

If anyone out there in ADV land has some pearls of wisdom, anecdotes or general advise about travelling through wilderness, on a multi month/continent journey please join the conversation.

Cheers

Darren

Its true that every journey leaves a legacy with you, from now on my response to difficultly must be laughter. (learnt from my last travelling companion).

[OceanMtnSea]

EDog200 & KTM - you may have already seen this, but thought I would point it out just in case you had not.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=500053
This is an RR - Up the Dragons Arse - goes through China to Pakistan.

The same fellow is now doing a north to south Americas - on a Suzuki 185

EDog200 - you do some great videography, but this fellow has some talent too - I am sure you would like his work.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CstrikerDan2

If you have already seen this, disregard.

Cheers,
J

[edog200]

Originally Posted by OceanMtnSea

EDog200 & KTM - you may have already seen this, but thought I would point it out just in case you had not.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=500053
This is an RR - Up the Dragons Arse - goes through China to Pakistan.

The same fellow is now doing a north to south Americas - on a Suzuki 185


EDog200 - you do some great videography, but this fellow has some talent too - I am sure you would like his work.

http://www.youtube.com/user/CstrikerDan2

If you have already seen this, disregard.

Thank you for this. This is the sort of reply that we really need. In terms of the China trip as depicted in that first link, we'd be heading a bit further south along the border...if possible.

Second link, yeah, nice footage.

Thank you