Earth's Ends: Riding DR650's from End to End

Precis being < precise? Heresy!

Meh - details! I knew he'd moved away from the stock carbies - but there's not much that's standard on those bikes any more!

Good to hear from youse again!
It must be boring riding in Aussie with no kids throwing rocks at you and not getting the shake down at border crossings!
Cheers
Brian

Thanks for your Ride Report!

There's still a few suburbs here in south west Sydney where you can get that kind of reception.

But you still get the shakedown crossing into Victoria, yeah?

Adding another voice of thanks from Canada. I have really enjoyed your trip and writing. Thanks for sharing. You are great!

+1

Epic!

Thanks.

Mick and Tan,

I so wish I knew you guys were travelling through Central Australia. I live and work in the APY Lands which is only like 500k's from the Simpson Desert... basically neighbours out here. It would have been my absolute excitement having you both visit and sharing my workshop with you. You have both been a total inspiration to me and I'm now building my own bike.

Anyway, I'm glad your back on the island. Take care and don't forget to start some new adventures that we can follow along with.

Mick and Tan - Deepest thanks for chronicling your saga. Besides the great stories, humor, education, and thoughtful insights, you guys are distinct from so many "adventurers", regardless of conveyance. Something I've noticed in other travelers is that they are on the "fringe of society", that is to say that they are not responsible for holding any of the fabric of society together. You on the other hand took humanity with you and even more so, brought humanity back to us. You have indeed woven one of the most memorable threads in the fabric of society that I've had the pleasure to witness. Much respect.

Thanks for more of the vicarious adventure. Best wishes. J.

Mick and Tan,

Thanks so much for all the work you put into this report. Through you I have been able to experience places I will never see in person. You both blow me away with your skills and determination. I will miss reading about new adventures.

Thanks,

Dave

I felt the same pulse rise and upset.
After an approximate month traveling Mexico off/on road, sleeping poorly in noisy dog barking all night towns, sick a time or two eating local, Backed into at a Pemex as I sat on my DR, followed out of town by shadys, the prostitute trying to get on my bike in Topo, ha, an in general immersing into the culture etc.
I can relate to 10% of your adv travails. But all worth the adventure .
Couldn't and Can't put a price on the Wind in your Face riding the Copper Canyon or Baja Beaches, as the surf line chasers we were rode down the coast. Or sleeping soundly in the Mexican Outback, and waking up to another day of new sights and adv.

Our group of 4, at meals talked of the 4 of us putting the logistics together of Us riding the Whole African Continent North to South. One of our riders did a Peace Corp Stint in Africa, as him being the guide. But,---we talked of the Border Crossing Bribes, Parasites, both human and enteric, looked upon as rolling lottery tickets for kidnapping and/or extortion Just so much negative heaped on the scales of decision. We let Africa die.
''Le Blancs, Le Blancs'' ---as your report stated, sounded like a bugle call to a fox hunt of graft. Sorry, but I read between the lines, it might just be me, but if you stayed in one place too long, I feared you would have been that rolling lottery ticket for kidnapping.

Hope you write a book, with the pictures, a big 'coffee table' book.

BTW, I rode a stock DR for a Month down in the Mex/Baja outback. No better choice.

rocky r.

Rocky, there's a lot of authentic Africa to be seen without anything like the risk you describe - and a lot of it can be traced to which bunch of European bastards did the colonising. Clearly, from Tan's narrative, the Belgians did the worst, followed by the French - and while 20/20 hindsight will say that no colonisation was good for the colonisees (just ask the average native American) I think former Brit colonies have matured into the most stable African countries.
Before we hit South America, we spent a few weeks in southern Africa and the place was a revelation: it is clean, cheap, safe, scenic, friendly, challenging and efficient. They do stuff like Tourism way better than anywhere else - including the USA. The borders we crossed (10) were ALL more efficient than the chaos of Arizona and LA we experienced, and South African drivers are aware of bikes, and courteous, moving over to let us pass, for eg.
Trust me, you will find great Adv riding (we came to within 20ft of a bull elephant), fantastic scenery and friendly people everywhere. Include Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Kenya and you'll have spent most of a year and not seen all Africa has to offer and all without getting into strife.
You'd have to learn to speak English though...!

Huh, I didn't know I crossed through a border crossing when I went from KC to LA via NM and AZ. I'll have to check my passport again . . . .

We entered USA from Mexico at Douglas Arizona. Border Patrol failed to register our bikes as arriving - so when we tried to ship them to Australia from Los Angeles they could not leave, because technically, they never arrived... there were other issues too, but whatever, we have them back home and they will not be returning to the US.

Yes, It would be like you not visiting the US because of Detroit. I would be delighted to visit SA, but looking at this map, the center of the continent is the sore point of Tan and Micks Travels. That's alot of miles of apprehension, for the trip 4 of us were contemplating, Top to Bottom.

What's with this every town shakedown of travelers in DRC. ( I get it). Instead of encouraging tourism, they spiral downward, for prospects like my riding partners and me to spend serious tourist dollars and give them a boost.

Ok, South Africa, oh say, that bottom 3rd on the East. Is back in favor with me. [/QUOTE]

You guys deserve a loong rest. But I'm sure you'll be back sooner or later - it's in your blood.

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