At a crossroads

[TheDonUK]

I sit here at work as a cyclist who has not ridden anything with a motor for a few months, Having lived cheaply and having few overheads for a while now i have paid off my student overdraft (still have the debt waiting for me) and am due an insurance cheque for the stolen R1.

Seems to me i have a few options, ride the cycle untill early feb sometime and buy another bike, be it a cheap 125, 500 twin, hornet/bandit or another sports 6 and just get on with my life in london.

Or i could use this cash and the lack of responsibilities and committments now to travel.

I had always dreamed of starting in New york, up into Canada and Across, then down into California, Vegas and keep heading south into mexico and into south america as far as possible.

Have also been toying with the idea of london to thailand overland, or perhaps even flying out to somewhere in asia and buying a bike and riding back.

I really miss having a bike and cycling for transport is a pile of sweaty shit.

What do you lot reckon? Up sticks and bugger off for 6 months to a year or just get on with it and get another road bike.

I like the idea of traveling light and cheap and if my old Cub 90 did more than 55 i would have taken it around the world.

Looking around a KLR650 or a DRZ400 would take my fancy for something like this, although thinking about doing it on a 125 for cheapness.

If i save for a few months and with insurance cheques i could probably scrape together 5 grand for everything incl a bike, maybe more maybe less. (This may involve selling my possessions, which does not particularly bother me)

It seems obvious to me to do it solo, my close friends that ride have too many responsibilities for a trip like this, and my girlfriend would not enjoy being in the saddle for so long.

I have read various overland trip reports (Itchy, Nath etc) and have neither been encouraged or discouraged. The desire to experience it myself is nagging at me.

Concerns at the moment revolve around Asia or the Americas, my money would probably go further if i head east right?

A mate has batted the idea of morocco around, and as fun as it would be it does not feel like a proper adventure.

Then with things as they are in Iran i would assume overland to pakistan would be a nightmare, and i hear China is expensive for carnets/visas and whatnot...


What to do....
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[G]

Travelling; do it.
I regret not making it possible when I had the opportunity.
Do you have a car licence? You could also consider a cheap old good fuel economy hatchback if the primary intention is where you are, not the roads you are riding (as you mention the 125.) This would make 'wild camping' a lot easier if you took a front seat out.
Presuming you were doing the UK, of course. If doing Americas (remember South America is cheaper), look to buy over there I'd have thought.

Oh and worth looking at an electric bike conversion for the meantime.
I bought a 500w setup complete with old push bike for £230 second hand. This one has 3 motorbike batteries and will do around 13-14 miles on a charge with some gentle pedalling (double the batteries, double the distance, but extra weight too, of course). Will hit maybe 17-19mph on the flat with some gentle peddling. Costs very little to charge.
Mine means I can make it up the steep hill on the way home at a decent speed with out breaking a sweat, which I do very easily.

[TheDonUK]

No car licence, or really the interest in doing it on 4 wheels G.

If i decide to do the americas i would for sure buy the bike there, but if heading east lets say i brought a nice DRZ here, then i would have to ship it back at the end.

I prefer the idea of the Americas because there is alot i would like to see, also my girlfriend is Mexican, and shes been going on about holidaying there, so we could arrange to meet there which would be nice. Spend some time in Canada (where i imagine i would like to emigrate to)

However then theres all the issues of buying a bike abroard (I do have an auntie in San francisco if that would help with having an address to register).

In a way buying and setting up a bike at home and then hopping on a ferry and keep riding through the Balkans > Turkey etc seems easier. Also seems like it might be cheaper?

I should probably go for it or i will probably regret it... even if i crash and burn (figuratively) at least i can say i tried.
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[bencav]

You never will regret doing something you want to do!

In 50 years time, dont look back on life from your nursing home vinyl chair thinking 'I wish...'

I would personally do the Americas - lots of differing cultures to discover, I think that that sort of experience can have a profound change on your outlook on life, a bit of time to find what really makes you tick, without the normal pressures 'normal' life labours upon us.

OR: stick to a 9-5 grim job in London, get no thanks for the next X number of years, retire and die..... All up to you

[.....]

Just do it, you can always come home.

Not that I'm complaining about my life but hindsight is amazing, I'd have done a lot more touring when I had the chance.

[dm8ajh]

No contest mate. Do it!

I'm in a similar financial position with no ties. Work is not as fulfilling as it once was and recent redundancies with more on the horizon have turned it into a crap place to be. I am finding myself more and more thinking there must be more to life than this 9-5 lark and have been talking more about selling up and heading off on the bike.

Having done some euro touring over the last 2 years and with all the adventure biking books and forums I've read, I've got a real itch to have my own adventure. Plenty of people have done it and have no regrets. This life will still be here waiting when you return!

To be honest, I have slowly started selling off things I own and don't need whilst eying up XT's and DRs - so I think my mind might be made up!

Good luck with your decision.

[tatters]

I would do south america if l was you, best to keep a eye out on the like of HUBB or ADV rider forums as quite a few people buy bikes such as the KLR650 kit them out in the USA and then travel down to south america and then try and sell them there for a lot less than there worth rather than riding all the way back, or do as they have and buy a cheap bike in the USA and sell it on once you have finished far easier and cheaper than the hassle of trying to ship a bike from here to there.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[Redoko]

I plan on doing something similar when I finish Uni.

I've never been keen on the 'riding on the back of elephants' kinda of travel, but would love to take a bike around America. Europe later in the life hopefully.

But I do want to see other cultures (that cliche) while I can definitely.

Worst comes to worst, you don't like it, come home.

However if you don't go, there's no (not likely) opportunity to do it again.
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"Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing."
Sudika Sportsman SK50QT > Gilera DNA50 > Honda CBR125 RW7 > Kawasaki Zephyr750 > Suzuki GSXR600 > Honda Hornet CB600F '51

[von1papen]

I'd say do it, at the moment I'am considering doing something similar across europe as I'am finishing uni next May and will have a grand or two spare, hop on my reliable Honda CG (which I can fix if anything goes wrong and it'll be cheap n easy to get parts for) and go for it!

Also cheap as chips for fuel economy, possibly consider the CM200 for the trip but I don't know it as well.

Wild campingi s free, cheap and I'am fairly used to it anyway, can live out of a backpack and the bike provides an electrical generator for charging and fuel for a multifuel burner! hell you can even wrap tin foil sandwiched steak/bacon/roadkill round your exhaust for cooking lmao

Being a history student I'd love to see many of the cities and battlefields I've read about and generally just explore and have abit of adventure before I settle down to a no doubt mundane job, shackled with a house and bills to pay for

[Redoko]

On a separate note Don, how old are you?

I've always assumed you were 40+


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"Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing."
Sudika Sportsman SK50QT > Gilera DNA50 > Honda CBR125 RW7 > Kawasaki Zephyr750 > Suzuki GSXR600 > Honda Hornet CB600F '51

[waffles]

You are going to get a nice cheque, better put it to good use. You can save up for a new bike later but you may not get another golden opportunity like this! Go read some ride reports at ADV, that will definitely inspire you
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[pepperami]

Some wise old git once said something like "as your life comes to it`s close, you will regret the things you did`nt do more than the thing you did do"

Do it! see the world
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[garth]

My old man is doing the americas at the moment, Mexico, South America etc on a KLR.

He'll be done in a few months, and selling the bike.

I can link you to his blog / put you in contact?
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[nant]

travel for sure . After uni , i spent 14 months travelling round Europe in old school bmw 3 series and then 2 years in NZ, building up tones of an overdraft. Was brilliant.

Now i am in boring mid life no money bound to a morgage job. But the motorbike is making it more fun. So get off travelling!

[TheDonUK]

Thanks for the words of encouragement all.

I been thinking it over this week, talking it over with friends and family and everyone says pretty much the same, go for it.

I have been lurking around the Hubb for a while and will start looking on adv rider.

I figure i would prefer to do Europe/Asia just because i can then buy and sort a bike at home, get it all kitted up and ready to go then hop on a ferry, rather than flying out to another continent hoping whatever i find online is not a lemon...

Garth: thanks for the offer but i think i am a good 3-4 months of saving and planning before i go. Need to find out the best time weather wise to hit the stans, look into visa's and carnets, and actually hammer out a rough route. Also decide on a bike.

Redoko: I'm 26 with an understanding girlfriend and very few commitments

As far as the bike it seems the KLR is the daddy, but i quite like the look of the DRZ400's/KLX400's, an electric start is always nice..

Saying that as many road bikes as i have ridden my only experience on anything with mildly nobbly tyres was an old CCM field bike which was wildly too high for my 5'4 self.

I need to find a dealer or something that will let me test a few enduro bikes, see what suits me.
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

I once got on a train.....Crazy times.

You're young, intelligent and solvent. Go go go.
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[multijoy]

DRZ350, DRZ400 for the simple, bung-it-round-the-world-win. KTM 690 is boss (640 adventure if you don't mind a dose of vibration white-finger), but the suzuki's are probably easier to get parts for. The former did for Mondo Enduro, after all!
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'11 CBF1000A, '99 C90, '98 CB500
silky666: He rode amazingly well considering his bike is the weight of a small van and had slicks on.

[G]

I thought that was XT350 on Mondo Enduro?

[tatters]

[tatters]

I would,nt use a KLR if your not traveling in the americas as there not that common here and my european spec one needed alot of mods to get it suitable and there are far better bikes in the UK market such as the XT600E, DRZ400, XR650L, DR350, F650GS, TTR600RE. All have a wide aftermarket support which the KLR does not have outside the USA.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV