Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Update On Ian Coates From Hebden Bridge Uk

Hello everyone, I have recently heard once again from our good friend, Ian Coates, who has been making his way around the world since 1999 and he would like me to post his most recent update..... All the best and safe riding!!!

From Ian:

I AM IAN COATES. ( FROM HEBDEN BRIDGE YORKSHIRE ENGLAND WELL I WAS 11 YEARS AGO WHEN I LEFT FOR A RIDE ON MY BIKE ) RIDING MY 1991 HONDA AFRICA TWIN ROUND THE WORLD BY MYSELF AND ONLY SUPPORT I HAVE IS MY WIFE JUDITH , SHE IS A GOOD LASS AND ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE HELPED ME: MARIO RUFFA AT TURBOGEN ARGENTINA, DEE AND BRENT IN MISSISSIPPI USA. DOUG, HE LENT ME IS PICK-UP IN CANADA. BLUE WING HONDA AND ROBERT KEAN IN NEW ZEALAND . KEITH LARKIN AT WHITES WHOLESALE GIVE ME A NEW TEKNIC RIDING SUIT IN NEW ZEALAND, BILL VEITCH AT MCIVER AND VEITCH, MIKE BAKER AT MARINESCENE, JON PASKET AND LORRAINE HUTCHINSON - JON HELP ME GET MY BIKE READY IN CANADA, NEVIL AND MICHELLE STOW IN CANADA , ROB AND INGRID PEARCE IN CANADA WHO GOT ME NEW BOOTS, AND IRON TIGERS AT VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA. ITS BEEN A LONG AND HARD RIDE THROUGH RUSSIA BUT I ENJOYED IT, IT WAS WILD.

I AM NOW IN THE UKRAINE AT BALAKLAVA ITS NEAR TO SEVASTOPOL ON THE BLACK SEA. I LEFT VLADIVOSTOK IN APRIL IN THE SNOW WITH JUST 5 DAYS LEFT ON MY EXTENDED RUSSIAN VISA I APPLIED FOR MY KAZAKHSTAN VISA IN OMSK ON THE 20-JULY NOT FAR FROM THE BORDER OF KAZAKHSTAN AND I WAS TURNED DOWN, THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME A VISA AS MY PASSPORT RUNS OUT ON THE 15 OF JAN 2011.
SO I RANG THE BRITISH EMBASSY UP IN MOSCOW AND THEY SAID I HAVE TO LEAVE RUSSIA BEFORE MY VISA RUNS OUT EVEN IF IT MEANS LEAVING MY MOTOR BIKE, AND FLY OUT. I DID NOT LIKE THAT IDEA LEAVING MY MOTOR BIKE SO I ASKED THEM WHERE WAS THE NEAREST COUNTRY TO ME THAT I DID NOT NEED A VISA TO GET INTO AND THEY SAID THE UKRAINE AND THAT WAS ABOUT 2500 MILES FROM ME THATS IF I DO NOT GET LOST AND I HAD JUST RIDDEN 1500 MILES IN THE LAST FEW DAYS SO I PUT MY NEW REAR TIRE ON THAT I HAD FETCHED WITH ME FROM THE USA. I WAS GOING TO SERVICE MY BIKE IN THE 5 DAYS I HAD LEFT ON MY RUSSIAN VISA BUT HAD NO TIME I HAD TO GET OUT OF RUSSIA AND INTO THE UKRAINE. I HAD DONE JUST OVER 7000 MILES SINCE I HAD LAST CHANGED MY ENGINE OIL BUT IT STILL FELT OK. I AM USING AMSOIL FULL SYNTHETIC OIL FROM USA AND SO THE NEXT DAY I SET OFF FOR THE UKRAINE RIDING ON VERY BAD ROADS AND TRYING NOT TO GET LOST. I ROAD TILL IT GOT DARK THEN JUST PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND WENT TO SLEEP NEXT TO MY BIKE TILL DAY BREAK THEN SET OF AGAIN WHEN I WAS OVER HALF WAY THERE I PUT MY TENT UP AT NIGHT.

I GOT INTO THE UKRAINE FROM RUSSIA AT THE NORTH THEN ROAD NON-STOP TO THE SOUTH TO A BIG MOTOR BIKE RALLY ON AT SEVASTOPOL WHICH IS ON THE BLACK SEA. I WAS KNACKERED WHEN I GOT THERE AND I AM STILL THERE RESTING. ON MY WAY FROM OMSK I DAMAGED MY RIGHT ARM AND GOT STUNG BY WASPS ON MY LEFT AND RIGHT EYES. IT WAS SO HOT I WAS RIDING WITHOUT MY GLOVES ON AND GOT A BLISTER ON MY RIGHT HAND AND DAMAGED MY KIDNEY RIDING ON THE BAD ROADS FOR SO LONG WITH OUT RESTING. BUT I AM OK NOW BUT NEED A NEW FRONT TIRE AND NEW DISC PADS. FROM HERE I THINK I HAVE TO GO TO POLAND. MY WIFE JUDITH AS ARRIVED HERE FROM ENGLAND AND HAS FETCHED ME SOME PARTS FOR MY 1991 HONDA AFRICA TWIN WHICH HAS NOW DONE ABOUT 160.000 MILES ON THIS TRIP. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO KILL IT RIDING ACROSS RUSSIA BUT IT DID BETTER THAN ME .

I HAVE NOW SEEN MY WIFE 7 TIMES SINCE I SET OFF FROM HOME IN 1999 . MY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WAS ON THE 2-9-10 AND WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED 43 YEARS AND IT WILL BE 12 YEARS SINCE WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER ON OUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. I HAVE BEEN ON THE TV ABOUT 12 TIMES AND IN LOTS OF NEWSPAPERS IN RUSSIA AND NOW IN UKRAINE. I AM NOW 67 YEARS OLD, BUT FEEL 27. THERE IS ONLY A FEW PEOPLE THAT CAN UNDERSTAND THE ENJOYMENT OF JUST RIDING WITH NO FIXED DESTINATION, JUST RIDING AND MEETING PEOPLE, BUT I THINK MOST OF YOU UNDERSTAND.

I TOLD MY WIFE I WAS GOING FOR 4 MONTHS BACK IN 1999 AND I AM STILL RIDING, BUT I THINK I WILL HAVE TO GET HOME FINALLY NEXT YEAR. I ENJOY EVERY SECOND OF MY TRAVELS AND EVEN THE BAD TIMES ARE GOOD. YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT ME IF YOU GOOGLE IAN COATES HONDA AND ALSO IAN COATES HEBDEN BRIDGE UK. ALL THE BEST, IAN COATES