The planning - oh the planning

[krtw]

Recently I have made a decision to bike around the world. Been riding for 40 years or so, and have travelled - so its time. So far, stage 1 is 35,000 KM from Newfoundland to Prudhoe Bay, then all the way down the west coast to South America, then all the way around South America. As I am in the early stages of this, and don't plan to leave for at least a year and a half, the number of details to consider is simply amazing. Feel like I have suddenly woken up from a long slumber....time to get at it!

First thing was to find on-line communities and start relationships here. This is my first post. Been watching a ton of motorcycle vids on youtube on long distance rides. I have crossed Canada numerous times on a bike, with my highest KM in a year count at over 22,000 - nothing compared to what's coming.

Lets list just some of the things I have just begun to consider:
$$, clothing, camp gear, vaccinations, the BIKE, tires, weather, timing, shipping the bike, insurance, visas, routes, tools. maintenance, weight, and much more.

I have maybe a somewhat different agenda, not just riding around the world. I am a musician, sound tech, recording engineer and am planning on bringing and setting up a very small but powerful recording system on the bike. Plus of course video - but I want to record musicians from all over the world, and share Western music as I go. What a great experience this would be. With my contacts in the industry I am hoping to set up a regular show on radio playing the music I discover and sharing the adventure.

For the last 11 years I have been caring for my mother who is suffering from dementia, and although she is not yet passed, she has reached a point where she no longer knows who I am, or where she is, and is safe in an institution. I am burnt out. It has been a LONG road - and I need a long road to clear my head, clear my spirit and have a last adventure before slowing down in the last part of life. I am 61 years old. In excellent health and remain physically active. No issues riding this far or this long......

First question: The Bike! At this early stage I am planning on buying a Yamaha Super Tenere for the trip. The reasons are a few - the size will allow me to carry the mini-studio and gear I need to be comfortable, and the Tenere has a great reputation for lasting long and being maintenance light as long as the basics are maintained. My issue is size and weight. I will be off-roading. A lot of people suggest smaller bikes. But can a smaller bike handle the load and still keep up a good pace?

So far I have about $25,000 ready, aside from the bike purchase. I know I'll need more and am planning on selling my studio gear to finance this. Also hoping to find a few sponsors to help finance this.

I would like to be gone for three years. Maybe more. But as stated, its early stages.

Thanks for reading. All advice most appreciated.

Signed - alive again and looking forward to something!!!!

[markharf]

Congratulations, and welcome to the HUBB!

You asked only one question: "...can a smaller bike handle the load and still keep up a good pace?" The answer is yes, of course.

I'm not going to go into details, but that's 260 kilos and US$16k, and you're planning to take it off-road. If this is the stage you're at in your planning, best figure out a way to test things out before making any purchase, i.e., rent, borrow or steal a similar machine, load it up with the equivalent of what you're hoping to bring along, and take it on an off-road trip.

As for the rest, maybe wean yourself off the media; a couple of video blogs should be plenty. It's easy to get bogged down in details, and there are a limitless number of people out there hoping you'll get bogged down in theirs. Don't fall for it. Unless you're really, really persnickety, specific choices of bike, camping gear, coffeemaker, wicking underwear, helmet cam and security wallet won't matter much on the ground. (Given your professional interests and dreams for this trip, sound and perhaps video equipment might be an exception.) Trips like this are not really about gear choices--that's just the only part you can control in advance, so it starts to seem that way.

Last, I hope you know how woefully inadequate your budget really is. Even if you're quoting US dollars rather than Canadian (good to specify, since most will make that assumption), you'll need at least double, probably triple, and quite possibly quadruple that amount...if nothing serious goes wrong. It's not unusual to spend $100/day on such a trip, depending on everything (yes, lots of people do it cheaper--but lots don't). You can do the math. Add your preferred fudge factor and you've got an actual budget--then adjust plans and dreams to suit.

Hope this is helpful, and please ignore if it's not. When soliciting advice, it's often more productive to ask specific questions rather than "All advice appreciated."

Mark

[mark manley]

I second everything Mark has said particularly about bike and budget. You will probably be doing very little off roading but quite a lot of potholed and gravel roads where 60-80km/h will be more than enough so something like a Honda CB500X will be perfectly adequate even when loaded.
Unless you are planning to ride like Nick Sanders as fast as possible between places and seeing very little in between your annual mileage will be less than you expect, especially if you want to spend some time seeking out local culture and music. Start with a rough idea of your schedule but be open to taking as much time in places as you want and not dashing off to meet a self imposed deadline to be at the next.

[navalarchitect]

I can understand your thinking about planning a three year trip after all you have been through - and aging the music recording is a nice idea because it gives the trip a purpose. But I throw in a word of caution. A multi-year trip sounds exciting and liberating when you are planning it, but it can be a tough way of life. You are away from all your friends, contacts, sights, sounds that represent your life up until now. That both stimulates you but also tires you out over time. Some manage it fine, but I suspect most are either young, or if older have a lot of long term travel in their background. I'm roughly your age and I thought that is wanted when I started eight years ago, but the reality is I find that roughly six months is all I can manage before I need to return home for at least the same time period to relax, recuperate and to rebuild relationships with friends and family. A normal life with routine is attractive for awhile and then I'm ready for travel again.

There is also the question of age - at our age our strength is falling and the possibility of an significant illness arriving unexpectedly is rising. A simple fact of life. So if you want to do it, do it now or as soon as possible because you never know what will come along. I've met too many people who spend years planning but then circumstances change and prevent them going anywhere. Adjust the trip to the budget you have, do that, and then if you enjoy it then worry about earning more and going again. For example your $25,000 gives you enough to buy something like a VStrom (plenty big enough) and 6-8 months travel in Central and South America.

Finally, I reiterate the advice others gave to wean yourself down from you tube, blogs etc. Whilst many contain much that is inspirational, more contain messages suggesting it is harder to do than it is, that you need certain equipment, you need to do X and Y before you start etc. Once you get going you find it is all actually quite simple. Just research the visa and bike import rules for where you plan to go and you have all the info you need.

Anyway, good luck with your planning and with getting on the road. It sounds like you have had a tough decade with your mother and a break is what you need.

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[tim.angus]

As someone who has just done RTW, I would second the V Strom. Mine has been brilliant, and what people often miss is fuel range and gas mileage. There is no use have a large bike doing 45mpg when the 650 strom will do 66, so its 17 litre tank will get you up to 400kms. Despite this I carried a 5 litre can as in places like Kazakhstan fuel stations are few since every cars run on lpg gas. Also in northern Australia fuel stops were 350kms apart with NOTHING in between. I rode two up with luggage so the bike is up to it plus I could get it serviced even in India.

[krtw]

Thanks for all the great responses. I continue my research, but am getting weary of the vids and such....but I have to admit to some great ideas being found.

On budget - I will not attempt to leave until I have 100K for the trip, or solid sponsorship or both. My 25K mentioned is where I am right now. This is just travel $$ with the rest being spent before leaving and not included in that 25K. My bike will not cost too much as I will buy used, and I have a bike now that I will be able to get 5K for. Plus some serious gear to sell - at least 50k on the used market. So I am already getting close.

And I will not take off until I am ready. If it takes 2 years than that's what it takes. One lesson from the vids that's clear is be prepared - just like everything. When I do a gig, I map out every cable, every mic, every speaker placement then always bring 25% more - and I rarely have issues. Planning....

Part of the reason for a 3 year trip is that if I want to explore the music thing, then that takes time. It means more budget for staying still maybe. And it definitely means time spent working - and there are numerous posts about how difficult this is.....contemplating.

I am going on this trip. It may be shorter. It may be longer. But I am going. I will be going on a short 1 month trip after festival season ends and this year that's Aug. 11 - so maybe Aug 13th I can get out of town. My band plays Sept 14, so that's my window.

I can't help but be attracted to the Super Tenere - but I am fully aware of why this may not be the best solution. It turns out there is Tenere 660 out there in motorcycle land, but not in north america.

So listing features that I would like on a bike may make a decision easier:

Hard panniers
Cruise control
Adjustable suspension
Adjustable windshield
Extra gas tank
Hiway bars
Driver back rest
not too loud (my current Yamaha Vstar 1100 has pipes that are too loud)
Ability to work on myself
Availability of parts world wide - and I don't have an answer to this one yet. It appears that this depends on where you are, (of course) but the V-strom seems to be popular all over and parts available. Still reading.
Enough power to pass at 100 km/h without issue - yes, I know this is not going to be important for most of the trip, but my last bike could not handle this with a load (2 people and gear) and it sucked.
Excellent long mileage record

These features are important to me. Most should be got for all bikes on the after market parts I assume.

I also prefer shaft drive over a chain - but on the fence on this one. Both have good and bad features.

You know - just making this decision and spending time researching has given me a life lift. Something to be excited about. A dream. When riding long distance on a bike I often contemplate which I love more, being on a bike or playing music. I have done both my whole life having started on dirt bikes when I was about 12. This dream melds the two together. How fantastic is that!

[krtw]

Originally Posted by tim.angus

As someone who has just done RTW, I would second the V Strom. Mine has been brilliant, and what people often miss is fuel range and gas mileage. There is no use have a large bike doing 45mpg when the 650 strom will do 66, so its 17 litre tank will get you up to 400kms. Despite this I carried a 5 litre can as in places like Kazakhstan fuel stations are few since every cars run on lpg gas. Also in northern Australia fuel stops were 350kms apart with NOTHING in between. I rode two up with luggage so the bike is up to it plus I could get it serviced even in India.

Interesting post. Thanks. How was passing at speed with the load?

[Homers GSA]

Suggestion

Why not use the V-star you have for the first leg and loop back home. Use this as a shake down before heading south.

If the sound gear side of it is not working on that section then that will make the bike choice south simpler.




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[markharf]

The DL650 has more than enough power for passing. You’re not going two-up, are you? Carrying more than 50 kilos or so of gear? In the end, what I consider plenty powerful, you may find scrawny and weak. Again, I say try one out for yourself and see what you think.

You’ll have trouble finding proprietary Vstrom parts in a lot of areas of the world. Same with any other big, complicated bike, including any of those named above (with the sometimes-exception of old designs like the KLR, DR, earlier Xt, etc.). The real advantage of the DL is that they seldom need repairs.

There are other advantages to having a bike which is easily bodged, but not everyone sees this the same way.

[sushi2831]

Originally Posted by mikekaycanada

I can't help but be attracted to the Super Tenere - but I am fully aware of why this may not be the best solution. It turns out there is Tenere 660 out there in motorcycle land, but not in north america.

Hello


For the weight of the bike, only you will ride it.
I have both Teneres, the +261kg and the +208kg (+for mainstand, panniers and so on, aprox. same weight on both).


Since both bikes are legal for two-up riding you can load all the gear you'd like to take. The space is the same, the shifting of the center of gravity goes more back and up the lighter the bike itself is.


"Offroad" is for me only possible on the small tenere, with the same huge luggage, "onroad" the big tenere wins.
On my RTW, 2 years/100tkm, on the long good roads in Canada/US I wished I had the big one but in Mexico and SA I was glad I had the small one.


2-3 years, today I would go for two cylinder bikes.
For the first 100tkm it doesn't matter, but the second 100tkm, you will have less Problems.


If the small tenere is not available for you, there are other similar bikes around.
The less your mecanical skill, the newer and less km I would buy.


Whatever you will buy, remember that are the bikes that the rich folks ride, outside the rich countries.
So in all big cities/capitals (where the rich live) you'll find dealers that can order parts.
The small Yamaha shop in Peru has only parts for Yamaha scooters.


For the Super Tenere, have a look into the problems with the spokes and rims, I have on mine huge problems with starting the bike.
This are problems below the known Yamaha Quality, have a look into it an decide for yourself.


For the budget, that is the hardest part to give advice.
Bikes were similar when comparing to people I met on the road, the money spent was very different, from "I'd like to life like that to how can you survive".


Anyway, have fun planning.
sushi