Keep the riff-raff off adventure motorcycles
 

This is a rather embarrassing topic but one that I’d like to see discussed (if anyone can be bothered to answer the ravings of a mad man…) I suspect some of you feel as I do and I know that most of you will baulk at my cynical views.

After reading the “Pointless round the world races” thread started by nick_horley in 2002, I decided to air my view on a similar subject.
A significant part of me wants to tell everyone to get out there on a bike but the price of progress and popularity may be too high. Let me explain…

4X4 Adventuring was not a big thing in my country when I was still a boy. Sure a few people explored the country in dented LandRovers but very few ventured across the border.
Suddenly SUVs, MPVs and all manner of 4-wheel-drive vehicles became the norm.
Soccer moms congest parking lots with their monstrous Land Cruisers and BMW X5s. Every Tom, Dick and Harry has a fuel guzzling monster truck with a high-lift jack, GPS and spray-on mud! South African, European and American holidaymakers have earned a terrible reputation in some African countries for trashing their environment during guided and self-drive tours.
4x4 Vehicles have become something of a joke here. It is so popular that the average owner is now a pot-bellied, loudmouth lard-ass with his prissy wife (make-up and designer safari suit included) and no respect for his neighbour whatsoever.
Gone are the interesting bearded gentlemen and women (un-bearded) who had wise eyes and wonderful stories of the great Congo River. They wore silly colourful clothes, big hats and had earthy smelling objects d’art on their walls and odd seashells picked from distant shores.

I see the same change in the adventure motorcycling fraternity. Adventure riders were once seen as crazy petrol-heads who respected other cultures and wanted to see the world in a unique way. They were resented and admired in equal measure by their own people.
Recently, thanks to aggressive advertising campaigns by certain manufacturers, every imbecile with enough money has begun buying enormous adventure bikes with the sole aim of conquering the ‘outer darkness’. It has become fashionable to appear gnarly and colourful whilst not actually deserving the reputation…

Soon forums such as this one will be overrun by people seeking free advice whilst adding nothing themselves. They will mimic Nick Sanders' adventures. They will have “Long Way Round III” in their DVD collection and mock anyone on a bike smaller than a 1000cc. Organised tours of 10 or 20 bikes will thunder through African villages upsetting the locals. A Great Pan American highway will be constructed to enable thousands of Harleys to do the Anchorage to Terra del Fuego Iron butt rally.
The people that inspired me (Helge Pedersen, Ted Simon, Chris Scott, the Johnsons, etc.) will all be on the ‘Great Road’ with Livingstone, Ericson and Drake while those of us left who remember how it used to be will be unable to stop the machines of mediocrity.

Drama aside. From now on if anyone asks which bike they should buy I will tell them to get a moped and do their bit for the environment.
You do what you want… I’m keeping the riff-raff away from adventure motorcycling

If this posting sounds elitist or amount to hate-speech I apologise. It is only meant as a warning that our passion could be diluted by too much exposure. Aww crap, I’m sure I’ll feel better once I take my pills.

There was an article in one of the recent issues of 'Two Wheels Only' magazine, here in the UK, which dealt with the trend towards big trailies and speculating that they are going to be the next 'urban 4x4 must have'.

I'll try to look it up and forward it on to you as it was an interesting article to read.

Geoff

Hows the 1200 GS Mr Striker? Personally I found the Bavarian Motorenwerken to be the most suitable RTW weapon for the well heeled. You havent seen my sister have you?

Emotionally I agree with you LuckyStriker, but that's "progress". I dare say the brave adventurers of yesteryear who journeyed great distances on horseback or on foot into truly hostile territories would rail against those of us who take the easy option of motorised transport. The same could be said about canoes vs. sailing boats vs. motorboats etc but they are all points on a continuum. I'm for people doing what gives them satisfaction - short of doing disproportionate harm to the rest of us. In any case, I don't think the people you describe would find many kindred sprits on the HUBB or would be likely to contaminate the pure strain of adventure motorcycling, as you know it.

Maybe we need an HU code of conduct. It could tap into guides for all the new travelers while also encouraging responsible traveling. The trend cannot be stopped, but remember trends go up and down. Motorcycle travel will never become a significant problem as compared to many other similar issues.

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Brooklyn Dakar
http://motorcycleramblings.blogspot.com/

Don't worry, history will not repeat itself. You can't aircondition bikes. So, it's too uncomfortable for most people.

In any case, most SUVs never get into 4x4 territory. And if they did they'd soon be stuck.

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

I'm looking forward to sitting quietly outside my tent at Ripley and doing a bit of people watching. With a 300 punter sell out there are bound to be a good few "Ewan effect" converts with plenty of wadge to throw at a bike. However, some of them may well return in 2006/7/8 with suitably battered machines after having been inspired by more seasoned travellers.

I know I was.

Mick

If SquidBrain's going to be making notes then I may as well get my confession in early... I'm near enough exactly as you describe and probably the sort of person LuckyStriker's complaining about (apart from the environment trashing part). I'm looking forward to 3 months camping around Eastern Europe and Asia in September and will be heading to the meeting for information and advice as well as meeting like minded people. I don't expect to be quite so "green" by the time next year's meeting comes around.

I guess I’m just sore that trailies are becoming the next urban 4x4. And I guess I’m angry at some tour operators since I read Fiona Cambell’s book “On foot through Africa” where she described the Overlanders killing scores of goats and chickens when they plough through starving villages. I don’t want adventure riding to become a yuppie event and later turned into a dreadful cliché.

But I reckon Jsherm and beddist are right – something so uncomfortable as motorcycling around the world will probably never become a mainstream event…
As for someone like unhinged, people like you should be encouraged.
I should shut up now before I give myself a bad name.

Isn’t people watching a little elitist? And what exactly can you conclude about somebody from the state of their bike, boots, tent or whatever?

You can’t tell how somebody came by their bike, how hard they worked for it or anything else. And who cares if Ewan inspired them?

I thought his pretrip ‘SAS training’ was ridiculous but I didn’t have to watch his DVD or buy his book (I didn’t). If others did and it inspired them, then good luck to them.

There are also ‘seasoned travelers’ who like to wash their bikes and ride what they can afford. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with different approaches to motorcycling. There’s room for everyone.
Stephan
PS Does anyone have a link for bike air-conditioning?

Motorcycle Air Conditioning, as asked for:
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com...ves/002710.php

Thanks, Bobkat, will the inventor be exhibiting at the HU Bike Meets?

Good point, I've posted a similar comment on another forum a while ago. The time wasted would have been better spent with an experienced RTW rider who could have shown them what & how to pack their bikes. Not overloading them may have prevented the subframe breaking & thye subsequent trauma when it was welded together without first disconnecting the battery, ECU & ABS/Servo brain.

I certainly won't be either taking notes or judging anyone, and I'm sorry if I gave that impression. I think that it'll be interesting and rewarding to see and meet the folk attending, as it has been at the previous HU meetings I've been to. I just think there'll be a somewhat different mix this time given the large numbers and the media coverage.

As long as someone inspires newcomers to bike travel, I too don't care who it is, and this is what I attempted to convey.

Apologies again if any offence was taken!

Mick

I hope nobody will be watching me trying to put up my tent, -will be brand new and shiny! as would be my boots and sleeping bag.
(I would have just got them delivered form rei.com - bargain!)

But I am no riff raff. Just haven't been across africa, yet. (been dreaming about it long enough).

I hate to think people in HU/meet would be suspicious of newcamers like myself and brand them impressionable or victims of mass marketing just because our zegas' not battered
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I suspect one of the good things of media attention with the whole media/LongW-Rnd etc is that people think that one can be normal and still plan to travel the world on a bike.

[This message has been edited by george t (edited 03 June 2005).]