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16 Oct 2012
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UK to Australia 2013
Hello folks;
Not sure why I called it London...I live in Manchester... lol meant to say "UK to Australia"... can a mod change the heading...
Just thought I'd drop line with regards to some plans next year. Me and my girlfriend/fiancée (will be wife by February) have been planning riding to Australia for a while (two up on the Africa Twin... its almost tempting to get another cg125 and do it on two of them rather than the twin... anyways). The rough plan is:
Leave UK end of April-ish.. visit some friends in Europe... get to Turkey by June-mid June. Spend some time there with family (I grew up there and have family there). If all goes to plan will be meeting up with some friends from the UK and spend about a month or so (maybe more) travelling Turkey/ camping/ swimming/ eating /drinking etc.  Then August/September time in to Iran, depeding on the visa would like to stay in Iran a bit, then Pakistan. Pak is currently bit of a gray area not really planned much, I might get in touch with Pak motorcycle club and CS and see if anyone can meet us and show us around a bit etc. I'd like to head down to Karachi do the makran coastal highway (hopefully it's not all tarmac) then back up to Lahore, then the mountains KKH etc then in to India... going to see how we like India. some people love it some people can't wait to get out, so we'll see... then it's Nepal I think, from around there fly the bike to Bangkok? Then it's abit vague after that. We want to do Cambodia and Laos, either backpack Vietnam or rent two bikes or even a car, whichever is easiest really. Would like to spend a month or so maybe in Thailand or on an island somewhere (I think making somewhere "home" for a bit and chilling might be nice). Then after that try get to East Timor through Malaysia, Indonesia (if the boat to Darwin is still running that is) if not seek alternative routes.
So yeah, if anyone is planning a roughly similiar route with similiarish dates ,bare in mind Although leaving UK in late April/early May, we'll be in Turkey/Greece from June till early September, so our paths might cross. Might be able to tag along in some bits and have a drink or two and exchange notes  (unrelated... I just wanted to use the tank...)
so yeah... there is the "masterplan".. now where was I with sorting that bike...
Have fun folks!
Oli
Last edited by olionel; 15 Mar 2013 at 13:36.
Reason: info update
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16 Oct 2012
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Hey Oli,
Hope you guys have a great trip.
I am doing the exact same trip but in 2014. Same dates and countries etc.
So if you write a Ride Report I'll be reading it keenly 
All the best and keep us posted,
Nicola
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17 Oct 2012
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Seems like a generally realistic plan to me. Can surely be done two-up on an XRV750. I did sorta similar route with my GF on one DL650 in 2007-2008 (I´ve actually owned many Africa Twins in the past, they´re great bikes!)
How long is your entire trip duration BTW? We spent 6 months on the road (started from Helsinki, finished in Sydney), and we thought 8-9 months would have possibly been the ´optimum´ for us. We didn´t feel like we were rushed, but there is just so much to see and do everywhere! Also would have been nice to just chill out somewhere on some paradise beach, or nice hill station, a bit longer sometimes.
Also keep in mind, that for a European, it will be much easier to return to Turkey on a bike one day, than it will be to return to Indonesia, for example. That´s why I might try to first move on a bit more rapidly, and in this way save a greater portion of the available time for the more faraway bits. But that´s just me. And I´m not saying there´s anything wrong with Turkey, absolutely not!
For me, it was surprising, that roads weren´t so bad in general. Often bumpy and potholed, and with huge speed humps, but our bike had totally stock suspension, sagging just way too low with the huge load on board. Still we could do the trip just fine. On the other hand, we did not go to the rural areas of Cambodia, for example (though I´ve done them on other trips). Surely the by-roads on many countries will offer a lot more challenges, especially during the rains.
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17 Oct 2012
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Thanks Nicola, hope it all goes to plan for you too.
Pecha, Well we are thinking of taking a whole year off, as the time is very right (if health is still good.. no mortgage, no kids, no debts..). My research money for a project I'm working on at uni runs out in March and I need a change of scenery..been in the same city, same workplace for 7 years now... The other half feels the same, so we thought of riding to Oz and looking for jobs there and stay a year or two (or longer or less.. see what happens eh?) A few people I know have done something similar and it is very inspiring. Good points about Turkey, although I lived there 16 years I haven't travelled it much.. so I need to get that out of the way, if you know what I mean. I am very much interested in Iran and Pak so wouldn't like to blast through there either but will depend on visas. I thought ideal time to dive in to Iran would be Sept as it would be a tad cooler than July/August..also eastern Turkey should be nice and cool-er around August. and we're free after March so might aswell set off early and tootle around a bit, spend some time with family. Also doing some head scratching along the lines of the Ted Simon Foundation initiatives...
I've sorted the forks and rear shock out.. but haven't tested it yet fully loaded 2 up... might be needing a new spring on the rear as the shock was sprung for my weight with gear on... we''ll see. Thanks very much for your input though! 
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11 Nov 2012
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just thought I'd bump my own thread like a sad forum geek... just in-case there are any lurkers out there...
C'mon guuuys.. Pakistan will be fun!!! 
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21 Nov 2012
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right, talking to myself again lol
Just had a thought and tweaked my route a bit.. so currently it is going to be (probably NOT go back in to Greece from Turkey for the HU meet anymore and head on to Georgia and Armenia):
UK - Holland - Germany - Schweiz or Osterreich - Italy - Slovenia - Croatia - Montenegro - Albania - Greece - Turkey - Georgia - Armenia - Iran - Pakistan - India - Nepal - Thailand - Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam (backpack Vietnam) - Malaysia - Singapore (might not take bike in.. need to research this) - Indonesia - East Timor - Darwin
Again giving ourselves a year with plenty of chilling out involved in bits we like, rough milestones.. get to the mountains by October (north Pakistan and north India) and Nepal by November - December-ish.
Last edited by olionel; 14 Dec 2012 at 10:03.
Reason: tpying eorr
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30 Dec 2012
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About Iran
Hi dear oliver
you can have look for visa on this site: Iran Visa Application Form & Travel Information | London UK
and you should get your pak visa in your home country
I wish you a good travel
If you have any question feel free to ask
hosseinthebiker@yahoo.com
greetings from Iran!
Hossein
Last edited by hosseinthebiker; 14 Jan 2013 at 12:18.
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1 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by olionel
I've sorted the forks and rear shock out.. but haven't tested it yet fully loaded 2 up... might be needing a new spring on the rear as the shock was sprung for my weight with gear on... we''ll see. Thanks very much for your input though! |
We changed the spring (I told the guy at the Garage how much weight we want to load and he made a custom Spring for us, in total ca. 400EUR and IMHO totally worth it) ,and overhouled the whole Bike b4 we started, sometimes we have 450KG+, 2UP, XRV750, RD07.
Plus we did the usual Modifications (from Rectifier to new Bearings, Wilbers Progessive Fork Springs, Tires etc, Main Spring...) I think it was verry worth it. Thought about a 42l Tank but didn´t do it in the end. Missed it in 43.000km only once or twice.
The only problem we had constantly was the pannier holder.
Have the Zegas but the Holder Frame I guess is form Givi... Way too thin, we had to weld it about 15 times in each country. So now we had the time and a workshop and reinforced it. As I did the welding by myself (and never done it b4) I guess we will have some more adventures on the road fixing it. But it was always fun to fix it. We met a lot of people we wouldn´t have met because of it 
KKH will be an adventure riding 2up. But I guess it has been done several times b4.
Good luck and have a safe ride!
cheers Sascha nd Kerstin
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1 Jan 2013
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Hi Lionel,
The trip sounds good.
I have recently had on of the last Honda Africa Twins.
With me on, and my wife, there wasn't much carry capacity left.
I am 92kg, and her is just 45kg.
It was OK for short runs around UK, but I would question the feasibility of a longer trip to Turkey.
In your shoes, I would buy her a smaller bike, perhaps no bigger than 250cc.
You can both share to carry the luggage.
If either bike broke down, your not stuck, and could still make your way to the next village (after securely locking the stricken bike) to get help for repair.
Also, you don't appear to have any time constraints, so by your wife riding the 250cc, this will keep your hooligan speeds down.
I just feel, as good as the AT is, it's not perfect for a 2-up, plus luggage to Turkey "kind of bike"
vette
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1 Jan 2013
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Hi Sacha, Kerstin and Vette;
Vette..Thanks for your input. I'm going to Australia not Turkey :P (well will be going through it) and my name isn't Lionel.. its Oli (Oliver)
we have managed round europe two up on a fazer 600 with camping and did france and back on the Africa...after the Fazer the AfTwin is heaven. Hopefully we can manage to Oz aswell. I've also done Turkey and back on a ZXR400 and a holdall (on my own).. that did hurt though...lol. But I do agree with lighter smaller bikes. Unfortunately my partner has left learning a bit late so doesn't have a licence so it has to be two up. My options were AT or a BMW GS... went with the reliable option :P
Sacha and Kerstin: yeah I'm plodding along slowly with the mods. First mode was to have the seat cut down on the rider half (so my feet can reach the floor better, and also two gel pads. Fuel pump is sorted. I have Pooratech pannier racks, but will be using cloth panniers and the standard honda/givi topbox. Moved back and bolted down to the rack. Just to put things like the tent and first aid kit etc important type things in but try to keep it light. I'm not sure how much weight we'll be carrying just yet. Aim is to pack as normal..and ride to the suspension man and get a stiffer spring, and get it set up. I also had the rear subframe strengthened (just incase). Going to treat the first leg until Turkey as a practice run and just leave stuff we haven't used etc with family there and iron out niggles.
anyways thanks for all your inputs and happy new year
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1 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uk_vette
Hi Lionel,
The trip sounds good.
I have recently had on of the last Honda Africa Twins.
With me on, and my wife, there wasn't much carry capacity left.
I am 92kg, and her is just 45kg.
It was OK for short runs around UK, but I would question the feasibility of a longer trip to Turkey.
In your shoes, I would buy her a smaller bike, perhaps no bigger than 250cc.
You can both share to carry the luggage.
If either bike broke down, your not stuck, and could still make your way to the next village (after securely locking the stricken bike) to get help for repair.
Also, you don't appear to have any time constraints, so by your wife riding the 250cc, this will keep your hooligan speeds down.
I just feel, as good as the AT is, it's not perfect for a 2-up, plus luggage to Turkey "kind of bike"
vette
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I met a rider from UK on a Scooter in Kanchanaburi, Thailand and she drove all the way from the UK. She fitted Zegas on it too. They did the trip b4 on two Translaps, she said only when it came to deep river crossings they had to push the scooter through, she sasid that the csooter was the perfect choice for the trip. 
So actually I think such a trip can be done and has been done on any kind of bike, even on push bikes. We rode now 100.000km two up though various countries, all terrains. We tough of buying a bike on the road for my wife but we decided not to do so. For us, 2UP the XRV is the perfect bike in terms of reliability and handling as well. Sometimes I thought it would be great to have a lighter bike but this was only when it comes to fun rides...
IMHO the Africa Twin was built for such trips even 2up. 2 Bikes easily doubles the cost and the trouble at boarders etc...
cheers Kerstin and Sascha
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7 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by olionel
Hello folks;
Not sure why I called it London...I live in Manchester... lol meant to say "UK to Australia"... can a mod change the heading...
Just thought I'd drop line with regards to some plans next year. Me and my girlfriend/fiancée (will be wife by February) have been planning riding to Australia for a while (two up on the Africa Twin... its almost tempting to get another cg125 and do it on two of them rather than the twin... anyways). The rough plan is:
Leave UK end of April-ish.. visit some friends in Europe... get to Turkey by June-mid June. Spend some time there with family (I grew up there and have family there). In July pop back in to Greece and travel the south of it, then had north to further die in the sun and make it to the Greece 2013 HU Meet. After that back in to Turkey, if all goes to plan will be meeting up with some friends from the UK and spend about a month or so (maybe more) travelling Turkey/ camping/ swimming/ eating /drinking etc. Then September time in to Iran, depeding on the visa would like to stay in Iran a bit, then Pakistan. Pak is currently bit of a gray area not really planned much, I might get in touch with Pak motorcycle club and CS and see if anyone can meet us and show us around a bit etc. I'd like to head down to Karachi do the makran coastal highway (hopefully it's not all tarmac) then back up to Lahore, then the mountains KKH etc then in to India... going to see how we like India. some people love it some people can't wait to get out, so we'll see... then it's Nepal I think, from around there fly the bike to Bangkok? Then it's abit vague after that. We want to do Cambodia and Laos, either backpack Vietnam or rent two bikes or even a car, whichever is easiest really. Would like to spend a month or so maybe in Thailand or on an island somewhere (I think making somewhere "home" for a bit and chilling might be nice). Then after that try get to East Timor through Malaysia, Indonesia (if the boat to Darwin is still running that is) if not seek alternative routes.
So yeah, if anyone is planning a roughly similiar route with similiarish dates ,bare in mind Although leaving UK in late April/early May, we'll be in Turkey/Greece from June till early September, so our paths might cross. Might be able to tag along in some bits and have a drink or two and exchange notes (unrelated... I just wanted to use the tank...)
so yeah... there is the "masterplan".. now where was I with sorting that bike...
Have fun folks!
Oli |
Hi Oli
We are planning to travel to India between May and Nov Initial plan and most prefered was via Tibet and Nepal? But this seems to be a issue as China still not issues visa's for Tibet to overlanders? (min 5 same nationality per group) hence we are looking at Iran-Pakistan. We are driving a Overland truck interested in joining for part of the trip.
Our plan would be 30 days Iran and KKH in Pakistan then towards India.
Cheers
Fearless
Around the World by 4WD
robert.vandenhoven@facebook.com
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8 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fearless
Hi Oli
We are planning to travel to India between May and Nov Initial plan and most prefered was via Tibet and Nepal? But this seems to be a issue as China still not issues visa's for Tibet to overlanders? (min 5 same nationality per group) hence we are looking at Iran-Pakistan. We are driving a Overland truck interested in joining for part of the trip.
Our plan would be 30 days Iran and KKH in Pakistan then towards India.
Cheers
Fearless
Around the World by 4WD
robert.vandenhoven@facebook.com |
Hi Fearless. Good luck with your trip. Might bumb in to you anyways. It all depends on visas (the date we enter pakistan) etc tbh as Pakistani visa is I think valid for 90 days(might be 180 though not 100%) from it's issue date. We'll be aiming to get in to Iran early August and get to KKH before mid September (starts getting cold I think), then India, Nepal is meant to be nice in October - December time (weatherwise). It'd be nice to meet up though. Thanks for the info! It'd be good to load off the luggage (and possibly the wife :P ) on to your truck and do the KKH unloaded
Have fun and take care!
Oli
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8 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by olionel
Hi Fearless. Good luck with your trip. Might bumb in to you anyways. It all depends on visas (the date we enter pakistan) etc tbh as Pakistani visa is I think valid for 90 days(might be 180 though not 100%) from it's issue date. We'll be aiming to get in to Iran early August and get to KKH before mid September (starts getting cold I think), then India, Nepal is meant to be nice in October - December time (weatherwise). It'd be nice to meet up though. Thanks for the info! It'd be good to load off the luggage (and possibly the wife :P ) on to your truck and do the KKH unloaded
Have fun and take care!
Oli |
Thanks for the response, currently in Oz, next week back to Europe to check progress new truck and pick old truck when arrives by ship from Malaysia. Ready to be sold. We should be leaving Europe around April.
Keep in touch
Fearless
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12 May 2013
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Just a quick update. We have moved out of our flat and are now living with the inlaws. Ow and my thesis got accepted just in time so I is officially a Dr (alas not a real medical one)
Setting off this Thursday (16th), Dover - Dunkerque then to the Hague to a friends birthday. Then we leave there on the Monday the 20th. 1st milestone is to get to Turkey by the 13th of June so will be blasting through Germany, Austria and Italy, then take it a bit easier around Slovenia and all the way down to Greece then to Turkey. So yeah hope to bump in to some of you.
Also pakistani visa got a bit complicated so we withdrew our applications (as we need our passports), we got our Indian ones, Iran ones should be OK from Turkey, then will apply to the Pakistani ones in Tehran, might get lucky who knows. Indian visa expires 1st of November. Will make our minds up regarding Baloch once o the road, if we get the Iranian visa we will go as far as Bam then head to the coast and catch the ferry to Dubai and fly out either to Pakistan or to Kathmandu and pop back in to India. If there are a few of us though might be tempted to carry on from Bam throught Baloch. We'll see. Bike is mega heavy (got cloth panniers all around.. still heavy) will just have to get used to it. All the bastid medication I need to carry (funny bowels ) doesn't help. Ah well it will get lighter as days pass and re-stock in india.
Take care folks and hope to see some of you on the way. We are going to spend a bit of time in Turkey with family then travel Turkey, probably through Ramadan.
All the best
Oli
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
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