Hi,

I found your site whilst looking around the net and have been lurking for some time now. I'm really sold on the idea of doing some traveling next year... maybe never to return home!

I'm a 20 year old, self employed auto electrician, I've got a full UK car and bike license (un-restricted) and have had a couple of bikes. I fancy traveling on a bike and really like the look of italy, turkey, north africa (libya) but also the more eastern places like kazakhstan, mongolia etc, eastern china etc.

I plan to sell off the business in may next year and hopefully release a bit of equity to do some traveling whilst still young. As much as I'd love to battle my way across the worlds most demanding surfaces, the reality is that I will probably stay to paved roads, with a little offroading and even then not heavy. Say something like a 80/20 split between the two. Of course, if I can take a small winding back road instead of a motorway I will...

I'll probably be traveling two up for part of my travels and as such have no idea where to look for a bike.

Originally I was looking at the DRZ400, but then I thought somethign like a XT660, then I ended up looking bigger still. I then thought about the pillion riding and the mix of roads/off road... The BMW GS range fell to mind, but I'm a little wary of them not matter how good charlie and ewan made them look.

I hope you guys can lend me a small amount of your knowledge for my trip and that I can help you out with my electrical knowledge. Safe riding everyone, keep it rubber side down.

If off roading is only a fanciful idea and not part of your real plan, then you'd probably be better off on a proper road bike.

Biggest question is how much do you have to spend?

I've done tens of thousands of road miles on my FJ, and enjoyed them all. Now I have an F800GS which opens up the off road trails, so my tours have become more adventurous, but not necessarily more fun than I was having on the tarmac.

Do you want to stay in 'proper' accomodation or lugg camping gear round with you?

I'd suggest setting yourself a sensible first target, and seeing how you get on with life on the road before you leap straight into riding round the world - but I'm the cautious type. Sam Manicom certainly didn't!

I agree with him Dave ett.
However if your looking at a 600 try looking @ the translap or that type of bike, which is really for Road & a bit of off road.

I pers ride a 1250 bandit & before that a kwaka 750 while I lived in Germany for 5 years on leave would bimble over to Italy France Norway granted i kept to the roads well most of them, as dave said i would suggest you decid if going to go camping & do a few long rides over a period of days I.E. long week end go up to Yorkshire, again decide if you want to camp or b & b or bit of both.

Or on the cheat side you might want to got to another country (fly) & hire a bike, have a little tour around, (i am doing that for Morocco this September) fly back.

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We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea.