Why Come to a Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Meeting?
You can meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or Africa or across Asia, or
even around the world! Admit it, all your 'normal' friends and most of your family fears for your sanity! So, this is your opportunity
to meet the people who will encourage you in that craziness, share their experiences and advice on how to do it, and maybe you'll
meet them again in Mongolia or Timbuktu!
Want to know what people thought of other HU Meetings? Is it worth coming to the Meeting?
"I'm so looking forward to another UK meet. My only problem is that I simply
can't get to every talk I want, such is the amount of terrific presentations
on offer. Each year I've been astonished at how articulate, intelligent,
informative and entertaining the speakers are. I'm willing to help with
anything that doesn't keep me from a talk - and my timetable will be full to
bursting!" More
comments here.
The plan is simple. Show up on Thursday or at the latest Friday afternoon, meet people and setup. Travel Presentations
and Tech seminars are planned throughout the meeting, starting Thursday night.
2009 Speakers and Tech Seminars (so far, more to come):
Presentations in English or German as possible.
Every country in the world
Peter and Kay Forwood, Australia
All 193 countries on a Harley in 13 years, the Challenges, Enjoyments and Logistics of Visiting Every Country
Sjaak Lucassen, Netherlands, RTW on an R1; will team up with Peter and Kay to present a unique take on travelling the world, on two very opposite - but highly successful - bikes.
Ted Simon is hoping to be there, and if he can make it:
The start... Jupiters Travels, NEW film and slides
Ted Simon, UK / USA
An expanded account of the beginning of the first journey, and much more
Africa Solo: The Long Way Around
Werner Bausenhart, Canada (Germany) in English or German
A Circumnavigation of Africa from London via Cape Town back to London. Werner will have some of his books too.
Wilco Vonk and Frank van Gerwen - TigerRaid
A story and a double DVD movie about 3 guys and 1 girl doing 15.000km in 8 weeks through the Red Centre and the Westcoast of Australia
Gerben from Holland
nearly 20.000 km in 5 Weeks -Tashkent, Usbekistan, Turkmenistan
Canada to the southern tip of South America, Ushuaia
Kevin Bradley and Erin Van Zant, Canada
A six month adventure
Vietnam and Laos
Peter Kongsbak, Denmark
Riding around Vietnam and Laos on a Minsk Motorcycle
Offroad travelling and taking "Enduro" seriously
Stephan Eichenlaub
From traveller to sport rider and back: The fascination of trying the "impossible": Riding the big KTM twin on a rallye and on the Enduromania. Travel by bike, change tyres and be ready for action.
An Enfield in India
Jörn Buchleitner, Germany
A quick 3 weeks on a rented Enfield through India, tips and tricks.
Dakar Rally 2009 the easy way
Jens Ruprecht, Germany
Argentina/Chile and the Dakar Rally 2009 on a 125cc Suzuki
Morocco: safe, exciting and inexpensive
Tim Cullis, UK
Overview and hidden/special places (NOTE: Friday night only)
Panel - volunteers please!
How to get someone of the opposite sex to go travelling with you - panel and discussion. Why is it so hard? What are you doing wrong - or right? All viewpoints please!
Women only
a very popular session - I'm told it's a must for the ladies, so be sure to plan on being there! A chance to talk to experienced travelling women without the men around!
Doris Wiedemann will lead the session, with an introduction into travelling as a woman.
Fix that flat! How to change a tire anytime, anywhere
Workshop
How to prevent flats in the first place, and fix them when you get one. The best tools and how to use them for tube and tubeless tires. Hand's
on practical and tire changing contest for beginners to experts!
Tech sesssion
Diesel Bike Workshop
Peter Selzer, Germany
Interested in better fuel mileage? Find out from an expert!
How to write and publish your travel book!
Jens Ruprecht, Germany
Want to get your story published and on Amazon? Jens did it, and here's how!
Photo Composition for Travellers
Grant Johnson, Canada
The one everyone SHOULD take, but no one does... We all want to take great photos of our trip - so why don't we? This
easy clinic will transform your motorcycle travel photos from boring to fabulous! BRING your photos on a CD or Flash Drive, max 10, and we'll critique and discuss YOUR photos - what's good, and what's not - and how they could be improved.
GPS Tech clinic
Matthias Zörcher,http://www.rswolf.de/ (30 minutes from the meeting if you need anything for GPS, Ducati or Suzuki)
Friday and Saturday presentations on using a GPS
Matthias at the GPS session
Experienced Travellers Panel - ask the experts anything you want!
and more to come as we get closer to the date.
How about you? We're
all here to learn, and there's LOTS to learn! We want to do more presentations and seminars - but we need
volunteers to give them! Any topic you can contribute having to do with motorcycle travel, maintenance, planning etc,
lasting 20 minutes or more, would be great. Please contact me here to volunteer.
To give you an idea of what we plan to have for you, here's the seminars for last years Meeting:
Grant and Susan Johnson, Canada, R80G/S
Learn from Horizons Unlimited's founder and 11 year round-the-world veteran everything you need to know to ride to the
next country or the next continent. Sound scary? Get the inspiration and information so YOU can hit the road! In two TWO-hour
parts.
A woman alone through Asia
Katharina Eberl, Germany
How to travel alone as a woman – why not? Why should it be more dangerous – just do it! Katharina travelled alone on her Suzuki DR 350 through Asia. She wants to tell you her story and maybe to discuss with other girls about their experiences to travel alone somewhere on planet earth – join her!
North to Alaska
Werner Zwick, Germany
Mit der Transalp zum Eismeer. Werner Zwick fuhr mit dem Motorrad von Vancouver in Kanada solange nach Norden, bis es an den Ölfeldern von Prudhoe Bay am Eismeer nicht mehr weiter ging. Auf dem Weg dorthin besuchte er Skagway und Dawson City, den Denali Nationalpark mit seiner faszinierenden Tierwelt und dem mächtigen Mt. McKinley, sowie die vergletscherten Fjorde der Küste im Fjordlands Nationalpark und bei Cordova.
Werner Zwick
Madeira - Motorradparadies im Atlantik.
Werner Zwick, Germany
Die kleine, grüne Insel ist ein kleines Hochgebirge mit unzähligen kurvenreichen Straßen die auf 10km Luftlinie bis zu 1600m Höhe erreichen. Während an der feuchten Nordküste Wasserfälle auf die alte Küstenstraße fallen, begleiten grüne Bananenplantagen die Straßen an der trockeneren Südküste. Die Insel des ewigen Frühlings ist ein perfekter Ort, dem Winter für eine Zeit zu entfliehen. Mit einer gemieteten BMW F650GS befuhr Werner fast alle Bergstraßen auf der Insel.
Werner Zwick
Rocky Mountains
Werner Zwick, Germany
Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Durango, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Peonia BMW-Rallye, Vail, Rocky Mountains Nationalpark, Flaming Gorge.
Werner Zwick
Landscapes of the Oman
Giancarlo Albrecht, Germany
With a Transalp through the Wahiba Sands and the Rub al Khali.
Fernweh - RTW Trip
Patrick Schweizer, Germany
Germany to Korea by bike with a visit to Mongolia and South America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay)
Bohlsen, Germany to Bangkok, Thailand
Florian and Iris Schröder on 2 Yamaha XT 500s, Germany
Two years and 70000 km around the Indian Ocean
Heart of Steel
Stefan Thiel, Germany
India to Germany on a Royal Enfield
Dodging Potholes
Dave Barrett, Germany
Motorcycling in Eastern Europe, with a visit to the orphanage in Calarasi, Moldova.
NOTE: Dave will have his new book there too - JUST released, you'll be the first to see it!
Panel - volunteers please!
How to get someone of the opposite sex to go travelling with you - panel and discussion. Why is it so hard? What are you doing wrong - or right? All viewpoints please!
Women only
a very popular session - I'm told it's a must for the ladies, so be sure to plan on being there! A chance to talk to Katharina Eberl and other experienced travelling women without the men around!
Fix that flat! How to change a tire anytime, anywhere
Jens Ruprecht,
How to prevent flats in the first place, and fix them when you get one. The best tools and how to use them for tube and tubeless tires. Hand's
on practical and tire changing contest for beginners to experts!
Changing a tyre tech sesssion
Around the world in only 3 months!
Michael Müller, Germany
Nearly 30,000 km on a Yamaha XT 660 R
Photo Composition for Travellers
Grant Johnson, Canada
The one everyone SHOULD take, but no one does... We all want to take great photos of our trip - so why don't we? This
easy clinic will transform your motorcycle travel photos from boring to fabulous! BRING your photos on a CD or Flash Drive, max 10, and we'll critique and discuss YOUR photos - what's good, and what's not - and how they could be improved.
GPS Tech clinic
Matthias Zörcher,
Friday and Saturday presentations on using a GPS
Experienced Travellers Panel - ask the experts anything you want!
Schedule
will be posted here, with a print version as well, when it's ready...
...so check back and plan what you want to see. The schedule is subject to change, so don't hold our feet
to the fire - stuff happens! But we will try very hard to ensure that it goes off as planned. Check the latest schedule to be
posted at the meeting on the day.
There will be slide shows and talks Thusday, Friday and Saturday night, as well as all Saturday morning
and afternoon, and Sunday too, (see the 2009 schedule (to come)) so come early and make
it a great weekend! We recommend planning on riding Friday and Sunday, and leaving time for Seminars all day Saturday.
Rideouts
Rideouts are limited to 6 or 10 people per ride, no exceptions.
All rides will be back on site at or before 5.00pm
The cost of going on any ride is included in the registration fee.
All rides are "register on the day." There will be signup sheets for each ride posted the evening before.
First in best dressed.
Charity
Last year we raised almost €2000 for Riders for Health or Motorcycle Outreach, through the
sale of raffle tickets and the generous donation of prizes from all the vendors on site and from afar at our HU Meetings worldwide. Many thanks to everyone,
let's hope we can raise even more this year. And if you'd like to donate a prize,
please contact Grant in London or Jens in Germany.
Free stuff - A 'Scratch Patch'
We all know how expensive these overland travel dreams can be, but also how you often manage to accumulate travel equipment and bits and pieces that just end up gathering dust. That thingiemabob that you have been meaning to give away for ages could be exactly what some broke newbie is in need of before a first trip.
The 'Scratch Patch' is a place where people can put those extra inner tubes for the bike that they already sold but forgot to give to the new owner (clearly labelled as to size of course ); that jerry can that you bought that doesn't fit your mountings; that Lonely Planet for Mongolia - anything that might be a big help to someone else.
(of course, anything that does not find a home by the end of the weekend will need to be reclaimed)"
Bring your left-over/unwanted junk - oops, I mean, Good Stuff! :)
Food
Served all day, breakfast €5 from 08.00 every day, then hot meals form 11:30 till 22.00, a wide and varied menu - typical dishes of the area (Odenwald), including vegetarian, at reasonable prices. Try the Odenwald Äppelwoi!(applewine).
Camping
Camping is INCLUDED in your registration fee. NO 4 wheeled vehicles in the main camping fields, there will be an
area specifically for you.
Dogs - Noisy dogs will be ejected.
Equipment for Sale
There will be a pin board for you to post equipment, bikes etc for sale.
Travel Equipment Vendors
We're looking for Travel Equipment vendors to come and display your products, and sell as well. Please contact Grant in London or Jens Ruprecht in Germany.
Touratech - not confirmed but probable Kedo Performance Products "Heroes Legend Race to Dakar" support, travel goodies and more/
Petra Friedrich from OutdoorFieber will be there with motorcycle and outdoor products.
Books - get your signed copy direct from the Author!
Patrick Schweizer, (onkelkarle) with his book and DVD "Fernweh - RTW Trip"
Doris Weidemann will have her new book "Unterwegs zum Roten Drachen" and the "Taiga Tour".
Torsten Schopbach, "Der Weg war das Ziel" 56.000 km, 14 Länder, 4 Kontinente – ein Abenteuer! 56.000 km, 14 countries, 4 continents – one adventure!
Dave Barrett, Germany,
"Dodging Potholes," Motorcycling in Eastern Europe, proceeds from the book go to the orphanage in Calarasi, Moldova.
Plan on leaving from the Meeting! We'll make it a great send-off! Or coming
home around the time of the Meeting? What a great place to arrive at!
Schedule
All times - and everything - approximate!
An up-to-date schedule will be posted at the Meeting.
Thursday morning
CHECK-IN and sign up! You MUST be registered to go on a ride or for entry to any events, seminars etc.
Friday
08:00 - Breakfast, all morning, €5
CHECK-IN and sign up! You MUST be registered to go on a ride or entry to any events, seminars etc.
09:00 Ride briefing. Be gassed up and ready to ride if you're going.
Friday night
21:00 Speakers presentations start sharp at 2100, so be sure you've eaten early!
Saturday morning
8:00 - Breakfast, all morning, €5
8:30 - 9:00 Late Check-in.
9:00 Ride briefing. Be fueled up and ready to ride if you're going.
Saturday Lunch
From 11:30, served all day. Payable to the venue on the day. Range of specials from the blackboard
served all day, various excellent prices. Vegetarian meals available.
Saturday afternoon,
Rideouts - details here if you're riding on your own.
On road runs - we'll post a sheet of paper up for you to add your name to a destination, volunteers to lead appreciated!
Tech Seminar, details to come. If you want to volunteer to lead a seminar or breakout session, on any appropriate
topic, please contact us. We have had lots of interest in seminars, ranging from 30 minutes to several hours, on subjects from
GPS to packing lists to tire changing.
Saturday, dinner
See Saturday lunch above.
19:00 sharp:
Speakers presentations
21:00 (not sharp) - Door prizes - you have to be there to win!
Sunday
Breakfast served from 8:00, €5
Miscellaneous notes:
Organizers will be there most of Thursday, hopefully Wednesday evening, if anyone wishes to arrive early and just hang
out or go for a ride in the area. There is no problem arriving even a couple of days early, our hosts will be happy to see you
and feed you, and camping is free. Please LET US KNOW you will be arriving early.
Registration
Entry fee includes admission
to the slide shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and Sunday am, and other events during
the day Friday and Saturday. Camping is also included in your entry fee for Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. If you arrive early there is generally no problem
finding a spot to camp, no charge. Just eat there and they're happy!
Accommodation other than camping, and meals are NOT included.
Online Registration closed - you can still register at the meeting - see you there!
Membership - Show you're proud to be a Horizons
Unlimited Traveller!
Just to clarify the membership situation: Currently there is no requirement to be a member to access the website, the HUBB
or to receive the monthly e-zine. For now, what you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma
and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive.
We will also upgrade your status in the HUBB to Member. In addition to recognising your contribution through your status,
this will allow you to upload a custom profile picture and custom avatar, store up to 50 private messages, upload more pictures
(10 MB maximum storage) and create polls.
Another benefit we can provide is if you decide you want a t-shirt, mug, fleece jacket or other Horizons logo product from
the Souk, you can purchase Member logo products at the basic price. Just let us know and we can arrange access to the Members
Private Store.
T-Shirt Deal
Top quality heavy cotton t-shirts in black, or grey if pre-ordered. We will have a range of sizes available, but quantities
will be very limited, so if you wait till the day, there might be none left in your size.
The new Synthetic t-shirts are in a beautifully made wicking material, and make great travel / riding t-shirts as well as all-round
wear t-shirts. Available in black or grey at most meetings. MUST be pre-ordered.
Note that we will have a very few t-shirts extra at each meeting, but to be sure you must pre-order and pay in
advance.
NO more tshirts, sorry!
You can help!
If you have a few minutes, please download the poster (Adobe pdf format) and print off a few and hand
them round your club or your local bike
shop or anywhere seems like a good place.
(You may need to right click and choose "save
target as...")
The Odenwald Region, a little bit south of Frankfurt, east of the Rhine river is a very nice area for motorcyclists because of its pretty little hills, forests, romantic villages and perfect motorcycle roads! If you have never been here – you will love it! A ride in the morning – an afternoon coffee somewhere in an ancient castle and then back to our campground with all these beautiful people – what else do we need? We are only 15 min. away from the nice little towns of Heppenheim and Weinheim. Once you are here in the region – don't miss visiting the old town of Heidelberg.
If you have any links or details for the area please let
us know.
Local Hosts
Jens Ruprecht is the lead
organizer of this event. Thanks go to Jens for volunteering to bring Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meetings to Germany!
If you have any questions, contact
with rideout registration, vendor, venue and speakers questions.
Check out the Books pages for Travel books and videos. Remember if you go to Amazon from our books page, we get a small percentage of every purchase.
Thanks!
Grant and Susan
Editors note:
We accept no responsibility for any of the above information in any way whatsoever. You are reminded to do your own research. Any commentary is strictly a personal opinion of the person supplying the information and is not to be construed as an endorsement of any kind.
