Are you a traveller on two wheels? Have you been inspired by the stories you've read on Horizons Unlimited? Or perhaps you watched the 'Long Way' series and it's got you thinking of a motorcycle trip to distant climes – the markets of Marrakech,
the Karakoram Highway in Pakistan, the salt flats of Bolivia, the Bungle Bungles of Australia, the Pan American to Tierra del Fuego?
Did you finally fork out for
that dream bike built for high adventure, and you know every highway and byway within range of an annual vacation? Is something
indefinable calling you farther afield… to the next country… the next continent?
Answering these questions - and many more - is the goal of the new definitive 'how-to' DVD series, "The Achievable Dream - The Motorcycle Adventure Travel Guide". This series is produced by Grant and Susan Johnson, RTW travellers and founders of Horizons Unlimited, who have been helping people to achieve their dreams of traveling to faraway places on their bikes for over 10 years.
The first Achievable Dream DVD, produced in 2006, has sold out, (you might be able to find a last copy at Aerostich or Whitehorse Press in NTSC) and you've told us you want more information delivered this way. We listened, and we're in final stages of production on a series of four high-quality DVDs that cover everything you need to know. We took what we learned from our own travels, and since then, from helping other travellers, to create this series. We also asked the many veteran travellers who attend Horizons Unlimited meetings to tell us their stories, give us their opinions, and share their hard-earned knowledge from their amazing motorcycle trips to every country on earth. And they have lots of opinions, sometimes contradictory, so you'll get lots of great ideas.
For the new series, we have invested in professional filming, editing and production. Filmed in broadcast quality wide screen, incorporating multiple cameras and with custom written vocals and music.
When can you get it?
We are taking orders now (see below to order). DVD 1 - "Get Ready" and DVD 4 - "Ladies on the Loose!" are available now. DVD 2 and 3 ship dates are on the form below. We will ship as they come available. Shipping is FREE on ALL DVD's until the last one is finished.
Where's my next DVD!
We've taken the very hard decision to get it right (high quality, lots of info) instead of 'good enough'. We've been very encouraged by your feedback on DVD 1, and we want to hold the rest of the series to that high standard.
Why is it taking so long?
When we first started this project in April 2008, we thought we could have all 4 DVDs finished by Christmas 2008. Wow were we naive! By end of November, we were told by the editor that we were 90% of the way through three of the DVDs. Now we know better. When we originally started pre-selling the DVDs in January, we thought they'd all be finished by end of April. At the end of March, we took over the editing ourselves, and now we have a much better idea of what we're facing. :-(
We've learned quite a lot about producing high-quality DVDs now, most of it the hard way, so I'd like to share with you the stages that it goes through, and where the series is in the process:
1. Scripting - Done April 2008
2. Filming - Done from May-September 2008
3. Digitising/capturing 250+ hours of video from tape to disk - Done July-Nov 2008
4. 'Rough cutting' the footage - reviewing 250+ hours of video and excerpting material as needed to cover the content from the script. Since we shot interviews which covered multiple topics on multiple DVDs, material has to be put into DVDs and individual chapters. This process has taken about 8 months for a full-time editor since last July, and is now mostly done for all four DVDs.
5. Final cutting the chapters in each DVD, reducing it down to the actual final content, making it flow, adding transitions, photos, video clips and music. This takes 1-2 months full-time for an editor per DVD. DVD 1 and DVD 4 are finished, DVD 2 and DVD 3 are still to be done. This is the last stage that we can do ourselves, as we don't have the equipment for the final stages.
6. After the content is locked, the next stage is 'Onlining' or polishing - sound balancing, exposure, colour correction. As interviews were filmed indoors and outdoors, in varying light levels and background noise, this is more challenging than if it were shot in a studio in controlled conditions. This takes 5 working days per DVD for a technical editor with fancy equipment.
7. Authoring - creating the menus and the master disk - 1-2 days per DVD. After this stage, we have to watch both PAL and NTSC masters all the way through to ensure it plays okay, as we learned the hard way!
8. Production - mass-producing the DVDs, printing cover sleeves and disk labels, inserting disks in cases - 10-12 working days per DVD. Afterwards, we have to watch both PAL and NTSC DVDs all the way through again to ensure no glitches in the production process.
9. We get to send out the DVDs!
There's a few other items in the process, such as art work for the DVD cover and disk, sending press copies out, creating trailers, etc. To be honest, if we'd known 18 months ago what we were getting into, time and money-wise, we probably wouldn't have even started!
What are the expected shipping dates?
'Ladies on the Loose' is now released.
'On the Road' - we hope to be shipping by end of October. We are just starting final cutting. There was almost 12 hours of rough cut content to edit for 'On the Road', and we've done a first pass to take it down to 8 hours, but then it gets harder as you're possibly throwing away useful material.
To be honest, when we wrote the script back in April 2008 we took our best guess as to how long the DVD would be, but we probably underestimated what was needed to cover the topics. Now we think it will likely be a 2 DVD set totalling 4-5 hours (at no extra charge for pre-paid orders). For example, Grant's demo on 'Tire Changing' is almost an hour, and 'First Aid' is half an hour. Since these are both topics that are very popular at the HU meetings, we know many people are interested in them, but clearly if you devote 1.5 hours of a 2.5 hour DVD to those two topics, you'd squeeze many other important topics out!
'Gear Up' -We're expecting 'Gear Up!' to be shipping in November. We also have quite a lot of footage to review, but we will need to shoot more footage to complete some of the chapters, particularly 'Preparing the bike', which is why it will be the last to produce.
What if I don't want to wait that long?
We do appreciate the pre-orders (as you can tell from the process, the cost of doing all this has been huge) and we're grateful for your patience, but I'm sure it's wearing thin! Since we don't want anyone to feel we took their money under false pretenses, if you don't want to wait and would like a refund, let us know and we'll be happy to provide it. We will then notify you when each DVD is ready so you can reorder at that time.
If you have any questions at any time, just ask. And please, if you find any problems with any of the DVDs, let us know so we can fix it!
Many thanks for your continuing support,
Grant and Susan
DVD 1 - Get Ready!
This DVD aims to inspire you to take the plunge, and start to prepare for the trip. This includes material from Grant and Susan Johnson’s own 'How to ride around the world on a motorcycle' presentation, taped in front of a live audience in 2008. This is supplemented by scenic images and video clips, dozens of interviews with seasoned travellers and presentations by experts.
Topics covered in this DVD include:
Why go?
Planning the trip - where and when to go
Who to go with - travelling solo or with others
Money, money, money - how much will it cost, and dealing with money on the road
Paperwork - passports and visas, carnet de passage, bike permits and insurance, licenses
Off-pavement riding - basic tips
Health - travel medical and evacuation insurance, malaria, vaccinations
Giving something back - voluntary work, environmental sensitivity
The world of HU Travellers - Meetings and the global community of motorcycle travellers - 587+ Horizons
Unlimited communities in 98+ countries.
DVD 2 - Gear Up!
This DVD covers 'the Kit' - the bike and all the other stuff, including which bike, preparing the bike, what to take and how to pack it.
Although virtually any bike can travel around the world, ‘which bike’ is always a lively topic for discussion among motorcycle travellers.
For the favourite travel bikes, we interviewed knowledgeable owners - why did they choose it, what’s good and bad about it, how did they make it better, and what are their top tips for this bike.
Considerations include carrying capacity, travelling solo or pillion, comfort, paved vs. dirt road, reliability and availability of spare parts.
Through interviews with experts, we also cover how to prepare the bike for overland travel, what spares to take and choosing tires.
Finally, we cover what to take and how to pack it, including riding gear, clothing, panniers, tents, sleeping bags, cooking kit, medical/first aid kit, maps, GPS and much more.
DVD 3 - 'On the Road'
This DVD tells you what to expect at border crossings, practicalities, safety, health, and much more.
Through interviews with seasoned travellers and experts on specific topics, this DVD will prepare the traveller for 'life on the road'.
It covers border crossings, language, culture shock, cultural do's and don'ts, money, food, accommodation, safety, dealing with emergencies, staying healthy on the road and much more.
This DVD also covers how to get the bike across oceans or war zones - shipping and the alternatives - air, sea, rent, swap, buy, organised tours.
You'll also hear amazing stories from travellers meetings and the HU Communities.
DVD 4 - 'Ladies on the Loose'
Motorcycle Travel for Women is directed and presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of "Lois on the Loose" and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles'. Lois delivers action, entertainment and hot tips, as well as coverage of 'women only' topics.
This inspirational and entertaining DVD is directed and presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles'.
The DVD features eloquent and engaging well-travelled women motorcyclists such as Elspeth Beard and Tiffany Coates, who offer tales, advice and inspiration from the road.
This DVD is meant as an addition to the first three DVD’s and covers topics of particular interest to women travellers.
This DVD series is brought to you with the generous assistance of Touratech and Michelin!
Be warned, viewing this series may be a life-changing experience.
We are frequently accused of inspiring people to live their dreams.
As you can see by these comments, we’re guilty as charged:
DVD 1, "Get Ready!"
"I watched it straight through, non-stop. Let's put it this way: this DVD does not need to be accompanied by popcorn, beer or candy bars! It's mouth watering and heart warming at the same time, a very good intro into adventure travelling. Now I'm going to show it to my wife also, see what she likes about the whole concept..." Markku, Finland
"Keep up the fabulous work! We loved the first 2 DVDs and have no worries about waiting for the next ones if more time is required, we do however await them anxiously as the content is great ~ kind of like waiting for Christmas! Thank you for putting these together! Hope you are getting as much enjoyment from making them as we are from watching and being inspired by them." Angela, Canada
"I thank you very much for the first DVD - it was very inspiring and convinced us that everyone can participate in the global bike adventure regardless of financial capacity, choice of bike and age." Mick, Australia
"I had such a good time watching it. I think that, apart from the huge amount of precious information you're giving, you managed to transmit that special feeling that travelers have and share." Pascal, Hong Kong
"Excellent DVD! Made me wanna get on my bike (when I get one) and ride off..." Elvin, Singapore
"I just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the first DVD in the Achievable Dream set. I gave it to my partner for his birthday and we have already watched it several times, dreaming about our own adventures on two wheels. You have done a fantastic job and we can't wait to receive the rest of the collection." Kath, Australia
"...at 60, I am not a novice traveller. But WOW your DVD has, just on one run through, told me so much I did not know. I want to tell you what a fabulous achievement it is. Thank you very much. I shall watch it many times over, learn a great deal and enjoy my travelling all the more for having the extra skills. Hurry up with the next one please." Andrew
"It's very good, the production quality is excellent and it makes one salivate even more for the open road. Well done." George
"Lots of very useful information and the people you have selected to interview are very knowledgeable and down to earth, makes you feel that 'I could do that'." Stephen, Australia
"I am very impressed and very, very pleased with it. It was everything I hoped for! The interviews with the riders are fantastic. You can't beat getting the answers to the questions you want from people who have 'been there and done it.' You just don't get such good quality information and guidance like this anywhere else!" Barry, UK
"…absolutely wonderful. You covered an amazing amount of material. The production and attention to detail were outstanding. As a 'wannabe motorcycle adventurer' - it really lit the fire inside me." Randy, Canada
"Volume 1 of 'The Achievable Dream' is outstanding! The first-hand accounts and stories are a great way to format the presentation, as it gives the student (me) a real straight-from-the-horse's-mouth idea of the information source, which builds confidence in the information. And the sheer volume of that information is phenomenal! I can't wait to receive the rest of the series. Great job!" Shawn, USA
"It was very well done and the quality of filming and information was excellent..." Scott, UK
DVD 4, "Ladies on the Loose!"
"We received our copy of 'Ladies on the Loose' a few weeks ago and it has got me all fired up to go out on my own adventure. You all did a fantastic job on the DVD and we are eagerly awaiting the final DVD's. It sounds like such a huge job but the final results have been invaluable to future motorcycle travellers." Kath and Rob, Australia
"We watched part 4 and it was great. Invaluable for the preparation for our own trip! Looking forward to the others." Xander, the Netherlands
"My wife and I have watched Ladies on the Loose and enjoyed it very much. It was very well presented and informative!" Nick and Mary Jane, Australia
"We both enjoyed it very much, especially my wife, so again very well done. My wife was really inspired by the stories of these strong women and I was a little demoralised as their skill, mechanical knowledge, courage and determination far exceeds mine. Was great to see Lois on video as I had recently read both her books." Stephen, Australia
"I echo others' comments about the quality of 'Ladies on the Loose' DVD as it is excellent! Good job." Bill, USA
"I watched 'Get Ready' on my own and with a little coaxing got him to watch 'Ladies on the Loose' with me. ... by the end I could see the cogs ticking over and he looked at me and said 'People really do this - I think we could too!' Success! That is why it is called the 'Achievable Dream' series darling!! ... even though the debate still rages about one bike or two (I will have to get my licence) we know have a source of info we can refer to time and time again. Thank you guys- keep up the great work!!" Lisa and Stu, Australia
"I've watched it (Ladies on the Loose) twice. The DVD is great - very informative and inspiring. Well done!" Michelle, UK
"Lois is a fabulous host and I love listening to all the adventures and tips these ladies have collected." Angela, Canada
DVD details:
Available in PAL or NTSC (see below for explanation of formats)
English ONLY
No region locking
The Achievable Dream - The Motorcycle Adventure Travel Guide, DVD 1 - "Get Ready" cover - click for larger version
Pre-Order
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Free shipping and handling for PRE-orders only!
Note we ship from UK for most DVD's, by Airmail for overseas shipments.
Any duties or customs fees are the recipient's responsibility!
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.
