Timing of RTW trip.
 

Opinions please on an early April start date for a, sadly, work commitment restricted three month RTW trip. I plan to reach Pakistan and in particular the Karakoram Highway, via Turkey and Iran, by early May by which time I’m hoping the worst of the winter will be over. A long held ambition is to ride the KKH, to Gilgit, maybe a tad further. I’ve read that some of the hotels in this area don’t re-open from their winter sleep until mid May time.

Then air freight from India, probably Delhi, to Australia for three weeks or so then air freight to Vancouver/San Francisco/Los Angeles for the overland ride to New Jersey.

I know three months is nowhere near long enough for such a trip but I’m thinking it’s better than not going at all.

What do you think? All advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Pete

Shorten the trip and the expectations and you'll have a memory that will last forever...
Keep the current plan, and it most likely will be a stressful and unsuccessful ride...

Just being honest...shipping to Australia can be painful even airfreighting...shipping in general will eat up at least 1 week of time-IF you're lucky...

BUT have faith...do you research and see if you have a shot at RTW...IF you really want to make it happen, I'm sure you can find a way and spend the $$$....as RTW has no clear definition.

What is your past experience? Specfically .. how far and long have you travelled by motorcycle before?

-----
3 months ... I'd skip Australia .. uk -> India .. fly to USA ... fly back home. There is suposed to be a RoRo Ferry for the bike from USA back to the UK... saves some money .. if you don't need the bike straight away when back home. But I think by the time you make it to India your 3 months will be up .. fly back from there. I'd not make a rush of it .. who cares if you don't do it all this time ..

RTW in three months is possible, but not much fun.

Have to agree with the spirit of the above... too much, too short a time. Also very expensive, for what you get.

Arranging anything in India will take two weeks (if you are lucky), then up to a week the other end collecting. Arranging departure in Australia takes a good week. Then they realise the bike counts as dangerous goods, and oh yes, the guy who signs off on the special form is at a conference in Darwin - yeah he'll be back soon. After he's taken his holidays of course. And so on. You get the run around wherever you are, it's part of the experience. Just not a good part.

That's at least three weeks - I'd say to allow five - in crummy city hotels going back and forth to disinterested agents every day (a demoralising and tedious experience). In other words,more than a third of your time spent doing crappy admin. Could even be half the time. And if anything goes wrong...

In your time frame, I would suggest a round trip to the subcontinent. Stay on the bike. Keep the wheels rolling. Eat up the ground miles not the air miles. Lose yourself a bit in the Himalaya. If you fancy the KKH then go up there and take some of the little travelled dirt roads. There's a famous polo match up there in the spring, maybe aim for that. Lot's of possibilities.

Then nip into India for a taste of something that takes your fancy.

The dates aren't best weatherwise, but completely doable.

Taj Mahal and back? Brilliant trip.

Simon

This was my first posting on the HUBB and I couldn’t have wished for three better replies. Many thanks. All good advice, all pretty much confirming what the other, more rational, half of my brain was thinking. Too ambitious in too short a time.

Australia has now been wiped off my map!

I like your idea Simon of the round trip but friends await in the US so that’s where the bike must go. I’ll prepare for the worst in Delhi and as you say Frank look into sea freighting back to the UK from America.

I’ll look upon this trip as a bit of a taster and hopefully return a braver man, finish my job and set off again with less of a time limit.

I realise weatherwise the dates aren’t ideal. I was going for a compromise that perhaps hasn’t worked. I figured that if I left it ‘til later in the year, while India would have cooled somewhat, N America would be heading into winter with shortish daylight hours. I need to work on that one I think.

Thanks again for your advice. It was much appreciated.

Pete

Couldn't agree more...
 

Hi Pete,
Those who have posted before me speak wisely, especially Simon.
You're plans, while admirable, do sound a little over ambitious; I'm glad that you seem to realise this, and have reined them in a little.
From my meagre experience of motorcycle overlanding, trying to cover too much ground is one of the easiest, but, unfortunately, most regrettable mistakes to make. I made it before, but I won't be making it again, I hope.

KKH, Gilgit and all those magical, mystical places really get my imagination going too, I have to say.

Simon's suggestion of Taj Mahal and back, with plenty of interesting places along the two legs of the return journey, sounds ideal. Don't be fooled into thinking that unless you circumnavigated the globe, you're not a 'true' motorcycle overlander; it couldn't be further from the truth. Some of those who have ventured only 1000 km, but did it slow and conscientiously, taking time to absorb the places they visited, are more worthly of the title of world traveller than those who blaze through continents due to imagined time pressures.
Quality, not quantity—it's a phrase that can be applied to many aspects of life, motorcycle travel among them.

I would love to be in your situation, seriously considering a trip along the KKH, but that oppoptunity isn't mine, at least not at the present. Appreciate your chance, grasp it and enjoy it, truly enjoy it! Don't rifle through it, wondering what it was you just blipped past when you finally return home.
Savour, don't gulp.

I wish you well, I wish you happy roads, I wish you safe roads.

Ken.

Pete,

A few more thoughts.

I had a very good experience flying out of Katmandu. That might be an option? One of the principal advantages was that it is a small city. Easy to get about _ and you'll be shuttling about a lot. Delhi is hard work. Either way, have a look at the recommendation on the shipping page on this site and email ahead to the freight agents. It might help a bit. Aim to arrive at the agent's office on a Monday morning - they might process the application that week then.

You have looked into the whole Iran visa transit permission thing yeah?

One good thing about your trip is that the last leg is in the states - you can always belt across on freeways if you're short of time. I quite enjoyed this experience. The middle bit hasn't so much to offer anyhow (hope no mid westerners are reading this).

In terms of weather, I think you've got the compromise about right. This depends on where in the US you intend to go of course.

Keep us in touch with your plans - we're all friends here.

Simon

Gentlemen,

Once again thanks for the input. I read your missive Ken with an increasingly heavy heart. After months of hearing from well meaning friends of how exciting my plans are it’s quite sobering to hear from an impartial voice like yours. What you say sounds spot on. Savour, don’t gulp. I like that. I certainly don’t want it to turn out like a 100m sprint but it could turn out that way couldn’t it, given all the potential delays. Maybe the secret is to just not think about them.

With regard to the Iranian visa Simon, the company I work for has contacts in that country and I’m hoping that that may go some way to helping the situation but as they themselves occasionally have problems obtaining visas I’m not building my hopes up too high. Company contacts are also behind my idea of flying out of Delhi. They have quite a large local presence in that city so I’m hoping to use their help and local experience to smooth my exit. ‘Smoothing’ probably means reducing the delay from two weeks to one week, six days!

Can’t one of you just lie to me and say what a wizard idea this all is!

Regards

Pete

It's a matter of ranking the alternatives, one better than the other.
 

:-)
I won't go as far as lying, but if truly only have two alternatives: cram it all in or stay at home and don't do the trip, then, okay, I'll say it's a wizard idea.

But! My previous post is very, very valid, I believe, and I had intended it to be my honest, genuine advice.

If you do decide to spend the money and time to do this trip, you will reap so much more from it if you are not hurrying. I don't think it will be as good if you blaze along the roads; I do think it will be better than sitting at home, needless to say!

Does this appease you at all? ;-)

Always always, whatever lights your candle. Sometimes you've just got to find out for yourself.

Two weeks exit India, one week entry west coast USA, one week exit east coast USA. About a month - give or take - in waiting. Should free up three to five days for your blast across the states. All going well, that is - and keeping a strict schedule on the first leg.

Which, given the costs of flying your bike there and shipping out, makes the US experience about 1000 USD a day. All going well that is.

The plan is the opposite of wise, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. We all have our own route to knowledge.

We are here to help you find yours, that's all.

(I would like to add a picture of a biker in the lotus position at this point, but can't find one).

Simon

Time is the most important coin in your life and choosing how you spend it IS the most difficult decision...

I could only afford 10 months...Simon 4 years...and you?

Either way, get out there and enjoy the opportunity no matter how far you go.

You'll only regret it...if you don't.

well caird, some very wise replies there!
im inclined to agree with them dispite being a little impatient and bull headed myself (i make my own plans and dont like people critisizing them!)

whatever ur trip, its a great opportunity, enjoy it! i hope to do the same sometime soon, best of luck!:thumbup1: