I'm SERIOUSLY considering a UK-Magadan organised tour in 2014....

I'm not sure if you can charge someone to go with you on a trip that you haven't done before. It would be a new trip for me also.

What would people expect for their money.. ???

My GF is also talking about buying a small 4X4 to follow for support. Carrying spares, food, luggage etc.

I could easily do another UK-Capetown or a tour around South America.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I don't think you will get many takers from this forum, but I am sure some of the ABR lot would be interested, you would need to be fixer, mum, mechanic minder, doctor and their guide all rolled into one, thats for sure.

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'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

You obviously have to charge people for your 'overhead' which is your bike, the support vehicle, wages for the support vehicle driver, INSURANCE etc.. They also have to pay for what you include in the package such as accommodation and meals but also may include a lot of pre trip admin such as arranging visas and carnets depends on how 'inclusive' you want to make it.

Bear in mind that your clients are booking a guided tour because they don't know how to do it themselves so even bike preparation may be outside their experience. I think the route is the least of the problems, you'll be earning your money just wet nursing and spannering.

The problem is forecasting the number of takers so you can split the overhead x ways to arrive at a realistic package cost.

Actually on tour the biggest issue is keeping the grumpies happy. As I've found on the short tours I do around here there is always one (grumpy) and it never fails to amaze me what they can dream up to complain about.

Touring Ted

Would your fee include an ex-SAS bodyguard and fixers standing by at borders?

You could join me for a year and a half for the tidy sum of £18,000.


That Includes staying in backpacker Hostels around Australia and Europe and some irregular camping episodes of an unknown time frame due to excessive ingestion of alchohol.

The Hire of a DR650SE for 8 months in Oz.

Fuel,Food and fun,fun, fun....well, my kind of fun anyway.

Waking up in strange but very friendly places after a all-night bender.

Working a couple of weeks every once in a while on construction sites and as a second driver to top up your spending money.

Developing international communication skills in the respected field of " talking bollocks to impress the chicks "

Discover that maps and GPS are totally over-rated and taking roads at random are much more fun and mis-adventerous.



Who wants to book with me right now?

Nope... Not at all. Where's the fun in that ??

However, I do own a rather powerful, bright yellow water pistol..

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

To be totally honest, I would go for that RTW trip without hesitation if I had the financial resources to do so, and it would not leave me destitute.

i.e. if i won the lottery.

I went on one of those BMW Morroco trips, years ago when I got a very short notice offer for a place due to a riders cancellation....I was working in a well paid job/owed some leave, so went on it and really enjoyed myself, and yes it did make a relaxing change to have everything sorted out for me.....As I was in a group I did have to modify my usual riding style of wearing nothing but goose fat and a miners helmet ( aerodynamics ) but apart from that it was great.

SO for me, These trips are totally out of my scope in my present situation. But If I become one of the idle rich/internet porn star/lottery winner then I would be spending the rest of my days doing them.

P.S. It also sends you batshit crazy when you travel on your own for a long time...A lot of people and friends and family are too polite to tell you, but you are starting to edge into that " eccentric uncle/aunty " category with every solo trip you do.After talking with myself for several weeks I managed to catch it before I got that far.

It's a good point that company and socialising are very valuable to most folk. Perhaps we can start a dating/matching section? I'll kick it off here.

I'd love to travel with a woman on the back of the bike. I'd do all the riding and navigation.

She only needs to be light weight and slim, sexy and smiling. Spoken English not essential. Good cooking and washing skills, but not ironing, and sense of smell not important, or wanted!

Fast and competent tyre changing skills needed or ready to learn these. Good with spanners would be appreciated.

Lastly, financially secure and generous of nature.

She'd be seeking a good natured, courteous, non sexist male companion with a sense of humour. Lindsay.

.. AND have an unlimited supply of 95 octane gasoline/petrol .. surely? :confused1:



.

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Right Way Round ...

Ted, I enjoyed your post and idea, but to be honest, I think that the people willing you join you towards Magadan would be other fellow riders not willing to pay. I'm sure you would have great fun, but I'm nor sure thew'd pay for it.

If you consider that option, why don't you try to guide tours with Edelweiss or any other? You will make money, will know better the business, the needs and will be sure you don't want to hang any annoying customer after two weeks. But especially the last one. After that, you may settle on your own.

GB tours sound expensive, but after having seen one DVD by Globeriders and see their hotels, meals and hassle-free ride, apart from the fact of becoming and adventurous guy featuring in a DVD, I don't think it is that crazy expensive. Just hand your passport and bike (and $$$) and you'll be riding the Silk Road as you commute home, just your gear.

Kevin and Helge deserve to make their money, and have achieved things that justify their "price". If you want to ride alongside Charly Boorman will cost you big bucks; just up to you as well. I've only met one tour guide, Jens, the HU Germany meeting organizer and seen one presentation he made. If I had the money and little time, no doubt I would join any tour he may lead, because it would certainly be great fun. He does well his job and deserves to be accordingly well paid.

So, for me it is totally ok if you want to pay 75000GBP, for whatever reason, no time to prepare it, no interest, don't like to go alone, want a great sleep every night... Just go for it and enjoy it, it's your money, just spend it as you like it. It may only bother me if after that trip you want to teach in the pub what "adventure riding" is. Share your experience, I'd be happy to listen and learn, but please be humble, modest, don't pretend to be an explorer. You are not. Although after seeing some profiles in that DVD, I suspect it may not always be the case.

At £75000 that's £267.85 per day for 40 days sorry but that's nuts
In europe £30 per day tops so where doe's asia come in £20 or £15 per day
and the most important thing is you go where you want.
sounds like a bunch of rich twats to me talking about there mid life crisis and how much money they made from banking
Sorry but i think i would end up hanging one of them from a tree somewhere in afiica.Good luck to Kevin and Julia if there's prats willing to pay that much well done
Happy biking

Hi

Fo info we did one year and 66000 km from Alaska to ushuaia
s with a 25000 € budget !
very good margin for globe buster ...

See ya

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http://www.transam2011.fr
http://www.ride-in-tours.com/

I know I'm pretty quiet and conservative, but parties, buzz and drugs (especially drugs) are the latest things I would spend a whole "25.000 GBP free package" in if I had the time to travel. I don't know if that also makes me less adventurous, but for sure I hope it would make me less a "sophomore" in his "wild" gap year during his long stop in Byron Bay.