Update: This plan only works if the bastard doesn't dump you once he's taken the money and done the training.



Yeah OK maybe that was an obvious flaw.

But hey, on the flip side, I've just done 14000 miles and 4 months in Europe for about £3500 excluding the bike (but I get to keep or sell that), I'm back for 6 weeks then off to Indonesia getting paid to work for Rough Guides, then back for 5 weeks before spending Xmas working for my little sister who's a zoologist in Botswana.



Moral of the story: work with what you've got rather than focusing on what you think you should have, learn to stand on your own 2 feet and pick yourself up no matter what happens (that's literally as well as figuratively, 65kg me vs 250kg bike on its side...), and things will sort themselves out.

Laura

Wise words Laura ..

Please let us know how you got on in Indonesia .. as this country is on my 'optional' list.

Thanks




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Right Way Round ...

Hi all, Please forgive the length of this rambling but after reading every single entry in this topic over a good few days, I felt I had to throw my tuppence worth in.

Some years ago back in the early 70’s when I was 17 and I was scrubbing around on a BSA 175 Bantam, I decided I wanted to go around the world. I also wanted to go on a Triumph Daytona. I have no idea why a Daytona? It just sounded so glamorous and was a large bike at 500 cc. As some have said in other posts, not so long before those days a 500 was a real big bike ridden by men and anything bigger was for dragging a side car around. Incidentally I had no idea who Ted Simon was or that he was actually doing what I was dreaming about. Anyway the years rolled by and relationships, marriage, divorce, caring for elderly parents all got in the way.

In my late 30’s I had to wear glasses and I stopped biking. My dream was over and I sold my beloved Honda 400 four and everything I had to do with biking. It was only about three years ago, some ten years after I had sold my bike, when a close friend and fellow HUBBER told me about “decent” flip top helmets. I could wear one of those and still be able to put my glasses on. It was time to get another bike and start dreaming again.

With the extraordinary and generous help of some from here I have sourced a bike that would do all of the things I wanted it to do and go to the type of place I want to go. Equipped it with the best stuff I could afford which is a long way off and not necessarily the most expensive there is. From scratch with no helmet boots, gloves, tools or sod all I have a Transalp 650 and enough of the right gear to stay on the road almost indefinitely. The cost? around 8k. The bike and accessories such as a centre stand and crash bars etc came to about 3.5k£ the rest went on camping gear , luggage, security, clothes, tools and other bits and pieces. It all adds up. In trials some stuff worked and some didn’t. 200 quid’s worth of security chain keeps the bike safe at home but is far too big to carry around. Everything I have can be sourced for a lot less than what I paid. The truth is I have probably gone overboard and accumulated in 18 months what most have spent a lifetime gathering. I am very conscious of the ticking clock and age is not the only consideration, health is right up there.

Finally when most of the things stopping me had gone from my life a recession hit me. I was and still am of the opinion that I had to sell my house and not rent it out. I have seen and heard too many horror stories about people who ended up with undesirables in their property, rent unpaid and damage mounting to many 1000’s of pounds, dollars, euro’s etc etc. It is bad enough dealing with all of that if you live in the same town but halfway around the world? No thank you. For me this would be a one way trip, I would not be coming back. For a start it is hard enough to get a job in the UK right now but at the wrong side of 60 when I reckon I would be back I would be virtually unemployable. I cannot see me ending my days selling the big issue and sleeping in a hostel, No offence to those that do and have to. As a much younger man I have had to do similar things but I have no desire to re-visit old territory.

The only thing stopping me now is the money to go. Almost everything I have is tied up in the house and I do not believe I will be able to sell it for a “reasonable” price for at least another 18 months. When I look back there was always a reason why it could not be done and as far as I see it not everyone can travel at the drop of a hat regardless of who tells you that you can. I have since learnt it’s only when you do not know why you cannot do something that you try to do it at all. Will I ever manage it? Who knows but at almost 40 years after having the dream it has still not faded away and the urge to go is getting stronger every day. Just because you cannot do it today does not mean that you can never do it. Sometimes you just have to wait. In my case close to 40 years and still counting.

__________________
www.frothandflames.com
2012 Kawasaki W800
1997 NX 650 Dominator

Then there's the personal health issues to contend with as one grows older .. eh greenman? There can be no guarantees in this department either.

At age 55, and still blessed with comparatively excellent health (no health issues for me whatsoever) .. is the single most important factor that drives me to get on with it while I still can .. AND without the need to take pills or potions with me.

-----------------------------

BTW - Just been for quick lookaround your site. Nice! Thanks for the tip about the Garmin Quest satnav; reckon I'll stick with my Stylophone too ..

Cheers

KEITH

PS - shame we didn't meet-up in Ripley .. maybe next time?



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Right Way Round ...

Does anyone know anything about google adsense. Roughly how many poeple would you need to be looking to be giving you a hundred dollars a month say? This isnt a request for people to go clicking on my blog links (though feel free if you want to). Its just we only started with this blogging business and we got $20 waiting for us. I wasnt expecting this and now I am wondering if I can get some more!! Would it be o.k to encourage people to click the advert links on the blog in order to give me money (a sort of donation) or do you think this would make google mad and I'd get cut off.

We are getting a bit low on money, thinking of teaching english in Cambodia or laos for a few months, but this idea excites me more.

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Far From Home, U.K - Oz and beyond.
http://www.globegallivanting.blogspot.com/

Well - I just did a "clicky" on your blog !!!!!!

thank you!! yesterday i got 4 pounds, about $6.50, from 'clickings'! I only need ten pounds a day, so if i can just get another 6 pounds i can go forever...

this is great!

ps still need to know whether its ok to ask people to click on the blog links? any ideas? anyone make money from this?

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Far From Home, U.K - Oz and beyond.
http://www.globegallivanting.blogspot.com/

Hi all,

I'm reading through all the info here on setting up, financing etc etc and I'm really dead set on doing a RTW. I'm a graphic designer and can pretty much pick up work anywhere/ work over the net. I like to think I'm handy with a camera and would be happy to turn in a few pages of writing to a travel mag/blog if I needed some extra cash. Problem is, I'm loving the money I'm earning now.

London life is getting to the pair of us and I've always wanted to do a RTW on a bike and my partner is keen on the idea.

Her parents live in Malaysia so I thought a bike trip to KL would be not too long and not too short of a trip for us. We could probably do that on our megre (about 10k) savings. How far do you think 10k could get 2 people, roughly? I'm quite happy to do this as 'budget' as possible but I know she likes a shower and a toilet so maybe some hostels along the way.

We've been thinking about ways to save more money quicker...I used to be a chef and my partner's family have owned restaurants so we thought of setting up an underground restaurant in our home, doing markets with our food, going to peoples homes to cook for dinner parties, doing some graphic design work, writing our blog and maybe selling some ad space on there and finally setting up a website for something (not sure yet) and selling it.

my main issue (as I've noticed with most things in my life) is that there are too many decisions to make. I usually have the view that I should just make one and stick with it but I can't decide on that either.
I like asking opinions, getting lots of views and making my decision from there so if anyone who might have been there and done that wants to leave some inspiring words I'd really appreciate it.

Through HU I've got on to lots of blogs, people traveling all over and it's fascinating, although, I'm reading Jupiters Travels again for about the 5th time!




Supper Club London

What a great idea google adsense is! Thanks for mentioning it. I have just been accepted. We might as well earn a $ or two from our blogs seeing as we spend so much time working on them.

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Peter

http://peter-onamission.blogspot.com

I'm a police officer. I can retire next July (2010). The lump sum part of my pension will clear all of our debts and pay off a big chunk (but not all) of our mortgage. I'd love to take the wife on a really big bike trip - Highway 1 round the Australian coast is our goal.

However, I can think of a dozen reasons NOT to do the trip including;

Our kids - will be 17 and 16yrs old. Both still in full time education. Both want to go to university - which is going to cost us a fortune. How can I tell them that we will NOT support them through university because we want to go off on a motorcycle trip?

My father - is 85yrs old and has lived alone since my mum died 16 years ago. I am his sole carer. He relies on me completely to care for him. He can just about wash, dress and feed himself but that's it. He doesn't walk very well. He is almost completely deaf. He's had 2 heart attacks and 3 strokes. He has no transport and does not like to use the bus as it makes him ill. I do his washing (he's double incontinent - it's not pleasant). I do his shopping. I take him to every one of his numerous doctors and hospital outpatient appointments. I tend his garden. I cut his hair. I have power of attorney and deal with all his legal & financial matters.

My wife has family in Australia. We visited them a couple of years ago. When I told my father we were going, his first words were "Who is going to look after me?". It's just like having another dependent (child).

I feel totally trapped and can't see me EVER going on the bike trip I've been dreaming of for years.

Can anyone out there offer any advice or support?

Thanks

PETE
BEDFORDSHIRE
ENGLAND

After completing a trip of 35 months and a bit over 28,000 miles throughout Canada,the U.S. and nortern Mexico on a bicycle i discovered my biggest expence was the medical emergency travel (mostly airfare) to get me back home when other family members needed my presence.
Now i have been bitten (badly) by the adventure travel bug; as apposed to the regular travel bug that had me hitchhicking across the us as a tweenager so i have decided to put my old motorcycle to good use so i can speed up the exploration process before my "Macular Degeneration" ends the scenic beauty.
After spennding everyday the past several weeks looking over this site, i "hafta" say I am still thankful i never read the sister type sites involving bicycle touring.
One of the many things they have in comon is, by the time you think about jumping thru all the firey hoops most posters think are necessary for a journey of any magnitude you are too tired to go.
I think i will use the tried and true method i used for the bicycle tour;"the Braille method"
The bike has been sitting for about 20 years so i will rebuild the carbs and the generator and grab a few spare parts throw my bags onboard,and if it starts I'm gone...
Love the site love the trip journals......
see y'al in the funny papers!
Hope to see some of you on the road.......

Like many have already reported, I saved over a 4 year period. I didn't scrimp on everything, I'm not hard core as some (or have as much will power!), but I did forgo the luxuries and stuck to the basics of what I needed. When it came time to leave I sold everything that I couldn't take with me: the condo, the car, the clothes, tv, etc. Everything went. It was very liberating. I can't begin to express how free I felt with no possessions to my name, money in the bank, and the open road in front.

I returned to the world after 6 months. For me it was surprisingly easy. Too easy. I got a job, bought a car, bought a condo, etc. Now I'm right back to where I was prior to my trip -- and yet I'm dying to leave again. I stare at maps, troll the forums, and scan countless blogs.

I guess if I had any lessons to impart its this: if you leave and come back beware of settling back down, of assuming the trappings of your previous life, because sooner than you think the road will call to you and you will want to leave. Your urge to travel will not have been satiated with your first trip. So if you manage to break free, do come back to replenish the kitty, but stay light and footloose. Don't get caught in the quicksand, like me.

After almost a year on the market i have just accepted an offer on my house !
Fingers crossed that the sale goes through and AT LONG LAST !!!
Now my trip of a lifetime can begin !

Mr Moto best of luck, I am going to put my place on the market next September. I am planning to be away by March 2011. Let us all know how you get on.

Keith nice site have just PM'd you.

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www.frothandflames.com
2012 Kawasaki W800
1997 NX 650 Dominator