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35 year old road bike vs small dirt bike??? 35 year old road bike vs small dirt bike???
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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #16  
Old 22 Jul 2015
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Thanks for the advice!
I think whichever bike I decide to do it on, it will be for the whole journey. I like the idea of making the trip on the one bike and taking it all the way back, which will mean I'll definitely have to have a carnet. This shouldn't be an issue with the value of the bikes I'm looking at! The GL cost me £275!
I look forward to reading the Stella Alpine trip report!

Can anyone suggest any good trip reports from riders on similar bikes?

I'm in the middle of reading Jupiters Travels (a bit lighter than the GL but still fairly similar?) and have got the Road Heroes DVD from this site which has some stuff by Peter and Kay Forwood.
Jan, Thanks for the recommendation to have a look at Sjaak Lucassen. Great videos!
Definitely feeling inspired at the moment but unfortunately can't ride because of a broken ankle! May as well get the spanners out and start doing some maintenance. Thanks again!
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  #17  
Old 23 Jul 2015
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Originally Posted by Jay-573 View Post
Thanks for the advice!


Can anyone suggest any good trip reports from riders on similar bikes?

I'm in the middle of reading Jupiters Travels (a bit lighter than the GL but still fairly similar?)

Ted Simon ruined my life. I read his book in '84 when living in Israel. It caused me to go to Egypt bought a Jawa 350 and tried to ride it to Capetown. Damn you Ted Simon, I'm 55 years old and can't get you out of my head.

Here are some links to RR from people on older bikes and pure street bikes..

Virginia to Alaska and back on an '86 Yamaha Radian | Adventure Rider

ninja 250, 2 up TX to Argentina | Page 14 | Adventure Rider

The WRONG Way Round.... on a Chopper! | Adventure Rider

Central and South America on a Road King | Page 17 | Adventure Rider

Manboy in the Promised Land: Free Bike to Oblivion | Page 2 | Adventure Rider

There's more where these came from. I know there were a few with GS500s but my 5 min search didn't find them. These are mostly N/S America but there are Asia ones too.
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  #18  
Old 23 Jul 2015
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Originally Posted by Jay-573 View Post
for example of some forest tracks in SE asia,
The best bikes to explore SE Asia are the small ons which can be rented everywere for 5 Dollars per Day. No expensive shiping, no loss of value and all the parts are available if needet: http://schoene-motorradreisen.de/?re...ailand_bangkok

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  #19  
Old 23 Jul 2015
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Location: Back into the hamster wheel again, in Oslo - Norway. Did a 5 year RTW trip/250 k kms, 2014-2019
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Originally Posted by pecha72 View Post
I´ve travelled enough around Asia to know, that absolutely anything could be possible, if it happens to be your lucky day.

That said, I would definitely NOT make travel plans on a motorcycle based on the assumption, that I would be able to get the bike into India, Pakistan, or Indonesia without a carnet. Even though I do know someone, who once did Indonesia without a carnet (..but it was a loong time ago.. and it WAS his lucky day, when he was dealing with the customs - 2-3 lucky days actually, it was a huge mess and it took him that long !!!)

Bikes bought within the ASEAN customs union COULD be the exception, and could possibly move more freely within its boundaries - but then again, there seem to be very few documented trips of this kind, so this is just guessing.

In short: If your bike is not regoed in an ASEAN country, you will most certainly need a carnet to get it to India, Pakistan or Indonesia. All the other countries in that region are more negotiable, or may not require a carnet at all, but those three do.
Exactly as Pecha72 said, in SEAsia everything can be possible and everything can be impossible. Depending on where and when you cross borders and who you meet at the border.

By the way, you can count in Malaysia as a Carnet country. I passed through there a month a go and a Carnet is most certainly needed there.

And going through Malaysia and Indonesia without a Carnet on a bike registred in other places in Asia - well I belive it when I see it, not before.
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  #20  
Old 23 Jul 2015
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VicMitch, Thanks for those links!
After spending far too long today reading rtwDoug's report on his harley chopper journey through Europe and across Russia, I'm definitely feeling more inspired to take the GL!
I've come across this link in an old post on this forum about a couple who toure, two up on a cx500:
A Ride through Argentina South America | Feature Review | Motorcyclist Online
but I haven't been able to find any more information/reports etc about the trip or from Keith Kimber and Tania Brown. Does anyone know where I might find anything extra?? Thanks!
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  #21  
Old 24 Jul 2015
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Doug is an exception,he can fix anything with a stick of wood or a rock.
How is your craft?
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  #22  
Old 31 Jul 2015
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Originally Posted by yokesman View Post
Doug is an exception,he can fix anything with a stick of wood or a rock.
How is your craft?
Good question.

You might need to fix newer bikes during the trip.

You are almost guaranteed to have to fix this and that on an old bike during the trip.

A thorough re-build, checking and renewing absolutely everything, that could possibly be near the end of its life-cycle before the trip, would also be essential, if you choose to take the old bike, and doing this would teach you a lot about that old bike as well.
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