HU Travellers Meeting CanWest 2018

Rosie Gabrielle South Africa, You Nearly Killed Me / Chronic Illness - Living to the Fullest / VIDEO: How to Best Capture Your Adventure

South Africa, You Nearly Killed Me
A visual journey of a series of unfortunate events... and one epic adventure

I had a dream and a will to go. Unfortunately, my bike had other plans. Through exciting photos, a few fun video clips,and an unbelievable story of trials and tribulations, I walk you through the story of how I managed to get a free bike to cross Africa. But it wasn't exactly what I signed up for. A six-month trip turned into life lessons that would've taken a lifetime to gain had it not been for the countless misfortunes I went through.

Chronic Illness - Living to the Fullest
How I overcame all odds, chose my own way, and live a life full of passion to inspire others

Bikes too big, no gear, no plan, health problems. Why do I choose not to follow the crowd and do things the "conventional way"? I'm a solo female rider. I've ridden many places around the world on all types of bikes and tend to do things my own way. Get a big dose of inspiration as I tell you my secrets of how I don't let things stop me. My story of the many challenges I've faced and what keeps me going; how I afford to travel the way I do; not listening to the fear that people try to instill in me; not letting chronic illness and deteriorating health stop me from living a life filled with passion. Through colourful images and heartfelt video, find out about the fire that fuels my passion for this life of travel.

VIDEO: How to Best Capture Your Adventure
Learn what it takes to create memorable, exciting videos of your trips

Learn the Do's and Don't's of what makes a successful, captivating video of your adventure! I go through everything from equipment you'll want to use, how to get over the fear of talking in front of the camera, how to find your "style" of filming, how to best captivate your audience, where to share it, how social media works, and a little bit of how to edit your creations. After this, you'll have the confidence and knowledge to go out and start creating your own amazing videos!

ROSIE GABRIELLE is a young female photographer/videographer/adventure rider, and a "social media influencer" who rides around the world solo (or with her small pup, Winston) on a motorcycle making videos and content to inspire people to travel the world, to get people to think differently, to open their minds and hearts, and to go beyond their limiting thoughts about themselves and others.

Daryl Makk Working From Your Motorcycle If your work requires travel why not take your bike no matter how far?

As a travelling entertainer, I have used my motorcycle to maximize my summer fun and using it as my primary work transportation. 3 cross Canada comedy/motorcycle tours, plus many other shorter comedy trips have taught me that, yes, you can go to work out of town on a motorcycle. I'll share how I packed the fancy clothes and necessities to be a mobile office for trips that, at times, exceeded 20 days.

DARYL MAKK is a stand-up comic and motorcycle enthusiast. Former long-haul truck driver. The road has been his world for most of his adult life. During the summer months, he plans his shows as he rides, letting his career pay for his motorcycle journey.

Krista Harris The Top-to-Bottom of Going Top-to-Bottom The Way Home

The Top-to-Bottom of Going Top-to-Bottom
How two newbies traveled from northern Canada to southern Argentina... and are still friends

This will be a repeat of our 2016 presentation at Nakusp about why we went, what we took, what we loved, and what we could have done better. It is a good taster from some non-expert rookies on how to "just go do it".

The Way Home
Get your bikes home from South America with as little flight time as possible + maximum kilometres

This is the rest of our story for those who saw our presentation in 2016 or saw Talk #1 above. We discuss our experience of Uruguay, Brazil and Guyana, and the mistakes we made getting to Miami. We also talk about our journey through the eastern states and across Labrador. We will have suggestions on how to travel light, how to make friends and how to not talk about politics until you have checked for a passport.

KRISTA HARRIS and her husband did a 100-day road trip to Argentia in 2015. In 2016, we flew back to the bikes and continued for another 60 days up through Brazil and Guyana, then flew the bikes to Miami. In 2017, we rode up the eastern states and across Labrador before heading home in time to be at Nakusp for the HU Canwest conference!

Zigy Kaluzny Touring Scandinavia Mainly Norway and a bit of Finland

Combine Alaska's dramatic wilderness and Wisconsin's rolling dairy country, or the beauty, easy culture, friendly people and great local food of New Zealand with the dramatic vertical landscapes of Switzerland (and, unfortunately, its prices), and you have Scandinavia. I've just returned from a month of riding from Helsinki, Finland to Nordkapp, Norway, and back down the Atlantic coast. It's among the most beautiful and satisfying places to ride: a land of green, blue and white, forests, fjords and lakes, white-sand beaches and sub-arctic tundra and snowy heights, all linked by sweetly-winding roads.

Although it's expensive, you can choose from a wide range of accommodations: ubiquitous campgrounds or "feriecenter" offer small private huts ("hytte") and many small restaurants; hostels almost everywhere, and locals offer private rooms, and hotels. Wild camping, done respectfully, is acceptable as Norway has a marvelously welcoming old law, "allemannsretten", which means "the right to roam," so one can hike or camp almost anywhere, including on unfenced private property... leave it as clean as you found it.

The same economical variations holds true for food: well-stocked grocery stores often offer salad bars and pre-made sandwiches on hearty breads and a good range of smaller packages of cheeses and meats and freshly made whole-grain breads and rolls. Many of the hostels' prices include a buffet breakfast that can include everything from yoghurt to smoked salmon. I've also feasted in gorgeous restaurants that I wished were in my home town. The coffee in Norway is strong and there is no shortage of local cafes. Why wouldn't you visit?

ZIGY KALUZNY returns to CanWest with fresh traveling dust still clinging to him. Check out his workshops, Packing Lite and Making - Not Taking - Photographs below.

Francis Walsh, VanIsle ADVenture Moto The Adventure Starts... When The Plan Falls Apart 5 friends + 5 KTMs + 5 months... London to Seoul. What could possibly go wrong??

With plenty of collective experience and loads of preparation of both ourselves and our bikes, a plan was carefully put together to travel in 2017 to Mongolia and beyond. Unplanned events (interestingly enough, all of them happened after participation in an exorcism) such as a head-on collision, denied border entry, expiring visas, and a lost passport resulted in formulating Plans B, C, D, and more. How did it turn out? How many letters are in the alphabet? It was quite the Adventure!

Like most first-generation Irish-Chinese Canadians, FRANCIS WALSH was bitten by the travel bug early. He's been fortunate to have visited 60+ countries on six continents in the past 30+ years, traveling by motorcycle or sailboat whenever he has the chance. His wife tells him his insatiable wanderlust is due to this being his first time on this planet (as far as he knows).

Jenny Morgan Northern eXposure Double or Nothing Rally Raid Kit for the BMW G310GS

Northern eXposure
An on- and off-road adventure through Canada and the bordering United States

This is the U.S. debut of Jenny's brand new travel video/slide-show presentation featuring highlights from her Summer 2017 solo adventure ride onboard her trusty Rally-Raid/Honda CB500X Adventure bike. This 10,000-mile journey through Canada and the bordering U.S. states includes some of the best backroads, by-ways and off-road trails between some familiar and lesser-known points of interest. NOTE: This is primarily an animated slide and video presentation with pauses for explanation and Q&A.

Double or Nothing
Tips for compact and efficient travel packing for on- and off-road

A wise man once said, "Overweight is underprepared." Jenny takes up this challenge and shows you how to pack everything you need into a minimalist luggage system for an indefinite period on- and off-road. Revised for 2017, this slide-show and practical demonstration includes tips on camping equipment, clothes, tools, spares, tech and navigation. With careful planning and consideration, a little can actually go a VERY long way indeed. Q&A is encouraged throughout the presentation.

Rally Raid Kit for the BMW G310GS
Tentatively an extension of "Double or Nothing" or on display

Decked out with its customized Rally Raid kit, Jenny's new BMW G310GS will be on-site for your viewing pleasure. Jenny will show the bike and the kit. And, as always, she's on hand for all your questions about it!

JENNY MORGAN is a British solo adventure overland traveller and rally racer. Currently dividing her time between the U.K. and the U.S.A., she has ridden in North and South America, Europe, and North Africa. She is also a key member of the Rally Raid Products (UK) development team, including the Honda CB500X and now the new BMW G310GS.

Bruce Friesen Journey to Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 1974 Reflections on motorcycle travel to Bamiyan in the mountainous heart of Afghanistan and to stand atop the giant standing buddhas

In the central heart of Afghanistan, the hidden valley of Bamiyan! Surrounded by the Hindu Kush, the easiest road in through a mountain pass exceeding 11,000 feet in elevation, protecting two monumental Standing Buddhas for 1500 years. On our motorcycle travels from London to Bombay in 1974, my wife and I heard of this amazing place and could not resist this side trip despite the long, rough and twisting gravel road from Kabul. You'll see images of the remote village of Bamiyan, once a stop along the Silk Road, with its extensive network of monks' cells carved into the faces of vertical cliffs, culminating in the two huge standing Buddhas dating from the 500s C.E., the larger 165 feet tall. And the 'City of Screams". The talk builds on that Bamiyan sidetrack to include observations on elements of a long overland journey of that era including the bike, the luggage, the road, accommodations, food, and cultural experiences (getting 'stoned').

BRUCE FRIESEN traveled North America in 1970 with a friend (two bikes) 6,000 miles, alone 3,000 miles. Then again with the same friend in Europe and Israel (1971), and in 1974 with wife from London to Bombay, and on to Perth for six years. They completed the world trip (N. America in 1996!). In 2010, they rode 10,000 miles from Canada-U.S.A.-Mexico, just cruising with a friend on his way to Ushuaia as far as the Guatemalan border. Lots of other non-motorcycle travel, too.

Trevor Marc Hughes The Transcontinentalist The story of "motorcycle-naturalist" Hamilton Mack Laing's 1915 motorcycle journey across the U.S.

In the summer of 1915, British Columbia writer and naturalist Hamilton Mack Laing set out to ride across the continental United States from Brooklyn to Oakland. In the days when motorcycles and motorcycle travel were new, two-wheeled travellers like Laing sought out the unknown, slept rough, befriended locals in the communities they passed through, lived by their wits and connected with nature. What can we learn today from riders like Laing who rode over a century ago? What was in their panniers? How did they live day-to-day? How has motorcycle travel evolved...or has it? Trevor Marc Hughes tells the tale of one man's search for adventure on a 1915 Harley-Davidson named "Barking Betsy".

TREVOR MARC HUGHES is an author, writer and motorcyclist who has written two books about his motorcycle travels and writes for various motorcycle magazines. He has adventured across BC, Alberta and Washington state. He currently rides a BMW F650GS.

Photo source: Comox Archives

Audrey & Ekke Kok Round the World: One Year at a Time Travelling RTW over 20 years being inspired, informed and connected by Horizons Unlimited

At the 1998 BMW MOA National Rally in Missoula, Montana, Audrey and Ekke attended one of Susan and Grant Johnson's first presentations on how to travel around the world by motorbike. They were captivated by the idea and spent the next couple of years figuring out how to make their own adventure happen. In 2002, they took their first of four year-long leaves of absence to travel throughout Europe and northern Africa. Having learned that they loved travelling, they promptly started planning their next adventure, to travel around the world from north to south in 2007. While that didn't go quite as planned, they were able to ride the length of Africa and the breadth of Canada. In 2012, they embarked on a circumnavigation of Asia, riding from Germany to China and returning to Europe by way of Japan and Southeast Asia.

Their latest journey saw them start in Colombia and ride around South America, first down the west side of the continent to Ushuaia where they caught a last minute cruise to the Antarctic and back north along the east coast as far as Brazil, returning home to Canada in 2017. Twenty years after that rally changed Audrey and Ekke's lives, they've spent four years on the road, travelling 150,000 kilometres through 79 countries. Throughout their journey Horizons Unlimited has played an important role; inspiring, informing and connecting them to fellow travellers. They will highlight the lessons learned on their journey around the world.

EKKE and AUDREY KOK have been travelling around the world by motorbike ever since seeing Susan and Grant's presentation in 1998. EKKE has been riding motorcycles since before he was born (thanks, Dad!).

Carrie & Glen Cullen Unlimited Travel How we're setting up our finances to travel almost indefinitely

We are a very normal, if not boring, couple who came to an HU event about five years ago on a whim and proceeded to become inspired to expand our travel experiences to include international destinations. However, the one thing that we could not find out was how we could do this financially. It seemed that you either needed to have a job that gave you extended flex time, save up for a number of years and then spend it all, or sell everything and travel till it runs out. None of these ideas appealed to us as we are both self-employed and have real interest in selling everything. We need our home base to feel connected. It was with these new ideas of travel in our minds that we began to look for ways to make it all come together for us. It took us a while but it has now come around and is all falling into place. We discovered what works for us and want to share our plan with you. It might be just what you are looking for. It will get you thinking.

GLEN and CARRIE CULLEN have been traveling around western Canada and USA over the past five or six years on motorcycle. Since their first HU event five years ago, international travel became their focus goal. Sure enough, a four-month trip to Europe is slated for the fall of 2018! Over the past several years, they have been reorganizing our lives to make this dream a reality.

Grant and Susan Johnson, Horizons Unlimited How it all began. The story of Grant and Susan's 11-year trip around the world, without a plan or a clue!

Way back in 1987, before the Internet, two young and naive Canadians set out from Vancouver to ride around the world on a motorcycle. The plan (and budget) was for 3 years, but it didn't quite work out that way!

Kristi Williamson, Koots Roots Yoga Yoga for Motorcyclists

Kristi is a fellow motorcyclist, so she totally knows the yoga your body needs at the end (or start!) of a long day's ride. She will lead an all-levels welcome class targeting the areas of the body needing the most stretch throughout your adventure travels. Sessions will be the outdoors either in the morning or evening, so bring your own mat or towel. Prepare to stretch out your kinky side!

KRISTI WILLIAMSON is the owner of Koots Roots Yoga studio right in the heart of Nakusp, BC. She makes elbow stands look easy.

Zigy Kaluzny Packing Lite for Long Distance Tours / Making - Not Taking - Photographs

Packing Lite for Long Distance Tours
How to select and pack minimum, yet adequate, clothing for long distance touring

If you're like most of the riders I see, I bet you constantly ask yourself "why did I bring all this stuff?" Many of you probably don't use half of the clothes you've stuffed in your panniers. Twenty years of long-distance motorcycle touring across the American West, up to Alaska, and months in New Zealand and Europe have taught me just how little clothing I need to travel and still not look or smell like the Mongol hordes pouring out of Central Asia.

I'm going to show you how little you really need in the way of clothes to tour (almost) anywhere. The benefits: less stuff to dig through, and a lighter bike. Less IS more! You'll get recommendations for specific brands of readily available travel clothing, where to find it, what to pack it in, and a customizable list of the 20 years of constantly-updated personal gear I carry.

Making - Not Taking - Photographs
How to make personal and memorable photos on the road

You come back from a great motorcycle trip and as gorgeous and interesting as the places were, your photos consist of "Here's my bike in front of some famous local monument... Here's my bike with some (not-as-beautiful-as-I-remembered-and-too-far-away-to really-appreciate) mountains... Those (ant-sized) people in the distance? They were really cool... "

Disappointed that your images aren't like the ones in National Geographic? Your photos from the road don't have to put everyone -- including you -- to sleep. I'm going to show you how to MAKE -- NOT TAKE -- photos on the road that can be intriguing, funny, and definitely memorable, no matter what camera you carry. Secret: you don't need a "pro" camera and six lenses that fill your top case and are a pain to get out.

ZIGY KALUZNY was a photojournalist for 20 years, completing assignments for publications including TIME, NEWSWEEK, THE NEW YORK TIMES, FORBES, PEOPLE, and European magazines like Germany's GEO and STERN. His work is currently represented by GettyImages, the world's largest stock photo agency. Check out his talks Iceland and Touring Scandinavia above.

Herman Kovacs Making Your Own Motorcycle Seat Hands-on demo to modify your stock seat into an all-day happy travel companion

This is your chance to bring your backend to the forefront! Herman has been making custom motorcycle seats for both on- and off-road riding for all brands of bikes for the past 30 years. He's bringing his seat-making equipment (knife, sandpaper, drill, glue, and the correct density of foam) to show you how to customize your motorcycle seat for the long haul when touring.

Also on view: Herman's bike with his custom seat (throw a leg over to get a sense of quality customization); a display of aftermarket, strap-on seat comforters; and 8x10" pictures outlining the various stages of how Herman modifies a seat BEFORE it gets covered with upholstery... that's his field of expertise. You'll need to find an upholsterer to make and install the seat cover.

Herman will also make suggestions on what you can do prior to starting your trip, especially if your stock seat has been giving you grief, but you don't want to customize it. He'll show you how to make your seat more comfortable using some of the items you generally carry in your luggage.

HERMAN KOVACS has been motorcycling in North America for the past 40 years: Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alaska, the four western Canadian provinces, and the Maritimes. In the U.S., he's traveled to the Grand Canyon and, in the winter of 2015, a second trip to Death Valley.

Grant and Susan Johnson, Horizons Unlimited 4 Easy Steps to Overland Travel! You can do it - we can help! Finding your way around Horizons Unlimited, other resources. Lots of great pics and video clips.

"Grant and Susan Johnson are icons in the round-the-world (RTW) motorcycling community. The Johnsons host - or more appropriately write, edit, produce, manage and coordinate Horizons Unlimited - a global network of motorcycle travelers... and a bona fide adventure motorcycling phenomenon." Dan Hilton, Rider Magazine

This seminar will be an overview of various 'How To' topics. Includes 'How to' content from the Achievable Dream series and great pics from HU Photo Contest winners!

Grant Johnson, Horizons Unlimited Fix that flat! How to change a tire anytime, anywhere!

Grant's tire changing seminars are always well attended and appreciated. This seminar covers: how to prevent flats in the first place, and fix them when you get one; the best tools and how to use them for tube and tubeless tires; hands-on practical for beginners to experts, optional tire changing contest.

Grant's tire changing seminar at HU California meeting.

Grant Johnson, Horizons Unlimited Bike mods and ergonomics!

Grant will host a bike 'Show and Tell' - bring your bike and show us your favorite travel mods. Critique and discussion.

When you picked up your new bike, did they take the time to make it fit you? You'll learn the amazing difference a properly setup bike makes to your riding fun.

Ergonomics demonstration at HU Canada West meeting.

LOTS of presentations to come! As people register to present we'll list them here.

How about you? We're all here to learn, and there's LOTS to learn! We want to do more presentations and seminars - but we need volunteers to give them! Any topic you can contribute having to do with motorcycle travel, maintenance, planning etc, lasting 20 minutes or more, would be great. Please contact us here to volunteer.