HU Travellers Meeting Ontario 2014

Lorant (Lorry) and Kelli Gombos Central Asia - Pamir Highway on a Vstrom

It was a dream and it became reality but lots happened in the meantime.

I was looking at my old, wrinkled Asia map on the wall in our Taiwanese home. Even the scripts were written in Mandarin and the Stan countries were basically non-existent: it was just the vast land of the Soviet Union. The place that always made me curious. I wanted to go there now and see it myself even 22 years after the fall of Soviet communism. Riding in Central Asia was becoming a dream...

Lorry has been riding for almost 2 decades and has always itched to go off the map, whether it be on a sports bike, dirt bike or big dual sport. Kelli has done most of their motorcycle adventures as a pillion.

Larry Johnson and Cathy Davies Others planned it, but we had to ride it - We joined the 1st guided circumnavigation of the world by motorcycle

Senior citizens who want to motorcycle around the world need a little help with logistics. Tour companies wanted to know if anybody would want help with circumnavigation. Eleven people said "Sure, we want to try." Here's the story of how we did it. My wife, Cathy Davies, was the only woman who rode her own bike. We were the only ones riding non-BMW bikes.

Between jobs and relationships in 1979, Larry Johnson has solo-traveled 10 countries, 8 thousand miles thru Europe. 2010-11 joined the first guided RTW for eight months through 32 countries and only needed two operations when he got home.

Wolfe Bonham A Gringo in Mexico - It's not safe in Mexico, and other lies about travel south of the border

Friends and family were outraged and worried that I wanted to travel solo through Mexico on my motorcycle. Despite that I spent 2 months riding through the entire country with nothing but great times, great food, and great people. This presentation will show the realities of solo travel in and around Mexico (as well as Belize and Guatemala), in the hopes of encouraging others to travel to these amazing destinations without fear or prejudice.

A study in contrasts, Wolfe is a tattooed Motorcycle Rebel Horticulturist who travels the world investigating the outdoors, gardens, and flowers. Wolfe is always on the lookout for the next cultural experience, the next great garden, the next winding road, and the next stunning sunset...

Chantal Cournoyer 53 000 km to dream - Pics, talk and video to give riders the will to go on the road.

Going around Americas is more than just a dream. It's an accessible dream! Come and enjoy our trip we did in 2012-2013 through pictures, videos and stories that will put the small germs inside yourself to eventually push you outside and start your own journey. That's what it's all about: sowing the idea and make it happen!

Chantal Cournoyer has been a rider for 23 years. After traveling through the Americas with her boyfriend, she wrote a book "53 000 km to dream". Now dreaming of the next trip. Which country? Who knows!

Patrick Trahan, Racing Dakar, Circumnavigation of Africa, Morocco and more!

Dreams, let's do something about it!

Patrick will talk about his own story and how he realized most of his dreams. He had a dream when he was 15 to ride the Paris Dakar rally one day. At age 30 he bought his first motorcycle, after 10 times on it, he decided to send it in Europe to participate in his first rally. Became the first Canadian to ride a world cup Africa Rally. During the 10 years that followed he participated in 4 Dakars. In 2010 he became a Dakar winner, i.e reached the finish line!

Circumnavigation of Africa - One man, One bike, One continent, One goal

Patrick Trahan attemped to circumnavigate Africa on his Honda motorcycle solo and no support! He raised funds for the Children's Wish foundation of Canada. It was also a world record attempt to do it in 90 days. But unfortunately he had a head on collision in Nigeria with a car travelling against the traffic. It left him with 18 fractures. After being repaired in SA, he was in a wheel chair for a couple of months, then after rehabilitation, he was on a bike 5 months after the crash. He will talk about the preparation, the cause, the routes, the accident.

Morocco: Gate of Africa

Discover the beauty of Morocco and also the do's and don'ts on how to ride in Morocco. With the help of beautiful pictures, Patrick shares his 12 years experience of riding in Morocco and also will talk about the uniqueness of this country when riding - the skills required, the bike, the road, the off road, the people, the border, etc.

Andrew Pain Canada on a Small Motorcycle - Banff to Alaska, people, places, and 250ccs

Riding north through the Canadian Rockies on a small motorcycle, with a stuffed bear for company. Come along as we dodge real bears, rain, and odd roadside art.

Andrew Pain worked as a Paramedic in Milwaukee, WI for 15 years before quitting his job and hitting the road to see North and South America. Skipping the large bikes everyone told him to take, he rode a thirty year old, 250cc Yamaha for most of a year. Since returning the United States he has published several books on minimal motorcycle travel.

Greg Powell and Bill Hooykaas, Two Ways Down

Tip to tip in the Americas. Two friends head out to Ushuaia in 2011, one rode solo, one with GlobeBusters. We'll discuss the pros and cons of each method, so bring your questions!

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!

Darren Baptiste, Turn Left at Bogota - Toronto to Trinidad on a KLR650

My first big trip, a solo run through the Americas and into the Caribbean. When coming from the North, most people continue South from Colombia. I turned left and went on to Venezuela and Trinidad. From the marketing blurb for the eBook:

"A chronicle of a solo motorcycle journey over 4-1/2 months through 13 countries. With over 20 videos and almost 200 photos, plus maps, web links, interactive features and even a radio interview, you'll be treated to a front-row view of what it takes to organize, and survive, an epic trip like this.

There are tales of sickness and loss, meeting adversity, and thrilling triumph. And, of course, the wonderful stories of the generous and kind-hearted souls met along the way. If you're already a rider, you'll relate. If you don't yet ride, be warned — this book of wanderlust and adventure may inspire you to try something new."

Warren Milner The Technology Behind the Adventure - Discussion of engineering compromises in adventure bike design

"Having worked with Japan on product development for the North American market I have gained insight into some of the reasons why motorcycles are built the way they are. I have put together a presentation that discusses some of the more controversial subjects related to Adventure bike design to provide a better understanding of the engineering compromises made and why.

The presentation is about half an hour and will discuss items such as ABS brakes yes or no for off-road, forks conventional vs inverted merits of each, why is chassis flex desirable, what's the big deal with mass centralization, and finally why you should trust the manufacturers rather than some random on the internet. The presentation will be followed by a 10 min Q&A where attendees can ask those questions they've always wanted to ask the manufacturers why don't you just build this, or why not bring this bike to Canada etc."

Warren Milner has travelled extensively through North America all states, provinces and territories. Mexico, some South America some Europe some Japan. Worked at Honda Canada for close to 30 years in tech support, product planning and marketing.

Diana Londono Yoga for Motorcyclists

Aerodynamic Foundation, Pre And Post Riding Practice (60 min talk & demonstrations)

Join me to learn the basic understanding of the importance of keeping proper alignment in your bike and how to build balance between strength and flexibility plus improving endurance. You will learn techniques to improve awareness and how to recover faster through YOGA, supporting your ride even beyond your destination.

From the bike to the mat. (90 min yoga practice)

As bikers we are enthusiasts; we ride matching the intensity of any perceived boundary, so let's use this intuitive desire for joy and freedom by working from our body to our rides, to our life. As you learn to connect deeper to your body your ride experience will be greater, softer in the body, clearer in the mind, attention sharpens, we respect our limits, we live in more connection within our self and with the beautiful environment that is given to us to enjoy and protect.

Recovery between bike rides is important to rest your mind, recharge energy and balance your body with strength and flexibility towards a wonderful journey. Improve your recovery time, sleep and circulation through an all around YOGA practice.

Diana is a certified Hatha yoga teacher. As an engineer and former nationally ranked athlete, she combines the qualities of commitment, organization and responsibility with creativity and compassion. Her first contact with a motorcycle was a Christmas present when she was only 8y old. After a severe back injury during a diving accident she stopped riding for a few years. Yoga practice helps her to get back on the road. Central to her teaching is her awareness of proper posture and alignment. Diana believes that yoga is an art, where harmony and integration of body, mind, and spirit creates the beauty of the individual, perfect in its imperfection.

Wolfe Bonham Making the Dream a Reality - How I took my own personal dream of motorcycle travel and made it happen

For many of us the demands of work, family, mortgages, and societal pressures keep us from taking a leap of faith to step away from "normal life" and venture out on a "journey of a lifetime". In this talk Wolfe will walk you through how he was able to create a lifestyle that allows him frequent long term travel windows, along with all the planning and preparation steps he took in order to begin his semi-gypsy lifestyle.

Chantal Cournoyer, Camping preparation

What do we bring camping? What kind of tent, mattress or sleeping bags? There are so many things to think about and so many products on the markets. You need to choose what will suits your own needs. This presentation will provide a quick look at what me and my boyfriend brought on a 9 months journey. Some pros and cons on what we had to give you an idea.

Andrew Pain Going Small and Anatomy of Cheap

Going Small - Talking about luggage, because no one wants to pick up a heavy motorcycle I travel on a small motorcycle, and so should you. But even if you don't you can still earn from the little guys. Small bike means small luggage, and I'll talk about the minimum amount of stuff you should pack to live on your motorcycle for as long as you want.

Anatomy of Cheap - How and where to spend, and save, money for your trip It's perhaps the most common question people ask – how do you have the money for it? From prep through coming home, we'll talk about where to spend, and where not to, to get the most out of your dollars on the road.

Darren Baptiste, Route Mapping Across Continents

Lots of roads to choose from, but which ones to choose? This workshop lets you explore what's right for you. We'll consider sourcing and using maps, and guide books; selecting a GPS ecosystem; and the Wisdom of Following Anonymous Internet Advice.

My biggest trip to date is from Toronto to Trinidad - 4-1/2 months, 19,000 km. My next big trip will be to ride across Canada and down to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Willem (Bill) Hooykaas, A-Z of Overlanding

All you need is money, time, skill, and a sense of adventure!

"I had several years of riding under my belt when I set out on my first adventure way back in 1974 on my second BMW, a 1974 750/6 that I bought new in Rotterdam after finishing school. This was a road bike, but my touring 750cc choices back then were either a BMW, a Moto Guzzi, a Norton or a Royal Enfield Interceptor (remember those?). Then there were only two tour companies conducting bike tours in Europe: Von Thielmann and Bob Beach. I couldn't afford either one so decided to simply head out on my own until my money ran out and see what happened. I had no plans, experience or itinerary.

Bill Hooykaas then and now

Today, I have well over 1 million kilometers on BMWs. I have ridden the length and breadth of the Americas, all over Europe, parts of Africa and Asia. But there is still more to see, so my 2015 overland adventure is riding west from Japan, through Russia, Mongolia, the 'Stans, Moscow, Poland and back to Europe with 4 other riders. Hopefully this talk will not only feed your desire to explore those roads less travelled but also assist you in preparing and avoid some of the pitfalls I have encountered.

This multi-part series of talks will not be definitive or maybe not even how others would do it, but it will be my small contribution to encourage you to realize your dreams. I hope you come, enjoy and bring your questions."

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

Grant's tyre 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 tyre changing contest.

Grant's tyre changing seminar at HU California meeting.

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 'How To' travel overland topics. Includes content from the Achievable Dream series and great pics from HU Photo Contest winners!

Grant Johnson 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 on what to consider when equipping a motorcycle for overlanding.

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.