HU Travellers Meeting Virginia 2015 Archive

Alex Chacón The Modern Motorcycle Diaries - How a 23 Year old medical student sold everything he had to follow his dreams. Taking him around the world in 3 Years on a KLR 650

Alex Chacón rode a motorcycle around the world for 3 years on various epic charitable expeditions including a 500 day solo ride from Alaska to Argentina. He sold everything he had at the beginning of his journey, including his car, TV and clothes and and left Medical School at age 23, living only out of his motorcycle for the next 3 years. These years were spent engaging in the most epic of adventures, riding in over 41+ countries, driving over 200,000+ km and crossing over 75+ borders around the world, discovering the most unique places and people on earth!

Alex Chacón is a Social Media Influencer, YouTube Talent, Video Producer, Professional Photographer, Inspirational Speaker and Global Motorcycle Adventure Rider and International Traveler. While travelling, Alex published his life changing and charitable adventures on YouTube, blogging and creating a massive social media following with epic pictures, video and unique storytelling that has captured the attention of the entire world!

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.

George Parker Behind Bars & Beyond Borders - Riding the North American Continent

Riding the Colorado Plateau's remote desert tracks next to 1000' drop-offs, sharing a gravel road with bears in British Columbia, picnicking at the Artic Circle, dodging Buicks in the Florida Keys, camping next to the Grand Canyon, breakdowns in nowhere Texas, adventuring in the Adirondacks, fighting headwinds in the Columbia Gorge, off-roading in the Sangre de Cristo's, exploring Smokey Mountain byways, hanging out with Aussie bikers during a flood, doing 6000 miles on a $400 dirt bike, and more.

Join me for slides and stories while we discuss prep and travel in North America and how the novice traveler can gain confidence and accomplish their dream trip with a minimum of gear and any bike.

George started riding in 1965, dirt 1966, competition 1969. He was a franchised motorcycle dealer and certified safety instructor in the 70's, first distance ride 1970, multiple trips around and across US, recent Alaska/Canada '09-'14, 100K's traveled, longer trips 13,000+

Jeff Munn Coast to coast on dirt: Riding the TAT

Come learn about a great, relatively unknown, overland challenge where you never have to cross a border, and you get to see an America that most thought disappeared years ago. Riding the Trans America Trail with an 18 year old for 32 days can be an awesome, and humbling experience at the same time. Ride with us and learn some of the unique prep necessary for extended travel on unpaved roads and tracks across this great continent.

Riding the Trans America trail is a very different style of overland travel. It truly is a great example of the 'less is more' travel philosophy.

A retired military officer who has traveled the world for business and pleasure, Jeff has ridden on 5 continents and completed his RTW ride following the Silk Road thru central Asia to China. He has ridden from Prudhoe Bay to the Darien Gap, and still is looking towards Ushuaia... someday.

Roger Sinclair The Wrong Way Around - A 2 month trip around the world. Carry this, forget that and plan on returning.

Parts and pieces...where do they fit? How and what to pack so you can leave the bike loaded at the museum. A route to see most of the world so you can pick the places to revisit. Things to carry that make the trip an experience of a lifetime and a memory forever.

Roger Sinclair (left) waiting for a ferry in Ireland with RTW colleague Sean Gallagher.

Roger is an experienced long distance rider and engineer who did a whirlwind two-month circumnavigation of the world in the summer of 2014 with two friends. From seeing Paris to fixing a split fuel line in the Gobi Desert, he'll tell you what worked, what didn't, and what he would and wouldn't do again.

"Originally from Ireland, transplanted in USA and developed into motorcycle adventurer. Engineering has altered my perception so I ride to live and experience things. More long distance than explorer but trying to adjust that habit."

Andrew Pain Ecuador & Peru

Stories and pictures from travel in Peru on a small motorcycle, including flat tires, food poisoning, deserts, and of course, Machu Picchu.

Andrew Pain is a writer and adventure motorcyclist living in Milwaukee, WI. Preferring travel on small motorcycles, he has written several books on traveling on a motorcycle under 300ccs.

Col. Ignatius "Buck" Liberto, USMC Retired The Last days of the American Civil War

Buck will discuss the final battles of the American Civil War between Generals Lee and Grant in Virginia, the events at Appomattox in April 1865, and a short epilogue of Lee and Grant after the War. Traffic and weather permitting, Buck will be riding to the Civil War re-enactment site afterwards.

Buck Liberto, not lost but definitely in the wheat.

Buck is a career military officer whose family fought for the South in the American Civil War. Several family members on his mother's side were mustered into service with the Confederate Army in 1861 and fought in many well-known battles, including Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. None survived the war. Fortunately, Buck survived his numerous tours of duty to lend his expertise to our event.

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!

Grant crossing a river on a pipe bridge in Peru

11+ years later, they finally made it, through 50 countries - Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, North and South America, with a side trip to Antarctica! Hundreds of great pics and some amazing stories!

Carl Parker Idaho BDR Screening and ADVMoto Photography

Idaho BDR Premiere East Coast Screening

The IDBDR is the fifth route developed by the Backcountry Discovery Routes organization for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel. The IDBDR is a south-to-north route across the state of Idaho covering over 1,250 miles of mostly non-paved track. The route begins in the old western town of Jarbidge, Nevada and meanders through the west side of the Idaho Rocky Mountains on the way to the Canadian Border at the Idaho Panhandle. Two stunning and historic backroads are part of the IDBDR - the Magruder Corridor and the Lolo Motorway. Several small mountain towns in Idaho are visited along the way including Yellow Pine, Burgdorf Hot Springs, Elk City, Avery, Wallace, and Clark Fork.

ADVMoto Photography - Basics of ADV Travel Photography and Getting Published

A ground up class covering the basics of gear, technique, visual story telling, post processing and getting published!

After completing his first feature length film "The Return: Riding Western China," Carl came away from five amazing years of photographing Western China with two important lessons. First, the rider makes the ride—not the other way around. Second, sharing your journey with others expands not only your personal horizons, but of those around you as well. Carl's current and future projects focus on encouraging adventurers to produce something from their experiences because, "If life is not art, what is?"

Alex Chacón Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube) - How to properly use, optimize, share and create a following on social media, the positive, negative and ideas you never though of!

Ever wondered how to document your journey in today's digital media age and share it with your friends, family and the world through Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter?

Join Alex Chacon, in a brief session and Q & A, to discuss the best ways to use social media for your motorcycle travels and expeditions. How to get brands, create followers, how to tag and post, how to measure success, should you advertise, the benefits and downfalls to posting and using social media? and much more.

This will be a discussion to answer everyone's questions into the unknown terrain in today's generation and world.

Alex Chacón is on the cutting edge of innovative and unique digital content creation and leading the way as a social influencer for his Millennial generation. He's inspired millions with the 360 Degree Selfie he created and popularized, voted the most Epic Selfie of 2014 by CBS News/Mashable and 3rd most searched Selfie of all time according to Google Zeitgeist. His first film 'The Modern Motorcycle Diaries' totalled over 18 Million views.

He's appeared for live interviews on CBS News, Fox News CNN/HLN, Huffington Post and more, and his body of work has been featured all around the world in online articles, newspapers, news magazines like TIME Magazine, Lonely Planet, Travel Channel and more.

Alex continually works with major brands in digital content creation like Google and has collaborated in professional productions like the GoPro hero 3+ Launch Video, Highest Road in the World, along with Kawasaki, Alpinestars, Harley Davidson, and more.

Andrew Pain, the Minimal Motorcyclist Anatomy of Cheap and Take Control of your Packing

Anatomy of Cheap

It's one of the most common questions overlanders are asked - "How do you pay for it?"
Starting with the choice to go, all the way through prep, planning, time on the road and returning home (if you ever do!), Andrew Pain walks you through how to budget for your long overland adventure.

Take Control of your Packing

Tired of being overloaded? What to carry (and what not to carry) on your motorcycle.
Andrew Pain has traveled all over North and South America, most of it on a small, 250cc motorcycle. In this class you will learn about luggage, how to pack your motorcycle for a long trip, as well as what to pack and what to leave behind.

Dan Kenney Disaster Prep – What to Pack, What to Know

If disaster strikes along the road, have what it takes at hand to get you / your bike upright & running if possible; know what to do if not.

Don't let your adventure of a lifetime be ruined by failing to adequately prepare for unforeseen events along the route - hope for the best but prepare for the worst. From off-road mishaps to breakdowns to bumps, bruises and even broken bones, Dan will guide you through what must-have trauma care items to pack for you and your bike. He'll cover how to be prepared for a motorcycle or human emergency and wrap up with a discussion of the various options available for global support should the need arise.

A must see for anyone contemplating a long-distance solo trip, Dan will share what works and what doesn't based on his personal and professional experience on several cross country trips throughout over 40 years of motorcycling and his share of mechanical and human adversities encountered along the way.

With over 40 years on a bike and 300K street miles, Dan Kenney is an avid on and off road rider. As a previous Motorcycle Shop Owner, Mechanic and EMT / IV Tech, Dan can help prepare you for breakdowns of your machine as well as your body. He's ridden several long distance routes throughout most of North America, including a 30 day solo trek in 2013 from Maryland to Alaska and the Yukon Territory and back.

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.

Bruce and Dana Beisner BaseCamp® BootCamp

Are you puzzled by that high-tech gizmo on your handlebars and what it does? Do you wish you understood better how GPS worked? Is BaseCamp software a mystery to you? Then you'll want to catch this session hosted by Bruce and Dana Beisner. They'll cover the use of Garmin's BaseCamp program from the basics to more advanced skills. You'll be amazed at all the things you can do with a free download of the leading mapping program today.

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, Horizons Unlimited Bike mods and ergonomics!

Grant will host a bike 'Show and Tell' - bring your bike and show us your favorite travel mods - homemade saddle bags, toolbox mounts, GPS mounts, seats, side stands, tank panniers, cup holders, etc. 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.