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11 Mar 2016
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Enough messing about in the off season!! Time to ready to hit the road again April 7!!!
 DSC04125 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
This is the approximate route for April until the middle of September! After that we will walk the 860 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de Port France to Ribeira Spain on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela for 5-6 weeks.
 Summer Route 2016 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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11 Mar 2016
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See you on the road! but......
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After that we will walk the 860 km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de Port France to Ribeira Spain on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela for 5-6 weeks.
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Whats all that about? will the petrol money have run out? I've ridden that route and looked on at the pilgrims with one question "why not get a bus" 
Or is the penance for having such a great time on the road for the last few years?
When we meet up in Italy remind me to tell you my Santiago de Compostela story!! Its funny (but not at the time)
Look forward to reading your resumed travel stories
Gino & Fiona
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20 Mar 2016
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I know some great spots for a few bevies in Bassano del Grappa! Can not wait to see you both. Im sure it will be a great story you always tell them well. We will tell you Dan's Asiago tale then in its full glory. We will have to walk off all the pasta and ice cream!!! Cheers from warm and sunny Vancouver. Hugs to Fi
Sara
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8 Apr 2016
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The Shengen Zone
Well we are back on the road this week. Flying to Madrid April 7, 2016 and then traveling about 200 km south to get the bikes out of their winter storage in our friend Modesto’s garage. We have some maintenance to do including oil changes, some upgrades to the crash bar hardware, new chains and sprockets, install new headlights and rewire bike lighting, install voltage meters, install new wire harness for the 650, and remove the “tool tubes”.
We are also headed back to the Schengen Zone. WTF is the Schengen Zone you may ask? Well so did we. I have polled a lot of North Americans and none knew what it was or what the implications are for non-Schengen residents.
 Screen Shot 2016-04-01 at 12.13.49 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We arrived last year to Madrid on March 1 and our passports were stamped “ Espania in by air”. When we picked up our bikes at the cargo terminal we signed a waver that we would take the bikes out of Spain in the next 6 months. Just like Argentina….. NOT
 IMG_5450 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We traveled in Morocco March 25 to April 18 and were stamped out and into “Espania by boat”.
 IMG_5458 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We then traveled to the UK May 4, where out passport stamp said “Leave to enter for six months, Employment and recourse to public funds prohibited”.
 IMG_5456 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
We entered the Netherlands “by boat” June 9. By now we had been in the “unknown Schengen Zone for 6 weeks. It was after we were in the middle of the north sea June 17 when we were telling our new Greek friends about out trip, when one of them asked “what are you doing about the Schengen problem”? We were like “Schenzen???” It was 2 days until we had internet to investigate this problem.
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8 Apr 2016
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We as Canadians (Non-Schengen Zone residents) are allowed only 90 days in the SZ and then must be out for 180 days before you can reenter legally. So by this calculation we were half way to becoming illegal aliens in the SZ! The penalty is deportation and being barred from the SZ in future!
Of all the weeks we have spent in various countries since March 1 only those spent in Morocco and the UK are outside of the SZ. To add to this we will be inside the zone until we try to get to Russia for 3 days in August and then until the end of October.
Luckily for us scanning your passport at the SZ checks does not calculate your days inside the zone. We did have to pass thru SZ border checks at the ferry port on the way to and from St Petersburg. This was quite stressful on our way back from Russia after our 72 hour Visa Free, as we did not have a Russian visa to stay there and we were technically illegal in the SZ. Luckily the official asked me when I came to the SZ (when i arrived to Holland June 9) and not when did you first come to the SZ (March 1).
 IMG_5460 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
This still left the problem of getting out of Madrid at the end of October. We had been mostly in the SZ for the last 8 months. I think the fact that we are Canadian and flying home made it a lot easier. They did not even ask us any questions at the SZ passport control and just stamped us “out of Espania” by plane! This year we will have less of an issue as we are in the zone for April 7 to June 30 but out for much of the rest of the summer in the Adriatic Countries before we leave the bikes in Bulgaria.
 IMG_5452 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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8 Apr 2016
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Leaving Vancouver on a beautiful Spring night!
 DSC00507-HDR.jpg by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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8 Apr 2016
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Last edited by saralou; 17 Apr 2016 at 21:44.
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17 Apr 2016
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The much less glamorous side of adventure motorcycle riding.
We arrived in Madrid in the evening after a long night flight from Vancouver via Heathrow. Jet lagged we made it with one bag still in London and took the flat rate taxi to the hotel. After taking some sleeping drugs we passed out. Awaking at 1040 we were late to meet our friends for lunch. We walked over to their new apartment to find there was no name on the buzzers at #3 M Street. This meant pushing all the buttons starting at 1 and buzz every one until….3C!
 Spain-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
The plan for the day was to get the bikes out of storage 200 km south of Madrid. Thanks only to the kindness of our friend Modesto herein Madrid is this is feasible. We had to borrow his car and drive to a town 20 km north of the city to pick up his motorcycle trailer from the storage unit/workshop. It was 430 by the time we left San Sebastian de Los Reyes and headed south. After a stop at a gas station for a lunch at 530 we were on the road.
Driving when jet lagged is a tricky proposition and we of course missed the exit to the exit to the village we going to and this added another hour to our day. WE had not remembered to bring one of the GPS’s home with us so we would have it for times like these.
 Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 11.10.26 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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17 Apr 2016
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Finally we arrived to La Solana and had no issues loading the bikes on to the trailer and the gear into the car. Luckily in my state of exhaustion I realized I did not see my riding boots. I had left both pairs in plastic bags with one set sitting on each of my panniers when we left in October. I searched the 2000 square foot storage and finally found them about 15 meters from the bike on the floor beside an old car. Our friend had been out tho the bikes to get some pannier mounting hardware we had (He shipped them for us to Michael in Austria who still has the Touratech pannier system) from my pannier and had moved the bag. Are we really sure we want to do all this??? Did I mention it is cold and pouring rain??
Well now it is nearly 9 pm an getting dark and we have a 250 km drive back to the storage unit to drop off the trailer and then drive back to the city.
 Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 11.11.24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
It is now dark and the storage unit is hard enough to find in the industrial zone in the day light. We picked the correct exit off the highway and had the general area, but just could not fine the back alley. McDonalds at 1130 pm for wifi and we were set. We were actually 1 block off from where were supposed to be by guessing. Now back to the city. We managed to charge one of the GPS’s enough to use it.
Our friends don't have a street parking permit near their new apartment yet and so this meant driving around the very narrow streets to try to find a parking space at 1 am. Frustrated exhausted and confused by the one way craziness of the inner city lane ways we finally gave up at 1 am and pulled into a parkade (31 Euros ouch), stumbled to the hotel and crashed. That lasted about 25 min and our jet lag kicked in again. Finally at 430 we took drugs. Are we really sure we want to do this?? Feeling a bit overwhelmed and on a bit of a time crunch. We have 2500 km to get to the rally in Toscano by the 29 th of April and today is the April 9 th. We would also like to visit some friends in the south coast of Spain in Almirante and that is off course for us. We would like to take in Carcassonne and Avignon France that we missed last year as Daniel was on crutches. We also have several sets of friends riding this summer in Europe and would like to meet up with them. AGH!
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20 Apr 2016
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Day two of the ordeal started groggily when we got up at 11 and staggered up 6 blocks to get the car. Then headed back to the shop, but at least we knew how to get there now. The bikes were unloaded and dan noted the front brake sticking, but it finally moved normally with some rocking back and forth….. The plan for the bikes today is
 Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 11.13.46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5565 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5562 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
1. Oil Change- bought oil at Calleja. Of course the last oil change was at BMW and they stripped the oil pan bolt on the 650. This meant extracting the bolt and driving over to BMW to get a new one.
2. Sara’s Skid Plate remove stripped bolt-can not remove bolt from old skid plate mounting
3. Install new headlights- The BMW lights suck and they have burnt out the reflectors and now are so dim they are useless. Cyclops Adventure Sports. Very straightforward installation. Does require a bit of labor to get the windshield and plastics off and on. Also on the 800 Daniel needed to use a Dremel to cut down the Dash to accommodate the light box.
 IMG_5567 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5595 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
4. Rewire bikes & lights
 IMG_5566 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
5. Install Voltage meters- to monitor charge and hopefully prevent having to change the stator on the side of the road the next time. The meant enlarging the hole on the 650 Touratech dash that was the cigarette lighter socket previously and enlarging the light switch hole on the 800’s Britannia composites dash. Home - Britannia Composites Ltd.
IMG_5597 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5568 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
6. Install new wire harness on Sara’s Bike- old one fried and install new light switch for accessory lights.
 IMG_5596 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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20 Apr 2016
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Day 3 mostly went smoothly
7. Sort out all the gear as it is now in one location and separate that for the bike trip and that for walk on the Camino. Managed to downsize some of the stuff on the bikes.
8. Finished the oil change on the 650 with the new drain plug.
9. New Crash bar hardware (remove stripped Touratech bolts that made the last stator change on the side of the road such a hassle as we had to do it without removing the crash bar) Thanks to Modesto for the extraction tools.
 IMG_5591 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5594 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
10. Remove old and install new Front Sprocket covers
 IMG_5593 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
11. Fuel Filter Change-when we removed the mechanism from the 650 we found the pre filter was missing and had to fish it out of the bottom of the tank. Luckily Dan had researched this and was aware there might be an issue with the hose attachment on the 650. On the 800 the ring clamp is a screw on type, but on the 650 it is a clamp on version. This meant you had to destroy it to remove it and he had bought the correct screw on replacement part. Yeah Dan!
 IMG_5603 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5602 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5584 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
IMG_5606 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5608 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5613 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5588 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5612 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5590 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
12. Take off Sara’s tool tube- Dan feels the need to get the weight down on the bike. They are a great way to keep the dry bags on the back and not have to since down the roc straps so much. Dan will keep his for now to be able to lock on the rain gear. The covers will come out into a small dry bag. We have downsized our other gear again so stuff just fits inside the panniers now.
 IMG_5600 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 IMG_5601 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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20 Apr 2016
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Day 5
Our luck may finally have changed we even got a parking spot out front of the shop!
 IMG_5688 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
13. Return to the shop for final touches, check oil and tire pressures again. Sort and pack the last of the gear an tidy the shop.
 Spain-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
14. Tires installed Angel del la Cruz Moto in Madrid. Nice guys and super clean shop. They got the tires for us in less than 24 hours and made an installation appointment as well according to our schedule. This is where Modesto comes to the rescue again. We could spend all day sourcing tires and a shop to put them on and he can accomplish this in 5 minutes on the phone.
 Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 11.15.49 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Drive 40 km to Navelcarnero to stay just 15 minutes from the village of Villanueva de Perales, which is where DMX suspension is located. We arrived to the town after a bit of a scare as we entered the very long tunnel under Madrid and of course lost GPS use. This was a bit harry as it is 4-5 lanes of very fast moving traffic and multiple various branching points none of which said “autovia sur-oeste”….Finally after 15 minutes we exited to find we were luckily pretty much on track and we had managed to not screw it up. This is very easy in Madrid as every 200 meters there is a collection of direction signs and especially in the tunnels it can be so easy to go the wrong direction.
 Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 11.16.30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
This is a very nice small town with beautiful stone buildings. We stayed in a small Posada off the main square and did a walk along the ruta Truistic thru the town.
 Spain-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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22 Apr 2016
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Day 6
Drive to the 18 km to Villanueva de Perales. About 9 km from the village Dan’s front calliper was seized and smoking. I went on to DMX to get help and the guarda civil (highway patrol) stopped to protect the bike from accident as it was parked on the narrow dirt verge of the road. Once it cooled he could soon get going and arrived at DMX before I could even get a transport truck arranged. It turns out the last BMW dealership overfilled the reservoir and it was to bursting. Take some out problem solved.
 Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 11.17.50 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
15. Suspension service- DMX
 Spain-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 Spain-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
16. Chains & Sprockets- done at DMX since they have the tools and there we had the time.
 IMG_5598 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
17. Fork Socks- re install new ones. We had always used these on our dirt bikes and on the road bikes until we had the suspension done last year. they advised no socks. That said about a month after this I got a rock chip on the back side of the right fork and this caused a leak in Norway. We had a new seal put on in Finland, but within 2 weeks it was leaking again. The nick was so small we could not see it. Finally when we got to Sweden again to Bike Trollhattan where they found the nick and smoothed it out and replaced the seal. New fork stickers!!
 Spain-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Damian and Ursula and there team are so fantastic. They fit us in on a day when they already had a lot of work to get done. They stayed until 10 pm to get as much done on our bikes as possible. They still had time to take us for a full Spanish lunch with the menu of the day,  s, and whiskey! They were also kind enough to let us stay in the spare office in the warehouse since there is no hotel in the village. We had our mats and sleeping ags, power and a bathroom with a hot shower, what more could you ask for?
 Spain-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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23 Apr 2016
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The next day they just has a few things left to do and after taking us to the village for breakfast they were done by 1130. Thanks for the great job again. Love the new fork stickers.
 2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
 1 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Lots more comments here!
Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook
"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.
Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!
New to Horizons Unlimited?
New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!
Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.
Read more about Grant & Susan's story
Membership - help keep us going!
Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Show your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Motorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
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