Dear motorcycle maniacs,

I’ve been scouring this forum obsessively over the past few months in preparation for what is to be the biggest step of my life. The mere shuffles leading up to this great leap, I will hereby document.



I was born and raised in Cornwall, England, arguably one of the most beautiful shires our fair land has to offer. Seemingly remote from the rest of England in distance (and at times cultural!) terms, as an inquisitive boy growing up, I became drawn to wild tales of adventure and daring escapades in far flung corners of the globe. Thus it was, having saved enough capital after my studies, and with maturity and independence gained, that I fled to South America. I spent an exhilarating 1.5 years on a continent exotic enough to both magnify my wanderlust and spawn an intense passion for motorcycles. With an ardent desire to do something my parents had always forbade, I went out and bought an old BMW K75 motorbike before setting off completely underprepared from Colombia to Argentina. Cruising down the Pan American highway, I had never known freedom like it, and I wanted more. Unfortunately with money running low and the bike requesting some tender loving care, I was forced to return to Blighty to supplement my dwindling funds.

Before long however, the road was calling once again. This time Asia stood tall before me, offering new lands to conquer and cultures to befriend. After spending some time traveling through SE Asia, I purchased the not-so reliable Belarusian Minsk motorbike, which I rode/sat on broken down by the side of the road, through Vietnam, where I eventually took up residence as an English teacher for a year.

From there, it was back to England briefly to top up my Curriculum Vitae as a physiotherapist, and then to the Middle Kingdom in China to take up a physiotherapy post in a private hospital. There, my love of bikes continued unabated, as I enjoyed the winding, mountainous, carpet-like roads outside of Beijing. Whilst there, I was also lucky enough to meet Phoebe, my partner in crime and kindred spirit. After (very quickly) deciding that we’d had enough of working for the time being, we cashed in our chips, quit our jobs, and decided to embark on the biggest adventure of our lives, a round the world motorcycle extravaganza.



If you’ve read this far, well done. That about brings us up to the present day. We have returned from the mythical kingdom and set up our war room of preparation in Cornwall, where we are doing enough research on compactable tents and origami plates to turn any sane person into a gibbering wreck. Our planned date of departure will be at the beginning of August, and we hope to be gone for around one to two years to see as much as this funky world has to offer as possible.

Part of the current preparation involves completing my UK motorcycle test. It actually sounds rather absurd when you call a motorcycle school and ask them how quickly you can get your license, as you need it to ride around the world. I’m not sure how much more re-assured the lady on the phone was when I told her that I’d be riding for the past six years abroad, and that I hoped the license would be a formality. Luckily though, things seem to be going smoothly, and I just have to hope for a kindly examiner on the day.

Phoebe and I have recently agreed to purchase a second hand BMW Adventure, which we hope will take us and our worldly belongings to wherever it is we’re going. With regard to riding preferences, we are quite partial to taking the scenic routes, with enough twisty turnies to keep us on our toes. We’re not die hard off-roadies, although by the time I’ve been up to Simon Pavey’s off-road skills school in Wales, I hope to be more comfortable slipping and sliding my way up a dirt track.

Our route is currently a work in progress, and probably will be until we actually hit the road. Part of the fun of a long adventure is surely waking up on the day, sniffing the wind, and setting off. Most people naturally will ask us if we’ve considered visas. The answer is yes, but luckily we’ll be popping back to the UK after visiting Europe so those decisions can happily be put off for another day .

To avoid this post being too one sided, I’d also like to talk a little more about Phoebe, my wing woman. Phoebs is from Washington D.C. and has also been scarred by the bite of the travel bug. She has seen the world extensively already, and I was lucky enough to encounter her on one of her forays, working in real estate in China. Funnily enough, we actually started courting after becoming more acquainted during a five-minute speed date. Phoebs is one the most curious creatures I have ever had the pleasure to meet, unsatisfied by the comfortable, mundane life she could quite easily be living if she wanted to. She pushes herself beyond most peoples’ normal limits, and pushes me to want to be more productive and more positive in life. Thus when I suggested traveling the world on two wheels, I knew she would ‘get it’. Phoebs enjoys being pillion, and always aims to solve life’s little riddles from the back of the motorbike. Always one to think big, she has grand ideas for the trip, having set herself (and inadvertently me), the goal of finding out ‘what makes people happy’ the world over. She plans to answer this question on her brilliant website, Short Road To Happy (Short Road to Happy - the world in words). She may even throw in the meaning of life if you’re lucky.



In addition to answering these mysteries of the Universe, we also plan to grow and develop as individuals on the way round. Now, I’m as cynical as the next Cornishman, and people talking of finding themselves and growing into Natures children makes me want to be sick in a bucket. However, we have some ideas to do some random little jobs on the trip, and hopefully pick up some useful new skills. One of these projects is WOOFing, an organization that allows you to work on organic farms in return for room and board. Not bad. Also, getting our hands dirty and doing a spot of charity work along the way seems like fun. The added benefit of being on a motorbike is that you can seek out these little projects instead of paying some tour company a king’s ransom to go and build a little mud hut.

Anyway, I think I’ve probably bored you enough by now, and plus I’m about to take delivery of my new Rev It Sand suit ☺. I’m looking forward to developing this thread with more pictures and stories of us grappling with trip preparation, and latterly some raconteuring from the road. Anything that doesn’t make the cut will be featured on my website below, so if you have nothing better to do, check it out

All for now,

Joel

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www.themotorcyclething.com - a platform for the petrol head brethren among you. All hail the bike.

You will miss the oggies.

If you're up in the Newquay area before the big 'off' then gimme a shout. The words 'Tribute' and 'Doom Bar' spring to mind!


Cheers

Keith

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Right Way Round ...

Joel wiuld like to read more on your facinating times on the wheels. Keep going

Sent from my GT-I9082 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Cheers guys,

Keith, i'll PM you when we get the bike. A farewell pasty and Doombar sound like a plan!

Joel

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www.themotorcyclething.com - a platform for the petrol head brethren among you. All hail the bike.

Sounds great Joel

Keep us updated - look forward to reading more

Have a great ride!

About WOOFING, we had a look at it and we decided not to go this way. Mostly in lets say the developed western world (on the other site of the planed) it looked FOR US like a modern way of slavery. Plan is "You work 3-5 hours a day" Reality what we have seen was about 8-10h work a day. "You should learn about the project 2h a day" Maybe once a week you get a short introduction about something. "You get accommodation and food" Reality: Old camper or tent provided, food was so and so...

We are sure there are some good farms as well, must be othervise the project wouldn´t be such a success. But we heard from other WOOFERs too that you have to take care a lot. Everybody can call his "project" organic and renovate their house
And BTW if you want to work on a farm you can do it nearly everywhere for money as well. This is then a Win/Win situation; you work well and get good money for it...

^^This is just our experience, maybe others have others.

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Round the world by bike. www.RTWbyBIKE.com

Thanks for the feedback about WWOOFing. We'll bear this in mind when looking for a place to start.

The ideal situation is that we get a paid gig, even if it only gives us some money!

I'm sure we'll have a go with the WWOOFing and will be sure to write up any good/bad experiences.

Along similar lines, has anyone had any experiences with house sitting? Phoebe's found a few things online that suggests you can save a fair bit of money on accommodation.....

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www.themotorcyclething.com - a platform for the petrol head brethren among you. All hail the bike.

Keith I thought you'd pop in xxoo

Good luck to both of you & feel free to give me a holler if you get to DC - from another DC pillion

Dear travellers,

Time for an update me thinks. The hands of the clock are flying by, and I’m struggling to grasp the thread that is fast unravelling in the run up to D-day, the departure for our RTW trip.



Shortly after the expose on the planning of our trip, I was consumed by the task of passing my UK motorbike licence. Funnily enough, despite being permitted to ride in England for up to a year on a foreign licence, UK insurance companies are not jumping at the chance to provide indemnity to folks with a Chinese driving licence. Mental. The difference between success and failure was huge, not just in monetary terms, but also the finely laid ground groundwork of our intended departure date.You can read how I got on in an article I posted on my website (click here), and to save me regurgitating the whole diatribe, I’ll remove the suspense by letting you know I passed first time. Everything was proceeding to plan.



Luckily we had already chosen the bike which best fitted our needs for our round the world exploration, which turned out to be a BMW GS Adventure, perfectly suited to the rigours of such a perilous journey, loaded with two passengers and all their worldly possessions. The wait was finally over, and picking up the bike was a happy day indeed, one which you can read all about in this article: (click here)



During this whole episode, we had pleasingly begun to take possession of the equipment for which we had been scouring the internet, since the seed of our RTW trip was planted. All the manner of exotic parcels were arriving in the post, from riding gear and spare parts, to perhaps the most progressive leap that mankind has made in recent times: origami camping bowls. The decline of brick and mortar retail now means you have to order at least three of everything you want online, just to be assured you receive one that fits, all before the nightmare of sending it back make-believe returns departments trading ‘evil’ as their currency.


Boxes piled up outside the front door


The equipment command centre

We are now near completion of our equipment buying, for which I’m thankful, if not just to rest our bank accounts for a short time. Since receiving the bike, we have been testing the kit, which will soon be pitted in a deathmatch against all manner of freaky weather conditions and terrain we can expect to encounter. The recent English heat wave probably didn’t provide an accurate representation of the abject misery awaiting us in some parts of the world, but it sure made for some fine riding.



The equipment alchemy that probably deserves special mention is the first test of our camping machinery. I have a reasonable amount of camping experience to know that if my little princess is not comfortable, we will not be doing much camping, and therefore will not be able afford much actual motorbiking around the world. Boasting four nights of sleeping outdoors in her life, Phoebs is a self confessed ‘Newb’ to the scene, and despite some consternation on my part, I’m pleased to report that our first night camping in my back garden, despite a couple of sore backs, went off without a hitch.



Part of the preparation for our trip involved travelling up to South Wales, where I had booked a place at Simon Paveys’ off road skills school. I hoped a few days slipping and sliding around in the dirt would give me more confidence when we reached the outer reaches civilisation. Luckily we were able to hire out the bikes that in our baptism of fire, two day introduction to off road riding, would be dropped and muddied numerous times. Coming back to my shiny new bike I felt a new sense of belief in my general riding ability, and a smug self-satisfaction that I had used a GS for more than just a trip down to the shops to buy a latte . Read about this glorious weekend in all its pot-holed glory (click here).



Another cog in the round the world expedition wheel invariably involves some sort of route planning, however vague and whimsical it might be. I have tried to shun as much of the responsibility for this as I possibly can, but the gentle enquiries from friends and family, followed by persistence and finally outright pressure to give them some inkling as to where we might be headed finally won out, and I grudgingly took to the maps. This actually turned out to be rather lucky, as my little Garfunkel and travelling companion Phoebe would only have three months visa to play with in Europe. The evil axis of power that is the Schengen zone clearly want to stop these American vagrants stealing our jobs. Henceforth, we decided that Scandinavia and Northern Europe would be our first destination for three months, followed by a tour around the UK and Ireland to top up Phoebs visa, before heading back into Southern Europe to chase that tempting mistress, good weather.

In other news I have had a short introduction to Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance by a patient volunteer, who faced the unenviable task of teaching me how to keep my machine running. Now, I’m no mechanical master, but even I was disappointed by the poor tool selection provided by BMW. It would be nice to have the option of pulling my bike apart, even if I wouldn’t have a clue how to put it back together again. Luckily, I’m all tooled up now, so I can continue my tyre kicking and bolt tightening routine under the guise of doing something more complicated.



On a final note, I am pleased to reveal the first sponsor for our round the world trip. Airhawk have kindly donated seats to maintain some much needed airflow around my nether regions, and despite being tasked with the ultimate challenge, I can happily report that it’s doing a sterling job. If you’d like to see my first foray into the world of video editing with this sponsorship announcement, be gentle, and click here.



Think that’s all for now,

Joel


Other odds and sods


The thread wouldn't be complete without a pasty photo


Some lovely Cornish coastline


Me on the bike


Getting all the nasty check ups before we leave


The Hoe, Plymouth


Pre trip R+R


Me and Mother


Proper job


A trip down Penzance. Luckily we made it out alive


Lands End


Phoebs enjoying the day




The Phoebmeister


St Ives, Cornwall


A ride out in Cornwall with the UKGSer guys and gals


As above


Vintage rally, Cornwall


As above


Legend


Sights on a typical Cornish country run

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www.themotorcyclething.com - a platform for the petrol head brethren among you. All hail the bike.

lovely story, have a fantastic trip

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Elaine

Striving to live the ordinary life in a non ordinary way

Can't wait to hear more...ride safely and enjoy every minute!! I have the same bike you will not be disappointed!

great write up, have an amazing journey

Thnx for the write...attempting RTW in apr 14..God bless

Aditya RTW!

That sounds like we have much stuff to read about your trip

Thank you much for sharing - and for let us dream at home

Surfy

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