Reminds me
Had to pull up quick once while riding the back streets of Anjuna Goa, as I'd just passed a lot where over sixty brand new Royal Enfields were parked.
Puzzled I asked the Rent-A-Cop guarding them and he said they were owned by westeners on a tour, told him I would have liked the mark-up on that sale and he just rolled his eyes, agreed and laughed .
I often think what it would be like to ride like this, or imagine sitting in a small Indian backwater and watch these guys go by, and the reaction of the locals.

I dont know. The Americas are pretty simple, for me anyway. No carnets, few visas depending on your passport. Pretty much prep the bike, get your kit together and take off. Its pretty simple. I met a guy on a Harley that didnt even have maps or a GPS and minimal parts and tool kit. He literally got on his bike and took off a couple weeks after he decided to do the trip.

I think the amount of prep depends on what kind of person you are.

So for the Americas its pretty much just take off IMO. I did the real planning for my trip a few weeks in advance and even that was overkill.

I'm with you on the group ride thing Ted. I would rather staple baloney to my face.

...things are going well.
 

well..I have just heard from Nick and they just crossed into Chile at Olleague on route to Calama. all is going well.

As I said before...each to their own - and this also applies to the amount of prep you do for paperwork/finances/route/bike etc.
I enjoy doing research on the countries we think we will get to ride through, however, some planning is absolutely essential. eg. turning up at the border with Iran without a carnet because you didnt do any planning is not a good idea!

I also think it depends on how your lifestyle is/was at the time. this can be very difficult to 'organise' and keep on track whilst you are away and can cause problems even if you are on the road for a short whiile. It depends if you have someone 'at home' who will look after things for you.

anyhow - back to the reason for the thread.

well....the problem is with your statement here crashmaster is that these riders for whatever reason do NOT feel able to do a trip like this solo. thats why these type of tour companies set themselves up in the first place. different tour companies offer different types of tours. Some offer fast and basic, others slow and plush....

however, to use the term 'clusterfk'.......
I think is rather sad and amusing that people feel it is their right to make such aggressive blanket statments on something that they have no personal experience of. (and I am assuming you would call any type of 'tour' this and not just because these guys have chosen to do it faster than most- which is their personal choice and...perhaps I am wrong...perhaps you have been on one of Nicks tours??)

or....Is this just being rude for rudes sake I wonder?

These people all wanted to do a trip, there was a company out there to make it happen, now they could well have made some lifetime friendships and future travel buddies and I am sure most if not all of them are having a great time. However , if there were no such companies to provide these sort of trips how many people would miss out on an adventure?

We seem to have rather a lot of 'Travel snobs' around don't we? In the past on this site I have read the term 'backpackers on wheels', and just look how E&C were 'torn to shreads'. It seems that because its not every riders idea to venture off alone, live in a hammock/poncho, or find as much mud and gravel to ride on, that some think they are any less capable of having an adventure.

Naah nothing to do with snobbery ! Just peoples own opinions on travel..

I don't hate the idea because someone else is doing the planning or that they're opting for "safety in numbers" routine (I would quite like that for a change and have done in the past.)..

I'd just hate to be stuck with the same 22 people, 24/7 without the freedom to just piss off on my own for a while or to stay an extra couple of days somewhere I really liked. It's a real grind having someone telling you where you will eat, what time you will stop, what time you're waking up etc..

No doubt friendships will be made although I fear more enemies may be formed.

22 people is A LOT of people in a convoy. I just don't have the patience to wait around for 21 other people to find their gloves, repack their luggage and find their biscuits when I wan't to be riding !
:blushing:

Nick's trips have been discussed previously on the HUBB, including at

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...orld-races-344

and

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-adventure-348

He seems to be able to still attract enough paying customers. Not my pigeon, but I wish him and his customers well.
Chris

No, I'm not being rude at all. I'm just expressing my opinion of being part of a 22 person "tour." If you feel my opinion is an "aggressive blanket statement" so be it. My opinion is not directed at only Nick's tours, but at any large tour, no matter how well run. It has nothing to do with how fast you want to travel. My comment of a large tour being a clusterfk has nothing to do with Nick, just my opinion on being part of a large group in general, whether an organised tour or not. Can we not express opinions here on the HUBB?

That said, I wish Nick well in his business endeavors. He obviously has the temperament to deal with a group of 22. In my opinion he cant charge enough to lead a trip like that. I can only imagine the problems he will have to deal with. You have to be the guide, the translator, the psychologist, the money guy, the complaint department, the mother hen, and the lead cat herder all in one.

Obviously Nick likes to travel fast and that's fine with me, ride your own ride. If the guy wants to ride around the world in 80 days, thats his business and he is free to do it. However.............

I did have an issue with Nick in the past when he paid a 300 dollar mordida to Peruvian cops whilst trying to set some kind of world record. World record or not, that is just being irresponsible to the rest of the moto travel community since those that come after him will deal with the consequences of a rider simply handing over 300 dollars to corrupt cops. Hopefully he wont do the same kind of thing while leading a group of this size through the same area.

If you want to make your living by being a moto traveler trying to set records and/or leading large tours, thats fine with me too. Just do it in a responsible manner and not at the expense of the rest of us simply for your own personal gain.

Regards, Vince

Amatillo
 

Penas Blancas and Amatillo border for 22 will be memorable !!

Got to agree with you here Dave, too many travel snobs by far !
If it's not BMW bashers :taz:or Ewan and Charley haters:censored: ,it's soft luggage nazis:no: and now we have package tour "puritans":innocent:.
Geez live and let live ,you "holier than thou " types !:angel:
- It's not your cash paying for it , so why should you care ?:confused1:
Or maybe that IS the point .:9898:

:tt2::whistling:

The whole idea of forums is for many people to share their opinions and experiences..

The day we all have to moddy coddle the over-sensitive or censor our opinions in case it upsets somebody who once met somebody, somewhere, will be TRAGIC for the hubb and indeed mankind (ok, maybe a little extreme lol) !

No one should ever take comments on a forum personally or indeed that literally. Unless, perhaps they are perhaps directing targeted. The great moderators on here don't let that happen anyway.

There's no snobbery, there's just a great deal of different options, and people are free to take them or leave them... And long may it continue in that fashion...

You can only laugh when someone asks a question such as:

"What do you think of the ******* I've just bought"

Someone replies "I don't it, mine kept breaking down"

Then the OP will get in a big stink about it because they got an honest opinion to an honest question.


Chill out folks ! It's only the internet....

bier

"What GPS do I need to get to the corner shop, and who'll hold my hand on the way there?"

Search button Nazi, moi?

Regards, Mick

p.s. Good luck Nick and crew bier

ha ha, that's two mentions of the Nazis - come on folks, we are close to being able to invoke Godwin's Law here!

"Insert Generic Inflamatory Comment here"

Ermm

"---Chill out folks---"

Isn't that rather like

"----------Live and let live "-----------"

I'm just expressing my opinion Ted ,no need to be defensive ,this is only the internet after all .
:palm:jeiger

Exactamundo mi amigo !! bier

Lying on your back and starring at the roof of your tent. Unsure if that particular noise nearby warrents the blade to be extended on your swiss army kniff.

VS

Sitting around a large room with a grand piano and open fire.
Sharing local wine and delicacies to the laughter of 22 others.