Wow! The money just boggles me but worth every wizzing memory i guess.

I wonder what my trusty old KLR would have said if I told her that we would be in Alaska in 8 weeks from TDF. Knowing that old girl, she would have had other ideas.

18 months, about $20 000, a beautiful wife, a baby and another home in Bolivia is what i got out of it. If you could package that deal, count me in.

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brigginggaps.com.au

Riding with 22 other people for 2 months. Yeah, that sounds like loads of fun. OTOH, the guy that collects the checks is cleaning up. Good for him, but I imagine he is going to earn every penny because that is going to be like herding cats.

Also, Ruta 40 is very doable on a big cruiser but youre not going to be able to run it at 100 mph like you can on a big KTM or BMW.

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http://www.southontwowheels.com

LOL.... Like it ! Very true.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I think the reason so many people find this kind of trip a bit, well, stupid, is not because of traveling fast. If thats your thing, fine, good for you.

However it amazes me that 22 people who could each easily do a trip like this solo, for a lot less money and maybe even be able to do it faster, are spending big bucks to be part of a clusterfk.

IMO, these people have more money than sense, and definitely more money than sense of adventure. Its not rocket science, its moto travel. You get on your bike and take off. Yes it is as simple as that.

Could any of you honestly have fun riding the total distance of the Americas with a group of 22?

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http://www.southontwowheels.com

I could , especially if I get paid for it . Joke on the side I did few group ride because they were well organized and I didn't have time to get all info and formalities before this trip . I met people in Africa and SE Asia which did group ride and loved it , many are renting a bike and just want to ride an adventure so be it , they may later on take some time to do it again and by themself if they feel like it.

In reality, it's not quite THAT simple ! As romantic as we like to dream it, there is usually a shit load of prep, paperwork etc to sort out ! For me anyway.....

Could I imagine doing that trip ??

I rather stab hot pokers through my eyes !

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

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.

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http://www.southontwowheels.com

+1 I basically wandered off, south myself. Did a lot of prep on the bike partway down the road, cause it was't a great bike for the trip originally. Granted I didn't make it to South America, but I had a blast for 7 months.
No GPS, crappy lonely planet maps. Really doesn't need tons of planning, but if it was a one shot deal in terms of time, and money wasn't an object, I could see doing that.

Different rides for different people I guess.

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?

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Lisa
www.2ridetheworld.com

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.

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'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

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

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http://www.southontwowheels.com