I wannabe serious for a second. Strikes me the old hands did it on crap bikes tied together with string because that was all that was available.

Forgive us newbies who've earned some money for our foolish ways of wanting a bit of comfort and reaching for the Touratech (thank god as sponsors they don't read all the criticism, or Grant & Susan would be facing a major shortfall in income) catalogue because it's there, and because we know no better.

Forgive us the sin of enjoying E&C even if he is a farting a**ehole because it gave us some inspiration, and showed us a bit of the world.

Forgive us for buying the adventure gear which we can enjoy owning and looking at and which makes us feel we're on the way when we're stuck in shit jobs because right now we can't/don't want to up sticks and go.

Forgive us for riding to the shops with panniers on, we don't have the room to store them.

And forgive us for coming on here and reading all your trips and getting a bit jealous and thinking that camping for a long weekend is in anyway about enjoying being out and about on a bike, when of course to be true adventurers we should be getting shot at between borders with killer diahorrea.

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Although it has mainly good humoured there are some serious points in this thread. Like Alexlebrit I too get jealous reading about all the exciting places that people have been to and I wana go to the same places. I have spent two years stocking up on the best gear i could afford (which is a long way from the best there is) and circumstances are still not right. (damn recession) By the time circumstances are right I may be too damn old or unhealthy enough to actually get out there and do it.

In the meantime I am just a weekend warrior like lots of others and am brushing up on skills like riding over rough ground (mainly picking my bike up off the floor) and sleeping under canvass. If I never get to go for the BIG ONE then at least I have had fun and met lots of interesting and in the main friendly people.

To all who have completed the BIG ONE congrats and to all those who are trying to do it but for some reason cant at the moment the best of luck. I feel no shame at being called a wannabe by those that have, only envy because I really wanna do it!

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www.frothandflames.com
2012 Kawasaki W800
1997 NX 650 Dominator

In my eyes there are 3 different people in this world and all of us belong in one. (Which one are you)
1. People who make things happen !
2. People who watch things Happen !!
3. People who wonder what the F*#@ happened !!!

Cheers
Paul

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....rather Die Living.....than Live Dying !
www.globetrekkers.net.au

The "stuff" is unimportant until you use it. There is no best gear. There are no old bikes tied together with string (tried, doesn't work, you need baleing wire ). There are no ultra-reliable new bikes that never break down.

Instead there is your gear and someone elses gear. Your gear is what you like and above all know. Your gear is what either never breaks or is easy to fix when it does because you know it. Your gear is reliable and comfortable because you know what works for you.

Someone elses gear (unless by luck they think the same way you do, are the same size etc.) is unfamilair and therefore not what you need when it's throwing it down on a bank holiday in Mongolia and something won't play. What is worn out (regardless of age and place of manufacture) will fail, what is new tends to be complex and need help from outside less developed areas.

I too thought buying half the Touratech catalogue and a new BMW was the way to happiness. The TT boxes leak (still got them, too battered to E-bay), the F650 ate it's waterpump in the desert. TT were not interested in leaking boxes and deserve potential customers to know that before another Metal Mule comes along and takes more of their business simply because (like BMW) they used to be very good and now trade on the past but could be good again if they looked at their designs not their ability to sell more to people who really don't know better. I ended up walking in the desert because TT don't sell an F650 waterpump kit and no one told me to carry one because new BMW's are reliable. The BMW I could have fixed once it got home, but it was learning tool in these things and consequently had all the schoolboy errors built in. If I'd bought a used F650 and a set of throwovers I'd have had enough cash to go back to the desert the next year and prove I'd learnt the lessons of that long walk.

Seriously, it's what's in your head not which catalogue you got stuff out of that matters. Staring at your latest purchase and thinking "I'll never end up walking in the desert, I've got a XXXXX" isn't going to help when the YYYYY breaks.

Andy

Just on a serious side, i do think that it matters not a stuff where anyone has been or not been, you have to do this for yourself. Do not put people on a pedestal cos they rode around the world - while you brought your kids up or went down some other road in life. Its a lot easier to move on to the next place and have no ties, than it is to dig in day after day doing a job you maybe dislike/hate or are bored with to keep your family and life together. Maybe your real adventure is just travelling to the Alps or to Norfolk. so what it does not affect anyone else, some people like to ride in groups or on tours some solo some like to go to hot places some to the cold ones none of it really matters. You can listen to other peoples adventures and dream if your happy to do so or have a ride out to Norfolk - in reality if it makes you happy do it. Travelling has as many downs as ups and it can be very lonely at times - some people have the right personality to meet and mix, others are dark, gloomy and hard to talk to even when they are happy - everyone's different - If you really want to ride the world well get on any bike set off and do it - if you feel you can - it may be just what you need but if your doing it to be like the ones on that pedestal, or to be able to have ticked the box - done that then you are no further forward and it wont cure all the ills or empty spaces in your life - but have four weeks going somewhere different (like Norfolk) you will meet strange folk, with strange habits none of which you understand and as for the language it will lose you - it would have been the trip of a lifetime.

+1 to that. One mans holiday is anothers adventure and a third's journey from hell. The reaction to "I've been to X" is going to vary from "Wow" to "That's nice" to "Why?" to "Are you *****y stupid?", which is how it should be.

From my point of view Givi might be an alternative to Touratech for Norfolk though and will leave more money? Of course if TT floats your boat looks wise, so be it.

Andy

Well said 950

A couple of long trips doesn't make anyone a better person and they certainly don't belong on a pedistal..

You will find many people who decide to take long, extended trips into the wilds do it for very selfish reasons ! I'm definately one of those people. I'm constantly on the run from responsibilty and having to settle down etc.

Many people hit the road to escape personal problems or to prove something to themselves. I've been there, and I know many others have too.
It's the absolute minority who fleet around the world without a care in the world. Maybe they won the lottery or inherrited a lot of money etc etc.

For those who can't ever see themselves going on a longer trip for whatever reason, please don't think that those who do have buckets of money and free time and are just leisurely trotting off around the world without a care in the world. Spending their evenings under the sun laughing amongst themselves at the "little people" who can't afford it.

Many of us (me included), make huge sacrifices in order to travel. I live in my mums spare room and work crap hours for crapper money as I'm never in one job long enough to rise through the ranks or gain proper experience.

I'd love to have the big TV, new mobile phone and being able to take my girlfriend to fancy resturants or just to have the cash for some decent clothes to wear for that matter. Instead im buying spare clutch cables, scouring ebay for second hand riding gear, welding pannier frames or working into the night trying to get my cheap battered bike to stay running. It's not glamourous and it's not sexy !!

I spend most of my time looking up to those who manage to stick to their jobs, raise their children and devote their time unselfishly to their friends and family but I do get fed up of people who are constanly going on about why they CAN'T rather than how THEY COULD !

That was what my original jibe was about. Having a £15,000 Adventure bike and using the "Im broke" excuse for not going anywhere on it.

I don't think anyone on the hubb should ever feel that they are being looked down upon by anyone else. Nor should they ever look up at anyone.

I can't see anyone doing that on this thread in the first place.. Maybe lost in translation !! :confused1:

The hubb is a friendly place and 99% of the members are decent, honest, non judgemental types. You will always get the odd ribbing, poor taste joke or lack of understanding but that's just a symptom of not talking face to face.

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

Just so I don't get it in the neck and for the politically sensitive souls on this forum Norfolk can be replaced with any number of other places thats suits your mindset - Sunderland, Liverpool, Cornwall, wales, Scotland etc. Other than it having no hills and being very flat i quite like Norfolk. !!!

At least Norfolks believable. You'd have to be well off your head to come to Leeds for the trip of a lifetime

Touring Ted for President

Andy

[QUOTE= Nor should they ever look up at anyone.

[/QUOTE]

I look up to every one Im 5ft 4 makes my xt more fun though

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

Get yourself some coyote bags that last forever and forget about racks, some sidi boots and klim Dakar pants (what happened to your riding gear from your last trip?) that last forever and a new(er) 400E and 28l safari tank which last forever when looked after and go already.

Buying cheap shit is false economy.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com

hehe.. My bags are £30 old army bags, my racks were home built and cost £15 in materials, my boots are from my last trip and my helmet has been reprayed..

As for my pimped up XT600 and riding gear, I sold it all in Colombia because I couldnt afford to ship it home !! It paid for my flight home and to pay off one of my high interest credit cards !

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