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In my opinion, traveling by motorbike is the best way to travel, period.
As for a breakdown, I'd say I'm 50/50. |
1. 81R80GS just because
2. 13DR650 for anywhere far ... and everywhere close ... Alaska YT and NWT (my home range) 3. 13Yamaha 250XT for single track and old age 4. 15R9T for the twisties and town 5. 10R1200RT for sweepers/iron butt on the hiway Riding on four continents in the last 50 years makes me traveler who rides ... or a rider who travels. Can't imagine travel that doesn't include "a ride." If just one ride ... it's the DR650 ... and i don't own a harley ... so i can't be a biker (8->} |
I like to travel and prefer to do so by bike. But I only travel a few times a year, whereas I ride everyday. So I guess it'll be more accurate to say I'm a biker who travels.
Bikes I regularly used in the past 15 years (in order of longevity of use/distance covered):
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Hi. I'm most certainly always a rider first, and happy to do so most anywhere. I have done lone rides in other countries but know with certainty that if I had a bottomless bank account I'd be happy just riding back roads throughout the Pacific Northwest. I live in Whitehorse, and work as a consultant, riding my bike to contracts around North America. I've ridden from the north and southern Canada, to central Canada, Florida, and the Caribbean. And while I'm on contract my down off is spent on the bike not in the bar unlike most of my coworkers. During my time off I am exploring Backcountry routes in British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alaska these past couple of years. I happily rode from Whitehorse to Yellowknife for a short two-week engineering contract.
Living in Southeast Asia I had a variety of bikes, but in northern Canada, I spend my time between a BMW GSA here in southern Ontario, a KLR for playing at my new house on Vancouver Island, and a WR250R ready for play in the Yukon. My riding changed even before I turn 50, I won't take the GSA down the Dempster anymore, but it's the bike I take across the country. I bought the KLR 10 years ago, but over 55 k of its 60k has been ridden in the last 5 years, it's my preferred bike for backroad riding with camping gear. I have attended to Horizons unlimited meetings 1 in British Columbia and one in Chiang Mai. I joined the Forum here to find other riders to ride with across Northern Canada and North to the Arctic Ocean with. Cheers Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk |
Hmm, this is a hard question to answer. I started out traveling without a bike, but that very desire to explore is what drove me to see other means of transportation. Guess it happens that on a bike is my favorite mode of all... but I would have traveled without it anyway. Besides, I am still about to embark on that long journey... perhaps my answer will be different by then.
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Traveller -> Biker -> Traveller
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It has changed over the years.
Life is a journey with several phases. 1: I started as a biker. Fun tool to ride on gravel roads (illegal) 2: Than I bought a Moto Guzzi 850T. To become a traveller. My girlfriend and I used it to discover" the world. Trips in Sweden. Down to and around in France. And Norway-Finland.North cap. Very low budget. Cheap tent that was not waterproof, rain "suit" from a gas station. Hard life. But best time of my life. We were such a a tight couple. And did everything together. 3: Than I was drinking to much during some years to be neither. Only an active alcoholic. But now sober since decades... 4:With work, family, kids: back to biker. Driving to and from office. And tours on Saturdays. "All in" biker. Full patch holder. Officer in MC, driving chopper. ...And I spent a lot of time restoring and building bikes. Maybe "builder" should be separate category. 5: Now back to traveller. I have no family, no work and life is in small scale. I have the time and possibility to discover the world. So now the bike is used as a tool to discover the world. The bike exposes you to the world, people, environment, culture... as almost nothing else. I am not interested to take the bike to major tourist attractions. and meet up with buses full of tourists. Nio, the bike is perfect to get behind the curtain. And see the real world. 6 But I still drive around from time to time on a 2-stroke or side valve bike. Just for fan. So then I am a ?? |
Know what you mean about rubbish tents and starvation level biking. This was one I used for a couple of years at the start of my 'travelling career' when it was all I could afford -
https://i.postimg.cc/13wxJYQj/1972-10.jpg This was the last night of a trip back from Italy. Black and White so it's either 'arty' or a very long time ago. :rofl: |
Probably biker first, traveller second.
Bikes were my first form of transport and remained so for about 13 years before work required me to buy a car too, but bikes remained. Bike trips were once a year and one year that translated to a fabulous 3mth trip to South America. However, since then my bike travelling is not something frequent sadly. In fact nor has riding been. Over the last few years my annual riding dropped from close to 30K km a year whilst between commutes, Sunday rides and trips in the UK to a mere 200km last year. Having kids, a place to keep in the country and dogs have all meant that the bike was almost never an option and before I knew it, the Estonian winter was already back on the horizon. This year, the opportunity may exist and I'm ceasing it! All we need is for the road borders to open! |
I have never known how to answer this question and still don't but I have gone from describing myself as a motorcyclist who cycles to a cyclist who motorcycles, but still a traveller.
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I'd like to update my original answer (whatever it was) to indicate that I'm no longer much of either. Mostly, I sit around at home and wonder whether I'll be too old and decrepit to motorcycle or travel by the time I'm again permitted to do one or the other.
Needlessly glum, I know. Originally, however, I was supposed to be packing for Tajikistan right about now. |
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You could always pop along to Sturgis as a consolation trip - that seems to be in full swing at the moment. Until they all start coughing anyway. :( |
May I interject into the glumfest?
Whatever your position on the virus, and I doubt many would disagree we need to be somewhere between sensible and cautious depending on age and health, in England we fortunately remain free of the utter stupidity they have elsewhere. Amazon must love the Welsh Junta's ban on supermarkets selling books and underwear and the Garda are burning up hard earned good will with cordons every 3 miles. There is nothing to stop us popping out for a couple of tank fulls, helmet on being as good as a mask, take your own food (what we used to call a picnic) , ride carefully, visit the empty corners of this green and rather soggy land. I can appreciate the effects on key workers, my wife is working silly hours making sure people get their furlough cash and business grants, so priority is having a G&T ready at five past five, but getting out will keep you sane. Sanity will make the whole thing better for everyone and coming out ride ready improves your chances. This does indeed possibly make me a biker now, but I aren't dressing like one of the Village People until they have a theme night down the pub (and then I'm going as the Soldier because doing the Actionman Eagle eyes gets a laugh). bier Andy |
Yes, desperation does give you strength. There's only so much covid goody two shoes you can put up with. Plus you can't discount the amount of political power playing going on under the guise of public safety. Communities are having their freedoms restricted not entirely as an anti virus measure but because 'power crazed' regional politicians want to create some vote generating clear blue water between themselves and Westminster. Because of the patchy nature of the outbreaks this is a perfect time to play breakaway.
I spent a good part of September (the warm dry bits!) buzzing around on one of my ancient two strokes, on the basis that if I couldn't go on any long distance trips on a reliable bike I could do short distances on an unreliable one. The voyage into the unknown element is much the same. :rofl: Voyaging into the unknown was very much to the fore when I had to go to France a couple of weeks ago. Who knew what I was going to find over there? The answer was, well, pretty much the same as always but with less people (only about 10 cars rattling around on the cross channel ferry!). Now that I'm back though the adventure really begins. I'm required to self isolate for 14 days in case I'm contagious. But it seems (from various surveys) that only about 10% of people do the entire two weeks in the approved manner - mainly because nobody checks / enforces it. So here's the moral dilemma I'm facing - pragmatically abandon it all or responsibly sit staring out the window for the next week? Answers, lectures or character assassination diatribes written on a £10 note only please! It's so much simpler when all you have to worry about is do I have enough fuel to get to the next town.:rofl: |
For my ten quids worth, be sensible (no mosh pits etc.) and don't get caught :innocent:
Someone should do a pHd on the subject but it took me about 2 days to remember skills last used to confuse the Stasi. Things like having a bag and shopping list on you to create an essential journey. Stay safe. Andy |
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