George t,

I don't think anyone will be judging anyone, or suspicious - we all started off as newbies once too, and did dumb things and thought ignorant thoughts, so if judged would all be found wanting! (damhik!)

I think you WILL be impressed at how helpful and friendly everyone is - it's a truly great atmosphere at the meeting.

Be sure to say hi,



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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I guess I'm quite new, Ive olny got about 36 Countries under my belt, I'm former British Forces and trained in Remote area trauma response. I've spent two years in Algeria and have a residents visa as well as various other African/Asia and South American Trips. I've camped in places you can't even imagine.

I've been riding a bike for some time and am am Advanced instuctor as well having done my police driving course but I'm new to Adventure riding and so my Bike is a new KTM 640 Adventure and I keep my kit in tip top condition, so what I'll need to do is take a hammer to the bike, throw dirt at it, grow a beard and not wash. Now can I come to your club!!!

Don't judge a book by.........

I was looking forward to the meeting and receiving advice etc and meeting like minded people, Let's hope there's going to be some there, I thought ALL were welcome!

Ian.

It takes ALL kinds, and Horizons Unlimited officially welcomes ALL kinds - we are VERY far from elitist in any way shape or form, or prejudiced in any way (hard to be prejudiced and travel a lot) - but this thread is kinda fun, and I hope we all take it that way

see you ALL there, speaking as a bearded type with a usually clean and always perfectly maintained bike.

Grant

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

If there were not people with the money to buy new bikes and equipment, there would be no used bikes or equipment for sale to people (like me) who make perhaps the more prudent decision to buy used.

Hi all, looking forward to the meet.
I am one of those people who was inspired, nay re-awoken by seeing Ewans travels. At 18 i did Lands End to John O` Groats, on my own, now at 38 seeing Ewans DVD and doing a search on Google for "around the world" i ended up here, glad i did i always thought i was wierd wanting to set off on my own and go places, meet interesting people, and just get out there. I don`t quite fit into the OP`s category at the mo, maybe it`s because i`m from Yorkshire, i don`t know but my bike cost me £500 i`ve held a license for 21 years. Getting married and all the resonsibilities associated with this distracted me, but hey i`m back and i`ll be honest i don`t want to travel the world just yet but but i do want to meet you guys,girls and learn,....nay maybe inspired. I`d never even heard of Jupiters Travels but now it`s sat on the bookshelf, and i try and enthuse it to every friend or family member.

Looking forward to the meet. I can understand the sentiments of the original OP, but every club needs new members.
PS coming with my 17 year old son as i`d like him to experience this wonderful event.(He`s the one on shandy)
Carl

[This message has been edited by DustBuster (edited 04 June 2005).]

travelling is about fraternity, solidarity, tolerance, understanding, since the beginning (explorers etc ...)

posting here among travellers should be same.

everybody travels different (with cheap or expensive equipement, with or without crew, with or without experience) and all is respectable, as far as it s a little genuine/authentic.



[This message has been edited by vincent danna (edited 05 June 2005).]

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Vincent Danna

* www.va-project.com
Sept 2008 - dec 2009 : Voyage et art contemporain en Amérique du sud.

* http://vincent.danna.free.fr/
2002 - 2004 : Un tour du monde en moto.

Hi Ian Hadden

Thanks for your post. It was the funniest thing I’ve read all week. Hilarious!
Like Grant said, you need to take this thread with a pinch of salt. Keep in mind that my views are my own and not that of Horizons Unlimited or any participant on this B Board.

After re-reading my original post I believe that I meant what I said.
Big trailies seem to be the ‘next urban-4x4 must have’ (thanks Geoff for the term) and I find that to be a pain in the arse.
I don’t want to suggest a dividing line between the ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’. That would be very wrong and besides, there’s no point. A line already exists between the ‘want-to’ and ‘doing-it’ and I think HU does fine work in helping people cross the line.
I also don’t want to limit the amount of people who live the ‘long way round’ life but I think there are people in this world that should be kept at home. For instance, I don’t want Ali-G riding a pimped-up Katoom a day ahead of me claiming he’s my best mate and knocking up the chief’s daughter.
Bike manufacturers are selling a dream to certain gung-ho and inconsiderate people that I wish would not become aware of this lifestyle.

There, I’ve said too much again… I’ll go sit in the corner shall I?

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BMW R1200GS
Suzuki TL1000S
Suzuki GSX750R
Honda MBX50

I agree with you Vincent, but I am sure that Columbus desperately wanted to shoot Diego-fart-pants when he started doing his comical Queen Isabella of Spain impressions to the natives wearing his underpants over his head.
Come on! I’m not a travel-nazi… I’m just trying to enjoy the peace and quiet of a solitary road!

Cyril

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BMW R1200GS
Suzuki TL1000S
Suzuki GSX750R
Honda MBX50

It is early morning and as I read this, I was thinking: look what has happened to the climbing world since Hillary. I just now turned on the TV, and what is on the news? A couple getting married on top of MT. EVEREST!!

I raced in the Incas Rally in 88 and now half the roads are paved, especially some long roads to and from Cusco. Same in Patagonia, roads get paved daily. The adventure is in the mind. Progress-it happens.
Allen.

I am not a very experinced motorcycle traveller only Europe and Morocco. I would say this board should be here for all the aspirational the dreamers the old lags and the purely curious. With out any of these this board would be next to useless as know one would ask questions and no won would be able to give advice and draw from their experince.

As with all things that become fashionable it will pass and the pretenders wil move on to extreme ironing or what ever within six months.

Its good to remeber the planet belongs to all of us not juts those who have travelled around it.

Chralie

I think there is a difference between newcomers and people who come to something new with the attitude that they know everything. HU is welcoming and diverse but at the same time for the most part people don't have an attitude and don't appreciate people coming in with attitude problems.

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Brooklyn Dakar
http://motorcycleramblings.blogspot.com/

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Prevously known as JSherm
My blog: http://www.motorcycleramblings.com/
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/sherman/ I will up date this soon, really Grant, I will....
"This is the story of America. Everybody's doing what they think they're supposed to do." J Kerouac
"Who's more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him" OW Kenobi

an interesting thread indeed.

We've watched this sport grow from a few intrepid people (lots of firsts) to a healthy group and now I feel we are about to see the number of people riding overland explode.

Blame Chris Scott, for his excellent books, Grant and Susan for this most excellent site. Ted Simon, Jim Rogers and a host of others may have written fantasic books, but Chris Scott and this website created simple "how to" guides, and community to back it up. There are similar books & sites, if I am not too mistaken in Germany and Japan.

We are also now seeing new magazines in the UK and US aimed at advernture biking, and increasingly large sections of bike magazines doing the same.

So this mode of travel is moving on. I'm happy to have been on the road when this was still rare, and happier to be still on the road now with company. Welcome everyone who has been drawn in - either by chance, by the recent publicity, or perhaps through encountering the experiences that people on this site have shared.

The equipment available these days is awesome - last time it took me just one week (or was it two) to go from no bike to completely outfitted and on the road. That trip lasted well over a year (or was it two)

Right now I am in South Africa (working) and have a 1200GS, which, plasticay bits and small tank aside, is a fantasic overlanding weapon. But I might just trade it in on something a little more... impractical... for my next trip.

Lance

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http://www.elevatorfactoids.com

I have two mates who are probably just the kind of people you describe, beamers, metal mules, everything brand spanking new. But i dont care, I have two new mates to go riding with and despite being new to biking both are top blokes. They might give it all up in a year or two or may not, either way I have someone to go to Norway with this summer!
(I also saw the SAS training bit of TLWR, whoever organised their training was an eejit! They could duck AK47 fire but Charlie admitted they didn't know how to use their stove! Fantastic! I guess they got round though!)
matt

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http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

luckystricker (and whoever may feel concerned),

as an oldie and even a goodie that you are i m sure :-), i guess you ll be always happy to meet an other biker/overlander on the road, discuss and help each other, even the ones you re "criticising", aren t you ?
that s the essential, no ? whatever they look like, their equipment, etc ... if you re passionate, not arrogant, willing to understand each other, as you seem to be.

the most important is the consequences of some attitudes / behaviours of some bikers/overlanders with the "locals" which may change the "locals" : their fraternity, solidarity, tolerance, understanding, that we all appreciate when we are on the road.
if one of us behaves "wrong or bad", the local may change his attitude and the next biker/overlander will have to cope with this. too bad for the next overlander !
quick silly but realistic example : you have a gps, you re lost in the middle of nowhere, 1 or 2 locals come around you, you stick your mind and eyes on your gps without saying hello, smiling to them, asking your direction and then go. what happens to the next overlander ? locals won t come anymore to him or not like the fist time, willing to help or give you a tea etc ...

i m not doing any morality, i m sure i also did some things wrong or bad with the "locals" :-)


[This message has been edited by vincent danna (edited 08 June 2005).]

__________________
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Vincent Danna

* www.va-project.com
Sept 2008 - dec 2009 : Voyage et art contemporain en Amérique du sud.

* http://vincent.danna.free.fr/
2002 - 2004 : Un tour du monde en moto.

LuckyStriker
A good post, IMHO. I have 2 anecdotes:

1. It amuses me to occasionally surf into ukgsers.com and to read the posturing (IMHO) of people as to what the latest gadgets are that they have just hung on their oilhead gs bikes.

2. the other Friday while heading to the Isle of Man TT (via Huddersfield) I was lane splitting in heavy traffic near jtn 7 on the M1 on my beaten up old be-luggaged Transalp, when this matey on a bike shoots up behind me and immediately presses his (puney sounding) horn... I take my time to find a gap to let him past and, quel surpris, it's a pr*ck in a business suit on a r1150 gs adventure, just the same bike for which I'm on pg 30 of the brochure (the Bolivian photoshoot one: and on the pullout poster).

He was in a hurry. No luggage. Probably making mega bucks in da Smoke. Me, I was going on holiday. I smiled, flicked him the bird and continued on my holiday jaunt.

Watching the Ewan McG and Charley Boring's thing on the TV amused me (and brought back unfond memories) of how a big fat overloaded bike is totally unsuitable for overland travel.

See you in Ripley and/or on the road.

ChrisB

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TheBrightStuffDotCom

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Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective