Hello.

Since a long time I am a engineer for testing diesel injectors. But in my heard I was always a traveler, because I was often and long on the road with my backpack.

Now I consider two alternatives:

1.) Travel with my Transalp from Germany to India.

I will change my job in summer 2005. Maybe it will be possible to travel three months between the jobs. If it is possible, then I will drive from Germany to India in summer.

2.) To tour the world.

Maybe I find another person, who will travel round the world. Then I will give up my job for traveling one or two years with my Transalp. Start should be in 2005.

My experience is, that I can live on the road with very less money. I think it is realistic for two normal friends to travel three months, or with preparation one until two years.

Is there any person, which will contemplate serious about a tour to India or round the world?

I look forward too hearing from you soon, for realistic and serious discussions about the trip. Maybe we will ...

Best regards
Siddhartha

[This message has been edited by Siddhartha (edited 12 February 2005).]

Hello Siddhartha,

I´m planning to go that way as well, I´ve stopped counting the days since I began dreaming of driving the silk road thru India and on.
At the moment I´m slowly getting ready and will probably be going somewhere between 2005 and 2006.
I have about the same philosophy as you for not wasting money when not necessary.

My route will go east, starting in Europe to Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and on thru SE asia thru Indonesia and finally arrive in Australia.

I´m flexible on the route, considering possible problems.
We could talk further about preparation, budget, etc if we have similar ideas.
My bike is a 600 XTZ,

Regards,

Mattias




[This message has been edited by Matt595 (edited 13 February 2005).]

hey i have ridden the himalayas thrice and am currently in oz. sometime in 06 i would like to do the silkroute.i ride a xtz600 tenere.

__________________
ride, ride like the wind to be free.

Hello Mattias, hello Stormsearcher.


@Mattias

If we will make the trip together, the most important thing we must check is:
- How long we will travel?
- When we will travel?
Because it is a very hard decision to quit a good job. For a short trip I can use vacations. And when I go on a long term journey, then not shorter than one until two years.

We have well-nigh the same route. This will be no problem.

I think we should meet us in spring. Then we can discuss our ideas on a weekend. What do you think about? France is not very far away and it should be a nice trip with the motorbike.

Let us keep in touch for discussing our ideas.

@Stormsearcher

My father was living 4 years in Australia. Then he traveled back to Germany in 1964 with a BMW R51/2. Therfore I have seen a lot of pictures and listened a lot of stories from Australia und the trip back. Maybe we will meet us in India or Australia.


Best regards
Siddhartha

Hello again Siddharta & Stormsearcher,

I understand your job concerns, we have to speak further about the travel, to see what suits best for everyone.
My idea is to go with a moderate pace along silk route and reach Australia, once arrived it´s possible to live and work legally during one year(if aged under 32 years, how old are you?), the advantage of it is the possibility to slowly tour Oz while remaking some money, next stop could be New Zeeland for the same reason; remake a travel budget while riding on.
This is the long lasting travel idea.
I think making it to Australia with 8000€ or less, its said to be a minimum 3 month of travelling and the "minimum realistic" amount for it.

This week I´ll be heading for the Netherlands to work for my employer, I´ll probably be staying there until I set off(won´t be a pleasure!), though it´ll boost my income enough to realise the go in 6 month.
Maybe we could meet up there instead to speak, or if you want I´ll come to Germany.

Stormsearcher, will you be doing the route from Australia?

See you later,

Mattias




[This message has been edited by Matt595 (edited 16 February 2005).]

Hello siddharta and Stormsearcher!
I hope you are both well,it's nice to speak to you.Your proposed trip is of great interest to me.Basically my situation is this;I want to do either the same trip as you or around Africa.The choice depends on various factors but I should know soon which is the best,and would like to leave around July.I have no time limit-3 months sounds great,1 year sounds better! Although the choice of which trip has not been finalised I hope you don't mind me joining in on your conversation!? I have toured round Europe twice but have never done anything as big as this,but I am very excited about it.Just for your information my name is Rob and I am 36.T here is also the possibility that my girlfriend may be joining me occasionaly on the trip.I hope this wouldn'tbe a problem.Thank you,and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Sorry,my last post was also for Mattias!

Hello Mattias, hello Robak.

@Mattias

Your idea with working in Australia seems a good idea. But I am 35 years old. :-( Do you have a address for asking or informations about working in Australia. I think it must be possible for me to work in Australia, because I am tollmaker for plastic injection and a engineer in automotive since many years.

Then we could travel three until five month down to Australia on the silk route, work a year and travel back on a other route.

I think 8000 € for three month is very realistic. I think we need less money. But three month is a very short slot for this route. My father was very fast on the way, because he had a small budget. And he needed four month from Cylon to Germany.

At the moment I have not enough informations to make a decision. I must check many things. If I have more information, - so much informations that I can make a decision, we can meet us in Netherlands or Germany. But first I must check out:

- How much I can blow up my bankbook until the start?
- Is it possible to find a job in Australia?
- What kind of papers I need in Australia?
- How fast I can give up my houshold?

At the moment are to much questions open. Can you help me with the one or other question?


@Robak

Do you have asked your girlfriend, if she would travel on a motorbike a long time? I think it is not easy to travel with three men. :-)

Best regards
Siddhartha

[This message has been edited by Siddhartha (edited 19 February 2005).]

Hi again Siddhartha and guys,

One thing is sure, we all need to find answers to a few questions.
With some patience, answers will pop up, I hope.

Siddharta, with your qualifications, it seems to me you could be accepted under skilled migrant schemes.
Now, the procedures are extended and you would need to find an employer willing to sponsor you for an employement, where australians are temporary unavailable.
Do you have knowledges of servicing diesel vehicles, engines or driving them? then you´ll probably easily find employers on route, no?

Me, I need increasing my budget to be able to go and it should be done in 6 month or less if I find some trick.
If we can arrive without spending the 8000€, it´s even better.
The highlight of trip, won´t, for me, have anything to do with money, the less I use, the better I´ll feel.

To enter Australia, we´ll need to have carnet de passage for import of bikes, this paper is only valid for 12 month, so if we could arrange a "pre" late (postal) delivery from the german automobile association, what do you think?

Your father must have much good advice to give us on what is necessary etc.
My familly conections with the route is my aunt, who was a missionary in China, her memory made me very curious, she spend lifetime in China and only came back "home" to Europe when old to say farewell..
She went from Sweden to China by train, in the early 1900´s.

Concerning girlfriends, yes depends on the ladies character, personally I´ve never found one who fancy dirty bikes, but frankly it would please me if one existed..ha ha.

Siddhartha, I´ll be leaving France the coming days, you can reach me on this number: +33 6 20 93 41 81 for speaking further or e-mail.
Check australian immigration site for migrants skilled list.

See you,

Mattias

Hey

I have been reading your messages with interest.

I too am looking at doing a trip like this. Ultimately my final destination is Melbourne Australia. I have been looking a doing a trip like this for some time however have reservations about doing it on my own.

At this stage I have the bike BMW F650 together with all equipment. Lie yourselves looking at going it on the cheap and I think 8000K euro is very realistic. I think it is also cheaper in a group than on your own.

I am reasonably flexible in time needed to get there however at the present time would be looking to leave London toward the end of the year.

I would be very interested in taking the further.

Cheers

Jim

Hello @ all.

What do you think about a test – motorbike – trip in spring? We should prove, if we will understand us for several months on the trip. I think we should travel one or two weeks in Europe for proofing our human natures and to discuss details of the trip. I think the most important thing is to understand us in each situation.

Maybe I will organize in spring a tour in Europe. On this tour each travler can find his brother or sister of the road.

Do you have some ideas for this tour???

Best regards
Wolfgang

[This message has been edited by Siddhartha (edited 23 February 2005).]

Brilliant idea. I would be up for that. With current work commitments i would find it hard to get away for two weeks but certainly one week no problem.

I am flexible about where we go. Only time I cant do it is all of July.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Hello to you all.

I am sitting in Thailand and planning a trip just like this one together with my wife when I saw this post.

We have been travelling in the whole SE Asia for almost six months. I am a photographer and my wife is a journalist. We work freelance for several newspapers. We plan to come back home to Sweden in about a month and then work and save as much money as we can and leave again overland to SE Asia in the end of the summer or somewere else.

We have done several trips on motorbike before but only in europe though. We travel on a fully equipped 1150 GS Adventure.

Maybe we could join you later we we are back home.

With best regards
/
Niclas

Sounds like we should agree a date?

Hello.

I think that is a great idea! Then we are 5 Persons and we can organize a small biker meeting.

Where and when we will meet us?

Best regards
Wolfgang