I'm really glad, Mike, that I took the time to read all the posts, by yourself and others, before responding. I was tempted after reading your first post to follow up with something as per Dan et. al. It was only by the last few posts that I had any confidence at all that you were really on this planet with regards to long distance motorcycle travel. At this point I still think you are in high orbit (somewhere out about the moon but at least you have arrived into the Solar System) so I think there is hope for you. I will be watching for your re-entry, which I still suspect will happen not long after you start your trip.
After years of some pretty hard core bike touring, for much shorting periods than real long distance travellers, but still in some difficult places (e.g. India, Indonesia, Mexico, Cuba, Samoa) as well as many softer countries, I feel I have learnt much much more from the several hundreds of travellers I have hosted at my house over the last 5-6 years. My advice: listen and learn. Do a lot of listening. And for gods sake, do some real riding! What did you say? The last time you rode 100 miles was in '84? I find it hard to believe it when you say you are an experienced rider. Your target of 250 miles in a day is realisitic only in a minority of countries in the world.

Regards
Nigel in NZ

P.S. You don't know how hard it was for me not to make some kind of "cultural" comment about your attitude. Opps! Almost did there....

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"The world is a book and those who do not travel read but a page"- St Augustine

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription