Mollydog,

Thanks again for the great advice! Am really looking forward to this trip of a lifetime.

You're lucky to have spent 7 years in Latin America. That must've been quite an experience. Expect you got very familiar with the cultures, geography, and language during that time. No doubt made some good friends.

Landing a job with international travel must've been great. Combining two passions while getting paid. What's not to like? I've been lucky in that way as well.

I'll be going in with eyes wide open. It'll be my first time south of Mexico. Will probably take a Spanish class along the way (Guatemala?) so I'm not entirely dependent on Google Translate and body language.

No worries here about hanging with a crowd. I generally travel solo. Seems to make me more accessible to the locals. Have met a lot of folks that way, some of whom have become close friends.

Mostly I share travel photos (lots) with friends on Facebook. A couple sample albums below from this past year. Sorry if they're in the wrong forum. Will try to smarten up and post a ride report or two on HUBB during this upcoming trip.

Boston to Alaska
https://goo.gl/ssf1YF

Chiang Mai
https://goo.gl/eVyJU8

Backpacking is a bit of an extreme. There are definitely advantages to traveling without your own vehicle, if the place you're going accommodates it. One big advantage is that while you are on public transit, you can relax and sleep or get other things done (like reading the guidebook and planning). In a new city, you can quickly dump your luggage in a hostel and go exploring - no messing about with finding secure parking, changing out of riding gear, or walking about in less-than-comfortable clothing. Luggage itself is easier - a big suitcase that's simpler to pack, you're not encumbered by things like camping gear which is only intermittently needed.

I've been around Europe on a Eurail pass, around Japan on a JR pass a couple of times, specific extended trips around Italy and Spain using local buses, trains and cheap flights - there are absolutely situations where this is the better option. In Brazil I got an Air Pass and saw more of the country in three weeks than many Brazilians who'd lived there all their lives.

I think the two main factors to consider are:

1) Are you strapped for time? A motorcycle allows you to trade off time for money. It's always pitiful to see someone hanging around a hostel all day, catching up on sleep or working through a hangover, or just killing time until their next public transport opportunity arrives, or the next batch of money. On a bike, you might still be stuck for a week waiting for the Stahlratte, but it is much easier for you to take that time to go camp in a national park, or just do a daytrip in the mountains outside the city without being dependent on that one particular bus that leaves at an inconvenient time. If you are time-rich, having already made the investment of a bike up front can save you money while improving your experience.

2) Is your destination set up for public transport? I spent 120 euros on a Eurolines Pass that let me just show and get on any long-distance coach in Italy for three weeks. Excellent value. For pretty much every destination I wanted - be it big cities like Florence or Rome or Naples, or small villages like the Cinque Terre, or spontaneous decisions like Siracusa - there was an affordable, convenient public transport option. If the locals consistently live on public transport, so can you.

The combination of the two principles means that if you are taking your one big holiday for the year and have to get back to your job, then public transport will let you check off more of the must-have sights and experiences.

For my big holiday this year, I had two parts... two weeks in New Zealand, then two weeks in Japan. Planning ahead, I got overnight bus tickets in NZ for literally a dollar (okay, four dollars with tax and the credit card processing fee) - not the best night's sleep, but it saved me time on travel, and money on hotel costs! Then on the South Island I rented a motorcycle and crossed the Southern Alps three times over, 2500 km over eight days, enjoyed it tremendously and got more done than I could have with buses, especially since some places like the Caitlins did not have reasonable bus connections at all. But in Japan? Forget about motorcycles or rental cars, even if they would accept my EU driver's license! JR Pass all the way. Even the animal park I desperately wanted to visit had a free shuttle from the train station.

So the answer is... both have their advantages, use common sense and reason, and be open to using either option when they are appropriate.

I've never done the infamous 'RTW' but I've done a few extended (over six month) bike trips.

The risk with any extended travel is that you can become immune to what you're actually doing.

The novelty can wear off. The things that you should be in awe of start to become a little bit 'meh'. You ride past things that would have blown your mind months earlier. You stop taking pictures and it all becomes a bit 'routine'

So the longer you travel, the more of a norm it becomes, and in the end you're just paying to maintain a lifestyle rather than making the most out of every day.

I can't see myself doing anything longer than 2-3 months at a time now. Because the facts of life don't change just because you're hiding from them in a Sub Saharan dive bar.

You will get tired.
You will get bored
You will get homesick

I also found the longer I spend away, the harder it is to re-adjust back into work and home life. And that leads to depression and anxiety.


Saying that. Everyday I still fantasise about selling everything I own, locking up the workshop and heading off for a RTW trip.

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

Couldn't agree more. 2-3 months away is good for all sorts of other very legitimate, pragmatic and logistical reasons too. Well, for my circumstances (and mind-set) anyway.

The longest I've been away from home 'on the road' was 4½ months way back at the end of 2006 / beginning of 2007. In New Zealand, during the southern hemisphere's summer - our (the UK's) mid-winter / very early springtime months.

After three months of riding around NZ, in often spectacular scenery; going through the daily routines of taken the obligatory photos, sorting-out lodgings, dealing with the laundry, the bike's maintenance and other daily obligations .. I suddenly thought, 'I'm bored with all this .. and I am ready to go home.'

The last six weeks were a bit of a chore if I'm honest. All finished-off, with just a few days remaining before I was due to return to England .. by crashing in the middle of no-where, South Island. I just lost concentration on gravel, which booked me an ambulance ride, plenty of free morphine , and a bed for the best part of a week (plus orthopaedic surgery!) in Southland Hospital, Invercargill.

I've never been away from home, on a m/c trip, for more than three months since .. and probably never will.

Hey! but we're all different.

__________________
Right Way Round ...

Antyx,

Good insights! That's quite a nice trip combo between New Zealand and Japan. Both are on my bucket list. Must've been a blast.

I won't be strapped for time and expect most places will be accessible by some sort of public transport. Will see.

One of the advantages of being a digital nomad has been a sustained income. It's allowed me to indulge in certain travel luxuries. For instance, while working out of Chiang Mai I was able to fly to nearby countries for a long weekend or a couple weeks, then hire a driver or private tour guide to take me to the cool places I wanted to see. They also helped me get tickets and navigate through crowds. In Alaska I was able to take flights out to meet Inuit people, brown bears, and polar bears. Very cool.

Will need to be more thrifty in the near future if I'm going to be traveling on my retirement savings rather than a sustained income.

Ed

TouringTed,

I admire anyone who does long-distance bicycle touring. You must take packing efficiency to a whole new level. Where cyclists find the stamina to ride up and down hills all day long is a mystery to me. All the power to you.

You bring a new perspective on travel. I hadn't really thought about chunking up the trip or having the novelty wear off. That said I did feel a bit homesick and returned after a couple multi-year stints working abroad. This time I've been away for a year and am anxious to keep moving. Wonder if it depends on the person and the time. Grant and Susan's RTW trip lasted 10 years, right? Same with Helge Pedersen and Emilio Scotto. Jeffrey Polnaja rode for 9 years. Vladimir Yarets, Lisa and Simon Thomas are still at it after 14+ years. Wow!!!

Keith1954,

Bummer about the travel novelty wearing off and especially about the accident. Glad you found a riding style/duration that's more to your liking.

Ed

Bicycle !!!! No chance. I was on a Motorcycle

Grant and Susan's RTW wasn't 10 years on the road (As far as I know). They flew home to work in between to have a break from travelling.

Everyone's trip is different. It depends on so many things. And people are travelling for so many different reasons. You will meet so many people on the road with these stories.

Many of the extended RTW riders have left behind a grievance or bad relationship. They're looking for new lives.
Many have slaved behind a desk for 40 years, had a moment of clarity and decided to attack the bucket list before it's too late.
Some are taking the opportunity for travel before they settle down with a family etc etc etc.

Point is, you never know how long you will want to be away until you're away. If you're lucky enough to have the time and money then keep your options open but don't be so rigid with how long you go or where you go.

Get on the bike, point it to the sunshine, be prepared for all eventualities and just see how it goes.

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

Another alternative;

Catch trains, buses, pushbike, hitchhike, jump in with a group, buy a beater MC, buy a beater old van etc. Or these;



You can sell the bike or van before you leave that country to fund the next one. If its winter a van is much better than a bike. Spring Autumn a bike is fantastic. As long as you can set your luggage up for all modes you are fine.

My partner and I have been planning our 'R-bit-TW' and though we both love travelling on our GS I really dont think the size/weight of it would be great for some of the more off the way places as I am not a spring chicken anymore.

So we will most probably head off and pick the most suitable mode for the place we are in.

I am in awe of the trips people do on this forum. If I could get 1/4 of that I would be happy.

depends on the situation
I am new to this sort of travel but have Back packed, hitchhiked ,chicken bused ,
traveled by train and canoed in south america in the early 80s
now i have a 650 decked out for travel and I live and work for a foreign contractor in Colombia and will be here for years because of the inefficiency of the political system to get the job done, wow! problems no hay!
Well i am ok with that and i don't care about the politics for job security
bottom line i am paid good and have lots of leisure time to explore
So getting back to RTW i don't know how a normal person with a normal income
can do this unless you have a shitload of money
I have turned down jobs in Africa Indonesia and Papua because the money was not so great for the conditions you had to put up with
example Juba South Sudan FTP
Now i have changed my mind it would be awesome to work in these places with a bike and see the continent or country
I work in the Airborne geophysics industry and see a lot of airports and terrain
Colombia is by far the most interesting place i have ever seen by air and motto
its fun Here

Hi Folks,

An update to this thread. Just letting you know that I’ve ridden my R1200GS from Boston>Philly>Denver>Mexico>Central America>Lima, Peru. Will continue down to Ushuaia, Argentina and Valparaiso before shipping my bike and deciding where/how to do my next RTW segment.

The R1200GS has worked fine for the most part. There have been times, when it would’ve been easier to have a lighter bike. I’ve never needed the power of this bike. But I do like its comfort and refinement.

Might seem sacrilegious - especially on this forum - but I’m still wrestling with the question of best mode of travel for different parts of the world. Personally I feel a lot lighter once I’ve reached a town to ditch the bike and walk around on foot or take mass transit. It seems lighter and more flexible. The bike is used to get me between towns.

Here’s a link to my travel album on Facebook: https://goo.gl/XbmeX2

There is no perfect one form of travel. It's always a compromise.

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

One thing I enjoy about riding around on my motorcycle is the folks I’ve met along the way. Recently I ran into a German guy on an Africa Twin in Cajamarca. We ended up hanging out in the city during Carneval and riding around the surrounding area.

I’d also been corresponding with an American guy who’s in the area and just picked up a 300cc Honda bike locally.

Today the three of us will get together at TouraTech Peru here in Lima. Idea is to ride together around southern Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

Funny how these things work out. Nice community.

If it is mostly the travelling, I can't help thinking buying an expendible old diesel car or van might be a better solution than a bike.

Oldbmw has a good point.

If you want to enjoy the destination. A more comfortable and practical way of travel does make a lot of sense. Such as a van.

But if you want to enjoy the journey. It's hard to get closer to the road and environment than on a motorcycle unless you're on a bicycle or walking.

Those tin boxes really do shield you from a lot. Good and bad.

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