Yeah .... or you could end up with a shiny red Ducati 999 for instance .... hey David

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...on the road to nowhere...

Biking roads by bikers for bikers www.bestbikingroads.com

Thanks for more replies, everyone.

Why is the XT600E more suited to different types of terrain? Is it much different with the suspension and things or is it just a case of tyres? And I also wanted to ask, would you say it's a good idea to take a spare back tyre, maybe one suited to sand, if I'm planning to do a type of trip that covers different terrain?

Right now, the trip I'm planning will be to southern Spain on roads and then into Africa, going across some sand and enjoying that continent before coming back up through Italy. Just to get used to it :P

Soapbox? What is this? Twitter? or Reader's Digest abridged version?

I read and understood perfectly what you said. On the face of it it looks to me as a dismissal of the importance of training as put forward in other posts here. Sure, Manicom did it and many do the same as he did. IMHO, their idiots ... because not everyone is lucky ... or talented.

But I would rebut that cavalier approach based on 45 years of riding experience. As an off the cuff "Well, you could just go ... " statement, its fine. I would only add a big "BUT" in there suggesting ... BUT training is not a bad idea.

Cheers

You need to catch up on reading here ... about trips, riding and bikes. Lots to learn you must. Get out and start hanging out at bike shops to see different bikes and understand what different ones are good for and why.
And why others won't work for rough road/dirt road travel.

The XT is a dual sport bike. These are pretty tough bikes built to take a hit and survive, have lots of ground clearance, are simple, economical and reliable and can carry a fair bit of gear. The more you read it will become clear.

I have to agree with Mickey D ,I read it as an endorsement to not take training and I thought it was a pretty dumb comment to make to someone starting out .
Or maybe you are Sam Manicom's agent trying to boost sales of the book?:confused1:

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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Not at all. I simply read the book and enjoyed it. So many people are terrified of just taking life by the scruff of the neck due to the cotton wool society we live in these days, so I found it refreshing to see someone had a dream and just went for it.

Sure you can take months to learn how to ride, take lots of expensive training sessions, read all the blogs on the internet and test ride a thousand bikes while asking for everyone's opinion. Or just pick a bike, any bike, and do it.

You'll find out what works for you, and have an adventure while you're at it. Be it a Honda 125 or a 1200GSA.

Did Helge take lots of training before he set off? Did Ted Simon?

Sure seeking advice is very helpful, and this is the site to do it. But don't get harrassed into crossing every t and dotting every i. Life is for living, don't worry about those litigation obsessed folks!

Maybe that's just an English expression...

Strong wooden box which was used for shipping soap, handy size for carrying, so it could be used to stand on whilst addressing the crowd, putting the world, or irresponsible bikers to rights.

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Anything can happen in the next half hour

Yes, training is good but who's to say when a person has finally had enough training.

I would support someone getting off-road training, IAM training, survival training, if they chose to but I would also accept if they decided to just get up and go.

I have no idea if the OP plans on following any training course or do a Helg/Ted/Sam and just up and go. I think either is OK.

Whichever the OP plans to do, I think the bottom line is to give oneself pleeeenty of time to make the journey.

Training or not, being in a rush is someting to avoid.

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

to your comments on S. Manicom!!! Kinda wrong?

And sorry - youre not right about the UK licence system. Try riding in the rest of the EU without one.

PS What's an "Int. Passport"? They're all international arent they?

nope - in non EU, ex soviet countries they still have internal passports

But you are right abt UK licences - all of EU licences are now tiered in the same way; it's the reason the UK bike test is in 3 parts. Theory, practical part 1 and practical part 2. Part 1 is in purpose built test centres which allows testees to ride above the 30mph limit to 32mph which conforms to EU speed limits.

But sheeesh - who cares. The Post Office will issue a full bike international driving licence (stamped by the AA) without even looking to see if a valid group A is on the UK plastic license. They have been told to issue a full licence, which includes all bikes.....

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Cordially,

Derek aka Jake.

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

Was Manicom a motorcyclist before his trip? ... Neither right or wrong ... just an opinion. Are those still allowed on here? :confused1:

RE-read please. I didn't write Int. Passport. I wrote, "Int. DL or Passport" by which I meant: INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE. Sorry for the abbreviation. In the US "DL" is common short hand for Drivers license.

I'm not English but have driven/ridden in much of Europe. Never once asked for a drivers license, only passport. They would sometimes run the plate on my bike ... that was it.

So you're saying Spanish, Polish or Swedish Police will all understand the intricacies of a UK Tiered driving license? I've seen one up close and couldn't even read the frikin thing, print too small ... made no sense to me and I more of less understand English. I guess all the Euro police get special seminars by Interpol on how to read and decipher a British license.

try keep if friendly guys we're just trying to help each other

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Life is for Living - so Live

If you've ever talked to Sam, you will realise hes a very down to earth, humble bloke..

I've read his books and I like them. As far as I know, he never rode a motorcycle before his trips. Nowhere does he proclaim himself a a good rider and I think he was very nervous about the whole thing.

Was using a bike a gimmick !! ? Hmm, I don't think so. Why did any of us start riding ?? Why do any of us use bikes for travel ???

I'm not trying to bait anyone, just making a point.

Anway....

Training IS important but I think experience is worth more than any piece of paper. Training gives you experience and helps you not pick up bad habbits which you usually have to unlearn the hard way !

Casestudy:

I rode with an American girl for 2 months who bought a bike in Chile and pretty much learnt to ride it there. She got her licience in the US about a week before she flew to Chili.

Her riding terrified me and how she made it home alive is a miracle. Me and the other guy I was travelling with had our hearts in our mouths when she overtook long trucks on blind bends, flying over hill crests on her 250 pizza bike at full throttle on the wrong side of the road..That's when she wasnt riding into the back of cars with no brake lights or dissapearing down pot holes. She was a terrible rider and was nearly killed everyday with her terrible riding. We actually had to pull her over and shake some sense into her before we were dealing with road kill.

She is the prime example of PEOPLE NEED EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING before an overland trip. Like MickyD says, many people don't survive the very steep learning curve.

She did eventually listen to us and she made it home alive... She was lucky !!

It IS a free world though (mostly), and people are very free to make their own mind up how they decide to approach things. Theres no point telling someone how to ride, how to train , what to ride etc etc ! The advice is usually water off a ducks back and people almost always end up doing what they originally planned anyway, no matter how daft it may seem to the rest of us with a little more experience.

Back to the XT600..

Like people have said.. It's a reliable "dual purpose" bike. It will do anything and go anywhere but is no master of any ! Cheap, robust, easy to repair and work on and there are loads of gear about for it to make it a very good overlander. It's the VW Beetle of the overland world.

You need to get out there and start sitting on bikes. Get youself to a HU meeting and walk around asking questions and "Trying on" bikes.

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

Me neither!

ATB!