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Quit our jobs, sold our home and everything in it, gone riding...
- Thread starter Lightcycle
- Start date
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
Lightcycle, what tires do you have on the beemers and how many km are you getting out of them?
kiwi
Well-known member
Awesome!!! Didnt realise you guys were back on the road.. I thought the travelling stopped last year! man, I'll have to read up the thread.
BTW - New Zealand would be a great place to ride if you like twisty roads. Theres hardly any highways. The PROBLEM is shipping a bike there wouldnt be worth it... How about a trip through South east Asia? after you ride through Europe? ;-)
BTW - New Zealand would be a great place to ride if you like twisty roads. Theres hardly any highways. The PROBLEM is shipping a bike there wouldnt be worth it... How about a trip through South east Asia? after you ride through Europe? ;-)
Yeah, today marks 22 months, 1 week and 4 days. Not that we're counting...
I still have put more mileage on my R12GS before the trip though, so the bike was already comfortable for me. As for clothes, nothing can be more broken in than the 12 sets of shirts and underwear that we've been wearing for the last two years! LOL!
We started out on Metzeler Tourances, which are a 90/10 (street/dirt) tread. Those have pretty good life, they lasted 20K/40K (R/F). When we were up in Alaska, we tried out the Heidenau K76s fronts, which are supposed to be the Tourance equivalent. Same life, but very noisy and lots of vibration. So we switched back to Tourances until Latin America.
In Guatemala, we switched both fronts and rears for Heidenau K60s which are rated a 50/50 tire. The rubber compound is quite a bit harder, but the tread is more aggressive which means that tire life is still good. People have been getting about 18K out of the rears, which is fantastic for the kind of tread it has. Vibration is a bit more than the Tourances but that's understandable. The grip is waaaay better in sand and mud than the Tourances, but it does suffer in wet asphalt, which I think is because of the hard compound.
Yep, yep and yep.
Did Europe:
Stelvio Pass in Italy: http://ridedot.com/euro/081507.html
Also spent over 2 weeks touring the south island of New Zealand:
http://ridedot.com/nz
And the Indian Himalayas as well:
http://www.ridedot.com/india/091510.html
Not sure where we're going next, just focused on experiencing South America right now...
No, I've lived a life of obligation for far too long. Right now we answer to no one which is the best feeling in the world. I wouldn't jeopardize that for a free set of tires or a new riding jacket. The economics don't make any sense given the potential exposure.
That said, if someone wanted to cover *all* the expenses of our trip, I'd gladly stick a photo of their product and plug it in every blog post. Not ashamed to admit that I have a price...
That said, if someone wanted to cover *all* the expenses of our trip, I'd gladly stick a photo of their product and plug it in every blog post. Not ashamed to admit that I have a price...
Naughty boy.
Hehe - you could try crowd funding then....just an example
http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/201...orcycle-adventure-shared-by-crowdfunded-book/
http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/201...orcycle-adventure-shared-by-crowdfunded-book/
I don't believe in asking anyone to fund our trip. We've both worked really hard to afford to do this and it's a really good feeling knowing that we're enjoying the fruits of our own labour.
That said, I've gotten a lot (like A LOT) of surprising offers of money via the blog. People have e-mailed me asking if they can donate something and they want me to put up a PayPal address so they can buy us a drink, dinner or a night in a hostel. That generosity always bowls me over, but I don't feel comfortable taking money without giving something back in return. We've taken people up when they've offered a place to stay, but we've always tried to give something back, like cooking them a nice dinner or helping out with something around the house - even taught someone to ride a motorcycle, given our past jobs with RTI.
As for monetizing the blog, I've enjoyed far too many ride reports on the Internet to start charging for the content or putting up advertisements. We've been influenced and inspired by the words and pictures of so many others before us and the intent of our reports is to do exactly the same. I loved getting this one e-mail from someone saying that they changed their mind and decided to vacation in Mexico after reading our blog, despite all the sensationalist coverage in the news. That felt very satisfying!
So that's where we stand with funding. When we run out of money, we'll just go back to work to raise more funds for our next trip!
Your decision of course and I agree on monetizing but I would accept donations as they are given freely to support a dream that many dream but very few do.
It makes them feel they've contributed to an adventure and you've already given back with the time you take to put up the blogs and the photos and the writing - it takes work.
For me it's part of my keeping clients engaged so it's worthwhile in its own right and for the business engagement in the motorcycle interest, travel interest and photography interest.
I've heard from many clients they are living vicariously and my bike side is tiny compared to yours.
I personally think you do a disservice to the readers by not accepting donations....a gift is to please the giver and their return is you continue to provide top quality adventures and they help to make it possible for you to go farther and longer.
I think that is win win all around.
You keep doing what you are already doing and they help you do it by their own choice.
You don't even have to publish it - but do accept those freely offered.
My 2cents
It makes them feel they've contributed to an adventure and you've already given back with the time you take to put up the blogs and the photos and the writing - it takes work.
For me it's part of my keeping clients engaged so it's worthwhile in its own right and for the business engagement in the motorcycle interest, travel interest and photography interest.
I've heard from many clients they are living vicariously and my bike side is tiny compared to yours.
I personally think you do a disservice to the readers by not accepting donations....a gift is to please the giver and their return is you continue to provide top quality adventures and they help to make it possible for you to go farther and longer.
I think that is win win all around.
You keep doing what you are already doing and they help you do it by their own choice.
You don't even have to publish it - but do accept those freely offered.
My 2cents
I understand where you are coming from, but it's this obligation that I'm trying to avoid. I'm very protective of our trip - that its itinerary, schedule and content is ours alone entirely. If we feel like stopping, not posting for a while, not being beholden or responsible to anyone but us, that's our prerogative because we alone are funding it.
We know another traveler who accepts donations from the Internet. He sometimes feels the burden to continue to write and travel because of the weight of obligation from all the money he has accepted in the past. I know I would feel the same way even if I were to be told that the donations were "no strings attached".
But to each their own. I don't begrudge anyone for funding their trip this way. Everyone's circumstances and preferences are different.
l84toff
Well-known member
I really appreciate reading this Gene. Lori and I have been talking about this subject lately and I have to say both you and MacDoc make some excellent points. Definitely some food for our discussions. Your blog is certainly a part of my inspiration, it makes the dream seem less "out there" and that much more attainable.
Its nice posting pictures, Gene, but sometimes its also nice hearing what your thoughts are & where your stand on your ideas. I understand what you mean by taking things & not giving back.
God forbid but if your bikes wear out are you guys planning to buy one there or just continually fixing what you have?
Safe rides
God forbid but if your bikes wear out are you guys planning to buy one there or just continually fixing what you have?
Safe rides
I try to keep the blog about the trip. If anyone wants to hear about my opinions about something, they can ask here.
It would take a pretty catastrophic breakdown to force us to buy another motorcycle on the road. Every country we go to also has specific rules about importing/exporting vehicles into the country, so there's always the headache of buying a bike and trying to register it as a foreigner and then attempting to cross the next border, as well as disposing/selling the old bike and trying to cancel the Import Permit - which basically states you are not allowed to do so without paying huge financial penalties + duties and taxes.
It's interesting that the mentality in Latin America around fixing vs replacing is very different from North America - which has a very disposable attitude towards everything. Down here, it's always cheaper to repair things, and in some places like Cuba, it is not possible to get parts, so they go a step further by fabricating the pieces from scratch or using parts from other vehicles.
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/148.html
And we're doubling back again. If we were to plot out our route in Colombia, it would probably look like a bunch of random squiggles scribbled on the map... We're going to be meeting up with the Pan American Highway at the town of Popayan, passing through La Plata. And this time, we're going to do extensive research to make sure we don't swim through mud again!
Fantastic scenery through some not-so-fantastic roads
So after all the research, we plotted a route through what looked to be a main road on Google Maps and on our GPSs. However, when we got there, we were faced with a gravel road. Memories of mud bogs filled our heads. We asked someone if this was the way to Popayan. They said yes.
By now, we've learned our lesson about asking for directions in Latin America. If someone doesn't know the way, they'll usually make something up or give us a guess instead of saying, "I don't know". So we employ our "Best Of Three" methodology: ask three people and if two or more give you the same answer then that's *probably* the right way. Well, all three people we asked told us that this gravel road was the most direct way to get to where we wanted to go... and it was unpaved for pretty much all the way... Great.
The scenery through the mountains was spectacular. We were going slow enough that we could appreciate it...!
A few kms later, we pass a bus coming in the other direction. This made us feel a little better that we were on the right track. Later on we would find out that the major highway that runs between Neiva and Popayan does a huge detour south, bypassing the mountains. That's the route the truckers use, so while this road was a bit rough, at least it was less distance and no trucks! We'll take No Trucks over Crappy Roads any day of the week!
We were passed by a lot of vehicles. This bike was the only one we managed to pass. Yay! Totally Winning!
A lot of adventure riders like to stand up on their pegs anytime the asphalt disappears underneath them, fantasizing that they're Marc Coma riding the dunes in the Dakar Rally. We've certainly done some of that in the past. However, while we're pretending to be all Long Way Round, there'll always be a family of 3 or 4 crammed onto a 125cc motorcycle passing us like we're standing still. Then they'll look over at us while passing with a quizzical look on their faces wondering, "What the hell's wrong with their seats?"
So we sit back down and ride the roads like the locals do now...
The rough road winds it's way through some beautiful green canyons
Over the canyon, we can see where we're going to be 15 minutes from now
Towards the end... sweet, twisty pavement!
[video=youtube;ymsBhMO1gE8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymsBhMO1gE8[/video]
Pictures don't do the ride justice, so here's a short video
Finally reached our destination - Popayan
We rolled into Popayan in the late afternoon and after knocking on a few doors, found a cheap hostel. The town is quite pretty: cobblestone streets lined with colonial buildings all painted white. It kind of reminded us of the white towns in the south of Spain that we had ridden through a few years ago.
Neda is happy that there's a kitchen she can use
And, just as we predicted, rains in the afternoon.
Depressing
We know, my friend. We know...
Things have come to a boil in Neda's mood. Once again, we were in a city wracked with congestion, the sounds of traffic and car alarms piercing the air. She's very sensitive to noise and every time a loud diesel truck passes by, I can see the vein in her temple throbbing like it's going to explode. Her annoyance is mixed with a bit of malaise, as the rains have dampened her spirits and she tells me that unlike me and the blog, she feels like she doesn't have a project to keep her occupied. I know how critical this is for someone like her who's very energetic and driven - quite the opposite of how lazy I am. This lackadaisical pace which suits me seems to be eating away at her.
I think we're going to have to change up our schedule somehow.
Not everyone was miserable though. This little guy had a great time driving up and down the rainy streets!
Cool helmet!
And we're doubling back again. If we were to plot out our route in Colombia, it would probably look like a bunch of random squiggles scribbled on the map... We're going to be meeting up with the Pan American Highway at the town of Popayan, passing through La Plata. And this time, we're going to do extensive research to make sure we don't swim through mud again!
Fantastic scenery through some not-so-fantastic roads
So after all the research, we plotted a route through what looked to be a main road on Google Maps and on our GPSs. However, when we got there, we were faced with a gravel road. Memories of mud bogs filled our heads. We asked someone if this was the way to Popayan. They said yes.
By now, we've learned our lesson about asking for directions in Latin America. If someone doesn't know the way, they'll usually make something up or give us a guess instead of saying, "I don't know". So we employ our "Best Of Three" methodology: ask three people and if two or more give you the same answer then that's *probably* the right way. Well, all three people we asked told us that this gravel road was the most direct way to get to where we wanted to go... and it was unpaved for pretty much all the way... Great.
The scenery through the mountains was spectacular. We were going slow enough that we could appreciate it...!
A few kms later, we pass a bus coming in the other direction. This made us feel a little better that we were on the right track. Later on we would find out that the major highway that runs between Neiva and Popayan does a huge detour south, bypassing the mountains. That's the route the truckers use, so while this road was a bit rough, at least it was less distance and no trucks! We'll take No Trucks over Crappy Roads any day of the week!
We were passed by a lot of vehicles. This bike was the only one we managed to pass. Yay! Totally Winning!
A lot of adventure riders like to stand up on their pegs anytime the asphalt disappears underneath them, fantasizing that they're Marc Coma riding the dunes in the Dakar Rally. We've certainly done some of that in the past. However, while we're pretending to be all Long Way Round, there'll always be a family of 3 or 4 crammed onto a 125cc motorcycle passing us like we're standing still. Then they'll look over at us while passing with a quizzical look on their faces wondering, "What the hell's wrong with their seats?"
So we sit back down and ride the roads like the locals do now...
The rough road winds it's way through some beautiful green canyons
Over the canyon, we can see where we're going to be 15 minutes from now
Towards the end... sweet, twisty pavement!
[video=youtube;ymsBhMO1gE8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymsBhMO1gE8[/video]
Pictures don't do the ride justice, so here's a short video
Finally reached our destination - Popayan
We rolled into Popayan in the late afternoon and after knocking on a few doors, found a cheap hostel. The town is quite pretty: cobblestone streets lined with colonial buildings all painted white. It kind of reminded us of the white towns in the south of Spain that we had ridden through a few years ago.
Neda is happy that there's a kitchen she can use
And, just as we predicted, rains in the afternoon.
Depressing
We know, my friend. We know...
Things have come to a boil in Neda's mood. Once again, we were in a city wracked with congestion, the sounds of traffic and car alarms piercing the air. She's very sensitive to noise and every time a loud diesel truck passes by, I can see the vein in her temple throbbing like it's going to explode. Her annoyance is mixed with a bit of malaise, as the rains have dampened her spirits and she tells me that unlike me and the blog, she feels like she doesn't have a project to keep her occupied. I know how critical this is for someone like her who's very energetic and driven - quite the opposite of how lazy I am. This lackadaisical pace which suits me seems to be eating away at her.
I think we're going to have to change up our schedule somehow.
Not everyone was miserable though. This little guy had a great time driving up and down the rainy streets!
Cool helmet!
My own woes centered around the same bike issue that's been plaguing me for a couple of weeks now ever since leaving Cali. My ignition delay problem, although not worsening, was a constant worry to me. Every morning, I'd count the seconds between turning the key and the electrics coming on. 10 seconds one day. 30 seconds another. Would the bike refuse to turn on when I was in the middle of nowhere?!?
Then one day, the delay was almost 60 seconds. That was the last straw, there was absolutely no way I could continue traveling this way, no matter what assurances the BMW Service Centre told me that there was no problem. I scoured the Internet message forums for other riders having the same symptoms. There were a couple of promising leads, pointing to replacing the ignition housing.
I emailed a few places down the line. BMW Ecuador was unresponsive, BMW in Cali said the part was not in stock and would take a few weeks to ship. From many recommendations on ADV, I contacted an independent bike shop in Cali and was pleasantly surprised that they were very helpful and responsive. They too said the part was not in stock (since they got it from the same place as the dealer), but they told me to come in and they would take a look at it.
Cali was only two hours away from Popayan up the highway, so we made an overnight trip out of it.
Overnight in Cali. We didn't have to travel to Morocco to stay in Casa Blanca!
A lot of these hostels have the right idea. We don't have many pictures of the two of us, so the hostels make sure they always get a photo of their motorcycle guests with their sign in the background, and for sure, that photo will be plastered on blogs and forums all over the Internet. Free advertising!
Jorge at Asturias Motors diagnoses my bike
We dropped into Asturias Motors and were greeted by Jorge, the owner. He wheeled my bike into the service bay and immediately started diagnosing the problem. "I have the same bike, same model", he told me. I looked over at Neda and I knew we were both thinking the same thing: this guy knows his motorcycles. We had a much better feeling now than when we were at the official BMW shop.
Because the problem only manifested itself when the bike was cold, Jorge told us to leave it overnight and to come by in the morning.
My bike is hooked up to a computer using GS911, an On-Board Diagnostic adapter
I have to get one of those GS911 cables. Then I can talk to my bike. It'll probably tell me, "Quit friggin' dropping me, jerkoff!" On second thought, maybe I don't really need that cable...
We totally don't mind advertising Asturias Motors!
The next day we popped in. Jorge said he couldn't duplicate the problem that morning, so it seemed alright. That was good news, because it would have been the first time in over a month with no ignition delay. He told me all he did was clean the contacts on the ignition housing, which seemed to clear up the problem. This made some sense. While the folks on the Internet bought new parts, those new parts would have clean contacts, so Jorge saved me from buying a $130 part.
When I asked him for the repair bill, he replied, "Nada". No charge, he said. That was super nice of him. We stayed awhile and talked to him and wife Sory. They both came from motorcycle families and you could tell that they were very passionate about bikes and travel, having done trips all over Colombia and South America. If you're in Cali and need anything done to your bike, definitely stop by Asturias and see Jorge. He really knows his stuff!
On the way back to Popayan, someone places a box of chocolate wafers
on my tank bag at a stop light and walks away. What the..?
Traffic in Colombia is such a funny thing. Vendors will place snacks on your windshield at a red light. Before the lights turn green, they'll pick them up again, unless you want to buy it because you've been staring at it for the entire duration of the red light!
Also, the Colombian drivers play a fun game at traffic lights. It didn't take me very long to work out the rules of the game. It goes like this: When everyone is waiting at the red light, the millisecond the light turns green, then the first one to honk their horn wins. At every traffic light, this game is played - light turns green, someone honks, then they win. So I decided to join in on the fun! I sat at the next red light, with my thumb on the horn waiting for it to turn green. As soon as it did, I mashed the button with competitive fervour, and to my delight I was the first one to let out a loud BEEP! I looked around at my fellow motorists expecting them to congratulate me on my triumph, but they just stared at me with quizzical looks.
I had just learned a new rule of the game. Those at the front of the line, don't get to play...
Then one day, the delay was almost 60 seconds. That was the last straw, there was absolutely no way I could continue traveling this way, no matter what assurances the BMW Service Centre told me that there was no problem. I scoured the Internet message forums for other riders having the same symptoms. There were a couple of promising leads, pointing to replacing the ignition housing.
I emailed a few places down the line. BMW Ecuador was unresponsive, BMW in Cali said the part was not in stock and would take a few weeks to ship. From many recommendations on ADV, I contacted an independent bike shop in Cali and was pleasantly surprised that they were very helpful and responsive. They too said the part was not in stock (since they got it from the same place as the dealer), but they told me to come in and they would take a look at it.
Cali was only two hours away from Popayan up the highway, so we made an overnight trip out of it.
Overnight in Cali. We didn't have to travel to Morocco to stay in Casa Blanca!
A lot of these hostels have the right idea. We don't have many pictures of the two of us, so the hostels make sure they always get a photo of their motorcycle guests with their sign in the background, and for sure, that photo will be plastered on blogs and forums all over the Internet. Free advertising!
Jorge at Asturias Motors diagnoses my bike
We dropped into Asturias Motors and were greeted by Jorge, the owner. He wheeled my bike into the service bay and immediately started diagnosing the problem. "I have the same bike, same model", he told me. I looked over at Neda and I knew we were both thinking the same thing: this guy knows his motorcycles. We had a much better feeling now than when we were at the official BMW shop.
Because the problem only manifested itself when the bike was cold, Jorge told us to leave it overnight and to come by in the morning.
My bike is hooked up to a computer using GS911, an On-Board Diagnostic adapter
I have to get one of those GS911 cables. Then I can talk to my bike. It'll probably tell me, "Quit friggin' dropping me, jerkoff!" On second thought, maybe I don't really need that cable...
We totally don't mind advertising Asturias Motors!
The next day we popped in. Jorge said he couldn't duplicate the problem that morning, so it seemed alright. That was good news, because it would have been the first time in over a month with no ignition delay. He told me all he did was clean the contacts on the ignition housing, which seemed to clear up the problem. This made some sense. While the folks on the Internet bought new parts, those new parts would have clean contacts, so Jorge saved me from buying a $130 part.
When I asked him for the repair bill, he replied, "Nada". No charge, he said. That was super nice of him. We stayed awhile and talked to him and wife Sory. They both came from motorcycle families and you could tell that they were very passionate about bikes and travel, having done trips all over Colombia and South America. If you're in Cali and need anything done to your bike, definitely stop by Asturias and see Jorge. He really knows his stuff!
On the way back to Popayan, someone places a box of chocolate wafers
on my tank bag at a stop light and walks away. What the..?
Traffic in Colombia is such a funny thing. Vendors will place snacks on your windshield at a red light. Before the lights turn green, they'll pick them up again, unless you want to buy it because you've been staring at it for the entire duration of the red light!
Also, the Colombian drivers play a fun game at traffic lights. It didn't take me very long to work out the rules of the game. It goes like this: When everyone is waiting at the red light, the millisecond the light turns green, then the first one to honk their horn wins. At every traffic light, this game is played - light turns green, someone honks, then they win. So I decided to join in on the fun! I sat at the next red light, with my thumb on the horn waiting for it to turn green. As soon as it did, I mashed the button with competitive fervour, and to my delight I was the first one to let out a loud BEEP! I looked around at my fellow motorists expecting them to congratulate me on my triumph, but they just stared at me with quizzical looks.
I had just learned a new rule of the game. Those at the front of the line, don't get to play...
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