Five weeks, 12 countries and just practice!

[edog200]

So much effort to get this juggernaut of a trip going. Hay but who's complaining, with all this help, we'll knock it over in no time. Both Darren and I really appreciate the contributions. I was only saying to Darren the other day, how they are a catalyst for enhancing our early preparation.

Now getting back to bikes for a minute. Both Darren and I have KTM640s. Now just a reminder on this extinct, but very well respected mount. Excellent suspension, long range fuel tank, ultra reliable, 10,000k service interval, great carrying capacity, comfortable seat. Oh and they handle pretty well. Here's a refresher. I can't see anything on the market at this stage that gives them a shake. Best watched at 720p or better.

[edog200]

Woke up last night around 4am with uneasy dream of not being able to read the signs in Kazakstan and heading north instead of east and running out of water. The dream was half right, about this time next year WE WILL be in Kazakstan.

I'm suffering a little planning over load at the moment, that is causing grid lock. My to do list is growing.
I'll post a summary of this list soon for peer review.

I'm sure there are a couple of hundred riders on this site that have taken on transcontinental rides. I need to do a little research, sorry alot of research.

[Rema in Paluda]

Dropyour question into the Cloud !

And if you plan to much,there will be less adventure, and as we say in dutch "de mooiste weg, is een om-weg" (The best way, is the By-way?).

Okay there must be a summery of where to goand which Carnet de passage are needed etc, but the rest better be al little fluffy rendered,so if for instance hell breaks loose in Turkmenistan,you can easily divert to wherever without the feeling of missing out all the planned seesaws...

[edog200]

Originally Posted by Rema in Paluda

Dropyour question into the Cloud !

And if you plan to much,there will be less adventure, and as we say in dutch "de mooiste weg, is een om-weg" (The best way, is the By-way?).

...

You are right on this point. I don't want to over plan. But we are filming the trip and I don't just want it about bikes. No doubt bikes are in it big time, but there's the people and places and telling the story.

Our GPS mapping friend put the trip at around 20,000 kilometres. For three months that is 220 k's per day. I hope we aren't too rushed. That is my fear. Maybe when we get deeper into planning we push the start date back to 1 June 2012? Remember there's no choice on the other end of the trip, if you're too late to the Simpson is too hot and you are forbidden to cross it.

Here's a place I'd like to visit.
In North Vietnam there are the labrynth of tunnels used by the Vietcong during the Vietnam War that I would like to visit and film. At one point 10,000 people lived underground in narrow tunnels. This war has a special place in the hearts of many Australians as we didn't treat the veterans well when they returned. Many of us are embarrassed by that. I was only talking to a veteran yesterday who told me of his poor treatment when he returned from the war.

And then there's the Vietnamese. Despite the hardship and tragedy that war brings they have got back to their feet.

Anyway starting on permissions to film and paperwork tonight.

[pirate63]

Hey edog,north Vietnam is awesome,the tunnels i think your talking about are at vinh moc ,not many people go there compared to touristy ones near Saigon.it was very inspiring place,despite the area being heavily bombed they couldnt find them

[edog200]

OK North Vietnam - Tunnels are in

Now Kazakstan. I couldn't believe this when I heard it just a minute ago. There are a lot of Aussie and Kiwi miners working in Kazakstan. Wouldn't it be a hoot catching up with those guys. We've got access to an email address so we'll chase that down. What if they had bikes? They could ride with us for a couple of hundred k's.

[Rema in Paluda]

Originally Posted by edog200

Our GPS mapping friend put the trip at around 20,000 kilometres. For three months that is 220 k's per day. I hope we aren't too rushed.

If thats in km's it won't be a problem at all, we tend to ride about 10 k nowadays because my girl has had some mishapp, and we need several days rest in a vacation, and thats in 3~3½ weeks. mostly tiny backroads an some stretches of unpaved.

So there must be ample time in three months to walk the great wall :-)

This war has a special place in the hearts of many Australians as we didn't treat the veterans well when they returned. Many of us are embarrassed by that. I was only talking to a veteran yesterday who told me of his poor treatment when he returned from the war.

Yeah, thats the same here too, the people who fought "our" war in Indonesia were partly dropped in former German KZ's in the netherlands :-(

And even now most of the Yougoslavia Unifil guys are just dumped on the Dole ...

But lets not go politics here, but i really admire you, you take it up for those forgotten heroes ! (allthough they were lured into wrongdoings by the Ami's)

[BLAT]

Originally Posted by edog200

So much effort to get this juggernaut of a trip going. Hay but who's complaining, with all this help, we'll knock it over in no time. Both Darren and I really appreciate the contributions. I was only saying to Darren the other day, how they are a catalyst for enhancing our early preparation.

Now getting back to bikes for a minute. Both Darren and I have KTM640s. Now just a reminder on this extinct, but very well respected mount. Excellent suspension, long range fuel tank, ultra reliable, 10,000k service interval, great carrying capacity, comfortable seat. Oh and they handle pretty well. Here's a refresher. I can't see anything on the market at this stage that gives them a shake. Best watched at 720p or better.

Hey edog. Really like your vids mate and your music tastes are cool - especially the blues stuff.
Just some thoughts on bikes. Going with what you know and trust would be a big factor for a trip like that I think. The only other thumper that would go close to the Kato 640 (suspension, engine etc) would be a well prepped Husky 630 (im biased of course as I have a 610!). But you would have to get the safari big tank, probably strengthen the subframe, replace the seat for a more comfy unit etc. But then you end up with pretty much the same thing as the Kato and you wouldnt know it like the 640 so whats the point apart from it being newer?
Are you ruling out the Yam 660 Tenere?

[edog200]

Originally Posted by BLAT

Hey edog. Really like your vids mate and your music tastes are cool - especially the blues stuff.
Just some thoughts on bikes. Going with what you know and trust would be a big factor for a trip like that I think. The only other thumper that would go close to the Kato 640 (suspension, engine etc) would be a well prepped Husky 630 (im biased of course as I have a 610!). But you would have to get the safari big tank, probably strengthen the subframe, replace the seat for a more comfy unit etc. But then you end up with pretty much the same thing as the Kato and you wouldnt know it like the 640 so whats the point apart from it being newer?
Are you ruling out the Yam 660 Tenere?

First the reality check 10 and a bit months until blast off.

Yeah this is a good idea and one worthy of consideration. I saw the Husky 630 the other day with Touratech gear on it and thought that would be a true contender.

Someone the other day suggested the Yamaha 250 R, due to its 10000 ks service intervals and robust engine and design. For our filming we aren't going to be followed by an entourage so its all got to fit on the bikes. But I'm not too concerned. The Europe practice trip proved beyond any doubt we packed a heap of things we didn't need.

Other progress has been rather slow. Doing a lot of reading to design an interesting route.

Disappointed with the Australian Embassy in Bejing, who have been very tardy with correspondence. I want to make sure we can enter that south west side of China, WITH CAMERAs and not get arrested for spying or something crazy. 1 out of 10 for customer service at present for our Australian Consular service.

And then there's the funny twist with London. Here I was ordering countries of risk in terms of personal safety as 1. Kazakstan, then northern Laos, Russia. The way things are at the moment, we'll be lucky to leave Darren's residence without the bikes set on fire . Or worse knocked off and robbed. Unbelieavable how the world turns.

Stay tuned.

[Rema in Paluda]

Originally Posted by edog200

And then there's the funny twist with London. Here I was ordering countries of risk in terms of personal safety as 1. Kazakstan, then northern Laos, Russia. The way things are at the moment, we'll be lucky to leave Darren's residence without the bikes set on fire . Or worse knocked off and robbed. Unbelieavable how the world turns.

Yeah its about time the Right Wing Left Europe!

[GoneAgain]

i dunno...

i find it weird that you have 3 months for overseas travel, and your planning on 'sacrificing' a fair few things just so you can go for a ride in your own backyard and go for a spin across the Simpson.....

Dunno, but i'd be more inclined to say...bugger the Simpson, i can do that "anytime" (next week?, 2013?) i'm gonna use the 3 months that i can take for overseas riding and, well....ride overseas!

you get an extra week/10 days overseas, or possibly longer as you dont have the Simpson closing deadline to stop your overseas travels..

... I guess thats why i'm not coming


your trip...enjoy!


.

[Rema in Paluda]

Originally Posted by GoneAgain

you get an extra week/10 days overseas, or possibly longer as you dont have the Simpson closing deadline to stop your overseas travels..

Travelling the world is in essence insensible :)

You could also go and sit and watch Attenborough, i can undestand eDog, perhaps he just wants to have a deadline uncosciousness to prevent he will keep traveling the rest of his life...

Some people getting very addicted at such commonlife flight, i think its very sensible, he has a misses to go back too, and when your young you think thats of less importance, but as you grow older, it sinks in, a partner yoy love is, how riddled with quirks she, more important than anything...

[edog200]

Originally Posted by GoneAgain

i dunno...

i find it weird that you have 3 months for overseas travel, and your planning on 'sacrificing' a fair few things just so you can go for a ride in your own backyard and go for a spin across the Simpson.....



.

This is a good point, but there are a number of good reasons. Firstly, alot of people in Europe, who will hopefully be watching our movie, will like to see the Simpson. It's great crossing it on bikes with sand flying up everywhere, the red/pink sunsets, then there's the other riders. Darren's from England, it's a once in a life time for him. Now number three rider, a reasonably famous Kiwi, who I can't name yet, has tasted the Simpson but hasn't crossed it....also a life goal for him. And further, we may pick up a couple of other Kiwis at Darwin or Alice Springs and take them across with us. Then there's number four rider, yet to be found from somewhere in the world. Number 4, if your out there make contact NOW! Time is running out to get our crap together.

And the last reason.....I just love the Simpson Desert and here's why......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKqHXIsFkmA

[GoneAgain]

Originally Posted by edog200

..... alot of people in Europe, who will hopefully be watching our movie, will like to see the Simpson.....

aaaaaaaaaaah... i see





.

[VikB]

Originally Posted by edog200

3. Can we make a decent film of the journey
4. Will people be interested, or has this route been done to death? I recall hearing of a double decker bus traversing this route 17 times during the sixties, packed with hippies.

I'm reading this thread a bit out of real time so I apologize for replying to this older post.

My $0.02:

- if making a film is your main objective than how far you ride and the route isn't nearly as important as the production value of the film and the story. You'd be way better off with 25% of the distance at 4 times the quality than the other way around.
- I watch lots of sporty movies [mtn bike, surfing, kite surfing, motorbike, etc..] I turn about 50% off after the first 2-4 mins and move on because they don't have the technical production value to be of interest or what appears to be a good story line.
- in your initial posts the BMW vs. KTM rivalry was what got me hooked. If I was in your shoes I would run a BMW F800GS, a KTM 990 ADV, a Tiger 800XC + one other bike and call it a torture test. Use the trip to ride and evaluate the bikes against each other. Instant story line - lots of interest in the ADV/MC community. Lots of opportunity for tension, etc..
- depending which bike[s] do well you may get a free promotion channel via the manufacturer??

Good luck with your trip....