Author: StaleFish

More World Travelers on XT250s

April 16, 2018

Meet Madeleine, aka Missrider. Retired teacher, long-time motorcycle traveler, cancer survivor, and self-described “Adventuress”.

Madeleine

Missrider, happy to finally be in warmer climes and on her XT250.

Madeleine has already traveled much of the US, and from Alaska to Panama on a much larger motorcycle. She recently left her New England home on the next leg of her RTW trip on a Yamaha XT250, which, not coincidentally, looks quite a bit like my XT250. Somehow, a friend of Madeleine’s found my blog, and passed it on to her, and she was able to use it to help prepare her XT for long-distance travel. She emailed me while I was still traveling, and we discussed setup and various tidbits.

I continue to be amazed at how people like Madeleine find my blog, and I am thrilled when they reach out to tell me about their trips and planning. I have been honored to contribute in some small way to the planning and prep for travelers like David from New York, who rode to Peru on his XT250; Shridhar from the San Francisco Bay Area, who toured Africa on an XT250; Charlie and Janet from New Zealand, who rode their matching XT250s around the world from Vladivostok, Russia west to London, then shipped them to Canada and rode across the US before shipping home from Los Angeles. There are many more XT250 travelers out there, proving that it is possible to do a Round-The-World or other long-distance ride much more economically than most think.

Madeleine had intended to leave on her trip more than two years ago, but was seriously sidetracked by a cancer diagnosis. Now, much later than planned but having kicked cancer’s butt, she is finally on her way. She serves as an inspiration to others with serious health issues: Even though her cancer treatment devastated her physically and emotionally, she remained focused on her ride, as a way of keeping her spirits up and setting future goals. She was determined that she was going to do this trip. And now she is.

I got to meet her last week when she passed through Texas on her way to the west coast and then overseas. Spending time talking with Madeleine about her bike, her route, her plans, etc was great motivation for the next leg of my travels. I always learn something from every traveler that comes through, and Missrider was no different. Even with the same bike, and her using mine as a guide for prep, she of course had her own ideas on how to do things. And after living on my XT250 for a year, I still learned a couple of handy tips from her on packing. When you carry your whole life with you on a small motorcycle, you are always learning better ways to pack as well as things to carry and things not to carry.

Me and Madeleine in front of the historic Fischer Hall in Texas, with our nearly-matching 250cc RTW bikes.

In anticipation of Madeleine’s arrival, I pulled out my XT250, which has only been ridden a couple of short times since it was shipped home from Europe in July 2016. I decided I would go through it, and make sure it was in good running order, in case I had the chance to ride with Madeleine on her way through.

I charged the battery, changed the oil, checked the air filter and replaced the spark plug. For only the third time in 32,000 miles, I checked the valve clearances, and had to adjust the exhaust valve just slightly (it was slightly tight; the intake valve was still spot-on). I decided while I had it on the worklift to do a compression test, to see just how tired the little air-cooled 250cc single was after spending nearly half of its’ time off-road and through 34 different countries on four continents.

Standard compression on the XT250 is 175psi. My XT250 currently has 170psi.

I was a bit shocked, to say the least. And amazed. This little bike just keeps purring along. I attribute the durability and longevity to several things I did along the way: first and foremost, I changed the front sprocket to a 16 tooth (up one tooth from stock), allowing the engine to not work so hard at 55mph. I also used a spark plug that was one heat range colder. I used synthetic or semi-synthetic oil every time I could find it, and always changed the oil at 3,000 mile intervals. And I did my best to not ride faster than 55-60mph, even though the bike will go faster (this is actually easier than it sounds outside of the US, as average speeds in many countries are closer to 35mph). All of these things combined have helped make this an extremely economical and reliable long-distance tourer.

I hope Madeleine’s XT out-performs mine, and she returns home with way more miles on the odometer (she has 80,000 miles on her Triumph Bonneville already, so she knows how to do it).

I’ll be checking in on Missrider’s journey regularly, and cheering her on. And I’m looking forward to the next traveler on a little bike that passes through this way.

Kindred Spirits

September 21, 2018

Around 55 years ago, when Honda was just getting started selling motorcycles in the United States, they came up with a brilliant advertising slogan: “You meet the nicest people on Honda”.  The idea was to make motorcycles and motorcycling appealing to the general public: families, students, housewives, etc.

Decades later, motorcycling has come together more than ever in the United States. Thirty years ago, it wasn’t unusual for a rider on a Japanese motorcycle to pass a Harley Davidson going the other direction, and neither would wave. Today, nearly all motorcyclists wave to each other as they pass on the highways and backroads of this country.

When I returned from my long ride in 2016, I said half jokingly that I now have more friends in other countries than in the United States. I was amazed at the overall friendliness of people around the world towards a complete stranger, simply because I was “out of place”…an odd duck on a small motorcycle.

Flash back: In 2014, one year before I began my journey, I met two motorcyclists from Poland at a campground in Texas. We spoke for maybe 15 minutes. Two years later I met them again when I rode through Poland. At that time they hosted me and I spent a week riding with their friends and relatives throughout southwestern Poland. Two of the people I met in Poland were Marcin and Ela. They rode their Suzuki V-strom with me for several days.

Poland 2016. Marcin is on the far right. Ela took this photo

Flash forward: Marcin and Ela have arrived in the States and are preparing for their “Ride Across America”. We are riding together again, this time through the western US. They flew to Texas from Poland and I picked them up from the airport. They spent a couple of days with me before we all headed out.

With Ela, their first morning in the States.

Headed Out

Somewhere on the road…Arizona? Utah?

They are headed to Canada. Ela has done a great deal of research about the American West and has a list of destinations we are visiting. I am amazed and embarrassed that this young woman from the other side of the world, who is shy about speaking English, knows more about my country’s regional history than I do.

Marcin & Ela, Mesa Verde, Colorado

This might win the prize for the most overloaded GS I’ve seen since Argentina. This couple had their dog in the black bag on top of the right pannier, a Yeti cooler on top of the left pannier, huge speakers mounted in the front of each pannier, fuel bottles on both sides in the front, a Rotopax water can on the outside of the right pannier, and a Rotopax gas can on the outside of the left pannier, and just generally a lot of stuff. But hey, everyone has their own amount of “stuff” that is “right” for their needs. I didn’t even have panniers. The big yellow bag on the back of my bike is all of my camping and cooking gear and a camp chair, same as on my RTW trip. All of my clothes fit in my tank bag. That’s basically all I took.

While stopped for lunch, we stumbled onto nine more Polish riders. They were riding from Chicago to L.A. on Route 66 on Harleys. This is a very common “bucket list” item for Europeans. Wearing the “Polska” vests made it easy to connect with other Polish riders and tourists.

Canyon X, near Page, Arizona

Monument Valley, Utah

Honda had it right years ago. But in the larger examination of it, you meet kindred spirits when you travel on a motorcycle. They may not all be travelers, or even motorcyclists. Some are dreamers, some are looking back on their experiences, and some are simply curious. But they all share the common trait of friendliness…of wanting to learn your story and share theirs.

The Dangers of the Five Year Plan by Connie McBride

Note: This article was originally published on Connie McBride’s website simplysailing.com, which is no longer active. I am posting the article here with credit to the author.

September 14, 2015
We had only owned a cruising boat for two months. She was sitting at a local Ma and Pa marina, waiting for us to have the time and money to tackle the multi-page To Do list. We still owned a house, two cars, and literally tons of crap we wouldn’t be taking with us. I was still under a teaching contract. Cruising had never seemed further away that October in 2000 as we listened to Lin and Larry Pardey offer their advice to an auditorium of would-be cruisers. When Lin asked how many people planned to leave to go cruising in 5 years, I expected Dave to raise his hand. When he didn’t, I wasn’t surprised when he also remained motionless in response to “Three years?” I assumed this meant that we were landlocked for MORE than five years, a perfectly reasonable scenario, considering the lists clogging up my brain. So I was struck completely mute (a rarity for me, trust me) when she asked “18 months?” and Dave raised his hand. When my temporary shock-induced silence lifted, I whispered, “18 months? What the hell are you talking about?” He glanced at my worried face and asked, “Why not?” I took a deep breath to prepare myself for the lengthy explanation that I was about to spew, when my eye caught the glares from our neighbors. I vowed to continue this discussion after the seminar.

But at some point in the next few hours, Lin inadvertently supported Dave’s claim in the examples she presented and the confidence she spread throughout the room. On our drive home, Dave completed his argument with a succinct, “If we say we are leaving in 18 months, we will leave in 18 months. If we say we need five years to be ready to go, it will take us five years. I don’t have five years of the rat race left in me. We’ll be ready in 18 months.” We sailed away from land life 20 months later.
Last week Dave was reading a non-sailing blog and mentioned a post titled “The Problems with a 5-Year Plan.” I didn’t read the post, but the title started a discussion about the people we have met over the years who “plan to do what you’re going in 5 (or 10 or 15) years:” when they “finish” the boat (the boat will never be “finished”), when they have enough money (there’s never “enough” for some people), or when they retire. Some of you may be nodding your head, thinking, “Oh yeah! That’s us! Can’t wait to sail away in ____ years.” If you’re counting your departure date in years rather than months, you’re running a hell of a risk of not ever getting to follow your dreams. Here’s why.

Whatever your adventure dream may be (sailing away, RVing through the States, backpacking through Europe) there is very likely nothing preventing your following these dreams in less than two years IF you really want to and are not just talking the talk. (Which is fine, too, as long as you’re not lying to yourself or your unsuspecting spouse about the fact that you like dreaming more than doing.) Waiting for the kids to move out? WHY? Take them with you. Waiting to save enough money? Downsize, sell, go with what you have and see what happens. Waiting to get out of debt? You may find it’s easier once you get away from your normal life. Waiting for all your little duckies to be in a row? Those damn ducks are ALWAYS going to waddle around in circles, so give it up. Leave in a boat that’s not perfect, an RV with rust and dings, throw your stuff in patched backpacks and GO. A lot of the criteria that you feel MUST be met before you can begin your adventure are only necessary in your own mind. Step one is deciding that you do truly want to go, and then making it happen. I didn’t say it would be EASY to go sooner rather than later. But you are definitely more likely to GO if you find a way to go NOW.

One of the dangers of setting a “begin your adventure” goal for five years or more in the future is the likelihood of running out of steam. If you have 12 months to get a “needs some work” boat ready to sail away, you are going to have to work your butt off for those 12 months. But if you have 5 years, meh, you’ve got time. Take the weekend off. Go fishing with your buddies. Watch the game. Have another beer. (Do you see where this is going?) Five years is a long damn time to wait to do something you supposedly REALLY want to do. It’s easy to see how people just lose momentum and not only aren’t ready to go in 5 years, but NEVER get to do what they said they wanted to do.

When you have only a few months to prepare for your adventure, every waking moment is spent planning, scheming, working, dreaming, organizing, pushing toward that goal. It is always within sight, you are always almost there, your attention doesn’t have time to wander and your enthusiasm never wavers. If you put a carrot too far from a horse, he really doesn’t give a shit that it’s there at all. It’s no incentive to him. But place that same vegetable just out of his reach, and he’ll work harder than either of you thought possible.

The saddest danger of the five-year plan is that something will happen that will prevent you from EVER being able to fulfill your dreams. Relationships change: you divorce your best crew member or marry one who doesn’t share your dream. Kids grow up and aren’t quite as independent as you had hoped. Grandkids enter your life and tug your heart in an unexpected direction. Your job situation changes: you lose the cash cow that was supposed to finance the dream or you get a promotion you feel you just can’t walk away from. Your parents become ill and require more of your time, energy, and presence, or they pass away and leave you with a mess to sort through. Worst of all, is the risk of your own health deteriorating to the point of preventing you from being able to live your dream life. Or death knocks on your spouse’s door. Or your door. And poof, game over. No redos.

I’m a planner, a list-maker, an organizer, AND a dreamer. Dave says the combination doesn’t make sense because life never turns out the way you expect it to anyway. Reality never matches the plans. So why not spend more time DOING, working toward the dreams you have, setting reasonable, attainable goals, and GOING. Wherever it is you dream of going, however you dream of getting there, whatever you dream of doing, you’d better get started NOW. Waiting five years is just too dangerous.

The Gear: 2015-2016 Trip (Solo on a 250cc motorcycle)

UPDATE: September 21, 2016

I originally published the info below before leaving on my trip in July 2015. Now, after a year on the road, I’ve decided to update this page with reviews of much of the equipment/gear/clothing I took along. I hope others find this helpful in planning their own trip, and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. You can scroll down to the “Update” section to read the reviews, or start from the beginning for a listing of all of the equipment I took with me.

 

 

Note: I am not sponsored by any of the vendors or suppliers below. I choose to put the brand name of the gear I carry and use for the future benefit of others who may be interested, and for my own reference.

Bike:

2014 Yamaha XT250

Modifications:

  • MSR skidplate
  • Acerbis handguards
  • RAM mounts for GPS and phone/media
  • Garmin Zumo 550 GPS
  • Rowe PDM60 Power Distribution Module
  • Powerlet outlet for charging/air compressor
  • Happy Trail SU rear racks and top rack
  • Holan 31 Liter Nomada II Pro Panniers from ADVMotorrad
  • Rotopax 1.75 gallon auxiliary fuel container with locking mount
  • Race Tech rear shock re-valve and Eibach rear spring
  • Race Tech front fork re-valve including cartridge emulators and stiffer springs
  • Renthal handlebars
  • Pirelli MT-21 tires
  • SickSpeed 118dB horn
  • Tool Tube
  • 55/100W H4 headlight bulb
  • 16T countershaft sprocket
  • Oxford Heaterz heated grips
  • SeatConcepts seat kit: foam and cover on stock pan
  • Wolfman Enduro tank bag

Camping Gear:

  • MSR Hubba Hubba 2 Tent
  • Sierra Designs BackCountry Bed sleeping bag
  • Exped Downmat 9LW sleeping mat
  • Cocoon Mummyliner
  • Exped inflatable pillow
  • REI Flexlite chair
  • Black Diamond head torch
  • MSR Whisperlite stove   SnowPeak Giga Stove
  • Toaks titanium utinsels and mug
  • PackTowl hand and bath towels

 

Clothing:

  • UnderAmour t-shirts (2 long sleeve and 2 short sleeve)
  • NorthFace convertible cargo pants
  • NorthFace fleece pullover
  • SmartWool socks (2 pr for riding boots; 1 pr for street shoes)
  • UnderArmour briefs (3 pr)
  • Merrill trail shoes
  • Outdoor Research hat
  • Swim Trunks
  • Flip Flops
  • FroggToggs rain suit (for when I’m off the bike)

 

Riding Gear:

  • Klim Badlands Pro jacket and pants
  • Shoei NeoTech modular helmet
  • Alpinestars gloves (waterproof cold-weather)
  • Klim Adventure gloves
  • Forma Adventure boots
  • Sena SMH10 bluetooth headset

 

Miscellaneous Gear:

  • Delorme Inreach 2-way communicator
  • PakSafe cable mesh security lock
  • GorillaPod camera tripod
  • Bike Cover
  • Mechanix work gloves (can serve as another pair of riding gloves in a pinch)
  • Bear Grylls mini backpack (packs tiny; use for misc trips about town)
  • Ratchet strap tiedowns (2)
  • First Aid Kit (not shown)

 

Spares:

  • Oil filters (2 — they’re small)
  • Air filter
  • Spark plug
  • Inner tubes (2)
  • Tire patch kit
  • Clutch and throttle cables
  • Brake pads (front and rear)
  • Clutch lever
  • Front brake lever
  • Shift pedal
  • Clutch plates
  • Clutch cover gasket
  • Master link for chain
  • Supply of spare nuts and bolts

 

Tool kit:

  • Basic hand tools
  • MotionPro mini tool kit
  • MotionPro T-handle hex wrench (4,5,6mm)
  • MotionPro T-handle socket wrench (8,10,12mm)
  • Leatherman tool
  • Small volt/ohm meter
  • Tire levers
  • CyclePump air compressor
  • Duct tape and Zip ties (if it can’t be fixed with these and a rock, you’re gonna be there a while)

 

UPDATE: September 21, 2016

After a year on the road, living with the above gear (including approximately 130 days in my tent), I’ve decided to post some personal opinions/reviews of the equipment I took with me. So here goes:

Bike Gear

SeatConcepts Seat: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) After one year and 53,000km the foam and cover are still like new. Perfect fit. I never would have guessed that a flat seat on a little 250 could be so comfortable for so long. As I’ve said before, if I could only make one modification to this bike before leaving on a trip like this, the Seat Concepts seat kit would be it.

RaceTech Suspension Modifications: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) This is really a combination of rider preference and correct setup for the weight I carried. The XT250 suspension is very soft out of the crate, and RaceTech hadn’t done a lot of XT250s for Round-the-World travel by a 6-foot-plus, 200 pound guy with a lot of off-road experience (let’s face it, that’s not the intended market for this bike). So I wasn’t expecting much when I contacted Matt Wiley at RaceTech to inquire about valving and springs for this old-school-style suspension. Matt was able to put together a set of RaceTech’s Gold Valves and stiffer springs (adapters needed for the rear shock) that worked great. The front fork set-up was spot-on and worked fantastic over the corrugated dirt roads (“ripio”) in Argentina as well as just carving through the paved mountain passes in South America and Europe. The rear shock required a bit more fiddling, and probably needs a slightly softer spring than the one I chose.

Renthal Handlebars: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Way stronger than the stock bars. Great fit, very comfortable. I consider this a “must-have” if you’re setting off on a long trip, especially if you’re going to spend any amount of time off-road. The stock bars don’t have a cross-bar, and tend to bend when dropped. The Renthals are much stronger. I used the “CR High” bars, which are slightly taller than stock, and slightly wider (you may need to cut the ends of the bars slightly to allow for proper cable reach). 

Oxford Grip Heaterz: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Durable, functional, and easy to use with a great little digital heat controller that is easy to use with winter gloves and never failed. I was surprised how much I used these. The grips held up great with very little wear after 53,000 km. Be sure to follow the glue instructions properly to keep them from coming loose. 

Acerbis Handguards: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Strong, Install-and-forget, Positioning can be limited by brake hose and cables, but there are alternative brackets available that help add clearance in these areas. Either install these before you leave, or pack a bunch of spare levers with you. I had a few tumbles and the bike got blown over by the wind once in South Africa. I never had a damaged lever thanks to these handguards.

DMO Specialties Wide Footpegs: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Strong, Durable, Comfortable, Easy to install. I’m always nervous about installing aftermarket pegs, because I spend a lot of time standing on them, especially offroad, and if one were to fail, it could be bad. These look as good now as they did when I installed them.

Happy Trails Pannier and Rear Rack System: 3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) The only real system available for the XT250. Fairly good fit though the hardware is cheap (if you install this using their hardware you’ll need to pack a 13mm wrench in your tool kit…nothing else on the bike uses a 13mm wrench). Adaptable to soft or hard panniers. I bought the top plate to put on top of the rear rack (makes a big flat table area), and although the top rack has a bunch of pre-cut holes in it (it’s a universal piece even though it’s sold on their website for the XT250), none of the holes match up to the top rack, and it doesn’t come with any mounting hardware, so you’re on your own to figure out how to mount the top plate to the rack. I ended up welding tabs to the rack so that I could bolt the top rack directly to it. The pannier racks also come with turn signal relocation brackets that aren’t well designed, allowing the turn signals to “droop” over time, and the right rear turn signal can get in the exhaust flow and melt. I tossed the turn signal brackets and welded tabs onto the rear rack to mount my turn signals.

Holan Nomada Aluminum Panniers: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Solid, tough, reliable. After 53,000km and a few crashes and tip-overs, these are still excellent. The gaskets are still perfect and they are still water-tight. The only noticeable wear is in the latches due to me opening them from one end and letting the latch support the lid with my heavy bag strapped to the top of the lid. It’s a shame these aren’t better known in the US; in my opinion they are the absolute best on the market.

MSR Skid plate: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Easy install; Good fit; Drain plug access good, but still makes a mess when changing oil. Won’t fit CA models without modification (Carbon canister)

Wolfman Expedition Tank Bag: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Good fit, even on this small bike’s small tank. Lots of storage space and pockets. Install the straps and forget them. Rain cover is far from waterproof.

Pirelli MT21 tires: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Very predictable on and off road, even in the wet; Good fit and good wear considering they are full knobbies. In 53,000km, I never had a single flat tire.

Sunstar 16T countershaft sprocket: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Good fit, good wear, good gearing choice for distance touring on the XT250.

RotoPax Fuel and Water Containers & Mounting System:  

1.75 gal fuel: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

3.0 gal fuel: 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

1.0 gal water: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

I should have stayed with the 1.75 gallon fuel container for the entire trip; I didn’t need the 3 gallon container anywhere I went, and the 3 gallon container leaked at the cap most of the time, where the 1.75 gallon never did. The one gallon water container was invaluable in Africa for cooking and daily water needs. The mounting system (with lock) works well, though the lock needed to be lubed occasionally because dirt would get in it because it faced up. Being able to stack two cans and lock them in place was nice.

Ortlieb 41 Liter Rack Bag: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Super tough. Stood up to a lot of abuse, until the RotoPax mount wore a hole through the bottom of it, and of course it was no longer waterproof after that. I will buy another of these bags and take it with me everywhere.

Kriega Tool Roll: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) Took a beating, got thrown in the dirt and on the pavement quite a bit, bounced around inside my PVC tool tube, and never lost a thread or rubbed a hole in it. Had room for more tools than I carried.

Camping Gear

MSR Hubba Hubba Tent: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Durable; Comfortable; Quick pitch and teardown; Two Doors; Vestibules nice but limited storage if using with two people; Gear attic nice but can cause small damage to mesh if tent is folded up with gear attic still attached; Seams of rain fly need to be re-sealed after about 100 days of use; DAC poles excellent; plenty of interior room for one person and gear, or possibly two people with no gear inside (the “Gear Shed” that I purchased with my Hubba Hubba is huge and I could store a lot of gear in it, but I chose not to take it since it was just me in the tent).

Exped Downmat 9LW Air Mattress: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Easily inflated; extremely comfortable; relatively compact when stored. I had one fail in Argentina (one of the internal baffles came loose), and Exped replaced it free of charge. The new one came with a “Schnozzel” air bag inflator rather than the integral hand pump that was built into the original mattress. The Schnozzle is quicker and easier than the integral pump. It takes a few tries to figure out how much air is right for you (hint: don’t over-inflate it), but once you do, you can’t beat it. 

Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed sleeping bag: 3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) If you don’t like the restrictions of a mummy bag, you’ll probably like this bag. No zipper, the top folds down like a comforter. It’s easy to turn over and move around inside it comfortably, and it feels more like a bed with a comforter than a sleeping bag. Only real complaint: there’s an opening at the bottom that you can stick your feet out of, in case you want to “wear” the bag like a comforter (I imagine sitting in a chair at night watching the stars), and then you can walk around while in it. Several times while sliding into the bag at night or rolling over, I inadvertently stuck my feet out of the bottom of the bag.

Black Diamond Head Torch: 2.5 out of 5 stars (2.5 / 5) Acceptable but not great. Need to carry extra batteries. Failed after 11 months. This light uses 3 AAA batteries, which last quite a while but require that you carry at least three extra batteries for safety. It puts out a decent amount of light when the batteries are fresh, but there are a lot better head torches out there (and yes, they cost more than this one). Next time I’ll seriously consider a Pietzl. Takes up slightly more storage space, a little heavier and a bit more pricey, but worth it for the light and ability to recharge the battery,

SnowPeak Giga Stove: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Extremely small, lightweight, durable, no cleaning necessary after one year of use. Igniter can be finicky but once I figured it out I never had to use a butane lighter again (though it’s still a good idea to carry the lighter as a backup). Gas canisters available nearly everywhere; I never failed to find gas, but always carried two so I had a backup. Having previously used a MSR Whisperlite International stove running petrol (gasoline) from the bike, I still prefer the SnowPeak and gas canisters. Most people point out that with the Whisperlite, they don’t have to carry gas canisters, since they already have the fuel on the bike. But you still have to carry the fuel bottle for the stove, so it isn’t really saving space. Plus, the Whisperlite puts out a lot of soot, requiring cleaning and maintenance, whereas with the SnowPeak, I just pack it up. No cleaning, no mess, no maintenance (so far at least). Although to be fair, the Whisperlite will probably boil water faster than the SnowPeak. The SnowPeak Giga is very small, so you probably won’t be preparing large feasts with it; I had no problem cooking eggs, sausage, bacon, pasta, etc as well as my morning coffee each day. While probably not necessary, I used the optional wind-break on my stove all the time.

REI Folding Camp Chair with DAC poles: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) I love this chair. It’s light, packs down small, and is very comfortable. The large DAC tubes are strong and I never had a problem with it. The seat material wipes dry quickly after a rainy night so you can sit in the chair the next morning. I had a lot of comments from other campers asking about my chair and where I bought it; the same chair is sold under several other brand names. The only complaint I can think of is that when you fold the chair up, the tubes sometimes get “tangled” up causing the overall package to be a little bigger than it should. A few extra seconds of attention to detail will prevent this.

Clothing/Riding Gear

Klim Badlands Pro Jacket & Pants: 3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) Tough, durable, but wear on pants from contact with tank bag (WTF?!?), Zipper failure, Jacket zipper malfunctions, small thread failures here and there on jacket and pants. For the price, I expected better customer service. The overall durability was good. but for that kind of money, should have been better. I followed the instructions for washing, reapplying water repellent, and drying, but it seems like the GoreTex has just lost its’ ability to repel water. I was soaked through in England and Switzerland after heavy/long rains.

Klim Adventure gloves: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Good fit, very comfortable, durable. Eventually I had a couple of holes in the nylon material (not in a critical area). I thought these gloves were a bit pricey at USD$89, but I just noticed that they have been discontinued and replaced by a “New” Adventure model at $179!! It looks to me like the Dakar Pro glove in their current lineup is similar to my old-style “Adventure” gloves.

Alpinestars Drystar SR3 Waterproof Gloves: 2.5 out of 5 stars (2.5 / 5) Terrible fit, took three tries to get a pair that I could wear. Eventually had to buy XXL in order to get my hands in the gloves, but then the fingers were way too long. Worked well in the rain with reasonable “feel” for thicker gloves, but the fingers being too long caused problems with good lever control.

Shoei NeoTec Helmet: 3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) I really want to give this helmet a higher rating, but a number of little things prevent me from doing so. After using it for a year, I can say I would struggle to do this kind of trip with anything but a flip-front helmet. The ability to flip it up to get a drink, to speak with checkpoint officers, or just to talk to the petrol attendant is nice. Downsides: if you crack the shield at all in the rain, it rains down the inside of the shield (use a Pinlock shield and you won’t have to open it because it won’t fog in the rain); it’s noisy compared to a non-flip-front full coverage helmet.

Sena SMH10 Bluetooth Headset: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Always worked. After a year, the contacts between the headset module and the helmet mount became a bit wide, and I had to move the module around a bit to get good contact otherwise I’d lose sound in one speaker. Simple controls and easy to operate even with heavy winter gloves. The bass in the speakers isn’t great, but the newer models are better. 

Forma Adventure Boots: 3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) They look like motocross boots, but they aren’t. They have much less support and armor in them, which allows for all-day comfort and the ability to walk around in them, but it also means less protection. Far from waterproof as well. Good soles, good durability.

NorthFace Convertible Pants: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) It’s hard to complain too much about the one pair of pants I brought on this trip. Yep, any time I wasn’t wearing my Klim riding gear, I was wearing this one pair of pants. That’s a lot to ask out of a pair of pants, and I did have the stitching in the crotch fail but I sewed them up and continued to use them. Overall they wore better than the $600 Klim pants (how come the tank bag doesn’t wear out the NorthFace pants where they contact, but the $650 Klim Badlands pants can’t deal with it?)

UnderArmour t-shirts: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) I carried three of these with me, and now I hardly ever wear anything else. In fact, I’ve tried to wear some of my old cotton t-shirts, and I find that they feel heavy, don’t breathe, and feel dirty after one day. The UA shirts are thin, lightweight, dry quickly if you sweat in them, wash easily and dry quickly, pack small and can be worn for several days without getting smelly.

UnderArmour boxers: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) Like the UA shirts, they are extremely light, extremely comfortable, wash and dry quickly, and can be worn for more than a day (or two) without getting smelly (sorry, but it’s true…). I don’t wear any other brand or type now. I started the trip with three pair, and after one year, one pair has one tiny hole. All three still have perfect elastic in the waist and legs, and it’s virtually impossible to tell the difference between the three pair I wore for a year and the new pair I just bought.

Smartwool socks: 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) I can’t imagine wearing cotton socks ever again. Same as wearing a cotton t-shirt. No thanks. SmartWool dries fast, is comfortable, breathes well, doesn’t smell. I bought a thin pair of sock liners at an outdoor store in Cape Town, and often wore the sock liners inside the SmartWool socks, even in the extreme Africa heat. Very comfortable.

Merrill Trail Shoes: 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5) Lightweight and pricey. Other than a pair of flip-flops and my Forma Adventure boots, these are the only shoes I took. I put a pair of Dr Scholls gel inserts in them before I left home. They got used in the water in Guatemala and Nicaragua; otherwise they were used for walking around. The soles split, and the toe started coming apart on one of them, but I continued to wear them till the end. I wouldn’t buy these again. I’ll find something a little more durable and sacrifice a little extra weight for durability.

The Five Year Plan, Revisited

Way back in September of 2015, while in Panama, I wrote a post called “The Fallacies of the Five Year Plan” based on an article my brother had sent me.

The concept of a Five Year Plan is not new nor is it limited to any one aspect of life. Countries do five year plans. Companies do five year plans. Some people have a five year plan to get a project done around the house that, if they would ever start, would probably only take a day to complete!

And that was the gist of the original article and post: that while a Five Year Plan is a great start, it’s too long and too easy to just keep putting it off and pushing it out, further delaying your goal, until you get distracted enough that it is no longer a goal.

The Five Year Plan concept in the business and government world seems to have died out. Perhaps they all realized after eight or ten years that they were simply planning to procrastinate by giving themselves five years.

In my original article, my intent was to motivate people to set goals, and in particular, to set goals towards a life of travel, if that’s what you want to do.

During my first year riding around the world, I received many comments from people who said “I wish I could do what you’re doing”. My response then, as now, is that you CAN! It takes a major adjustment in your mindset, a plan, and some really serious commitment, but it is definitely do-able.

So, five years later, I’m here to tell you that I continue to practice what I preach.

My views in that original post five years ago haven’t changed. When I returned from that ride, I took what I had learned, and I built a much smaller house, in a much simpler style, using less expensive materials and doing much of the construction myself, with the help of friends and family, to save even more money. I stopped buying “stuff” just because I thought I “needed” it, or wanted it. I stopped going out to eat multiple times a week. I stopped buying five dollar lattes. Well, okay, I still buy one occasionally on a Sunday morning to treat myself. I upped my 401k contribution at work in order to save even more, and then I put everything left into savings for the next trip. Like I said, it took some serious commitment, but if you keep focused on the goal, you can get there.

I don’t believe in debt. I don’t believe in buying anything that I can’t pay off that same month. If I don’t have the money for it, I can’t afford it, period. For years, I only paid cash for nearly everything. Every day when I came home, I emptied my change into a bucket. Once every few months, I emptied the bucket and deposited it. These little things add up.

While setting a goal five years out runs a definite risk of losing focus and direction, for me there was never a question: I was going to get back on the road. It’s an addiction that once you’ve tasted it, you can’t ignore it. I had already proven to myself that the world doesn’t end when you leave your job and everything behind and ride away. In fact, it actually gets better!

I actually didn’t think it would take five years; I was hoping for more like three, but one of the things I learned from the first year on the road was that having a place that was “mine”, where I could return for a month or so every now and then and be comfortable on my own couch and surrounded by my “things”, was important to me. So finishing up the house, simply so I would have a place to take breaks from traveling, took priority. Everyone is different, and not everyone will feel this way. Some people are fine crashing on a friend’s couch, or in their parents’ basement for short intervals. That’s definitely a good option if you are on a tight budget and want to hit the road sooner. For me personally, I wanted to have a “recharging station”. This is without doubt a double-edged sword, as when I left the US in 2015, I had virtually nothing of importance to return to, and likewise had nothing tying me down. No property tax bill. No utility bills. No worries about broken pipes, maintenance issues, etc. My mind was free to focus solely on the road ahead and the people and scenery around me. Having a house is both a privilege, and will present obstacles of my own creation next time.

Ironically, and coincidentally, it is five years later. In the middle of this crazy pandemic, I got married, and started seriously planning the next Round-The-World ride. This time, 2-up on a slightly larger motorcycle.

And now, here we are. Still in the throes of a lockdown, restricted from international travel, but with the sun rising on the horizon, and hopefully moving, if ever so slowly, toward the ability to safely travel again.

So, as I have said from the beginning…If Not Now, When?

Here we go!

Finally

Who remembers this movie quote?

“The new phone book’s here! The new phone book’s here! Millions of people look at this book every day. This is the kind of spontaneous publicity that MAKES people!”

I’m a big fan of Navin Johnson and The Jerk. I don’t know why that line pops up in my head now. It used to be every time I came home to find the new phone book on the driveway I would repeat it. But I’m not sure they even make phone books any more. Now the line comes to mind when my bike finally shows up at the local dealer.

I had a running joke at work for the last few years… I knew the 700 Tenere was coming, eventually, and I had joked that when it finally showed up I would be off on the next round-the-world ride. So about once every couple of months I would pop my head into somebody’s office and ask “Is my 700 here yet?”

It got to be such a routine that people started responding “Soon!” or “I heard yours was backordered”. Except for my boss, who would just say “No. It is not here. And it is not coming”, in jest of course, as a way of subtly suggesting I reconsider leaving again.

But, now, after being home for four and a half years, it’s here.

I’ve been waiting on this day for a long time.

Yep, it’s all there. Time to get to work.

So it’s time to get to work. Since the bike has been available in Europe for going on two years, I had already ordered and received most of the accessories I plan to install long before my bike arrived.

A small amount of the accessories I’ve had in my shop for months, waiting for the bike to arrive. Includes: panniers, pannier racks, rear rack, footpegs, rear shock spring, top handlebar clamp (for GPS mount), heated grips, skid plate, center stand, engine guard.

Let the fun begin!

No More Excuses

You know it’s getting serious when you start running out of excuses. Not that I really had any, or needed any. But a couple of weeks ago another big reason most people use — somewhat logically — to keep them from setting off on a round-the-world ride fell away: Diana retired after 40 years in her profession. Forty years is a long time to do anything, and to do something that requires using your hands all day every day can be physically demanding. She loved what she did, and still does, and a big part of that goes to her employer for the last eight years. She has told me many times that she wishes she had found Dr. Bell earlier in her career.

Mixed emotions, leaving a great job with a great boss and co-workers who have become friends, but ready to retire and hit the road.

Since Dr. Bell announced her retirement, Diana has received many emails and comments from patients wishing her well and telling her how much she will be missed. It’s a good feeling to know that you not only were good at your job but truly appreciated by both your employer and those you served.

While her replacement is already in place, Diana has offered to help out for a few more weeks while the office searches for a new front desk person. After that, she’s ready to start full-time preparations for our departure.

No pressure on me. Just one more excuse that we can no longer use as we move closer to living on two wheels.

I guess I’d better get moving on some of these projects, so we can get on the road whenever the world opens up.

The Gear: 2021-2024 Trip (2-Up on a 700cc Motorcycle)

 

 

Note: We are not sponsored by any of the vendors or suppliers below. We choose to put the brand name of the gear we carry and use for the future benefit of others who may be interested, and for our own reference. Everyone’s situation is different, and what is important to one person may not be to another. You may find that we have a lot of “stuff” packed on this heavily-laden motorcycle. Or you may think we are traveling comparatively light. Bear in mind that we are two people, living for multiple years with this bike as our home. We do not have support vehicles or crew following us.

Bike:

2021 Yamaha 700 Tenere

Yamaha 700 Tenere

Modifications:

  • Yamaha GYT-R skidplate, with storage box
  • Barkbuster handguards
  • Rally Raid top bridge for GPS mounting
  • Garmin Zumo XT GPS
  • Oxford Heaterz Heated Grips
  • Powerlet outlet for charging/air compressor
  • Holan Pannier Racks and Nomada Expedition Panniers
  • Holan Rear Rack>
  • Rotopax 1 gallon water container with locking mount
  • Rally Raid Heavy Duty Rear Shock Spring
  • Camel High-mount Front Fender Kit
  • Small LED Turn Signals
  • Kriega US-5 Side Storage Pouches
  • Yamaha WR450 Foot Pegs
  • Touratech 0.75 liter auxiliary fuel container
  • Bicycle Bottle Cages and Drink Bottles (2)
  • Yamaha GYT-R Engine Guards
  • Wolfman Expedition Tank Bag with Rain Cover
  • USB Outlets
  • Foam Air Filter

Camping Gear:

  • MSR Hubba Hubba 2 Tent with Rainfly and Footprint
  • Sierra Designs BackCountry Bed sleeping bags
  • Exped Downmat 9LW sleeping mats
  • Cocoon Mummyliners
  • Exped Inflatable Pillow and Covers
  • REI Flexlite chairs
  • Head Torches (2)
  • SnowPeak Giga Stove
  • Toaks titanium utinsels and mugs
  • Cooking Pot, Pan, 2 Bowls
  • Spatula
  • Small Plastic Cutting Board
  • 2 Dinner Plates
  • Aeropress Coffee Maker, Grinder and Filters
  • SteriPen Water Purifier
  • Dish sponge and Dish Soap
  • PackTowl hand and bath towels
  • Laundry Line
  • Torch (Flashlight)

 

Pat’s Clothing:

  • UnderAmour t-shirts (1 long sleeve and 3 short sleeve)
  • NorthFace convertible cargo pants
  • NorthFace fleece pullover
  • SmartWool socks (2 pr for riding boots; 1 pr for street shoes)
  • UnderArmour briefs (3 pr)
  • Thermal Underwear
  • Merrill trail shoes (Trainers)
  • Outdoor Research floppy hat
  • Swim Trunks
  • Flip Flops
  • FroggToggs rain suit (for when I’m off the bike)
  • Beanie cap
  • Buff head scarf (multiple uses)(x2)
  • Toiletries
  • Meds Bag

 

Diana’s Clothing:

  • UnderAmour t-shirts (2 long sleeve and 2 short sleeve)
  • Cargo pants
  • Leggings (2)
  • SmartWool socks (2 pr for riding boots; 2 pr for street shoes)
  • Underwear (4 pr)
  • Sports Bra (2)
  • Thermal Underwear
  • Patagonia Puffy Jacket
  • Outdoor Research Floppy Hat
  • Buff Beanie
  • Trainers
  • Flip Flops
  • Buff head scarf (multiple uses)(x2)
  • Swimsuit
  • Sarong Wrap
  • Tyvek Windbreaker
  • Toiletries
  • Meds Bag

 

Pat’s Riding Gear:

  • Klim Badlands Pro jacket and pants
  • Shoei NeoTech modular helmet
  • Alpinestars gloves (waterproof cold-weather)
  • Klim Adventure gloves (everyday)
  • Forma Adventure boots
  • Sena SMH10 bluetooth headset

 

Diana’s Riding Gear:

  • Klim Altitude jacket and pants
  • Shoei NeoTech modular helmet
  • Alpinestars gloves
  • Forma Adventure boots
  • Sena SMH10 bluetooth headset

 

Miscellaneous Gear:

  • Passports, Documents (Motorcycle Title, Insurance, Entrance Permits, etc)
  • Delorme Inreach 2-way communicator
  • Laptop in Waterproof Dry Bag
  • iPad
  • Chargers, Cords, and International Adapters
  • Point-and-Shoot Camera
  • Cell Phone
  • Reading Glasses
  • Sun Glasses
  • GorillaPod camera tripod
  • Bike Cover
  • Kickstand Pad
  • Mechanix work gloves (can serve as another pair of riding gloves in a pinch)
  • Latex Gloves (2pr)
  • Bear Grylls mini backpack (packs tiny; use for misc trips about town and laundry day)
  • Ratchet strap tiedowns (2)
  • First Aid Kit
  • Emergency Blanket
  • Toilet Paper
  • Large Plastic Trash Bags (2)
  • Rubber Door Stop
  • Pens
  • Compass
  • Cable Lock
  • Disc Lock
  • Helmet Locks (2)

 

Spares:

  • Oil filter
  • Spark plugs (2)
  • Inner tubes (2)
  • Tire patch kit
  • Clutch cable
  • Master link for chain
  • Supply of spare nuts and bolts

 

Tool kit:

  • Basic Hand Tools
  • MotionPro Mini Tool Kit
  • MotionPro T-handle hex wrench (4,5,6mm)
  • MotionPro T-handle socket wrench (8,10,12mm)
  • Leatherman Tool
  • Small Volt/Ohm Meter
  • Tire Levers
  • CyclePump Air Compressor
  • BuddyTow Tow Strap
  • Tube of Gasket Sealer
  • Epoxy Putty
  • Duct tape and Zip ties (if it can’t be fixed with these and a rock, you’re gonna be there a while)

 

As with the last trip, after the first year or so on the road, we will update this list with reviews of our gear, and discuss what worked well, what didn’t, and what we’ve added, changed, or modified.

Prep Time

It’s always fun to “build” a new bike. I especially enjoy the planning and execution of preparing and installing all of the bits that personalize the bike to my specific needs and requirements for my travels. Everybody is different in this way. I’ve never been a “farkle” guy. I don’t attach anything to the motorcycle that doesn’t serve a necessary purpose, and preferably each item should serve more than one purpose. For example, the rear rack has a large, flat, top plate added that serves as a table when we are camping or performing maintenance. The bash plate has a tool box mounted to it to keep a good amount of my heavy tools low and forward. The engine guards not only protect the bike if/when it falls over, but they provide a location to mount side bags. You won’t find chrome doo-dads or skulls or flames on my motorcycles. I don’t have room for that stuff. This motorcycle is our house for the next few years, and our pack mule. It has to carry everything we need. Which is a lot of weight. No need to add unnecessary weight.

 

Starting Point: This is my idea of fun.

Here’s a list of changes and modifications I’ve made so far. This should be close to everything I intend to do:

  • Rear Rack
  • Pannier Racks
  • Panniers with expedition boxes
  • Touratech fuel can
  • Bottle cages
  • Rotopax mount and water can
  • Garmin Zumo XT GPS, Touratech lockable GPS mount and top clamp
  • Oxford grips
  • Turn signals
  • Barkbusters
  • Tankbag w/ powerlet thru-port
  • Kriega side pouches
  • Engine Guards
  • Skid Plate with Tool Box
  • High fender kit
  • Foam air filter
  • Powerlet
  • USB ports
  • Rear spring
  • Greased all rear suspension bearings/bushings, and steering head bearings

The list above is our starting setup. I haven’t had a chance to take it off-road yet, so that’s next up.

First Shakedown Ride

My buddy Caleb showed up the other morning on his new 700 Tenere. I had a spare rear rack due to some last-minute modifications, so we installed it on his bike and went for a ride. Seeing as it was just me, and we were only going for a couple of days, I left the panniers and all the camping gear at home. This was mostly an opportunity for me to get a feel for the bike, both on-road and off-road, and gather any feedback for changes I had made and/or future adjustments.

I have a backroads route that I like to take from home out to Luckenbach, Texas (the tiny town that was the subject of the Waylon and Willie song of the 70s; if you’re not familiar with it, now is a good time to have a listen). Luckenbach has a great “feel” to it, even though it’s become a bit of a mini-Disneyland Frontier Town with all the tourists. Still, it’s a fun place to stop on the way deeper into the Texas Hill Country. And if you’ve never been in the area, within a 20 mile radius of Luckenbach there are dozens of vineyards and wineries.

From Luckenbach, we rode through Fredericksburg and on to Kerrville for the night.

We were up and moving early the next morning, as we had some off-roading planned and still a bit of a trek to get there. It had rained overnight, but wasn’t raining when we left. Other than a few light sprinkles, we got lucky and missed the rain, but the roads were wet and a bit slick on the way out through Hunt and headed towards Rock Springs, and the crosswind at times brought back memories of fighting across Patagonia on the way to Ushuaia. Once we left the pavement and dropped into some canyons, the wind was blocked and the riding was great.

Caleb’s 700, crossing below a small dam in the Texas Hill Country.

Along with a couple hundred miles of pavement, we ended up doing about 150 miles of dirt roads, mostly small ranch roads with several low-water crossings and dozens of bump-gates. Both bikes performed very well (Caleb’s is all stock, and he had already done some off-road with it in Georgia before today). I was surprised at the traction offered by the stock tires in the dirt, and the lack of slip when accelerating hard out of corners. The stiffer rear shock spring and damping adjustments to the rear shock still worked fine even without the heavier loads of the panniers and passenger, though it was definitely noticeable. These tires should take us through the first three or four countries if we are able to stick with our “Plan A”. Then I’ll likely opt for something a little more dirt-oriented, as I prefer to travel that way.

Lots of great dirt roads, with everything from gravel, caliche, dirt, sand, and rock.

Quick stop at a scenic overlook before we headed home (yes, if you got closer to where I’m sitting, it’s a great view).

At the end of the day, we parted ways in Bandera, which was about an hour and a half for each of us to get to our destinations that night. We covered about 400 miles that day. A good initial introduction to the bike, its’ capabilities and my alterations.

So far, so good.