In 1968 I read a story in Cycle World magazine about a fellow that rode from the U.S to the tip of South America and I was psyched to do the same. However, over 35 years passed and I hadn't taken that journey. So after retirement, I began to consider the possibilities.For 12 years my wife and I put over 9,000 miles on our bicycles. We greatly enjoyed our two-wheeled activity, particularly the Katy Trail which covers over 200 miles across Missouri. However when it comes to adding a motor to the two wheels, I'm all alone. Brenda doesn't feel the same comfort on a motorcycle that she feels on her bike.
Beginning with that first Honda I bought in 1966 (only 160cc) I have always enjoyed the feeling of adventure that motorcycling gives you. In the 60's I traveled a number of times by motorcycle including two trips to the Rocky Mountains, once to New Orleans and once to Los Angeles.
In early November of 2006 after spending a year of planning and trying to digest a bit of spanish, I joined Harold Brooks and we traveled through five Latin American countries totaling 4200 miles.
In 2008 I flew to Buenos Aires where I had arranged to rent a Honda Transalp and headed north through Argentina, Chile and Peru. The ride to see Machu Picchu in the Andes totaled over 5100 miles.
In 2013 I planned a ride from Jo' Burg, South Africa to Victoria Falls. The trip through Botswana, Zimbabwe and back to South Africa was wonderful. The Falls were amazing, but seeing elephants and other big game while traveling down the highway was a treat.
I've got the bug to do another ride in 2015. Not so much an adventure, but none-the-less exciting. I joined nine other riders for to do a tour. Adriatic Moto Tours provided guides and bikes and our group traveled for eight days from Vienna to Prague in the Czech Republic and South to Salzburg and then back to Vienna. I arranged to continue on with the bike and travel on my own. I rode into Hungary to Budapest, spent an additional day there, and then South past lake Balaton and returned the bike to the tour company in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This ride provided many amazing sights with the Alps and beautiful land of Austria and the Czech Republic being among the most memorable.
PREPARATION
In 2013 I planned a ride from Jo' Burg, South Africa to Victoria Falls. The trip through Botswana, Zimbabwe and back to South Africa was wonderful. The Falls were amazing, but seeing elephants and other big game while traveling down the highway was a treat.
I've got the bug to do another ride in 2015. Not so much an adventure, but none-the-less exciting. I joined nine other riders for to do a tour. Adriatic Moto Tours provided guides and bikes and our group traveled for eight days from Vienna to Prague in the Czech Republic and South to Salzburg and then back to Vienna. I arranged to continue on with the bike and travel on my own. I rode into Hungary to Budapest, spent an additional day there, and then South past lake Balaton and returned the bike to the tour company in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This ride provided many amazing sights with the Alps and beautiful land of Austria and the Czech Republic being among the most memorable.
PREPARATION
In preparing for each of my trips I found a great deal of information on Horizons Unlimited web site. This amazing site has journals, health info and active bulletin boards that allow for contact with other travelers. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com
2006
In 2006 I began working on beginning Spanish on-line (it doesn't seem that any of the two semesters that I had in college was still with me). After the '06 trip to Panama, I continued to work on my Spanish and daily gym routine, losing a few more pounds.
2008
Once again I used Horizons Unlimited to research and make contact with a rental firm in B.A to secure a Honda TransAlp bike for the trip.
2013
Bike rental was arranged with "Edge" tour company in Cape Town to pick up a bike in Jo' Burg and ride North. Getting used to riding on the left side of the road was a challenge
2015
Too many languages to be concerned about learning all the necessary phrases. I adjusted to the Suzuki V-Strom (650) and tried to follow the groups set of rules for riding together (lots of different signals for navigating small towns and intersection turns).
For this ride I did accomplish the impossible. I lost just over 40 lbs and began a DAILY gym routine. Looking back, I believe this really contributed to making this a very enjoyable ride.
2018
Since my last "adventure", I rode out to Santa Fe and East to Virginia. Then, in late 2017, I began researching for a trip to Vietnam. I think the biggest concern was the the three million motorbikes in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) and of course. . . the language.
