Road Trip

2008
I am beginning to put together my lifetime Road Trip which will take in
Rt 66, New Zealand (both islands) and possibly Australia....not in that
order... I have figured on eight to ten months traveling and will have a
Kawasaki Meanstreak 1600 when I leave. First leg down Europe seems easy
enough and I have places to stay at reasonable distances (250 and 600
miles). After that camping and cheap accommodation will be the rule. No
problem with those.. I have them worked out in theory.
What I would like is to be pointed to a site or info on a route which
does not involve Africa (can't go into why atm) and is more road trip
than ferry ride.
Anyone done anything like this without camera crew and back up vans with
an itinerary I could crib from please.
TIA

 

The usual recommendation would be http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/.

 

Turkey, Iran, Pakistan India.

 

How are you planning to get to the USA? Are you going to NZ/AUS first? If
you are planning to go to NZ/AUS then the route would be via Turkey, Iran,
Pakistan, India, Myanmar aka Burma (if they let you over the border),
Thailand, Singapore. Then its boats and island hopping or air/sea to
NZ/AUS. However, if you are planning this kind of journey then you will be
doing it on absolutely the wrong kind of bike. A 1600cc cruiser may look
good (matter of opinion, I know) on US or European highways but it is
totally unsuited for travel in most of Asia. It is too low to the ground,
heavy, lumbering and mechanically complex for this kind of journey.
Obtaining spares would probably be a nightmare in many places. Remember,
you WON'T have a backup team, film crew etc so when it grinds to a halt in
the middle of nowhere you will be relying on the goodwill and expertise of
the locals - whose experience of large Japanese V-twins is going to be
approximately zero. If you had to push it anywhere then its 640lbs dry
weight plus whatever the oil/petrol/luggage weighs would be a real hassle.
Consider something like a GS Adventure instead.

 

Given the choice of doing it on a Meanstreak 1600 or a GS Adventure, I would
choose the Kwakawakisakiwaki every time.

 

The BA World Discovery fare would probably be best for you.

I will suggest the following itinerary:

1) Fly London, England to Bangkok, Thailand (mucho cheapo to stay in
BKK)

(Take two or three days to explore the city)

2) Fly Bangkok, Thailand to Perth, Australia.

<Open Jaw flight>

3) Fly Sydney, Australia to Christchurch, New Zealand (South Island)

(Explore South Island)

Ferry transfer from South to North island (Or fly Christchurch to
Wellington)

<Open Jaw flight>

4) Fly Auckland, New Zealand (North Island) to Los Angeles, CA, USA.

(Make way to east coast, have a look at Montana, the Big Sky state
while you're there which also means you're near to Canada so pop over)

<Open Jaw flight>

5) Fly New York, NY, USA to London, England.

You'll have to get the bike checked through as Cargo which will be a
delay and mucho expensivo. It might work out about the same cost if
you were to rent a bike at each location.

I would suggest you think very carefully about the following:

Your fitness - Explain to someone in your selected Gym what you're
looking to do, how much riding you're going to be doing and get your
lower back, thigh and arm muscles in good shape for all of that
riding.

Your health - Are you mentally and physically able to do this.

Your budget - Carting your bike around the world is an expensive
practice - consider renting a machine in each country you visit (See
note relating to NZ below)

Your travel insurance - Remember that most travel insurance policies
will only cover a trip for a maximum duration of 60 days. Can you do
USA, Australia and New Zealand in just 60 days without rushing it? If
not, consider doing Oz & NZ in one go and then South/North America &
Canada another time. It will be easier to explore Oz & NZ when you're
younger and easier to do the same with USA/Canada when you're older.

Also remember that travel insurance regards riding a motorcycle as a
'hazardous activity' and you will have to pay a premium for this
activity.

Camping: Camping is shit. Don't camp in America as they're all
fucking psychos. Don't camp in Australia as you'll be eaten by a
spider. Don't camp in New Zealand as you'll be eaten by a snake. Stay
in B&Bs whenever possible as you'll have food that isn't guaranteed to
kill you.

Your motorcycle - Is it really, really, really up to the job? What
are you going to do if it gives up half way through? Can you fix it
when it snuffs it? How many tyres and services are you going to get
through? Where are you going to get it serviced? Will you have to
get side reflectors or different lights fitted for places like the
USA?

Your motorcycle insurance - Make sure your vehicle insurance policy
will cover you in all the areas that you are visiting for the
durations you are planning. Will it provide a rental vehicle for you
in the event of an accident (even if you are responsible) and how will
it get your machine back to the UK if it is not in a rideable
condition? Will it pay the import duty for the country you are in if
it is written off in that country?

Your documents - Passport: How many pages are blank in your passport?
When is it due to be renewed? Do you have a biometric passport? Is
the emergency contact page filled in?

MOT: How long is left on your MOT? It might be worth putting the
machine in early so it will cover your obligations in the UK (for
insurance) for the full duration of the trip.

Road tax: See MOT.

Your licence: Is it all in order? Do you need any points to expire?
Is it a photocard license? Do you require an International Driving
Permit to go with it?

V5 Logbook: Is it correct? Do you need a Carnet (passport for goods)
for the places you're visiting? Otherwise you may get your machine
confiscated by Customs or have to pay tax on the vehicle upon
import/export.

Many of the above problems can be solved by doing a One Way Rental of
a different machine in each country that you are visiting. This
solves the vehicle insurance problem, you don't need to get it
serviced and when it snuffs it they'll give you one that works and
will make the excess cargo problem on flights disappear.

Re: New Zealand - it's not possible (IME) to rent one vehicle to use
on both the North and South islands - one has to swap when one wishes
to leave the island and get another on t'other island. I'm not sure
if it applies to Two Wheelers too.

I noticed that you said Africa wasn't an option - why is this? Are
you a British Subject and not a British Citizen? If you're a British
Subject then travel on your own national passport and not the Subject
one. If you are a proper British Citizen and have a proper British
Citizen passport then that would be helpful.

Visas:

You will get into the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme. However,
you need a point of contact in the USA for them to issue this,
generally. (Also, if you're visiting Canada make sure your motorcycle
insurance policy/rental policy permits this)

You will need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) to get into
Australia which is a simple process and most Agencies will sort this
for you for a minimal fee.

You do not need a visa to visit New Zealand (for less than 6 months)

 

Remind me, how extensive is your camping experience? What quality of
equipment did you use, and when did you camp in any of the above
locations?

 

Depends on whether ot not you actually want get there. The idea of doing it
on a Meanstreak may be fine - the reality would be something else. Have you
ever been to Iran, Pakistan, India etc? Road maintenance is minimal to
non-existant in some areas - the Meanstreak's 125mm of ground clearance is
not going to be enough. When the road is covered in sand or mud how well
will those cruiser tyres cope?Filling stations are often some considerable
distance apart so the 200 mile or so range (probably considerably less when
loaded and driven on crappy roads) might be less than ideal when compared
with something like the GS. And then there is going to be the weaving
around in town and city traffic, often without the benefit of traffic
lights, white lines or any obvious rules (other than survival) so trying to
throw something like a Meanstreak around in such circumstances would be
"interesting". Of course there are many other possibilities besides a GS
Adventure - however a big, heavy cruiser is not one that anybody with any
sense would consider.

 

I haven't camped in any of those locations. I have never taken to
ferry from the South to the North island of New Zealand either, but
that doesn't mean I don't know anything about it, Ginge.

 

Africa Twin.

YKIMS.

 

So, back to my original question, and the parts you decided to snip.

How extensive is your camping experience? What quality of
equipment did you use?

If I recall correctly it comprises of sleeping in a borrowed tent, at
the black horse, with no proper camping gear at all.

 

They were not required for the answer. And you have missed the point
I made.

Then you remember wrongly.

 

You reply was boring.
BMW's are crap.

 

I was eaten by a snake once.

 

As far as I can see you've made no point based on fact or experience.
In fact the only point you have made is that your opinion is pretty much
valueless.

Let's look at the "points" you raised.

"Don't camp in Australia as you'll be eaten by a spider."

There have only been 26 recorded deaths in Australia in the last 100
years from spider bites. Furthermore, according to the Australian
Spiders FAQ, the number of human deaths from authentic spider bites of
any kind in Australia since 1979 has been zero.

So, based on fact it's fair to say being "eaten by a spider" is somewhat
unlikely, yes?


"Don't camp in New Zealand as you'll be eaten by a snake."

This is blatant nonsense, New Zealand has no native snakes.

So, back to camping, enlighten me.

 

Would you like for me to apologise to the world and take back every
point and piece of useful advice that I made in reply to the OP and
what he will need to do for his beloved 'world trip' because of my
dislike of camping and you're on the rag?

Three words: Camping. Is. Shit. Nothing that you say to me will
make me change my mind.

 

I did. Even in the outback and the Great Victoria Desert: It sucked, esp
as a bed in a roadhouse was only around A$10 a night..... But I never got
bitten by anything and the creepy-crawlies that visited me most nights were
of the harmless, but annoyingm variety.

Ah but what about all the ones released into the sewers that grow to be 20
feet long? Or is that Alligators? In New York. Allegedly

I think it was his tent. That I put up for him. But he just didn't 'get'
it....

Doesn't Nick 'camp' everywhere he goes....?

Dave

 

That's what I like about ukrm. Well balanced counter-replies.

 

snip>

By having this attitude towards camping you will (imo) miss out on a
chance to see some of the most amazing sights the World has to offer.

Camping is shit if you approach it in a pikey manner but if you spend
a reasonable amount of money on the equipment you can have a decent
nights sleep and eat a reasonable meal with nothing more than a skinny
bastard like me can carry on their back.

Btw, it doesn't matter how much good advise you offer, it comes across
as crap if you top it off with statements that are so obviously
bollocks that a 10 year old would laugh them off.

 

It doesn't.

You have to secure your own bike on the ferry - with rope.
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