"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary." - Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894)
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao-tzu, (604 BC - 531 BC), The Way of Lao-tzu
"He who would travel happily must travel light."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900 - 1944)
Will that rear shock hold up? Which maps do I need? Do I have to carry a spare tire? Does Kyrgyzstan use 110V or 220V? Should I carry a water purification pump? Do camels really spit at people?
What do I need to bring with me?
In preparing for a tour that will consume eight pages of any passport, the questions are many, the material solutions seemingly infinite and the space available to carry them all vanishingly small. If you're trekking on foot, what to pack is simple - you need only clothing, personal items and your camera, maybe a poncho. If you travel by car, you have a spacious trunk for more and more "stuff". On most luxury motorcycle tours, the chase vehicle may even carry your bags for you, and they'll be waiting in your room when you arrive. A GlobeRiders adventure is different. Anything may happen - we want our riders to be self-sufficient. They're on their own bike, they carry their own stuff and at the end of the day, they can truly say "I did this." However, carrying all one's gear requires a special packing discipline because motorcycles do a very weird thing (for a vehicle anyway) when they are brought to a stop.
They fall over.
Keeping a bike from answering the pervasive call of gravity gets harder and harder the more "stuff" you have with you, the more "stuff" you packed. Lightweight, durable, compact, multi-purpose , these are the keywords for what to buy and what to pack.
The pre-departure planning stage for these adventures is a time of deep thought, some worry, tons of research, and a generally diminishing bank account. I'd like to start our Live!Journal with some thoughts, reports and pictures of what transpired before Istanbul.
Unless otherwise noted, all photographic images were taken by Helge Pedersen.
Mike, Your Webmeister
GlobeRider Rick Wetzel makes final checks before loading his bike into the container for shipment to Istanbul.
A 40-foot container seems spacious, until you have a long line of bikes, spare tires and panniers waiting to be loaded.
Helge insists on personally checking the positioning, strap placement and tension for every bike.
Here's what a $170,000.00 can of BMW sardines looks like.
Motorcycles secured, doors closed, a tamper-proof customs seal is applied.
The happy "shipping party" crew. Top row, left to right: Jeff Roberg, Rick Wetzel, Helge, Jim Harding. Bottom row, left to right: Ann Roberg, Laura Seaver, David Ow. Not in picture but present, Perry Murray.
23 FEB 2005 - World Cargo - Washington USA
The first tangible event kicking-off every GlobeRiders tour is a "shipping party" for the motorcycles. We had our party today. The bikes have left the warehouse, outward-bound for the Silk Road.
Over the last two weeks, motorcycles from out-of-state clients have been delivered to our trusted shipping partner, World Cargo in Tukwila, Washington. Several of this year's riders live in the area and choose to drop their bikes off in-person. They enthusiastically volunteered to stay and help on ship day. Regulations require that each bike have less than a gallon of gas. The positive battery cable must be disconnected and wrapped in electrical tape. In addition to all the care, cost and effort that went into preparing the bikes for the tour, they have to be clean for shipment. Customs agencies may quarantine a dirty bike on the grounds that mud and splattered insect remains contain potentially harmful microbes or eggs.
Once fully-prepped for transport, the bikes were loaded into a dedicated 40-foot container (that would be two TFEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units) for those of you into ocean freight acronyms). As each was positioned, the wheels were chocked with 2" x 4"s, nail-gunned to the floor. Zero-stretch shipping straps were applied to at least four points on each bike and run to adjacent wheel chocks. Each strap was tightened until front and rear shock absorbers fully compressed to insure the bikes won't shift in transit.
Inside the container, welded steel "hard points" exist to strap or secure freight. Rows of these run along the top and bottom of the side walls. Panniers, spare tires and anything else that had to be removed from the bike (in order to fit it in the container) were hung from these hard points.
With everything fully secured, the container doors were closed and a tamper-proof customs seal applied. Last we saw, the bikes were being trucked over to the Port of Seattle's ocean container-handling facility on Harbor Island.
Responsibility for the cargo now shifts to Happy-go-lucky AG, a global container-line shipping company. For the first leg of the journey, the container will be loaded aboard the freighter Barmen Express, scheduled to sail from Seattle, Washington head down the West Coast, transit the Panama Canal, then make way up the East Coast to Halifax, Nova Scotia. There, the container will be loaded onto a different ship, the An twerp en Express, and cross the Atlantic to Gioia Tauro, Italy, In Gioia Tauro, the bikes will be transferred to the freighter Rousse for the final leg to the Port of Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Turkey. We wish the ships and their crews calm seas and fair winds.
22 MAR 2005 - At Home - New Jersey USA
Again I am going on an extended trip. Most of the time I travel alone, just my bike, tent and lots of cash.
This Silk Road Trip will be a trip with luxury since we are staying in Hotels. I don't have to worry about food since we get at least breakfast each day. Most of the time even dinner. Besides that I have a huge layer of fat saved around my midriff so I will be OK for weeks to come.
From experience I will prep my ‘new’ bike the way I like it. For this trip I bought a used BMW 2002 GSA bike and it needs tweaking. I like wide foot pegs, just in case I have to stand on the bike for some hours. I like a louder horn; the factory installed horn is not loud enough. The previous owner had a special seat installed. I am not sure if I will like this seat, I might have to put the stock seat back since from experience I like that seat. Since I am using a different GPS then the previous owner I will need a new holder.
I will install improved Ohlins shocks set at 250 KG and hope that this is now the right setting. (I blew one set of rear shocks rated at 200 KG in Siberia). I will also remove the cat just in case the gasoline we will find along the road is inferior. I believe I have to install Head Light Covers, Sump Guard, Oil Cooler guard, etc. Small things that could lead to real trouble along the way and preventions are better then repair.
I have discussions with myself as to what spare parts to bring. When I was in Daytona this early March I asked all the Adventure riders there as to what could possibly break or go wrong on a BMW GSA such as mine. I broke down with a rear wheel bearing failure near Daytona Beach and had lots of time to talk to folks. Not that I panicked but why not ask others and rely on their experiences. I sure learned a lot from Mike Paull and Helge Pedersen during our last trip but others have other experiences, too. Besides the usual stuff like fuses, tire repair kits and spare tire tubes I will take along some ball bearings that will be hard to get in Uzbekistan. In addition I will carry small parts like “O” rings, clips, timing belt and spokes. I know for sure that if I take them I will not use them. I believe it’s called Murphy’s Law. The stuff you have is not what you need; it’s the other stuff that will break. My discussions with myself continue daily, Helge taught me not to over pack and I am working on finding the perfect balance of what to bring and what to leave behind.
Clothing is simple, bring just a few things. I usually think of the number "3". Take three shirts, three pants, three pairs of socks and so on. One set to wear, one to clean and one as spare. I will not be a fashion plate. Ralph Lauren will have to look away when he sees me.
If I forget miscellaneous stuff, sunglasses, cameras, straps and so on I can over come. Still I am thinking, thinking, thinking. Experience helps in this regard. We all have likes and dislikes, take gloves for example.
Many good gloves out there but I will stick to the BMW GS gloves, I like them the best and will carry a spare set, just in case I lose the ones I ride with.
Little things, small details, bolts, nuts, clips! Way too many to list but they could be important.
Above all for this trip and for any trip, short trip or long trip I must pack the right ATTITUDE:
The mental preparation is of the outmost importance.
Should I forget something, so be it. I need to adjust to the situation.
Should my bike fail I have to fix it.
Should I fall and get hurt, I need to heal and get over it.
Should anything happen on the way I need to carry a good ATTITUDE.
This is something that MUST be packed, must be in everybody’s luggage. The right attitude makes all the difference in the world. Panic is OK, but get over it and unpack the right attitude.
Get along with the folks you ride with. Look at the people you will meet and even if they are so different, give them respect and unpack some of your correct attitude.
Some call it respect for others but I call it more than that. My mind set must be set so that I look at others with an open mind and give them lee-way, give them room for their idiosyncrasies. It's my ATTITUDE that will make all the difference for a good trip and I must not forget to pack that.
Hans
Hans practicing the art of tire repair, a skill worth its weight in . . . Silk . . . if you happen to have a flat on the . . . Road.
(Photo courtesy of Hans Muellers)
Equipment care and preparation is the foundation for a trouble-free tour. GlobeRiders sponsor NIKWAX supplied a kit of their waterproofing products to each rider in return for feedback on the efficacy of their systems.
(Photo courtesy of Hans Muellers)
13 APR 2005 - Email from Kay (wife of Jay) - Washington USA
[Editor's Note: To put this message in perspective, GlobeRider Jay Yanick decided to incorporate the Silk Road adventure into a larger RTW (Round The World) one he had planned on his own. He left his home in Washington USA, drove his bike to Miami, Florida, then up to Toronto, Ontario Canada. From there he air-freighted his motorcycle (using the services of Motorcycle Express) to London, England. He will then meander "the Continent" for a few weeks before catching up with the Silk Road group in Istanbul.]
From: Kay Yanick
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 3:46 PM
To: Silk Road Live!Journal
Subject: Jay Yanick - Alive and well
I'm Jay's wife, Kay . . .
Highlights for him so far include arriving in Toronto (where he and his bike departed for London) when the weather was in the 20's. He went to see Niagara Falls and it was frozen. As was the lake beneath the falls. He was pretty impressed - took lots of pictures. He then spent time in the British Isles - fell in love with Scotland. The weather was wet and cool but that was excepted. He got into some trouble taking pictures while riding through the Chunnel between England and France, but survived. I don't know if they confiscated his pictures or slapped his wrists or what. He then rode through Portugal, France, and Spain. Seemed to find the Rock of Gibraltar a "Hoot".
In Italy, too many people - not enough accommodations. He liked the leaning Tower of Pisa and is thinking of heading for the Adriatic coast. He is amazed at prices. He bought a quart of oil south of Monaco and it cost 12.oo EU. (Exchange rate is $1.29 US per EU) He already had to buy one new tire - and thinks he may need another before he gets to Istanbul.
His biggest problem so far was caused by his wife. She had her car broken into and her purse snatched. So all credit cards and checking accounts were canceled and changed. He spent too much time hunting down DHL offices in several countries trying to match up with the newly dispensed credit cards. Not much fun for him.
All in all, he seems to be having a great time. Think he will be very happy to see everyone in Istanbul. Evenings are lonely for him - he doesn't speak any foreign language. Can't read the papers or understand the TV. Poor guy!
That completes the update.
Kay
14 APR 2005 - Email from Helge - Washington USA
From: GlobeRiders Silk Road Forum On Behalf Of Helge Pedersen
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 11:59 PM
To: Silk Road Live!Journal
Subject: [GlobeRiders] GlobeRiders container
Good morning to you all.
Good news, I just checked the tracking of our container and it tells me that
the bikes have just arrived in Istanbul.
It is a little early, but better than one day late.
OK, now I am really ready to get going.
Have a good day.
Helge P.
(Photos taken by Mike M. Paull)
18 APR - Preparations - Washington USA
Having scouted the Silk Road Adventure last year, 2004, I feel I am a little better prepared than most of my fellow travelers. The preparations needed were not all that much because this is a similar journey to all of the other adventures I have done by motorcycle throughout my life.
For starters, the limitation of what I can pack comes down to what my trusted BMW can carry. For that very reason I have chosen to go with the smallest Touratech Zega panniers. If I had taken the larger size they too would have been filled with “stuff” and my bike would have been heavier.
I think that I speak for most of us when I say that we all are very good at packing more than we ever really need. For some magic reason we have been trained to believe that we need all this gadgets to make the trip worth taking.
Knowing all of this I have just as big of a struggle every time I am running around the house collecting all the things I can’t leave home without. At least so I think.
Clothes are on my easy list to decide on. Three pairs of socks and underwear, one pair of shorts and two pairs of light pants. A couple of shirts and T-shirts plus a warm fleece jacket will do for under garments. All of this better be of fabrics that is easy to wash and that dries fast. On this tour I will also carry long underwear and a warmer jacket to wear under my cordura riding gear. A two-piece rain gear will further protect not only against rain, but this extra layer will help me when we ride the mountains of Turkey and later the Himalayas.
I already have a hand-selected kit of tools permanently stored under the seat of the bike, no need to expand on this. Spare parts for my BMW R1150 GS Adventure is not that exotic; complete set of brake pads, alternator belt, plugs, headlight bulb, fuses, puncture kit and a set of inner tubes.
My biggest addiction and a pitfall whenever I am packing for a journey is the amount of camera gear that I will take along. I love travel photography and since I make money from my pictures I feel that I have an even better excuse to load up with lenses and several cameras. All of this equipment is placed in an easily removable backpack camera bag that lives on the passenger part of the bike.
Being the responsible person for the success of this tour makes my mental preparation very important. I have a lot of trust in my experience as a world traveler and I keep reminding myself that this is a team effort. Unless I have good players on my team we will not succeed. In the preparation of selecting people for this journey I specifically looked for any warning signals that would tell me that a person would not fit in to the format of this journey. With the upcoming Silk Road Adventure I feel that we have a great variation of people that at the end of the day will come together as a team and enjoy this incredible ride.
Enough said, let us go Riding!
Helge P.
19 APR 2005 - Email from Jay Yanick - Somewhere in Greece
From: Jay Yanick
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 06:29 AM
To: Silk Road Live!Journal
Subject: Preparations for the Silk Road
I understand you want a recap on the preparations made for the Silk Road Trip.
I started out talking to Helge, picking his vast knowledge. Then went out and purchased a 2005 BMW R1150GS Adventure and immediately got acquainted with Touratech in a big way. Got a GPS, fork protectors, panniers, luggage rack, light protector, electric air pump, siphon pump and hose, inner tubes, tire repair kit, clutch lever and on and on. I think I have more parts than clothing.
Then I thought I should go on a shake-down cruise.
I turned south out of my garage to Palm Springs, drove across the southern part of the US and up to Toronto, Canada. From Toronto, I air-freighted the bike to London, then rode down to Lands End, up to Scotland (checking out the Loch Ness Monster<g>), down through the England-France Tunnel, down the coast of France to Bordeaux, on to the north coast of Spain, down the coast of Portugal, on to Seville Spain, and down to the Rock of Gibraltar.
Stayed on the southern coast of Spain, went back into France, then to the French Riviera, through Cannes and Monaco, on to the coast of Italy, down to Pisa, then to Trieste. From Trieste through Slovenia and into Zagreb, Croatia, and down the coast of Croatia. Turned around and went back to Venice to hook up with a ferry to take me to Igoumenitsa, Greece. I have just passed 13,000 miles and figure I got about 1,000 more miles of "testing" left before I get to Istanbul and start the Silk Road Adventure
Hope this will fill you in on my preparations.
Jay Yanick (The Lone Wheel)
Somewhere
24 APR, - Email from Dean French - Illinois USA
From: GlobeRiders Silk Road Forum On Behalf Of Dean French
Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2005 8:07 AM
To: Silk Road Live!Journal
Subject: Re: [GlobeRiders] GPS Cables
Wouldn't it be great if God made just one cable and one charger that was interchangeable or blue-toothable? I'm bringing an extra clutch cable, cables for a Garmin 276 and another for a III+, a charger for a laptop, a disc drive, a printer, a different one for the camera batteries, one for me and another for the wife, a hair dryer, voltage converters etc. Some cables, I don't know what they are for but don't dare leave them home because they must be for something. I'm sure one of them will work for you, no refreshments required. I think I'm down to one pair of sox and one underwear but that's all the room that's left. See you in Constantinople.
Dean
19 APR 2005 - Email from Hans Muellers - Somewhere in Greece
From: Hans Muellers
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 08:01 AM
To: Silk Road Live!Journal
Subject: On the Road
The computer I bought to take on the trip broke and I am now destined to use the Internet when and where I can find it. Picked up my bike in Munich and all is well. Had the cat (catalytic converter) removed at Touratech and now the bike runs lean. It conks out when standing at idle at the traffic light but uses less gasoline when on the road. I will have it fixed in Instanbul.
Found that the seat on the bike is OK, but also found no need for the heating element put onto the bike. I am afraid that with so many gadgets the battery will wear down so I do not put the heated seat on. I really do not need it.
It was cold crossing the Alps, St. Gotthardt was so cold that even though I wore all the clothing I was shivering. Glad it went down from there into Italy. Took the Autostrada and was in no time at the Adriatic Coast and actually took the ferry a day earlier than planned.
Today is Tues and I am already in Kapala, Greece. I believe I will be in Istanbul a bit early but better early than too late.
Bike runs fine and I am in good health albeit a bit sore from riding all day around very twisty curves. My body is too pampered and I need to create some muscles. All in all it's good to be on the road.
April is great time for Greece. Spring is a great time here. The trees have the most amazing colors and the whole country is green. Yes, it is still cold in the mountains but with enough clothing it's bearable.
Looking forward to Turkey.
Hans
27 APR - Email from John LaChapelle - California USA
From: John LaChapelle
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 8:01 AM
To: Silk Road Live!Journal
Subject: Launch
So, I've packed and repacked a dozen times now. My "To Do" list is magically getting longer each day I get closer to leaving. And, I woke up this last Saturday morning with what appears to be a bronchial infection. Oh yeah, I also have a cracked molar that my dentist wants to try and fix before I leave. Now let's see, 24 hours until my flight...hmmmm? Nice. Where did I put that passport?
In light of all that lies before me in the next 24 hours, I couldn't be more excited. Nervous? A bit. Ready? 99%.
Bike preparations - I did the usual; panniers, engine and fairing crashbars, radiator rock guard, upgraded the footpegs/shifter and brake, upgraded chain and sprocket guards, hand guards, headlight protector, and had the GPS mounted and hot-wired to the bike. And of course a whole slew of extra parts.
As for clothing, there ain't much - 3 pairs socks, 3 pairs biking shorts (as underwear), 2 pair synthetic type pants, 1 pair jeans, 3 long and 2 short sleeve synthetic type shirts, 1 fleece jacket, BMW riding suit (jacket and pants), riding boots, cross trainers and flip flops. 1 toothbrush just in case.
I've been a Harley guy most of my life so this kind of bike trip is totally foreign to me. Traveling on a Harley you have your boots, your jeans, your jacket and a wallet. If it rains, you stop under a bridge or get wet. I've done long trips before (NOT 2 months however) but have always either been close to a city with a dealership/mechanic nearby or have been lucky enough to have someone pull over with a helping hand. Of course here in the States cell phones can take care of just about any problem whether your looking for a bar or mechanic.
I'm thinking Uzbekistan will be slightly different?
However, I'm not going solo, there are roads, and from the looks of the itinerary we will roll into a sizeable enough city every few days so as to get a hot shower and perhaps a Martini (wishful thinking)? I'm not climbing Everest and I'm not shooting the source of the Amazon in a kayak, so I'm thinking everything will be more or less peachy. Perhaps I should add a jar of Olives to that "To Do" list?
Will miss my dog considerably and wow does she know how to put on a guilt trip. Just the other night in the living room, I had finished packing everything for the 12th time and went into the kitchen to make a quick bite. I returned to the living room to find Gracie sitting sadly next to one of the panniers, her chin resting on its lid, and she was just looking up at me with these round little eyes... just blinking. Brutal. As I walk from one room to another she follows so closely behind me I'm in a constant state of almost tripping.
At this point there is nothing left to "prepare" for, all that's left is a goodbye to Gracie, a flight to Istanbul and 8,000 miles to Xian.
