Very soon I will depart on another overland bike ride.
I will follow last years route.
I will be riding a BMW 1200gs. I didn't choose this bike.... it was more or less forced upon me. When you leave Europe you require a Carnet de Passage. This document allows you to temporarily import a motor vehicle into countries like Iran, India and Australia. It is a way of avoiding the cost and complication of paying import taxes for every country you enter. In the UK the RAC are the only provider of "Carnets". The RAC require 4-6 weeks to a prepare a Carnet..... I had hoped sell my now well travelled 800 gs to buy a younger, low mileage BMW 800gs. These bikes are light and nimble, run on the sniff of an oily rag and are a joy to ride. Sadly I ran out of time and with less than 4 weeks before my likely departure date and since I had no other motorcycle to hand, for which to apply for my carnet and my 1200gs was chosen. She is a fullsome beast and without wishing to offend, if my 800 gs were Cinderella she would be........ So I will depart on a bike some would describe as effete, as ugly, as the choice of a man in mid life crisis.
Why am I doing another ride again? Why the same route? .....I can't adequately explain. There are lots of fairly obvious reasons why I will ride... challenge, joy of motorcycles, adventure.. which in part are all true. There is also something deeper, something from within, something that almost compels me to ride. I cannot name or describe this thing. It is what it is.
How do I feel? A few weeks ago I had fairly much decided not to ride. I felt very anxious about the thought of leaving. I felt unprepared to ride and unprepared to leave.
My route is France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulagria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India.
I will follow last years route.
I will be riding a BMW 1200gs. I didn't choose this bike.... it was more or less forced upon me. When you leave Europe you require a Carnet de Passage. This document allows you to temporarily import a motor vehicle into countries like Iran, India and Australia. It is a way of avoiding the cost and complication of paying import taxes for every country you enter. In the UK the RAC are the only provider of "Carnets". The RAC require 4-6 weeks to a prepare a Carnet..... I had hoped sell my now well travelled 800 gs to buy a younger, low mileage BMW 800gs. These bikes are light and nimble, run on the sniff of an oily rag and are a joy to ride. Sadly I ran out of time and with less than 4 weeks before my likely departure date and since I had no other motorcycle to hand, for which to apply for my carnet and my 1200gs was chosen. She is a fullsome beast and without wishing to offend, if my 800 gs were Cinderella she would be........ So I will depart on a bike some would describe as effete, as ugly, as the choice of a man in mid life crisis.
Why am I doing another ride again? Why the same route? .....I can't adequately explain. There are lots of fairly obvious reasons why I will ride... challenge, joy of motorcycles, adventure.. which in part are all true. There is also something deeper, something from within, something that almost compels me to ride. I cannot name or describe this thing. It is what it is.
How do I feel? A few weeks ago I had fairly much decided not to ride. I felt very anxious about the thought of leaving. I felt unprepared to ride and unprepared to leave.
My route is France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulagria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India.
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