Anybody have ambition to ride around the world?

[chadwick]

I've started doing some research on what it would take to drive my RT around the world. The more I look into this, the more realistic it seems and the more excited I'm getting about this goal.

The short story is that to do this you'd need to be able to be away for about 4 months and have an estimated budget of about $30k.

Anybody interested in doing this or have thoughts or experience with it? I'm guessing I'm planning this for 2022.

 

[61996]

I'd do it on a GSA not an RT.

Just sayin.

Joe

 

[chadwick]

I'd do it on a GSA not an RT.

Just sayin.

Joe

Why?

 

[HSVPhil]

Guess U have no idea how bad the roads are in eastern Russia - if that's your chosen route. Not to mention the corrupt polizie and their money-making speed traps...

We have a couple of friends who've done it; shipped the bikes to/from Russian port of Irkutsk. Find yourself a tour guide-companion, who speaks the language would be my suggestion. Learn to enjoy Vodka as well; they Toast a lot...

Suggest you Google some books on Amazon. Depending on the time of the year, some rivers are impassable.

Good Luck, Tho! Best Wishes!
Ciao, HSV-Phil

 

[akbeemer]

You may be provided a dozen reasons not to make the ride chadwick. Be not dissuaded.

 

[brownie0486]

Never had the ambition to ride around the world enough to actually ride around the world, in 50 years of riding. Quite unlikely I'd entertain the idea to ride around the world today.

Best of luck to the OP on an RT, wouldn't be my first choice of bike to make such an adventure but it's doable.

 

[WalterK75]

There's a video blogger in England who rode around the world on a sports bike.
Check https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpHeWjc4NRI

 

[Omega Man]

I would have a peek at Long Way Round- https://www.longwayround.com/long-way-round

Long Way Round
Chasing Shadows Across the World
From London to New York, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman chased their shadows through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America.

Exhaustion, injury and accidents tested their strength. treacherous roads, unpredictable weather and turbulent politics challenged their stamina. They were chased by paparazzi in Kazakhstan, courted by men with very large guns in the Ukraine, hassled by the police, and given bulls' testicles for supper by Mongolian nomads. And yet despite all these obstacles they managed to ride more than twenty thousand miles in four months, changing their lives forever in the process. As they travelled they documented their trip, taking photographs, and writing diaries by the campfire.

Long Way Round is the result of their adventures - a fascinating, frank and highly entertaining adventure about two friends riding round the world together and, against all the odds, realising their dream.

It's more than just a ride.
Good luck.
OM

 

[bmwdean]

Why an RT? Wouldn't a GS be better?

 

[akbeemer]

I'd do it on a GSA not an RT.

Just sayin.

Joe

Why?

A few reasons:

The GSA is more capable off pavement than an RT and I think you will spend a great deal of time off pavement. While it is too big and heavy to be considered a great dirt bike, the suspension on a GSA is better than the RT and it is lighter.

You can put more durable luggage on the GSA. There are many options for top loading hard cases that will stand up to abuse better than the cases on an RT. A tip over or two on an RT (and I assume there will be some tip overs on your trip) could render a pannier on an RT useless. On a GSA a case, such as a Jesse Bag, is much less likely to be significantly damaged.

There are many more accessories available for the GSA that you may find useful on the trip,

The GSA's 8 gallon fuel capacity means you will not need to use precious space for an auxilliary tank or a spare container of fuel.

Road side maintenance or repair on an RT with its ample plastic pieces will be more time consuming and complex than on a GSA, and those pieces of fairing break when abused (take a big roll of duct tape). Working on a GSA is much easier with things exposed and there are fewer plastic pieces to break.

There is a much larger dual sport tire selection available for the GSA. On much of your trip you may want to run 90/10 or 50/50 tires and they are either hard to find or unavailable in sizes that fit the RT.

 

[wichitagreg]

If you just want to do Europe, I'll go with you...

 

[vark]

A few reasons:

The GSA is more capable off pavement than an RT and I think you will spend a great deal of time off pavement. While it is too big and heavy to be considered a great dirt bike, the suspension on a GSA is better than the RT and it is lighter.

You can put more durable luggage on the GSA. There are many options for top loading hard cases that will stand up to abuse better than the cases on an RT. A tip over ot two on an RT (and I assume there will be some tip overs on your trip) could render a pannier on an RT useless. On a GSA a case, such as a Jesse Bag, is much less likely to be significantly damaged.

There are many more accessories available for the GSA that you may find useful on the trip,

The GSA's 8 gallon fuel capacity means you will not need to use precious space for an auxilliary tank or a spare container of fuel.

Road side maintenance or repair on an RT with its ample plastic pieces will be more time consuming and complex and those pieces of fairing break when abused (take a big roll of duct tape). Working on a GSA is much easier with things exposed and there are fewer plastic pieces to break.

I definitely agree that a GSA would be better than an RT for this trip.

That said, I would be looking for something other than a big GS if I was considering this trip.

Watching Ewan and Charlie struggle with their big GS bikes while completing the Long Way Around and the Long Way Down was a real eye opener. Those bikes were great on the pavement, but really almost any bike would be. What they needed were smaller lighter bikes for the tricky terrain.

At one point in the Long Way Down they meet up with a guy in central Africa who is riding around the world (or some other epic ride.) He is solo on a much smaller dual sport (KTM?) in the 650 cc range, with soft panniers. Unlike Charlie and Ewan, he did not have multiple support vehicles and crew helping him through the challenging areas. His bike was clearly the better choice for difficult conditions.

A smaller GS, perhaps, in the 650-800 range, or a true dual sport of similar displacement, would be my choice for a trip like this. Lighter bikes handle the rough terrain much better. A smaller cc engine will get better fuel economy, so it does not need a monster tank and all the weight/bulk that goes with it. Soft panniers are much more forgiving when the inevitable drop happens, without tearing or snapping mounts or frames.

But maybe the OP has mapped an easier route that avoids tricky terrain and sticks to smooth pavement? Not everyone is looking to ride the Road of Bones or transit the Kalahari.

 

[royce]

Absolute best nugget of advice I ever got:

"Don't wait to (insert the bucket list item here), or you will be too old, too sick or too dead."

My goal was smaller than yours; I only wanted to ride in all lower 48 states. After being a life observer for over 50 years, I have since ridden in all 48 three different times on three different bikes. I repeat the earlier post: Do not be dissuaded.

 

[ebell]

Research sites

A bit of reading to help your decision.

Gatherings around the world and sage advice:
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

And the bible of RTW travel:
https://adventure-motorcycling.com/

Personally, I would lean towards a modified, smaller displacement and abundant (parts available around the world) Japanese machine.

 

[skibum69]

Maybe earlier in my life I would have wanted to but now I'm pretty content doing trips. I have followed any number of RR's of people going RTW and there's a lot of super fun and interesting places to go in the world. I will say do not listen to anyone who tries to tell you any place is dangerous etc unless they have been there themselves in less than 3 months.

A good friend of mine Paul Stewart is on his 3rd trip RTW I think and his RR's and photography are excellent. I would strongly recommend reading his RR's as he spends a lot of time talking about what it takes to make it happen. He breaks down budgets etc. He also does build threads for the different bikes he uses and explains why he rides whichever bike it is. Super nice guy, he spent. week at my place a couple of summers ago.

I was supposed to ride Siberia/Mongolia/stans with him this year but what started as a 2 month trip turned into 4 months and I just can't dedicate that much time. Instead I plan to join him on a little tour for a couple of weeks in July in the stans and rent a bike as sending mine won't work.

My opinion is that a smaller bike than a GS will give you much more freedom and less headache when the going gets rough as it does in many parts of the world. Simplicity is generally a benefit.

Check out Paul's current RR here: https://advrider.com/f/threads/ktm-500exc-rtw-on-as-much-dirt-as-possible-the-test-rides.1377398/

His website is also full of tons of great info too: https://rtwpaul.com

I say go for it and have a great time!

 

[patm]

I don't think bike size really matters.
If you are confident an RT will get you around the world, go for it. Reliability is the key IMO. That and resourcefulness. It would probably be easier in the rough sections on a lighter bike and finding parts for the eventual repairs would come easier with a small Japanese bike. But what fun is there in that?

One guy, Marcello Anglana did it on a '98 Goldwing in 2013. http://www.gold-wing.it/moto/2013-10-10-girodelmondo/libro/indice.html
And wasn't there a guy who did it, a few years back, on Harley Road King, in winter? http://www.revolutionmotorcyclemag.com/on-the-road/lobo-the-extreme-biker/

 

[Visian]

I've started doing some research on what it would take to drive my RT around the world. The more I look into this, the more realistic it seems and the more excited I'm getting about this goal.

The short story is that to do this you'd need to be able to be away for about 4 months and have an estimated budget of about $30k.

Anybody interested in doing this or have thoughts or experience with it? I'm guessing I'm planning this for 2022.

If you have not already found it, you need to join the forum at Horizons Unlimited. It's the de facto best resource for world touring. Lots of expertise and current information.

Not sure I'd choose an RT for the tour for the reasons others have stated, and I am sort of ashamed to say I don't think I'd choose the current day GS... you don't need all the power and technology, you need simplicity, durability and suspension travel.

My choice for a bike would be a middleweight Japanese bike like a Suzuki WeeStrom or a Yamaha T7. If it has to be a BMW I strongly encourage you to find a low-mile pre-2004 R1150 GS.

Ian

 

[vark]

...or a Yamaha T7....

Ian

Hadn’t heard of that new Tenere 700 model. Wow, looks very interesting. If the rumored smaller Africa Twin arrives this fall, too, there are going to be some very interesting new options on the market.

I like how simple and straightforward the T7 is, without all the electronic gizmos and hi-tec clutter. If they offer a low-suspension/low-seat option, I predict it will have broad appeal for ADV riders.

 

[stinkypete]

Here is a web site and YouTube Chanel for a young woman who has been riding the world solo and unsupported on a Royal Enfield Himalayan, which is a very simple 400cc adventure bike. Much of her riding is on unmade roads.
See https://www.itchyboots.com/
Also https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIs9nkveW9WmYtsOcJBwTg/videos

 

[brownie0486]

Here is a web site and YouTube Chanel for a young woman who has been riding the world solo and unsupported on a Royal Enfield Himalayan, which is a very simple 400cc adventure bike. Much of her riding is on unmade roads.
See https://www.itchyboots.com/
Also https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEIs9nkveW9WmYtsOcJBwTg/videos

She's been given gear and the bike she's riding today was given to her by Royal Enfield. She bought her first bike, they gave her the one she's riding.

That in no way takes away from her determination and grit to travel alone through some rough territory. Remember the woman who was raped by 4 men [ Bolivia I believe ] while wilderness camping and riding around the world a few years ago? She got justice eventually, but she was also beat badly and left for dead after being gang raped.

The world isn't a safe place, it's less safe not more safe every day. Anyone doing a solo RTW, best of luck.