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Anybody have ambition to ride around the world?
- Thread starter chadwick
- Start date
markhjones
New member
Rtw
Hi Chadwick,
My mind drools at the invite! I have a 2003 RT...I also have some experience riding in South America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Having said that, if you have done a lot of careful and very recent research in your intended routes,... do you know how much pavement you are able to find for your, so far, chosen routing???
I was on a South American traverse last year from Patagonia to Columbia and can say that while I would have loved my RT in many places and on many roads, it would have taken a bit of a beating...especially if you are going to try to stick to a schedule of time to complete the journey.
I am not saying don't go, quite the contrary, it will be a fabulous trip!!...... but I would not take my RT for the following reasons...1, I love my RT and want to keep it a long time for nice pavement where it belongs,..2. The roads in other parts of the world are NOT well paved often and for LONG distances and an RT will be a bit tearful once you come upon these sections which of course will not be as per your research or maps available or even recent GPS downloads! guaranteed!!...3. where the roads are indeed paved, they can be very rough, pot holed, heaved and frankly unkind to a beautiful road machine such as the RT..not to mention the rider...4. Once you are in certain countries you very well look longingly at the map and the road you see blazing off into the distance and wish you could follow it for a few days....if only you had a different more suitable machine for the obvious rougher conditions you are seeing, or are informed of.......that can be a real tear jerker when you are out on the surface of the earth and enjoying your big journey....5. even on long boring sections traversing vast sections of incredible terrain you WILL all of a sudden, most UNEXPECTEDLY come across a section of terrible nasty unpaved road work being done...perhaps for the past several years, that could very easily put down the unsuspecting rider and leave you reaching for your SPOT device calling for evacuation....
I might suggest that you take something a little more robust for the definite bad sections that you will be sure to come across....also when you are out in the big world on a tour it is inevitable that no matter how careful or how much experience you have, the bike will inevitably fall over somewhere....making a gorgeous RT look a real mess and cost too much to repair....a GS model would be a great choice however and just require a little more need to be selective with what rubber you ride depending where you are and the surface conditions.
..having said that, if you are bound and determined to take the RT, you will find fabulous roads in and throughout Europe yum yum, Australia, and New Zealand,yum yum... and of course North America. Many countries in South America also provide fabulous journeys for pavement riding...but be forewarned...you can easily find yourself behind routes blocked by earth quakes, long ways from accommodations, where camping just over there off the pavement maybe safer, more comfortable and better, behind flooded roads, washed out bridges, with long detours of not so pleasant recently plowed land making for the obligatory and only route required to travel in as it turns out very deep soft silt for the next 50-80 miles trying to keep the bike from swimming and ...falling over again!!, deep river crossings or when you are zooming along a lovely piece of pave road only to find a dip a head filled with deep water corsing across the pavement, that you can't quite see until you are right on top of it.... at....'how fast were you going there???' ....like in Argentina, Brazil, Peru,....etc., etc.
Make the trip but give the bike of choice some very careful consideration, it could make your day!
All the best.
Mark
Hi Chadwick,
My mind drools at the invite! I have a 2003 RT...I also have some experience riding in South America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Having said that, if you have done a lot of careful and very recent research in your intended routes,... do you know how much pavement you are able to find for your, so far, chosen routing???
I was on a South American traverse last year from Patagonia to Columbia and can say that while I would have loved my RT in many places and on many roads, it would have taken a bit of a beating...especially if you are going to try to stick to a schedule of time to complete the journey.
I am not saying don't go, quite the contrary, it will be a fabulous trip!!...... but I would not take my RT for the following reasons...1, I love my RT and want to keep it a long time for nice pavement where it belongs,..2. The roads in other parts of the world are NOT well paved often and for LONG distances and an RT will be a bit tearful once you come upon these sections which of course will not be as per your research or maps available or even recent GPS downloads! guaranteed!!...3. where the roads are indeed paved, they can be very rough, pot holed, heaved and frankly unkind to a beautiful road machine such as the RT..not to mention the rider...4. Once you are in certain countries you very well look longingly at the map and the road you see blazing off into the distance and wish you could follow it for a few days....if only you had a different more suitable machine for the obvious rougher conditions you are seeing, or are informed of.......that can be a real tear jerker when you are out on the surface of the earth and enjoying your big journey....5. even on long boring sections traversing vast sections of incredible terrain you WILL all of a sudden, most UNEXPECTEDLY come across a section of terrible nasty unpaved road work being done...perhaps for the past several years, that could very easily put down the unsuspecting rider and leave you reaching for your SPOT device calling for evacuation....
I might suggest that you take something a little more robust for the definite bad sections that you will be sure to come across....also when you are out in the big world on a tour it is inevitable that no matter how careful or how much experience you have, the bike will inevitably fall over somewhere....making a gorgeous RT look a real mess and cost too much to repair....a GS model would be a great choice however and just require a little more need to be selective with what rubber you ride depending where you are and the surface conditions.
..having said that, if you are bound and determined to take the RT, you will find fabulous roads in and throughout Europe yum yum, Australia, and New Zealand,yum yum... and of course North America. Many countries in South America also provide fabulous journeys for pavement riding...but be forewarned...you can easily find yourself behind routes blocked by earth quakes, long ways from accommodations, where camping just over there off the pavement maybe safer, more comfortable and better, behind flooded roads, washed out bridges, with long detours of not so pleasant recently plowed land making for the obligatory and only route required to travel in as it turns out very deep soft silt for the next 50-80 miles trying to keep the bike from swimming and ...falling over again!!, deep river crossings or when you are zooming along a lovely piece of pave road only to find a dip a head filled with deep water corsing across the pavement, that you can't quite see until you are right on top of it.... at....'how fast were you going there???' ....like in Argentina, Brazil, Peru,....etc., etc.
Make the trip but give the bike of choice some very careful consideration, it could make your day!
All the best.
Mark
Great YouTube channel
I agree. Her Vlog is well presented. Even if you don't have the urge to travel, Noraly's connection with the roads and people she encounters is heartwarming. Highly recommend watching both Season 1: India to Malaysia back to Middle East around Slavic countries to Norway and Season 2: Patagonia to Alaska
I agree. Her Vlog is well presented. Even if you don't have the urge to travel, Noraly's connection with the roads and people she encounters is heartwarming. Highly recommend watching both Season 1: India to Malaysia back to Middle East around Slavic countries to Norway and Season 2: Patagonia to Alaska
