On the first part of the journey I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rain
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
After three days in the desert fun I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead
Yeah, whatever
Not far away or long ago, in a pub in Newport Pagnell, a husband and wife were debating on whether to go to Morocco as well as Spain on their annual motorcycle trip.
This musing soon expanded to an overland trip through more North African countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt then up through the lesser explored European countries
In the end they stuck to Spain but a greater force was now upon them. Discussions continued but due to the enforced guide/fixer accompaniment situation in Algeria, the expectations of freedom and discovery they yearned for moved somewhat further east ultimately ending up in Australia
"A year should do it" was the deciding statement and plans began in earnest. After many hours nerding on various independent motorcycle travel sites, they settled for an eight month round trip to India as this would give enough time to miss the more extreme weather conditions such as monsoon and snow in certain countries plus would not make them completely skint in the process
Now, seeing as both husband and wife were into track days and getting from A to B as fast as possible on superior grade metal, their motorcycles were not entirely appropriate for a long distance jaunt across occasional desert/mountain terrain
This is when the problems started. Mrs McGuire, a self-confessed midget, needed a bike with a low seat height but with sufficient grunt to haul her and luggage twenty-odd thousand miles.
Also to keep spares to a minimum it would make sense for them to have the same machines, or at least the option to share some parts.
They finally decided on a F650GS, heavy but low, for Caf (and an absolute bargain so couldn't pass it up) and a XChallenge for Pete (also a steal ) cos his bum hurts riding the GS, or if the truth be known he thinks the GS is a bit of a bus!
F 650 GS
|
 For city and country.
And in between.
Tarmac? Gravel? Cobblestones? Sand? The BMW F650GS won't complain. It's happy, whatever the road surface. Because this bike is definitely multi-talented. A flock of sheep in the middle of a country lane. A tree trunk fallen across the forest track. Or perhaps there's simply a sunset on the horizon that you don't want to miss.
Some people lay stones in the road. So that they can ride over them.
|
XChallenge
|
 The right stuff for the tight stuff
Got dirt in your blood? Dreaming of whoops, ruts, sand washes and gnarly singletrack? Want an off-road bike that can slalom around tree roots and rocks without getting hung up?
Then the rippin' new G650X Challenge is your ride.
|
Don't you just love sales brochures?
Now... in standard form, the two motorcycles probably would have assisted them in completing the journey without any problems, but with a heavy dose of self-induced paranoia the modifications thought necessary would get the machines in training to become overland thoroughbreds.
| The F650GS is first on the surgeons table |
Both wheels removed, packed up and sent off to Talon for new rims, 21" front and 18" rear
|
| A back to front workout started in earnest |
The swing arm removed, new bearings installed, then with arm back in the chassis, and (due to horror stories of rear shock failures on remote potholey roads relayed on Horizons Unlimited) a shiny new Ohlins fitted
|
In his usual haphazard way Pete then set about removing the BMW antilock brake system, the reason for this is mainly due to it's weight but also the type of terrain that is going to be covered. ABS and unpaved roads don't mix.
New brake lines will be installed along with oil feed lines, thanks to Chris at Regent ( 01908 612602 ) for all his help, top draw fella.
At the heart of the matter, the Rotax built 652cc engine is known to be pretty bullet proof so a filter change, check of the valve clearances and a wipe with an oily rag completed the fairly straightforward engine service, all done without a hangover and in time for pub opening.
| Up front |
 Aftermarket handlebars grace the front yokes. There is more than one reason for this, these being additional strength they offer and the ergonomics suit Caf's lack of height (wotchit cheeky) and reach much better |
Like a bulimic teenager parts are stuffed onto the motorcycle and then chucked up and discarded for something lighter, including the headlight assembly, instrument panel and even the wheels. When this serious weight loss programme is complete she will have a spring in her step and be ready at the starting post for the jockey to mount, wip in hand and a firm heel to boot.
Shame Caf can't reach the floor...
Yes folks, it's true, we're back to square one :'( The new wheels are large enough to create the problem they've been striving to avoid. But lo, do not despair! There's another seat in the garage rafters! could it be...? they hardly dared to hope...YES! It's the lower seat unit and with the lower link thingy (Kouba) hopefully available from the States, that should take it down to orginal height, phew
Just got Pete's fuel tank to fit now, only nine pages of instructions
The 16 litre additional fuel tank went on without to much of a hickup, well it would of if the parts were complete. Considering that this piece of kit was all but six hundred pounds, you would of thought that a call to the supplier to complain and to chase up some parts for Caf's motorcycle that have been on order for weeks, would have had a more constructive response, "oh um sorry" just isn't good enough over at curryhunt towers. Thanks Touratech for less than naff-all service.
But never dispair Adrian "The Legend" is round the corner and welded the offending part
There was just the small task of regreasing a few bearings, no need for replacements as Pete's motorcycle has covered less than two thousand miles from new
He just can't help it can he?
Bit like Caf's incessant shopping! She got a well deserved slapped wrist and confiscated card, "Well it's all for the trip", taking a trailer eh Caf??!!
Decorating the house is coming along nicely, seems like a never ending chore at the moment though. Come rain or shine (thankfully rain this weekend) they battle on with filling, sanding, painting one coat, two coat, three coat and more. Feels a bit like stripping and rebuilding the motorcycles but nothing like as much fun, except it was pretty joyful watching the artex disappear, maybe an apprentice artexer once lived there as shells, swirls, stipples and crimps were in abundance. The place will be all set to rent out in August to a mate, it's just unbelievable they've been living in the scuddy place for over three years and only decided to spruce it up when they're moving out, method and madness comes to mind
Pete & Caf will be going on their first proper shake-down in a coupla weeks. Horizons Unlimited have organised a camping weekend in Derbyshire involving speakers and tech seminars presenting everything from Roadkill Cookout to Yoga for Motorcyclists, and all situated in the beer garden of a pub, happy days. This is probably their most important step yet, the pile of stuff they've collected over the past 6 months has been gathering dust and steadily growing. The question is...what's going and what's being discarded as too bulky, heavy and downright unnecessary?
Hmm, India Lonely Planet may need a little thinning
Methinks the story so far has been a little neglected, it's now 2 weeks till departure date and no entries since, well, dunno, it's been sooooooo long! Ripley was useful if not a bit half-hearted as the pannier comms weren't ready, but at least the camping stuff works well if not a tad cramped: 2 man tent...yeah right...1 dwarf and an earbud more like. Caf found out her female counterparts were more interested in what their hair looks like after pulling their lids off after 500miles rather than road conditions and cultural barriers!
Passports arrived fully Iranian Visa stamped up (excitement ensued this eventuous moment, not to mention plenty beer, and months of worry dispersed like a fart in the wind) Pakistan's still no go and India's in the pipeline, getting there, or not as the case may be
2 weeks to go, 2 weeks to go, 2oooooooooo weeks to gooooooooooooooo!!! :oD
At the present time, yes, right now, Pete is attempting to fit HIS new Ohlins rear shock. He couldn't resist could he? Justifying over 500 quid on this piece of awesome, purrrrrrrring, strokable beauty on, even though his XChallenge has done a mere 1500m, that it might fail and consequently squish itself onto the bump-stop rendering the bike unrideable, shame, and it's raining cats and dogs, shame
The route we took in Iran caused us to come across a great deal of building works and the remains of a distinct lack of it. The war between Iran and Iraq had certainly left it's mark along the Persian Gulf, but the people we met seem to be moving on and taking advantage of the economic success the country is experiencing at present (in some cities by charging us rates we would have expected in a reasonable hotel in central London.)
Bit of a disappointment really, UNESCO had got their hands on it 
These images are better than reality 
but we had a good picnic 
with a nice view
Landslip on the Black Sea Coastal Highway 
Feels like we're on a 2 week holiday still