Monday, March 26, 2012

Ok. So maybe we should tell people about the blog...

Seems that I forgot to tell people about the blog. Alas its been a month and I've only done that one original post anyway. Updating more regularly could bring the post size down too possibly...

Since last blog the bikes have come a few steps closer to being ready to go.

Her orange bike now has completed pannier racks and soft panniers and...her shock is leaking...again. More on the shock later once everything is sorted out there.




His blue bike has an a finished side stand (powder coated and lengthened from initial sizing), 34mm Mikuni carburettors (which have opened the top end up a bit and smoothed the power out) and redone fuel lines and fuel filters. This has allowed the use of the morbidly expensive, but very delicious, jiffy-tite quick disconnect fuel line connectors. Unfortunately the new fuel line was not the best and its leaking (lucky I now have 15 more meters of it to use a skipping rope). Blue bike is usually the test bed before the mods are good and then I will do them to orange bike.




A bit of history on the shaping of the choice of bikes though...

Years before the trip was actually happening for a definite, a drunken prophet in a far away land was to tell (actually yelling was more like it) me something very important...

"YOU MUST GO SEE PAUL ROONEY!!! YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST!!! YOU KNOW? PAUL ROONEY? HE KNOWS VINCE STRANG AND GEOFF BALLARD!!!" "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" HE WILL MAKE YOUR BMW INTO A CRAZY WEAPON FROM HELL!!!"

This was shortly after a gang of us road into Hill End in NSW after a very interesting attempt at the 'bridle track' (near Tamworth, NSW, Australia). This mystery prophet was referring to my BMW that I rode in but also promptly told my brother and best mate to sell their Suzuki DR650's and buy Yamaha TTR250's. As they were a much better bike to learn dirt on. He actually had a number of wise words but shortly after he started seriously rambling we were all drunk and nobody remembers anything...

This started my research on this mystery Paul Rooney bloke and his crazy BMW's...

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Fast forward a number of years and I've ended up with two fantastic custom adventure BMW's built by Paul and couldn't be happier. Paul Rooney uses different components and techniques to improve upon the original design to bring about a very tough and highly functional bike. His bikes are renowned world wide in the BMW adventure circles.
 The boxer engined BMW is a solid choice for an adventure bike. Stock standard many has travelled the globe. Many may even say that they may have done the most laps too! Although, when modified for success, the bike becomes something of a weapon at going to remote places with a fantastic confidence that comes with knowing you've got one hell of a rugged/redundant bit of gear that won't let you down.

Enough on the bikes for the moment though.

We've decided to change our route quiet significantly though. With the cost associated for our carnets/unrest/visa pains to travel through India/Pakistan/Iran we have now decided to go from Bangkok to Japan via air freight then onto Russia via ferry. Big change but all in all should be for the best.

We are keeping the planning simple though still. We shall just roll with the first 12 months and see how we go from there. Plenty of discussion and people helping shape our trip that we meet is ultimately what's driving the route. There's many things (too many) to see so I guess we shall try our best!