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!

It was the year 2012...

I've only ever done one blog before and that was some time ago. It was of a bit of poetry from my last year of high school. Well above the literary level my brain is at now. Possibly the reason I started using a brain training program on my phone (then forgot it was there shortly after!)...

Anyhow. As its immoral and illegal to not post a blog for friends and family, it must be done. So it shall be. Even if its not updated as frequently as requested there's a chance it may grow and become a regular thing.

This blog is about my girlfriend and myself's  intended world motorcycle trip*

*except nasty places and virtually all of Africa.

So far the flights have been booked for the 28th of April 2012 to Singapore. 

At first I considered that it would be reasonably easy and straightforward deal for actually getting overseas and beginning the journey. Alas not so much until you've researched/rang/read/googled for sometime to get the right information. On that note - three out of four people from Qantas freight told me shonky information in regards to flying our bikes with them. So watch out for the 'right information'.

Clarissa is battling hard with getting our Carnet De Passage En Douanes. That's French for 'big pain in the arse'. Its like a passport for your motorcycle. It guarantees that you will not sell your bike in the country you're passing through among other things. Can be for other things than motorbikes but we're not to concerned with 'things that can't do wheelies'. To get it you need to provide a DNA sample from your great, great, great grandfather and a handful of gravel from one of Jupiter's moons. That may be an exaggeration but for someone who just wants to ride their motorbike around the world its just another bs hurdle. 

Whilst Clarissa tackles paperwork issues in her spare time I spend my time in the shed doing bits and pieces on the bikes. Recently this has been manufacturing new guards for the cylinder heads. This originally was two sets. For each bike. Now its quite a few more. Some for friends and some for general sale. In a few weeks when they're completed they shall be sold with any luck! Also, not being happy with my wiring mess I had left after a number of modifications, a full re-wire of the dash was done. With numerous upgrades including some better radios, GPS and general wiring sexiness. One of the best things about having such a highly modified motorcycle is you decide and shape almost every aspect of the bike. Once you play/poke/prod it enough you have a bloody good chance of rectifying any gremlins that pop up later on. To justify my employment as an unemployed motorcycle traveller I've also fitted a few other bits of the last couple of months:

- New Valeo starter motors. For increased cranking power and lower weight over the Bosch option.

- Heavy duty side stand for big Blue. Thanks to my mate Dan who broke many a tool to machine the tough cromolly steel into something fit for a gold wings weight.

- semi chopped front engine cover and timing case. A modification that can be done to increase cooling air flow a bit. Any increase of cooling flow for an air-cooled engine is generally a good thing. Also makes the bike easier to work on.

- Windshields. Don't leave home without one. Just don't.

- Tank bags. Bit of a boon when travelling generally, let alone the world.

- More stuff than I can remember. The bikes evolution are far from done and probably will continue to evolve throughout the trip.

Along with this there's still many other jobs to be done on the bikes. Nothing major but fiddly stuff either way. Including the fold out tables for the panniers of big 'Blue' (1000cc BMW Paul Rooney Special), the idea promptly borrowed from Lauchlan from MTD tours who made up my fantastic aluminium panniers. Also he showed an amazing amount of hospitality to both Clarissa and myself on our very first shakedown ride.

Clarissa's bike (the orange one, nameless) still requires its pannier frames and final pannier fitting. The soft luggage (sewed by myself) is virtually done, alas the attachment system and racks have to be made delicious.

If I had a million years I could list all the things that have been done and are planned in this first post but I think that may come later... More details on our route will emerge very soon.

Cheerio.