The last couple of years have seen Ty, Gary and I ride bikes though Thailand, Malaysia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, United States, England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Italy, Andorra, Monaco, Belgium and the Netherlands.
We would like to thank the more than 17,000 individual readers who have followed our travels over the past few years, and hope that you will join us again for the 2015 adventure.
This year's ride has us flying into the castle city of Carcassonne in the south of France. Our bikes have been stored here for the past 12 months awaiting our return. A long time friend (James) kindly agreed to store the bikes in a barn nearby to the french manor house that he and his wife have been painstakingly restoring over the past year or so. When we left last year, it was possible to see the grandeur of this residence showing through, but there was still an enormous amount of work to do. Both contractors and family (aka free contractors) were swarming all over the place at the time when we left, so we are all excited to see the final result.
Our group of three has swelled its ranks to include a new recruit. James Salmon is a long time friend and ex business colleague who is now based in the south of France. His generous offer to store the bikes after our European circuit has inspired him to join us for the remainder of the ride through to Capetown in South Africa. With decades of riding experience behind him, and a similarly disturbed sense of humour, he will be a welcome addition to the team.
James has purchased a Honda Africa Twin and is furiously trying to prepare the bike in time for this journey. After so many countries and so many adventures, the existing Kawasaki KLRs are well and truly battle tested now, so it is interesting to see how James is approaching the myriad of technical modifications and accessories required to prepare a bike for travel like this. We hope that he is giving the same amount of attention to his personal preparation, as this year's ride promises to be a gruelling one.
 |
| James' travel bike - the sturdy Honda Africa Twin |
 |
| A complete engine rebuild in preparation for years on the road |
As a consequence, we have pulled back on the mileage this year, and will leave the bikes in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Ty has found safe and secure lodgings for the bikes in Nouakchott, and this will allow us to return and travel onwards in 2016. Good reliable storage is particularly valued because we will need to ship in tyres and spares to continue the journey.
