Let's go!
Tuesday 13th Aug and I finally set off! It wasn't on a Thursday as was foretold, nor was it on the 11th July which was my stab in the dark attempt of holding myself accountable to a deadline (spoiler, it doesn't work if you know the date is arbitary). I figured the first entry can be explaining why I've been saying goodbye to everyone since May (and a few people, a little too often!) and it's now mid-August, then I can start keeping everyone abreast with how much cheese and bread I've eaten on the side of the road somewhere.
I gave myself 6 weeks after leaving work, to create a website and finish getting fit enough to run 192 miles over 7 days which was almost but not quite enough (and you can read about that on the other page if you have any interest). Then I thought - that went well, lets give myself 3 weeks to finish the 9 year house DIY (more like construction) project and tart it up to rent out so I can get the mortgage paid whilst I ride to Kazakhstan, plan the whole trip, sort various documents, prepare the bike, and also go to the Adventure Bike Rider festival on the bike I should be prepping, and see friends and family now that I am of the "great unwashed" and have lots of "free time". As I type this, I realise how ridicuously overambitious it was and how little surprise everyone would have that it didn't go to plan. I know numerous people will read that and think - welcome to the party Chris - but some things can't be taught! Anyway it clearly didn't take 3 weeks, it took closer to 8 and that wasn't really enough either.
The coast to coast attempt left me struggling to walk for a while, which slowed the DIY and bike prep down, then I managed to twinge my knee riding badly at the bike festival which didn't help either. It was pointed out to me, then in a latent fashion I realised the only thing stopping me actually going was having a bike ready to depart. I switched focus from house to bike and rinsed motorworks.com for parts then set to stripping the bike into two pieces (see pics) to change the clutch, check everything over and also familiarise myself with the mechanics a little closer, as well as refine the tools I actually need to carry for roadside drama. I upgraded the fuel tank to a 33L from the 20L it came with which wasn't as straightforward as I had hoped, then went for a test run to Prescott and watched Bugatti's, GNs and Frazer Nash throw themselves at the hill for a weekend. That shakedown picked up a need to refresh the fuel pump and controller, then I went for a final shakedown ride to the east coast with Pops - everything went well on the ride, the bike was happy. The final thing I wanted to do was ride until the bike ran dry to confirm how many miles I will have per tank because the digital fuel gauge no longer articulates itself very clearly. After a few stabs at it, the answer is 386 miles, without luggage, riding like it’s stolen. Knowing I will ride slower to preserve fuel and rubber, I hoped the "spirited" riding style without luggage would balance the extra weight riding more conservatively.
So there we go, bike was ready. I spent a day playing tetras with tools and parts trying to stow as much on the bike as I could to avoid taking luggage space, then spent another day packing the camping kit and get-out-of-jail knickknacks I’ve been gathering for years into the panniers, bag and top box. Strapped it all to the bike along with 3 spare tyres (intending to leave on a part worn set and let the rear run out somewhere in Scandinavia then swap it over, dispose of the dud and continue on with a fresh front and rear strapped to it until needed) then booked a ticket on Le Shuttle and went to the parents to catch up before the morning.
I’m not sure what my frequency will be with entries, but closer to weekly than daily I suspect, maybe a couple of times a week. It'll depend on how much interesting stuff has happened and how much opportunity I get to write and process media.
