Author Topic: A new beginning (Read 8205 times)

fireblake · « **on:** 27 January 2016, 02:49:11 am »

Hypothetically thinking. If you were single and with no one else to worry about and you had £40,000 in the bank what would you do?
I'm thinking maybe a massive road trip on the bike. But what bike? I have a cracking Fazer 1000 with all the Mods done that I need, it's a great bike for commuting but would it be my best choice for going around the world? Bearing in mind I don't know what types of road I'll be riding and I'm a short Arse and not the strongest of blokes for picking up a fully loaded bike. Also what would you take with you? I've been reading about loads of guys who have done similar and they have spare tyres and all kinds of stuff strapped onto their bikes. I would take a 2 man tent, plus a roll bag with some clean pants and socks but what else would be a bare minimum. What tools would be best? And also, what bike maintenance knowledge would be essential?

Mickey

joebloggs · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 January 2016, 05:51:45 am »

Honda C90, a socket set, chain lube, some tyre levers and a couple of spare tyres.

Bikes are light, cheap, basic and pretty much indistructable, sold everywhere so parts would be available virtually everywhere and if the worst came to the worst you could buy another for a few hundred pounds (read a blog where one lad lost his bike in a lake when it was being transported in a small boat)

2nd reason to use a C90 would be bragging rights down the pub

Frosties · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 January 2016, 07:20:54 am »

Quote from: joebloggs on 27 January 2016, 05:51:45 am

Honda C90, a socket set, chain lube, some tyre levers and a couple of spare tyres.

Bikes are light, cheap, basic and pretty much indistructable, sold everywhere so parts would be available virtually everywhere and if the worst came to the worst you could buy another for a few hundred pounds (read a blog where one lad lost his bike in a lake when it was being transported in a small boat)

2nd reason to use a C90 would be bragging rights down the pub

Also this

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/sydney-to-london-on-a105cc-honda-callled-dot.460631/

If i had the money I'd be off in a flash - do it fella

NorthWestern · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 January 2016, 09:59:12 am »

I had been looking at c90's recently as there are some decent custom ones about, thought it would be a nice budget thing to tinker with. My brother raced a 170cc pit bike for fiddyparts a few years ago and it was well quick, could have made a fun weekend toy with one of those engines slotted in as they are more or less a copy of the honda engine.

Sadly the price of "plackies" has rocketed so even ones that look like they have been dragged out of a steam fetch decent money.

devilsyam · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 January 2016, 10:29:23 am »

Tour the states

Hedgetrimmer · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 January 2016, 11:01:35 am »

Actually, I'm in a similar position right now, but on a smaller scale as my funds are a bit more limited than that - thinking if I'm careful with money, I could do maybe three or four months. My plan is to tour Europe extensively. I'd like to go to all the usual places, plus Russia, the states down by the Adriatic, the length of Italy, etc. I want to visit a number of historic battlefields (Ardennes, Normandy, Peninsula War, Cassino, Stalingrad, Mortain etc). I want to ride the best of recommended 'biking' roads, ride around the Alps and Pyrenees, do the tourist bit in various European cities. Lots of research to do, and lots of things to think about for someone who hasn't done much riding outside of the UK, and that a long time ago. It may be that I'll just end up doing two or more shorter trips though.

My major problem is going to be one of fitness. I'm not sure how much stamina I have for a really long tour, and despite wanting to save a bit by doing a bit of camping, I'm not sure how well my back will cope with a lot of that now - well, yes, I am; not very well $:\$ If I can solve that little problem, it'll make planning a lot easier.

Exupnut · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 January 2016, 11:05:35 am »

Get ur self a young girlfriend or start wankin...that'll get u fit u old fart :-)

JoeRock · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 January 2016, 11:08:52 am »

Quote from: fireblake on 27 January 2016, 02:49:11 am

Hypothetically thinking. If you were single and with no one else to worry about and you had £40,000 in the bank what would you do?
I'm thinking maybe a massive road trip on the bike. But what bike? I have a cracking Fazer 1000 with all the Mods done that I need, it's a great bike for commuting but would it be my best choice for going around the world? Bearing in mind I don't know what types of road I'll be riding and I'm a short Arse and not the strongest of blokes for picking up a fully loaded bike. Also what would you take with you? I've been reading about loads of guys who have done similar and they have spare tyres and all kinds of stuff strapped onto their bikes. I would take a 2 man tent, plus a roll bag with some clean pants and socks but what else would be a bare minimum. What tools would be best? And also, what bike maintenance knowledge would be essential?

Mickey

What would I do currently? Take that £40k and put it towards a house deposit!

fireblake · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 January 2016, 11:41:37 am »

Hypothetical because not sure if I'll be married for much longer. If it goes tits up the house will be sold. A fair size lump of equity so would head East in a mighty strop and keep going with no plans. Things might not pan out so just fishing about what to do.

fazersharp · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 January 2016, 01:03:26 pm »

A C90 would be good, I had one that I rode in the fields when I was about 14 and snapped the front suspension flying over mud ramps, I cant quite remember how the suspension worked and what snapped but my mates elder brother welded it solid.

alan sherman · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 January 2016, 04:19:58 pm »

I wanted to travel the world on my bike. Then after Morrocco I realised I wasn't that comfortable in Arabic type places (begging / being pestered and the general filth!)

If you blow the house proceeds will you ever get back on the housing ladder in the UK? Practical vs fun and all that.

sadlonelygit · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 January 2016, 04:22:03 pm »

If you want a challenge, then c90/innova route is a good choice.
However, if you want to enjoy the ride then a big tank drz400/xtz660/xr would be a better choice and reliable and easily fixable.
40mph gets very boring after 2 hrs.
Thailand / Vietnam / Oz/ NZ are bike friendly awesome places to explore.
Try fixing the marriage first tho'

fireblake · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 January 2016, 08:21:16 pm »

My first thought was a DRZ400.
If I go on my own world tour I would go for several years, maybe longer so the UK housing market is not something I'm worried about.

Mickey

celticdog · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 January 2016, 08:22:26 pm »

What would I do? I wouldn't know what to do to be honest so I'm not much help. I suppose I'd like to tour China, but not on a bike to be honest. Maybe I'd start with a biking tour of Australia or Canada, better still , Route 66 on a Harley, even though I don't like them! Good luck with whatever you decide to do fella.

dazza · « **Reply #14 on:** 27 January 2016, 08:34:14 pm »

Definitely a Drz, 6000 miles between oil changes, will cruise comfortably at 70 all day long, puncture repair kit and spare inner tubes. Extra range touring tank. Go anywhere bike, tarmac or dirt track, riverbed or desert.
As for where....It's a big world out there and we are just a mere spec for a moment of time in the bigger scheme of things. Go for it.

esetest · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 January 2016, 08:35:32 pm »

If i had 40 grand in the bank , would be looking at the Eagle riders route 66 group tours . £ 4000 person inc. bike(doesn't have to be a Harley )riding kit and hotels with breakfast .

noggythenog · « **Reply #16 on:** 27 January 2016, 09:12:21 pm »

Buy a cheap racevan.....get a C90 in its garage.....travel in style.......and hookers

Billy Balthorpe · « **Reply #17 on:** 27 January 2016, 09:29:03 pm »

Sorry to hear about your marriage woes Fireblake, its never good when a marriage breaks down.

Take the cash and buy a house in France with some land and outbuildings, buy up cheap bikes over here and either break and advertise them or convert them to right hand drive (lights and clocks) and sell them on for a profit. If you choose the mid to late '90's bikes RH headlamps and KM clocks should be pretty cheap as the market was flooded with grey imports.

fireblake · « **Reply #18 on:** 28 January 2016, 10:53:13 am »

Quote from: Billy Balthorpe on 27 January 2016, 09:29:03 pm

Sorry to hear about your marriage woes Fireblake, its never good when a marriage breaks down.

Take the cash and buy a house in France with some land and outbuildings, buy up cheap bikes over here and either break and advertise them or convert them to right hand drive (lights and clocks) and sell them on for a profit. If you choose the mid to late '90's bikes RH headlamps and KM clocks should be pretty cheap as the market was flooded with grey imports.

That sounds an interesting option. Is property that cheap still. What part of France are you thinking of?

BBROWN1664 · « **Reply #19 on:** 28 January 2016, 11:34:41 am »

Mayenne (53) is cheap to buy property in still. Probably the cheapest place in France at the moment. It is Northwest of Le Mans just at the top of Loire and bottom of Normandy. Myself and BigMac have houses there and the roads are fantastic for biking.

Billy Balthorpe · « **Reply #20 on:** 28 January 2016, 04:16:23 pm »

LOL. Thats what I was going to say! My mate is moving there (Mayenne area) in the next couple of months. His house outbuildings and land cost him £18K, he has spent another £10K on it (couldn't do the work himself) to make it nice. The only other place I can think of that is as cheap, is round the area I have my house, about 40KM north east of Magny Cours circuit.

Theres more Brits up near Mayenne, theres virtually none near my place. Personally I would go for the Mayenne area, some real bargains up there.

BBROWN1664 · « **Reply #21 on:** 28 January 2016, 05:26:21 pm »

If you want Brits, find somewhere near Gorron in Mayenne. Its full of them!

I must admit I didn't realise there were so many Brits in the area till AFTER I signed on the dotted line. Where my place is, I would say 5 out of the closest 6 houses are all owned by Brits. That said, apart from 1 house, the others are over 1/2 a mile away. Lots of land around there and cheap property as the French don't do DIY and want shiny new houses.

Billy Balthorpe · « **Reply #22 on:** 28 January 2016, 08:37:41 pm »

Well Bbrown, you've got another one coming over, keep your eyes peeled for a guy who looks like Ron Pearlman riding a hardtail GS850 chop thing with big apes on it, around the Gorron area.

Billy Balthorpe · « **Reply #23 on:** 28 January 2016, 08:41:49 pm »

A 5 minute search found this.

http://www.gorronimmobilier.com/en/for-sale/980/pretty-stone-house-with-a-gite?return=%2Fen%2Fproperties%3FProperty%255Bref%255D%3D%26Property%255Bbedrooms%255D%3D0%26Property%255Blocation%255D%3D%26Property%255Bdep%255D%3D0%26Property%255Bsurface%255D%3D%26Property%255Bkeywords%255D%3D%26Property%255BminPrice%255D%3D20000%26Property%255BmaxPrice%255D%3D50000%26yt0%3DSearch%26Property_sort%3Dprice%26Property_page%3D4

About £38K before putting in a cheeky offer for cash.

joebloggs · « **Reply #24 on:** 29 January 2016, 06:23:14 am »

Hmmmmm lets see, trip of a life time, memories most could only dream of or a small run down semi in a country who's population speak the most awful language ever invented, smell of onions and think the consumption of frogs legs is fine dining.

Foc the French, buy the bike, you know it makes sense