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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 12, 2016 - 05:14pm PT
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In 15 months I'm taking off on a round the world ride on my new Honda CRF250l. I spent the last 4 months upgrading the bike pretty much from the ground up including new suspension, larger gas tank, gearing and too many more modifications to name. Thought some of you would like to see the bike. Her name is Wanda. She has a 300 mile range now.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Dec 12, 2016 - 05:46pm PT
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My butt hurts just thinking about trying that trip. Sounds like an adventure though!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2016 - 05:49pm PT
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Mike, my wife won't even get near a bike. She will fly in and meet me along the way from time to time. If I take a sabbatical the trip will be between four and six months. If I retire between six months and a year.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 12, 2016 - 06:21pm PT
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Those tires look kinda skinny for the Darien and the Maghreb. ;-)
Bonne chance!
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Dec 12, 2016 - 06:24pm PT
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Cool, Marty! What route are you planning to ride?
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perswig
climber
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Dec 12, 2016 - 06:40pm PT
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What cases are you mounting?
And how'd you settle on the CRF?
Dale
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2016 - 06:45pm PT
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Depends on the retirement or not decision. If I continue to work it will be across Europe, Russia, Mongolia and back across the States. Really the quickest route. Retire and the route is open, down South America probalby and across to South East Asia and the Silk Road back into Europe via Turkey. And Reilly I will be taking a boat around the Darien!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 12, 2016 - 06:49pm PT
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Perswig, soft bags, probably Mosko Moto or Giant Loop. Decided on the CRF250 as it is the smallest most reliable and proven RTW on the market. Cheap to run, availability of spares worldwide, regular fuel, cheap to fly.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Dec 12, 2016 - 07:57pm PT
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Fun! I'd be interested in a map of the route and details on the flights and/or shipping needed including cost.
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SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
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Dec 13, 2016 - 06:59am PT
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Whoa! Nice. Safe travels!
Susan
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Sula
Trad climber
Pennsylvania
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Dec 13, 2016 - 11:01am PT
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I came to the thread thinking "RTW" was "ride to work". Not quite.
Good luck on your adventure. Consider posting to this thread occasionally.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 15, 2016 - 06:15am PT
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Mike, won't be blogging but will keep my FB updated. Also will make sure to post a few pics here.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Dec 15, 2016 - 12:24pm PT
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Good luck.
That's a small motor, but I'm sure it can be done.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 15, 2016 - 01:59pm PT
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Pud, from what I can gather this will be the third CRF250l RTW ride. A Dutch couple just completed a three year 100k ride, and Steph Jeavons is hunkering down in BC waiting out winter to complete her solo RTW starting in London. Mind you people of gone around the world on all kinds of bikes but a 250 is definitely on the smaller end of the scale.
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rwedgee
Ice climber
CA
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Dec 15, 2016 - 04:08pm PT
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Do you know how to adjust the valves ? It will need it, and those tires aren't going to last very long on the pavement, there are much better choices without giving up too much off road performance.
Sounds like a cool trip.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 15, 2016 - 04:50pm PT
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rwedgee good spot on the tires. Those are the stock tires which I recently swapped out for Heidenau K60 Scouts which have around 10k mile range. I'll have to swap along the way. Yes on the valves but one of the reasons I went with the CRF250l is the long maintenance window. I just checked the valves at 600 miles. Will do again at 3k after which Honda recommends 24k. Most folks are checking the valves every 15k miles.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Dec 16, 2016 - 10:38am PT
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This is my friend Mathias.
He has been living this dream for many years now.
He's done it all a 600cc twins and singles.
http://www.mathiasschmid.ch/
If you start now, you will know a lot next year that you don't know now, and that you will not know next year, if you wait...
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Dec 16, 2016 - 11:05am PT
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My wife (fiancé at the time) and I toured Taiwan for a few weeks on an old 135cc Honda. We stayed at hotels so at least we didn't need camping gear. But 2 people, clothes, etc on that little bike was probably a funny site.
We were in first or second gear going up the highest pass in the country at about 15 mph with everyone trying to pass us. It was like Lloyd and harry in dumb and dumber driving a mini bike into Aspin.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 16, 2016 - 12:27pm PT
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Doesn't anybody work any more?
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Dec 16, 2016 - 01:00pm PT
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Doesn't anybody work any more?
As little as possible.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2016 - 10:52pm PT
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Pud 650's seem to be the sweet spot for RTW bikes. Some folks are even proponents of 450's. 250's not so much, however in much of the world that's a big bike.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Dec 16, 2016 - 11:13pm PT
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Give me a 250 2 stroke, a couple of pistons, and a Platinum AMEX.
RTW-FTW.
Jealous of your journey, bet it's gonna be wild...
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Dec 17, 2016 - 07:03am PT
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Marty, sounds like you've done some good research on this. How many continents are involved in your Round About, five?
I remember in the '60s (yeah, I was a kid), my pop had a Honda/Triumph shop. At that time, a 400 was a monster. A 250 will get you up and over the passes, especially if you slim down and stop eating those Super Burritos!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 18, 2016 - 12:32pm PT
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Kelly old friend what exactly are you implying? I've lowered the gearing on Wanda so mountain passes should be a breeze...
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 07:23pm PT
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So my work made me an offer I can't refuse. They are going to give me a sabbatical next summer to do the round the world ride. I'm going to ride the Honda out to Northwest Montana this summer and store it with the family over the winter, completing the ride on my 2018 sabbatical. Being that I will be without a bike for some eight or nine months back here in Washington I decided to go ahead a buy a second one.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Nice!
I'd have to buy a coffin with that rocket.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Nice ride Marty!
I had a Hypermotard a couple of years ago and loved it. It was Wheelie prone and a blast in the twisties.
These days I'm old guy on 1200GS's. They're pretty nimble and love the open road but Wheelies are a bit more challenging on them.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 09:09pm PT
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This is a new Hyperstrada 939. Essentially a hooligan bike setup for touring. It will be great for exploring North America. Wouldn't really want to take a Ducati out of the country, not many spares and dealers far and few between. I have no intentions of popping any wheelies!
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Great Choice for open road IMO.
If I wasn't on a GS it would be my pick as well.
Is yours the S model?
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2017 - 09:22pm PT
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Hyperstrada doesn't have the S model with the Olinhs. It also has a lower suspension and seat (32"). Fits me like a glove. 114hp on a 400 pound bike it has some get up and go!
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Sweet.
Loads of torque too.
Not much room for hitchhikers though :)
Ride safe !
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Nick Danger
Ice climber
Arvada, CO
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Marty,
Awesome bikes, dude. I especially like the duc. RE the CRF, I always thought the modern liquid-cooled 250's were a little high strung for RTW duty, but obviously not if others have done it. Also, Hondas tend to be ridiculously reliable under any normal circumstances. That being said, I would probably chose an air-cooled single for the simplicity of keeping it going in the third world, myownself. BTW, please post pics of yer travels here on the Tacostand, you will certainly have many fans of such posts.
Pud, tell me about your experiences with your hypermotard. I am selling my 748 this spring with the intention of replacing it with a hypermotard. I have always loved my 748 but the ergos are just too cruel at my age. Also, have always loved the "dirtbike" ergos that go with the hypermotard.
Also, Pud, stick with the bikes, that hitchhiker will just hurt you ;-).
Hocking, impeccable taste in older iron you have, my man.
When I was dating my wife, she said "there is no such thing as too many motorcycles, only not enough garage space". I proposed soon after.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2017 - 10:11am PT
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Nick quite a collection!
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Nick,
I had the 1100 Hypermotard and would recommend it.
The only real flaw was the small fuel tank. They now offer kits and the newer ones have bigger tanks anyway.
I rode mine hard for 3 years and it handled it just fine.
I had a Zard exhaust system and factory chip. These two mods made a lot of difference.
A few of my other favorite rides
Edit:
Nick,
You couldn't be more right about the hitchhikers
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Nick Danger
Ice climber
Arvada, CO
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Pud,
Thanks for the beta on the Hypermotard 1100. You have impeccable taste in motorcycles.
cheers
Nick
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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I met Glen from the above episode after he had been released. He was still severely traumatized but carrying onward. He was in the far southern part of Argentina when I met him.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 16, 2017 - 07:28pm PT
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Completed the first leg of the RTW from Washington DC to 45 miles north of Whitefish Montana. Besides getting blown off the road twice in South Dakota things went pretty smooth. The Honda was flawless. Winterized the bike and storing at family home until late next Spring. NPR is giving me a sabbatical to complete the ride, Montana-Vancouver-London-Bangkok next summer. Somewhere around 14k miles across Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Laos, and into Thailand.
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