Just For The Record...Route Plan

[F1 fan]

I second the tent. It'll offer you a bit of privacy, better protection from bad weather/Mosquitos and I imagine that it will be more comfortable. Sleeping on a hard floor is good for your back. Just something to think about. You don't want to pick up some injury only to have it aggravated every night while trying to sleep.

Good luck. I must admit, I'm quite jealous of you. I wish I could do something like this.

Edit: as for your concern about "beasts", you'd be amazed at how many of them may be up in a tree in the first place. I saw a documentary once about a guy who cycled the America's. He would gather up all food/drinks/soap/toothpaste etc, bag it and hang it from a tree a short walk away from his tent.

 

[W3H5]

The last week or two have seen a few developments.

Recently BMW group in Chongqing showed interest in helping me to arrange sponsorship; raising money for underprivileged children here in CQ. They need school books and footballs and stuff.

I'm really keen to help out with that since I work as an educator and I know that the only kids I've taught have been children of the wealthy since education here is costly and it would be nice to level the playing field a bit in favour of the poor folks. BMW are 90% sure they can help out with this so all I need to do is set a target and them and my family company will go about bringing in sponsorship money.

I've ordered some new bits from the interwebz, nothing special really. I'm mainly focusing on essentials and I'm buying up little bits of kit throughout the weeks; electrical tape, water canteen, map covers and things.

I visited the factory last weekend where I managed to get a good feel for the bikes we'll be taking and talk about kitting them out with luggage racks and whatnot. That will be done closer to the tour giving me a chance to do some testing before we leave.

I've settled on taking a tent rather than a hammock since it is more practical. I've ordered a tarp so that if the weather is fine I can put that up and sleep wild since a lot of our time will be spent in desert or on grass plains.

The only issue I have is getting my visa switched from a working visa to a tourist visa. The problem is that the tourist visa limit is 3 months before it needs renewal and the tour will last more than 3 months meaning I'll need to stop somewhere for a renewal along the tour. The other options are getting a business visa from BMW for 6 months but I'm yet to ask them if they can do that, or getting a visiting relatives visa and using my stepmother as a referee but I'm not sure if I can definitely get 6 months on that.

That's about it for now. If I think of anything else I'll post it up.

 

[axletramp]

Thanks for the update. 👍 Sleeping wild, eh. Are you going to take a harmonica and guitar, I believe that's the traditional thing to do?

 

[photonrider]

Best of Luck, Shem! Thread makes for some great reading, too.

Would you believe . . . this is one of the very first threads I made at GTP? :

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=220215

 

[Monatsende]

I am updated now. 👍

BMW, eh? Dat Germans have money even in China.

 

[W3H5]

Yes! Bikes will be ready for the beginning of next month! So excited!

 

[niky]

1. Yes!

2. Pics or shenanigans.

3. But seriously, pics of the bikes (and yourself). We need a "before" pic to compare to the shaggy, scrabbly mess that'll come out at the other end of this trip.

That's assuming you could grow a beard like Ewan McGregor's...

 

[W3H5]

I'm not sure I've got the Ewan growth potential and my beard is a darker shade of red. I certainly give it my best, though, I'm taking a razor anyway and wonder at what point I'll give in to the need to shave.

I'll get pics up right away as soon as the bikes are off the production line and I've a chance to examine them. We have a pair so a names will be flying around within the next two weeks.

We also have an invite to a traditional Chinese Islamic wedding in Xinjiang; a friend of my travelling partner. That I'm looking forward to.

I've also been given an iPhone with 3 months unlimited data package so I'll try to get online here when ever I've a free hour in the evenings.

All of my gear has arrived; Camelbak, waterproofs, gloves, mess kit... now it's just a case of getting my sponsor to order the larger parts and bike kit next month once I'm full time at the factory.

So. Frickkin'. Excited. < This smiley cannot do my 'real' grin justice.

 

[W3H5]

Just a small update for now.

Time is drawing closer. I'm in the ranks of the unemployed and will be spending most of the coming month on tour business.

Bikes will be ready on the 10th and I've got a pro bike builder on the team ready to help me prep.

Another GWR tourer is currently staying in my house. Him and his wife are doing a motorcycle & side-car combination tour. They've already broken their record and are just cruising now. I've had lots of good advice from them about the roads and certain areas.

I've had to send off my passport for renewal so I'm hoping to God it returns from the UK before the tour other wise I could face delay for a week...or get it couriered to me.

Let the fun begin.

 

[W3H5]

Here's a photo of me to use for a before - after comparison shot.

I shaved all today, scalp and face, and might not shave again until my tour is over despite not liking to go unshaven.

Still having visa issues at the minute which are driving me nuts and causing a real threat to the tour.

 

[axletramp]

And after...

 

[Shaun]

I would imagine the excitement is starting to really build now shem.

 

[W3H5]

Me no viewy dat image!

Yeah, Shaun, I'm buzzing. Only the visa left to get sorted but that could be a big spanner in the works. Still, last resort is I do it with no visa, get fined when I leave the country and banned from future entry. Would be worth it other than the fact that half my family live in China. Still, I remain optimistic.

 

[axletramp]

You now viewy image good, white devil!

 

[W3H5]

Why do I look like Chewy?

 

[axletramp]

It's the hair.

 

[Dean]

You could also do as this guy did; a photo every day, and a time lapse in the end .

 

[W3H5]

I might do that. I found a site called something like snap365 which allows one to upload a photo each day and compile an album.

 

[W3H5]

Blagged a free bike today at a medium sized factory, that'll be used for my Canadian team member.

Met with a sponsor this morning who will cover all the media for the event.

Collecting my two Motorhead bikes (me and Chinese team member's bikes) Wednesday.

Collecting the Yingang (for Canadian team member) on Thursday.

Tuesday we're running an 800km break-in to get the bikes set up.

Action stations are go! Only 22 days left now!

 

[axletramp]

Woo! This is getting exciting!

 

[W3H5]

Me knows!!!! I'm so pumped!

 

[photonrider]

Report back ASAP or you will be reported.

Last we heard . . . you were pumped.

 

[niky]

Haha.

I've seen Shem log in at odd hours the same time I was on, but he mostly trolls the Announcements thread.