On 9/29/05, Rob Harrison <robhar@xxxxxx> wrote:
> Andrew, it could be an amazing trip. I've done just a bit of touring, up and
> down the West Coast, and up through British Columbia through the Yukon to
> Alaska, as far east as Banff/Lake Louise and Montana...and I'd love to do
> more.
Yes it would still be cool. Several factors make it a little more of
an undertaking for me:
1. No motorcycle.
2. No driver's licence, let alone motorcycle licence.
3. Limited driving experience.
4. Only motorcycle driving experience was about 30mins I spent in a
parking lot when my Lao girlfriend was teaching me how to ride her
~110cc clutchless motorcycle.
5. Time (probably less of an issue for me at the moment).
6. Money.
Lately though I find the idea of driving around SE Asia on a
motorcycle more attractive than North America but the later would be a
lot easier to do and probably not as punishing (well, terrain/road
wise, weather would likely be more punishing although it would have
less impact on the terrain). Spent plenty of time riding on the backs
of motorcycles in Vietnam and especially Cambodia, great way to get
around those countries and the idea of doing it with a bike loaded up
with some camera gear has it's appeal. I think a lot of that has to do
with the adventure appeal. For instance, while I was there my roommate
went on a weekend road trip with a friend and he made sure that he
packed a machete in case he'd need it.
In terms of bike, as I mentioned a Honda 250 dirt bike is one of the
more sensible choices for Laos and Cambodia and parts are reasonably
available (at least in Laos). But if I was going for more retro appeal
then an old Russian Minsk is really the way to go. A little lacking in
power given it's weight (125cc engine if memory serves) but it's built
like, well, a Russian motorcycle. I guess they can pretty much take
whatever you throw at it. And being in communist countries parts and
repairs tend to be no problem.
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