Vehicle

We are currently exploring all options concerning transport, will see what best fits !!

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Having a broken leg is a real drag. On the 1^st of September, 200 meters from my house I was involved in what is known in the biker world as a ‘SMIDSY’. SMIDSY is short for ‘sorry mate, I didn’t see you’ and resulted in both the bones in my lower leg breaking. Due to the way the bones shattered, now in mid November I am still on crutches and not allowed to ride a bike until at least December. What a better way to cheer myself up than buying a bike!  read more »

After meeting up with the guys last week, I have turned my mind to researching equipment needs. The trick when you are on a bike is getting the balance right between taking everything and the kitchen sink and not taking something, being stuck in the middle of nowhere without it!

I have been reading all the excellent articles on http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/. It has everything you could possibly need to know about transcontinental motorcycle travel. Maps, routes, plans, kit lists, stories, bike reviews, you name it. I can’t thank enough the contributors on the site; their hard work has been worth it in my eyes.  read more »

Only 8 days until we leave. Roelan is still busy getting the discovery prepared. Last weekend I kind of started the rally and drove, together with my aunt Tine, the Ford Escort (the Distance team car) from Woking (UK) to The Hague (NLD). Next saturday the 8th of August we will officially start our journey to Mongolia (and back), together with team the Distance.

Our Ford Escort van (called "Esco") is in Holland now! Roelan has done a great job in getting it prepped for the rally and Aletta has taken the car from Woking to The Hague without any problems. I drove it around The Hague yesterday and was very pleased with it's behaviour. It only took some getting used to steering from the "wrong" side of the car, especially positioning yourself at the traffic lights seemed difficult for me at the start ;-) Currently Eelke is giving it a testdrive the coming week in and around Utrecht for a final check. And after a new set of tires "Esco" will be ready to go!!

Aletta is currently visiting Roelan in Woking and when she returns she will take the Escort with her effectively aing the first leg of the trip!! On friday we heard that all our visas are complete as well. So we can start the countdown....... 

Well, yesterday completed preperations on the truck & gathered the last of the equipment; oil,fuel filters, 15 ltr engine oil, transmission & hydrolic oil, plus all the regulation safety gear which includes light reflectors, fan & cam belts oh & a spot of antifreeze plus some polish for vanity. Now talking of vanity, little ol moi has installed a beaut iron bath for those dirty buggers who are going to join him soon. Now I bet there has been no one in the history of this rally or others who have actually taken their own bath along.  read more »

Well, quite an experience today. We limped into Bayankhongor wondering what we were going to do and feeling so near... and yet so far. The 30 km since we spotted the leaf spring problem had been very painful, on poor old UGU and on our backsides and spines!However we found a person who spoke excellent English and he found a 'garage' for us. To our amazement (though we'd read about the talents of the roadside mechanics, but seeing them in action is something else) this guy said he could sort it for us and he began to weld the springs back together, using a mind boggling range of stuff to do so. Everyone here seems to collect old bits of cars - just in case perhaps? Certainly paid off for us today.  read more »

Our amazing blue van has been approved! Now just have to learn how to take it apart and put it back together again all in one afternoon. Easy