So, you want to travel around the world on a motorcycle? Guess you better learn how to ride one then!
My past exposure to motorcycles was riding my fathers bikes around the yard, or occasionally on the streets of the small town I grew up in. Most of these bikes were smaller street bikes, nothing crazy or powerful.
I also would on occasion ride a dirt bike that was owned by various cousins, but only in small back yard areas or open fields near someones home.
So not a huge amount of motorcycle history, and all of it 25-30 years in the past.
Now I have been an avid bicyclist for a very long time, though with long periods of not riding much as well. I have done both long distance road biking (twice completing a 70 mile road course in the mid 2000s) and plenty of mountain biking, both on the roads and back country trails.
So two wheels are not a problem, but adding the motor does change things quite a bit.
Originally I was just going to buy a cheap used motorbike and learn to ride myself.
Then a friend of mine, who has a lifetime of motorcycle experience, recommended a riding course offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation that would give me all the basics of motorcycle operation and allow me to actually try and experience them on a course with the coaches there to review and advise on how to be better. They even provide the motorcycles for this course so you can learn to ride before investing in a bike.
He even gave me an old helmet, boots, gloves and jacket he no longer needed, so saved me having to go buy those first, or use the stuff the school has on hand (which was okay, but prefer my own stuff).
So on September 9th and 10th of 2017, I attended the two day Basic Rider Course in Gilbert, Arizona.
We started off talking about the bikes, the controls and various good to know concepts, then we worked briefly on just pushing the bikes along without running the motors, just to test balance. We then moved onto slowly moving the bikes to learn clutch and brake control, and moved on to learning the various techniques to operate under most normal conditions, and even covered emergency stopping and maneuvering. Classroom work included learning about the various types of bikes, and the rules of the road, and again covering the riding techniques we were learning on the riding course.
The class was both fun and informative, and was a thrill to be on the bike even just riding circles on the class course. Amazingly stuff came back to me really quick, though I did have a few issues and even managed to wreck the bike once on the first day. (During emergency stopping exercise. Without too much detail, I lost control, pulled quite a spectacular wheelie and ended up on my ass on the asphalt with the bike falling to the ground right in front of me. While bruised, was able to get back on the bike and ride it rest of the day and next day.)
I had a little trouble with very slow riding, and with the emergency braking, but was basically given the info I needed to know what I am doing wrong and what I need to learn to correct things.
Otherwise did quite well, and was one of the few riders who seemed able to handle speed and cornering without any issues.
I passed both the riding and written tests and received my MSF completion card which will enable me to go get my Motorcycle Endorsement on my driver license without the need to take state exams.
So step one completed, I have determined that yes, I can ride a motorcycle, at least in a basic sense.
The MSF offers more courses that I plan to take as I get more comfortable riding, each offering another level of riding technique and experience, so still much to learn.
On September 12th I visited the Motor Vehicle Department during my lunch and for $7 received my M endorsement. So now I can legally ride here in AZ (and the rest of the USA).
Step 2, buying a motorcycle. Look for updates on that in the next few weeks. :)
Chris
My Journey towards an Around the World Motorcycle adventure from concept to execution.
History of an Idea
So what is making me consider this crazy idea of riding a motorcycle around the world?
The history of this idea has many years and many influences, and is actually nothing unique or special, having been done by many already and surely will be done by others in the future (hopefully I will be one of them).
I have always enjoyed travelling to new places and seeing the scenic wonders and experiencing new things. While I did not travel much in my early life, I have managed just enough in my adult life to make me want to do more.
I also developed an early interest in photography and even later started to play around with video as well. And of course I have always liked to write, especially in a way that allows me to share my experiences with others, in the hopes that they can enjoy them as they are, or use them to inspire their own adventures.
The first ideas came in the year 2001 when I found myself unemployed, in a new, but already shaky marriage and generally feeling like I was adrift in the ocean of life with no goal or focus. For a few years I had always thought it would be fun to drive a 4x4 around the world, but of course the cost and sheer scope of it never seemed to be something that could really be done. I considered bicycling as well, but never gave it much serious thought.
During this downtime in my life I stumbled onto a book, "Worldwalk" by Steven Newman that chronicled his walk around the globe in the mid 1980s. I thought that would be an interesting way to travel, much closer and personal contact with the people and places. It also lacked the costs and difficulties that using any form of mechanical transportation created.
I tried for many months to talk my wife into doing this, but that was never going to happen, and by 2003 that marriage was dead and gone. I also was again out of work (at least not working in my career field) and feeling lost again. This made me start to think about what I really wanted from life and I still had this desire to see the world and meet the people out there. So I decided to get back into my career and see if I could get to the point where I could seriously try something like this.
After getting back on my feet and building my career back up, I started to think again about walking around the world. I also started to travel a bit more and found I still had a desire to see and experience new things. I kept thinking about a global trip and planning various ideas, but never really acted on any of them. I also was not sure walking would be the best way anymore, as it would take a very long time to get even across the United States, let alone Asia or Africa.
Around 2012 I was loaned a copy of "Long Way Round", a video documentary of a motorcycle trip completed by actors Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor. I was inspired by the idea of travel by motorbike as it gave you the up close and personal exposure that walking or bicycling could, but still gave you a quicker method of travel and could get you out of trouble better if need as well. And while it had some costs involved with operating the bike, they were not too crazy, and still less than a 4x4 or car would have, and the bike is capable of travel in places and ways that 4 wheels cannot.
I spent a few years going over this idea and thinking about what I would want to do, but there were a few obstacles.
First and foremost, I had not ridden a motorcycle since the 1980s, and never actually had a license even then. Second, I was getting older, out of shape and generally not in any condition to mount this kind of crazy expedition. (The curse of a desk job). I had planned to start at the end of 2015 originally, but that time arrived and I had not done anything but talk and plan, but at this point had yet to even look at a motorcycle.
My career had been growing nicely after 2013 and I decided to take advantage of the extra earning capability that gave me as a means to help finance this project, but I had not saved nearly what I had hoped by the end of 2015 either. So I decided to push the date out, but did not actually choose one.
Starting in early 2017 I decided that this would be the year I would start working on this project, and while it took me longer into the year than I hoped, I have finally started on this path.
Future entries will cover those steps, but this is the history of what pushed me to this idea and the hopes of making it work. I have decided that even if I can never pull off the grand global adventure, I can still experience quite a bit of the world in smaller trips both on and off the motorcycle and document them in the same fashion, but lets shoot for the stars first, that way we can at least land on the moon. :)
Chris
The history of this idea has many years and many influences, and is actually nothing unique or special, having been done by many already and surely will be done by others in the future (hopefully I will be one of them).
I have always enjoyed travelling to new places and seeing the scenic wonders and experiencing new things. While I did not travel much in my early life, I have managed just enough in my adult life to make me want to do more.
I also developed an early interest in photography and even later started to play around with video as well. And of course I have always liked to write, especially in a way that allows me to share my experiences with others, in the hopes that they can enjoy them as they are, or use them to inspire their own adventures.
The first ideas came in the year 2001 when I found myself unemployed, in a new, but already shaky marriage and generally feeling like I was adrift in the ocean of life with no goal or focus. For a few years I had always thought it would be fun to drive a 4x4 around the world, but of course the cost and sheer scope of it never seemed to be something that could really be done. I considered bicycling as well, but never gave it much serious thought.
During this downtime in my life I stumbled onto a book, "Worldwalk" by Steven Newman that chronicled his walk around the globe in the mid 1980s. I thought that would be an interesting way to travel, much closer and personal contact with the people and places. It also lacked the costs and difficulties that using any form of mechanical transportation created.
I tried for many months to talk my wife into doing this, but that was never going to happen, and by 2003 that marriage was dead and gone. I also was again out of work (at least not working in my career field) and feeling lost again. This made me start to think about what I really wanted from life and I still had this desire to see the world and meet the people out there. So I decided to get back into my career and see if I could get to the point where I could seriously try something like this.
After getting back on my feet and building my career back up, I started to think again about walking around the world. I also started to travel a bit more and found I still had a desire to see and experience new things. I kept thinking about a global trip and planning various ideas, but never really acted on any of them. I also was not sure walking would be the best way anymore, as it would take a very long time to get even across the United States, let alone Asia or Africa.
Around 2012 I was loaned a copy of "Long Way Round", a video documentary of a motorcycle trip completed by actors Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor. I was inspired by the idea of travel by motorbike as it gave you the up close and personal exposure that walking or bicycling could, but still gave you a quicker method of travel and could get you out of trouble better if need as well. And while it had some costs involved with operating the bike, they were not too crazy, and still less than a 4x4 or car would have, and the bike is capable of travel in places and ways that 4 wheels cannot.
I spent a few years going over this idea and thinking about what I would want to do, but there were a few obstacles.
First and foremost, I had not ridden a motorcycle since the 1980s, and never actually had a license even then. Second, I was getting older, out of shape and generally not in any condition to mount this kind of crazy expedition. (The curse of a desk job). I had planned to start at the end of 2015 originally, but that time arrived and I had not done anything but talk and plan, but at this point had yet to even look at a motorcycle.
My career had been growing nicely after 2013 and I decided to take advantage of the extra earning capability that gave me as a means to help finance this project, but I had not saved nearly what I had hoped by the end of 2015 either. So I decided to push the date out, but did not actually choose one.
Starting in early 2017 I decided that this would be the year I would start working on this project, and while it took me longer into the year than I hoped, I have finally started on this path.
Future entries will cover those steps, but this is the history of what pushed me to this idea and the hopes of making it work. I have decided that even if I can never pull off the grand global adventure, I can still experience quite a bit of the world in smaller trips both on and off the motorcycle and document them in the same fashion, but lets shoot for the stars first, that way we can at least land on the moon. :)
Chris
The purpose of this site
Hello Reader,
Welcome to the beginning of this site which will hopefully document many years of exciting discoveries and travel I hope to make around the globe.
The purpose of this site will be to allow commentary on places and people that I discover as I travel around the globe via motorcycle, a project I hope to kick off in the next 2 - 3 years.
There will be other places where I may post photo or video content as well as other locations for commentary, but will try to link those all to this site as the main history of this project I have been working on for years.
As for the site name, well, I plan to wander the world, and Wyvern is an alternate identity I have used since at least the early 1990s, mostly on the internet, but have used it for various projects in real life as well.. So the Wandering Wyvern!
Please check back soon for a history of what lead me to this and some of the early steps I have taken toward getting this going.
Hopefully you will find something to entertain you or give you something to think about.
Thanks
Chris
Welcome to the beginning of this site which will hopefully document many years of exciting discoveries and travel I hope to make around the globe.
The purpose of this site will be to allow commentary on places and people that I discover as I travel around the globe via motorcycle, a project I hope to kick off in the next 2 - 3 years.
There will be other places where I may post photo or video content as well as other locations for commentary, but will try to link those all to this site as the main history of this project I have been working on for years.
As for the site name, well, I plan to wander the world, and Wyvern is an alternate identity I have used since at least the early 1990s, mostly on the internet, but have used it for various projects in real life as well.. So the Wandering Wyvern!
Please check back soon for a history of what lead me to this and some of the early steps I have taken toward getting this going.
Hopefully you will find something to entertain you or give you something to think about.
Thanks
Chris
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