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                                                                    IMPORTANT NEWS

     

 

 

07/07/15

                    It is with a very heavy heart that I have to inform you all that I have had to abandon this trip :(..     I will give an explanation, but 1st, to everyone who has helped, supported, aided donated and hoped to follow this adventure... a massive SORRY to all...   As most of you knew, this was always going to be running very close to the wire on the funding side, and unfortunately, even though I had estimated that I had just enough entering the kitty on a weekly basis to be able to struggle through on the very basics, I found out that after just a few days, the one major backer that I had, decided to withdraw their support (they shall remain nameless as it wasn't his personal fault... it was his company that changed their minds & I wish to remain on good terms & possibly work out something in the future)

                On hearing this news whilst in Belgium, I did some basic sums, and realised that although the going should get a little cheaper as I leave Europe, I estimated that I would still be falling short of the break even line and therefore spending (as little as possible) was still going to be more than my now depleted income per week... so sadly, decided to head back to Redditch rather than get part way down Africa and finding the purse empty and having to rely on others to help me out of a major jam...

             This was an easy decision to make, but not without a lot of internal pain.. I feel personally gutted... not just myself and the realisation of a promise and dream shattered, but for so many people who have helped me over the past 18 MONTHS :(

   To those, I am so so sorry...

 

  Having said all that, although I now have to drop back into "normal" life... find work, pay bills, make plans etc...   This is not over.. and the whole package will be put on ice.. (I have the bike, the kit and equipment etc.. the determination to do it and the will to keep a promise)  so although it will not now be every minute working on the project as was up to the leaving date....  I will make attempts to secure proper funding over the next few months, and should something come up out of the blue, it won't be long after....before i'm off again (probably a little more low key next time lol)  but until that time.. life really has to go on as normal (whatever that is?)

 

  To all who have funded/backed/supported me over the last months... I will now endevour to repay your kind donations so bear with me while sorting this all out...   I only have those who gave a name etc. to go on... so those who kindly popped something in my tin.. I will estimate the amount & donate it to a suitable charity in time.....(perhaps the charity funding research into Michelle's illness?)

   Any personal questions... please drop me a line and I will try to answer asap...  but for now.... back to ordinary life.....  :(..                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25th of june

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After having a good send off from the Overland show at Gt Missenden on Sunday 21st June 2015, I started the tour of Family & Friends, saying goodbyes & cuddles all round, eventually taking the ride down to Portsmouth on Wed 24th June, to catch the late overnight ferry to Le Harvre courtisy of the wonderful Brittany Ferries people, who have been so very helpful with the start of my journey. Met a good few bikers & others whilst waiting at the terminal (waiting a while for the late ferry lol) but we were all in good spirits and were even provided with some water courtisy of Brittany Ferries, but weather was nice and dry/warm so no problems. Most were taking a keen interest in my venture and a few even donated to the cause :) We all boarded around midnight, strapped the bikes down (always a worry with aggressive deck hands) but they know what they were doing so all good. Settling down quickly in our allocated areas, most had a quick hot drink then got our heads down for the rest of the night on a quiet ferry crossing (in fact it was like a millpond, absolutely flat calm) in fact, unless you looked out the windows, you would swear we were still in port it was so smooth. Docking at Le Harvre at 08.45, a quick exit on to solid land and under way, getting as far as the nearest garage, where some of the vast array of stuff packed on my bike came into use as another rider needed some air in his tyre (John 1-0 cynics) lol A few very steady miles under my belt & a stop at McDonalds for lunch (coffee) & my 1st test getting to grips with the new pc. (1st time i've used it lol & only took me an hour to find the notebook facility lol :) so, with a bit of luck I should be able to send this with a few pics taken so far .... wrap this up and take a slow ride towards Amiens (maybe?) and try to find some place to rough camp tonight ... bear with me.... it should get better :)

 

24th of june

 

This evening at 21.45pm, john will leave england via portsmouth harbour on a Brittary Ferry to start his journey around the world.  His first point of call is France. Here he will attend a few motorbike meetings at various clubs and will also be attending the bikers classic spa francorchamps in belgian, on the 5th,6th and 7th of July. If your going, pop along and say hello, if not, please keep reading and hopefully we will keep you entertained with his reports.

From there he will be making his way down through France and into Spain. Again attending motorbike club meetings on the way. He will also, hopefully, be attending 34 Fario 2015 on the 16th,17th,18th and 19th of July, in Portugal. After attending this meeting he will then make his way to Gibraltar and catch the Ferry across to Morocco,then carry on down the west coast of Africa.

John would like to thank everyone who has kindly helped him so far and allowed him to keep his dream alive.

 

22nd of June

 

Just recovering from the fantastic weekend at the OVERLAND MAGAZINE EVENT. It was great to see so many people attending the event and it was brillant they were there to send john off on his trip on Sunday.

A big Thank You to Paddy Tyson and Nich Brown, and the team, for allowing us to attend the event and it was brillant john got to speak to Ted Simon, Graham Fields, Nathan millward and Austin Vince to name a few. Also many thanks to Tom at Adventure Bike TV for filming John`s departure.

On Wednesday 24th John will be taking the Overnight Brittary Ferry to Le Havre, France to start his adventure. In the meanwhile he is spending the next couple of days saying goodbye to family and friends.

He will be at the Blue Jay Pub in Alvaston, Derby tonight, 22nd of June to see family and friends to say good bye between 6-10ish. So if any one else wants to say Bye please feel free to drop in and speak to him.

Also a big thank you to johns sponsors and the generous people who have donated to help John so far. He hopes you will enjoy being part of his adventure for the next 2-3 years. Please feel free to use the link on his site to ask questions and we will get back to you as soon as we can with his answers.

 

16th of June

 Its pretty exciting and busy at the moment has i prepare for my leaving on Sunday the 21st of June from the OVERLAND EVENT (organised by OVERLAND MAGAZINE ) in Missenden.. (http://overlandevent.com )More details of exact time to be confirmed later this week. For these who are following me and can make the day come on down and say hello before i go.

Over the weekend of the 13 & 14th of June we attended the Vintage Gathering at Astwood Bank near Redditch.

It was an interesting and successfull weekend raising a little fuel money and making some usefull contacts. Many thanks to Peter Waghorn for inviting us to attend a well organised and successfull event.

 

 

John has now got new head gear to wear on his trip...lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OVERLAND EVENT (organised by OVERLAND

11th june 2015    

      As well as attending this event i am also preparing to attend the Overland Show  ( http://overlandevent.com/ ) the following weekend and it will be from there that i set out on my travels around the world. It has been a long time in coming but i am getting excited at the thought of it. As previously stated i will leave the event then stop off to say bye to various members of the family before i leave england via dover and start the adventure.

 

       At the moment i am currently preparing to attend the Vintage Gathering at Astwood Bank, near Redditch, over the coming weekend of the 13/14th of June. Should be a good weekend with lots to do and see.

       I attended the New Classic Car Show organised by Graham, which took place over the weekend of 6th and 7th of june, at Sterndale moor near Buxton, Derbyshire. I was made very welcome and enjoyed the weekend, Thanks to all who were there.

 

29th May 2015

                    As it stands, I am planning to attend the OVERLAND EVENT (organised by OVERLAND MAGAZINE) taking place over the weekend of  June 19th to 21st, The Black Horse, Aylesbury Road, Great Missenden, HP16 9AX  see...  http://overlandevent.com/    

                    Plans are afoot to say goodbye to fellow adventure travellers & friends/supporters sometime on Sunday morning (21st)  and from there, take time dropping in to see more family and friends via Derby/Nottingham/London over the next few days as I eventually make my way down to Dover for the one way ticket to the grand tour ;)

              I'll update in more detail as things are confirmed....

    

     19th May 2015

Quite a lot to update, starting with;-

      A final leaving date of the weekend  19-21st of June  2015. I have finally been able to decide on a date, now that the numerous problems with my Carnet applications have been sorted out.

The final route / direction will be updated as soon as possible on the maps page. Due to the hefty costs of my preferred route through Egypt and down the Nile, I have decided to follow my orginal route down the west coast of Africa. This will also help me ease into the journey when I start, as I already have previous experience of this route gained from my ill fated 2010 attempt.  

 

        Recent activiities have included an invitation to talk to the Windy Corner Riders Club, who meet at the Mira test track near Nuneaton. A pleasant evening was enjoyed by all, taking part in an informal question and answer format, I hope I answered all your questions,and both Marion and myself were made to feel very welcome. A big thank you to the club for their generous contribution towards the petrol fund.

 

         The recent MCN ( old BMF show ) at Peterbrough over the recent weekend of the  16th/17th of May was a great success with a lot of interest and support shown by the public and trade people alike. It was a bit windy but quite sunny which I didnt notice and I finished the weekend with sunstroke and a burnt head....lol. I have to thank Alex of KAAPSTAD M/C TOURS (South Africa) for all his fantastic help during the weekend, and also to Pete for his generous supply of tea and good humour. Thanks also to Nigel and Maggie of MICROFIBERBOXERS for their generous donation of some quality riding underwear for the trip. The gorgeous ladies of CAROL NASH INSURANCE  I would like to thank, for taking the time to pose for a picture with me and my bike. & finally to the people of PYRAMID PLASTICS for their interest and support, as well as ALTBERG BOOTS (  the boots chosen for my trip ).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        At the show I also met up with both Graham Field and Nathan Millward,  both these guys are well travelled and have written excellent books about their adventures.

 

    5th May 2015

                                    Still working hard towards the leaving date.... coming soon :)    awaiting final carnet application Etc. as soon as I have it in my hands a date will be set for quite soon after.... at last ! (end of May?)

                                    Couple of important updates....  the final route (general direction) has again been altered, back to the original West African route (skirting around the Ebola affected regions) this is shown on the accompanying map..... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 It looks like i'll be crossing the Western Sahara during summer after all :(   this alteration is in part due to problems with the carnet & a couple of visa applications...  I really wanted to travel down the Nile & the Great Rift Valley... but maybe another time :(

                                  Everything is ready and waiting to roll... the bike has been loaded in it's final guise, my riding gear is finalised... in fact, ready to go tomorrow if it were possible... but paperwork is the bain of modern day life it seems... so again, sitting, fidgeting, rolling fingers, doing anything to help make time move faster lol.

                                A couple of pics to show the bike in its final guise.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       On Wednesday 6th May I will be holding a Q & A presentation evening at the Windy Corner Motorcycle clubs meeting at the clubhouse in the Mira test centre nr. Nuneaton, by kind invitation of the club. I do hope that all who attend will enjoy the evening.

      With regards to the route changes...... bear with me until I manage to alter all the maps on the route pages! 

 

  13 April 2015   

                                   Many thanks to those who are already supporting me in various ways, and especially to Mr J Birchall for your recent generous donation to the fund :) 

                         The bike needed it's annual MoT today (was hoping to be away by now and not need it lol), so took it down to Shane http://www.redditchscooterandmotorcyclecentre.com/   B97 6DJ 01527 68877  and pleased to say, it passed with flying colours... which was quite satisfying as I've done nothing but get the thing ready for months, and would have been worried if anything was amiss.

                   Ok, back to the grindstone.... lots to do... people to see....places to go....funds to raise while i'm still here :(

 

   09th April 2015

                                  Really wanted to be away by now :(   but having some real trouble with some of the paperwork (problems with different addresses)  so having to redo lots and send off applications yet again :(

                                    Whilst still here...  I will be popping down to any meetings and shows etc. as I did last year, to chat/ show/ and generally raise last minute funds that will always be useful...

 

    Attended the ADVENTURE BIKE meeting at the Ace Cafe on the Nth Circular Nr. London a short while ago. Met some really interesting people there as well as some fellow travellers who I have got to know over the last few years. There was a great deal of interest in my bike and equipment from the many who attended the packed venue, some very useful advice & tips, and the extremely amiable Alex Cardes who was filming the event and asked if he could interview/film me & the bike etc.  I reckon he did a smashing job of it....   please watch...  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyOKoygaQb0    

 

And yes! I know it seems to be the same old things I talk about but I need to get away ASAP so I have lots more to say & show lol :)

 

      Beleive me, I am really busy and trying hard to get going.... it will happen soon... ;)

 

16th March 2015

                      Still awaiting the mountain of paperwork....   & yet another bout of "man flu" :(   but making use of the waiting time by stripping the bike down and refitting (while at the same time renewing all the stuff like brake pads/oil/filters/tyres etc. etc. (all the stuff that wants to be fresh & ready for the off)

      A few weeks ago, I came across a Givi Rack and smaller top box on Gumtree, and very cheap it was too, so bought it and have fitted it in place of the set up I had before...  it is much much better I think, being stronger overall, by the way it attaches to the bike with more mounting points along the side of the frame spreading the stress load over a larger area...  and the smaller box being able to be removed quickly with the givi release system, allowing me to remove the box as and when required.

  A bonus with having a smaller box is that it will force me to carry less weight on the back end of the well loaded bike (although I’m sure I will find a way around it lol ;)

  I have remounted both wire basket panniers slightly further back & at the same time, have used an old clothes rail to make a frame for the plastic bread basket base to sit on… taking the load off the seat itself, giving a more substantial base to carry my tent/clothing etc. etc.   also giving me a useful space underneath it, between the seat and the rack, to place all my paperwork/docs/ipad and other stuff I like to keep out of sight behind my bum when sitting on the machine. It’s all lightweight but fairly strong.

                 My old helmet has always been comfy & practical, so no problem taking it with me this time. One thing though (which I always forget to do once i've removed it & put it away) is try to cure a small problem  I have with it when riding, if a little windy, the visor keeps opening a fraction from fully closed, and as I found on my last big trip across the sandy stuff, if the sand is being whipped up by the wind etc. then having the visor fully sealed is for me, very preferable, stopping a lot of sand and dust getting in my eyes etc.  So I have fixed a small plastic piece at the bottom of the centre of the visor which can be operated one handed, and keeps the visor sealed when required. I'll let you know when I get to Egypt :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26th Feb 2015

 

    It's all go at the moment...  slight problem with the carnet though, so had to re do it all, so that went back in the post a few days ago. This will delay my departure yet again :(       but I estimate 5 weeks (approx), assuming all goes well with the application, (a couple of visas too).  I will repost a definate leaving date as soon as they arrive back in my hands :)

 

 I really wanted to get away at the end of February, as I will be travelling through the Sahara in summertime if i'm not careful :( and don't really fancy that, as last time the temp. reached 52 centigrade on one day (& that was winter), so all hands to the pumps as they say, and with help, should be away in about 5 weeks time :)

 

     Meanwhile, I will take advantage of the situation and carry on fund raising.....take more time re-building my bike (& experimenting with a few bits).  As you can see from the photos, things are packed pretty tightly....  all this stuff goes into the tiny space behind the battery ....

 

  set of allen keys

 pair of fork seals

 tube of silicone rubber

  brake lever

  clutch lever

 two fuel filters

 small tube of copper grease

 tube of instant (liquid metal)

  CDi unit

 1 set of general tools (needed)

 1 multi tool (asstd)

 1 other multi tool (with adjustable spanner)

 full set of wheel bearings

(inc sprocket carrier bearing)

 Reg rectifier (tested)

 solenoid

 flasher relay

 two tested spark plugs

 1 coil and ht lead with cap

 set of bulbs

 some spare split links

 topped off with a plastic box full of KFC wipes (very useful).

 

The finished front end now looks good (to me anyway:) having dropped the spotlights behind the guard & fitted a Led pilot bulb. When the headlamp & spots got dirty.... it was impossible to get a cloth in to clean them....  so a simple windscreen wiper blade has been fitted.... a small splash of water? and a quick wipe does the trick (whilst stationary of course:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have now stripped off the coils etc. to clean thouroughly and seal against water ingress before re-fitting. Another useful mod is to replace the adequate footpegs of the CB500 with a couple of slightly more substantial ones off an old Kawasaki Z400.... the mounting holes had to be drilled slightly larger to accept them but this was done with no problem, or weakening anything..... so when I have to stand on the pegs when riding.... I have something a little more solid beneath me :) + as an added bonus they are a lot more comfy under my boot during general road work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To reduce a little more weight, I have removed all the heavy magnets X6 (1/2 Kg?) from the tankbag as the bag is fastened with straps anyway so they are not really needed, this also means that any item in the bag will not be affected by very powerful magnetism ... ie. my camera, notepad etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have picked up the perfect under wear for riding..... couldn't resist it :)    actually it's very comfy and will do the job nicely when a bit chilly over those mountains....  should blend in nicely with the scenery too :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

  

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

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