Austin Vince article

johnnyboxer · Post by **johnnyboxer** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 3:48 pm

Spot on smokin

The 'Adventure' bike industry stinks & is conning us all

Thinking we all need this & that, when in reality we don't

All we need is any competent bike, some basic gear, a map & a few shekels to follow your dreams

prooney377 · Post by **prooney377** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:21 pm

KTM's are ace, aren't they.

Mr Dean · Post by **Mr Dean** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 7:15 pm

Personally

I Enjoyed LWR and LWD also AV and the guys on Mondo Enduro :woohoo:

I do not feel conned by the "industry" or if it is printed do not read anything as essential must have kit. Maybe a little confused by choice

Nice to see someone candid in an interview expressing there own opinion :whistle:

Me I try and buy the best I can afford in my opinion, that suits me and sometimes I get it wrong who cares.

If your doing it on a bean can or the latest expensive model, good on you :whistle:

Yes them KTM's are nice B) I like those Suzukis also. (never ridden either , just a mind thing)

hilux · Post by **hilux** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 12:59 am

the thing you need most of all on a rtw adventure is guts , courage, balls call it what you will , and the you cant buy from any where.

Fantastic Mrs Fox · Post by **Fantastic Mrs Fox** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 3:02 am

All you really need need is an open mind.

Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk 2

Skippy1970 · Post by **Skippy1970** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 7:14 am

Fantastic Mrs Fox wrote:All you really need need is an open mind.

Absolutely ...
Use a bit of your commen sense
It won't hurt ............

Freeloadeur · Post by **Freeloadeur** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:03 am

Well seeing as this has popped up again I'll throw this short interview into the mix. I think Austin (and Gerald) manage to get their point across without too much of the finger pointing and if you've not yet had the pleasure of meeting Austin in person this can be a bit of an introduction.

[video width=425 height=344 type=vimeo]51402421[/video]

I managed to get into the Mondo Sahara premiere last week. It's yet another example of Austin's campaign to just do it. As the lights went up you could look round the cinema at some of the demi-gods of "Adventure Motorcycling" the likes of Chris Scott, Sam Manicom, Walter Colebatch, Nathan Millward et al. If there's one thing thosehugely different personalities share it's not their bike or equipment it's the let's do it attitude. And that's got to be the most important part of Austin's message too.

When I hear Austin speak now he strikes me as a slightly broken man, someone who above all has a huge passion for simple motorcycle travel, who knows from experience that you can just go, and who felt it hugely important to inspire others to do the same but who has seen his message of simple travel taken over by marketing men and companies whose main interest is to make money.

johnnyboxer · Post by **johnnyboxer** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:20 am

Freeloadeur wrote:
When I hear Austin speak now he strikes me as a slightly broken man, someone who above all has a huge passion for simple motorcycle travel, who knows from experience that you can just go, and who felt it hugely important to inspire others to do the same but who has seen his message of simple travel taken over by marketing men and companies whose main interest is to make money.

Well said & I agree

Adventure Motorcycling has been taken over by the machine & we're being conned by it all

Adventure motorcycling is just another marketing invention to make money out of us, who are buying into it

Very few of us can 'go Adventure Motorcycling' because of wives/kids/mortgages or health

But what we can do is enjoy a bit of motorcycling here or abroad on our bikes, a few trails here & there, some camping & a bit of history etc

What we don't need to achieve any of that, is the Adventure Motorcycling bandwagon that has been thrust upon us

All we need is our own imagination

chrisuk · Post by **chrisuk** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 11:29 am

Freeloadeur wrote:Well seeing as this has popped up again I'll throw this short interview into the mix. I think Austin (and Gerald) manage to get their point across without too much of the finger pointing and if you've not yet had the pleasure of meeting Austin in person this can be a bit of an introduction.

[video width=425 height=344 type=vimeo]51402421[/video]

I managed to get into the Mondo Sahara premiere last week. It's yet another example of Austin's campaign to just do it. As the lights went up you could look round the cinema at some of the demi-gods of "Adventure Motorcycling" the likes of Chris Scott, Sam Manicom, Walter Colebatch, Nathan Millward et al. If there's one thing thosehugely different personalities share it's not their bike or equipment it's the let's do it attitude. And that's got to be the most important part of Austin's message too.

When I hear Austin speak now he strikes me as a slightly broken man, someone who above all has a huge passion for simple motorcycle travel, who knows from experience that you can just go, and who felt it hugely important to inspire others to do the same but who has seen his message of simple travel taken over by marketing men and companies whose main interest is to make money.

"Demi-god". That's your opinion, not a status they promote themselves to have.

Saw this post on my phone when I woke up this morning. Just read the words, but didn't watch the film: cost of data on the phone etc. In the shower I was thinking of things to say about the post (agreeing with the majority of Freeloadeur's words) and disagreeing with some of the other hot air spouted by all those who ride the market niche "Adventure Bike" but never actually ride any further than Starbucks on their £10 or 15£k steeds.

Now on my PC, I've watched the video and everything I thought about writing when I was in the shower was said by AV and GV. So I've got nowt new to add...

.... Then again, I will add another 2 p's worth...

johnnyboxer wrote:
Very few of us can 'go Adventure Motorcycling' because of wives/kids/mortgages or health

I concur with the sentiments of your post JB. Just the line above I wish to question: The only reason to stop someone adventure motorcycle is health, IMHO. As AV/GV said in the video, nobody needs a big fat blinged up £10 or £15k bike.

So if someone can't afford a trip (short trips are ok. It doesn't have to be RTW: Next summer on a 2.5£k XC I'm dirt biking in the Alps, riding the length of the Pyrenees and Portugal on dirt: I defy anyone to claim that isn't adventure biking :unsure: ), they should sell the fat/blinged BMW/KTM and buy a xr400 (a mate of mine rode UK-Magadan-Uk on a £850 bike 34.000km in 5 months this summer) or £600 Transalp, like mine (put the wife on the back, or buy 2 TAs and put 1 kid on the back of yours and another on the back of the wife's) and get going. You'll have enough for the trip and to cover the mortgage while you're away. Do the math.

By "you" I'm refering to anyone reading this, rather than you JB in particular.

hilux wrote:the thing you need most of all on a rtw adventure is guts , courage, balls call it what you will , and the you cant buy from any where.

None of the above, IMHO. You need time, money (for petrol, food, beer) and have your sh!t together. By sh!t together, I mean knowing that, for example, Russia/Belarus and Kazakhstan are in a customs union and hence there's no need to clear your bike through customs at internal borders, or riding the Pamir Highway in December isn't such a good idea because it's a bit cool. www.horizonsunlimited.com will help you with all of this "sh!t together" stuff.

Guys, stop giving excuses as to why you're not going anywhere.

johnnyboxer · Post by **johnnyboxer** » Sun Oct 13, 2013 11:42 am

I think Chris has hit the nails on the heads there

Just go do it yourself if you want to - if you can't for whatever reason then there's no shame in that either