Am I in the wrong Pigeon Hole.

[Alun]

It is 20 years ago this year that we (me and wifey) set off from the UK on our R100GS and spent a year travelling down to Cape Town, via Egypt and the east coast then through Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. All the modifications to the bike including all the luggage were entirely home made, there was no internet, no mobile phones and no GPS. Poste Restante was a can of worms in most places. We had a great time.

In those days we had Touring, trail riding and Overlanding and it always seemed pretty clear to me what I was doing at any given time. Nowadays, we've got trail riding, touring, adventure touring, dual sporting, adventure trail riding and expeditions and worse than that I've still got the R100GS which I use for touring (and a bit of trail riding). Every trip I do seems to be a bit of an adventure although my wife considers it more of an expedition, judging by how long it takes her to pack a pannier these days. I'm wondering if I still know what I'm doing and should I be using a different sort of boot or glove (or handshake for that matter)?

Great post Chas and good to see you appreciate you cant cross the Sahara or Himalaya these days and expect to survive unless you're wearing the right brand of sock and understand what market segment of the motorcycle industry you're a part of.

I've seen the same happen in the outdoor industry where it's now tantamount to suicide to try and climb a mountain with a jacket that doesn't have 'Xtreme' or 'Tex' in the name.

It's all the work of groovy marketing people in swish parts of London.

[davsato]

image is everything, havent you learned yet that you get an extra £1000 for an 'R' on the end of every bike name, and £2000 for an 'RR'? thats how harley gets away with charging so much for their FXCDFDSEERXC models

[ChasF]

Thanks for the replies - this really is a nice friendly forum, long may it last!

We'll all subject to the pressures of marketing, even I've been persuaded to try an 1150GS for 3 years and I'm now on my second KTM. Trying to convince my 18 year old son that there is a world outside of an Apple I phone is my mission at the moment, but the marketeers seem to have the upper hand.

Did the marketing man create Adventure Motorcycling - was it just a riding position which suits anyone with a spot of Lumbago that turned into a multi-million pound market for aluminium flight cases and hi-tech mountaineering clothing with some hard plastic bits fitted at strategic points. Don't you find, when you've driven your bike through Europe to some hot place, you're tempted to junk your fancy suit and just ride in shorts and canvas shoes but you can still hear everyone on your favorite forum telling how dangerous it would be.

I just wish someone could tell me the secret for creating the time for all these holidays!

[snaphappy]

Hello Chas.
hope to see some of pics and a story or two about your travels. not that we're all nosey but I am.

A biker is a biker, but one who travels tends to have better tales to tell

[Lancastermick]

Welcome to the forum Chas. Would love to see some pics of the old bike and any modified bits...haven't got the money to buy shiny stuff and wouldn't really fancy it anyway as it just looks far too nickable to me!

I get snooty looks all the time for the lack of polish and expensive farkles on my bike...couldn't give a shit to be honest ..short on time, short on money... the idea ofworrying about what no-lifers think about me got left behind with the teenage years!

[scouse]

Hi

I just ride my bikes not sure what others have called it in the past or now ?





But I call it having a good time :laugh: :laugh:

Louis

Ps If your having fun who cares

Agree totally!

[mark1150]

On two wheels having fun, doesn't matter if it's a bike, scooter or whatever, now where's me Parka?

[Barcelona Pat]

Hey Chas - nice to have you on board.

I must confess to summer riding with summer gear (ie t-shirt and shorts) when it gets toasty - though I draw the line at flip-flops which I often see sports bikers wearing. Over the last 9 years I've gotton more comfortable with it - when in Rome and all that - plus I've never had any issues. The only time I ride in full (summer bike) gear is up in the mountains, and then I usually head off up there before the sun comes up!

Can't help with the holiday issue, however, no time - off to the beach!:laugh: :laugh:
B)
Pat

[ChasF]

The southern Europeans don't seem to have much in the way of self preservation instints, sunglasses being the most important piece of safety kit. I'm like you, can't bring myself to ride in flip flops but I always wear gloves - just habit, I guess.

Back on the original point, I'm pretty anti pigeon holeing myself but I do find it amusing that the word adventure has crept into just about every leisure activity when only a few years ago it seemd that only the Famous Five and Peter Pan had 'Adventures'

I think adventure touring is where you go on a trip on your road going trail bike and then shoot off down any gravel roads you may see on your route. The adventure comes in 2 ways I suppose, firstly if the track is like most of them around here, it won't be gravel for long and secondly, if it's not marked on the map there could be some adventures trying to find your way back to the route.

Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to venture off road when I have my wife with me (2000 miles of gravel and sand in Botswana and Namibia dampened her enthusiasm) so I'm looking forward to a time when we have the time to go further afield and gravel roads make up part of the route (Morocco and other places). In the meantime I make the most of the thousands of miles of trails here in France.

[Alphadog43]

hi chas, wear whatever gloves you like, boots, ride what you like any way you like, shake any way you like (please wash your hands afterwards though) i dont like pidgeonholes and labels, 'you are one of those, im one of these, so i wont talk to you' rubbish. like a lot of HD and BMW riders wont nod to inferior brands. lifes too short.

Thats me doubly screwed then! :woohoo:

Life really is too short for that kind of crap, just enjoy what ever you like to ride.

It looks like I have been well and truly stuffed in a pidgeon hole