About Me – Contact Me
So, who am I and what am I doing? Well, my real name is Richard but a lot of people on the net know me under different nicks, the latest is TravellingStrom or TS for short, I have also been called many other names as I grew up, some not so flattering 🙂 This is me enjoying another of my favorite pastimes, reef fishing.
I intend to ride my motorbike around Australia where I have spent most of my life, then fly with the bike to the American continent and tour around there. After that, get us to the UK, go through Europe and head back home via whatever route is available when I get there that is reasonably safe, I would expect the Stans and then Asia, possibly China and then back home. If things change for the better in the middle east, I would like to check out a few of those ancient places. I figure that if I do the trip in this direction, I will have most of my funds available while in the most expensive parts of the world, ie, US, Europe. Then when the funds start to get low, I should be in the Asian sector where you get more bang for the buck. That means I can still travel at the same comfort rate as before, or maybe even better, you never know.
I am at this stage heading away on the 1st August 2008, my first goal is Cape York, or as far as I can get on a heavy pig of a bike up nearly 1000km of dirt anyway. Then proceed west to Broome, south and back east, hopefully do some of Tassie when it starts to warm up a tad. I do not have a concise plan because things change when you are travelling. If things don’t go to plan, then bad decisions can be made which could have disastrous consequences, to my health most likely, or my means of transport, which ultimately is closely connected to my health. If I do not have exact timetables then I will not be ‘rushing’ to get somewhere, possibly while tired, or fatigued on a hot day/extremely cold day, maybe even riding at night while tired. There are other reasons too, I want to see things, experience the places and cultures I will be travelling through. If I make a plan to be somewhere, I may miss out on something else which I would have been really interested in. Spontanaity is the plan! Pull up on the side of the road, enjoy the view, take some photos, stay an extra day in a small village in the middle of Columbia for example, why not, I don’t have to be anywhere 🙂
That said, I still have a couple of places I would like to be at certain times. The first one is the Ulysses Adventure Riders AGM, which this year is being held in Myrtleford, Victoria 11th October. I have a feeling I will be in Western Australia at that time. But, if I am within 2000km, then it is only a few days ride to be there for that weekend. I will try and ‘steer’ my route in this direction where possible without backtracking too much nor causing undue hardship on myself. If I miss it, I miss it, I am not going to die trying!
I had been thinking for a long while about which way to proceed with the overseas legs, I was initially considering flying to Singapore and heading west via the silk road, this has been done by many bikers in the past. I also have many ‘net’ friends in the US and was thinking of getting there around Christmas, but it would be winter there and I am not sure I could go from an Aussie summer direct to a US winter, brrrrrr, so I sort of let it rest a while, I still had plenty of time to make that decision.
I am an avid follower of the Dakar Rally, usually held from the 1st-15th January every year which winds its way through south Europe, then Africa into the finish at Dakar. This years event was cancelled due to tourists being killed which was very sad, of course they had to cancel the event 3 days before the start, but they could not maintain the safety of the thousands of competitors, officials and spectators. I heard in early April this year that the 2009 version has been moved to the South American continent and will start and finish in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
That was it!! I had a goal and a date, now I could get my arse into gear and start planning 🙂 The Dakar would start on the 3rd January, I could fly in and follow it around, find some vantage points and watch the action first hand. Over the next few months, the bike forums were alive with talk, there was going to be heaps just turning up to watch. All I needed to do was somehow get the bike there, the latest info I have is Qantas will do a direct flight, I am hoping that is so. So, that is my second and last deadline at this stage.
Why take the bike, why not buy overseas, surely it will cost a lot to fly a bike, I hear the questions coming? Well, for a start I bought the bike new, I have maintained it and modified it to suit me. If I bought a bike overseas, who knows what I would get. Then I would have all the hassle of modifying the bike in a short time frame, then assuming that worked, I would have problems at some of the international borders. Doing it my way, I only have to prove that the bike will not be sold in the countries I travel through. I also will have no issues importing the bike back into Australia at the end of my travels in a few years time, except for quarantine of course, it will need a bit of a scrub 🙂 Yes, it will cost money, probably around $5000, but I will save that in not having to keep buying selling etc while over there.
Below here is a contact form. If you would like to contact me privately then just fill out the details and write your message in the box. Also if you wish to be added to a notification list of blog updates, just send me an email as well.
TravellingStrom 
Roy(road warrior) said
Hi M8, I was riding along with you today up I81 up through Va and on into to PA. Had to check your website out, Great pictures, Would love to be able to take the time out to ride around the world myself. Hell just to do it around the USA would be great for me.. I keep saying one of these day I’ll get the hog out of the garage for more than a weekend ride. Safe travels my friend. There are some crazy truckers out there that forget to double check for bikes, being a rider myself I always check and hell sometimes you get a good view of the lady on the back,,,lol… I was in a EPES Transport truck #20020 if we ever pass again I’ll buy you a cup of joe,,,, Take Care
Roy
travellingstrom said
Hi there I had to read this 3 times I relised you were in a truck, I thought I was going mad, missed a bike riding with me lololol. I would have to say I cannot remember which truck, there were a couple that were quite courteous today, so one of them was you I guess. What colour was the truck? Thanks for the offer of a Joe, what is that ? Get that bike out of the garage and ride it m8! Don’t make it a 500 mile a year bike, make it a 10,000 mile a year bike 🙂 Cheers Richard
RUSTYBURN said
You just missed me… I’m in between Mansfield and Columbus.
Safe trip to you and enjoy!!
Take~Care!
travellingstrom said
Dammit, sorry m8, I had no idea, but I am heading west again now. 😦
TS
todd mccarthy said
I still don`t appear to be on the Emailing list which means going back through my inbox to may 11 (just sookin i spose) have a good one old china.
travellingstrom said
Hi Todd
You were still on my list, I had two different email addresses for you, one with an AU at the end, they have not come back as undelivered, but the one without the AU on the end did. Let me do some tests.
Richard
todd mccarthy said
In case your wondering Qld 24 Nsw 14 Qld have won 4 series in a row
Todd
ps
still can`t click on Emails (but we won the footy yay)
travellingstrom said
Bloody beauty, good on ya Mal Maninga.
Now, all the Broncos have to do is get back into gear and start winning.
Thanks for the info
With the emails, if you have my web page open, you will see the new days coloured a bit different in the calendar area on the left.
I am a bit busy so not sure how to fix the issue at this stage. But the above will always show the new posts if you refresh the page
Cheers Richard
todd mccarthy said
Maybe the fence things are for hay when times are bad stokck “feeders as such”, thats what they look like to me.
Todd
travellingstrom said
The answer will be revealed soon, but you are not even in the ballpark, sorry m8, no cookie for you either 🙂
Cheers TS
Peter Wilkes said
G-day Richard,I met you at Jim & Lesley’s place in Chinchilla, during the water melon festival earlier this year. My name is Peter Wilkes, I am Alan Wilkes’ son, you were kind enough to show me your Vstrom and the extras you have on it. I have just purchased a 2008 DL 650 and am currently setting it up to do some more adventure touring with my father. I am finding your personal advice and the advice on your web site a great source of information and inspiration. Am following your progress on your site and I wish you all the best and happy travelling.
Kind regards
Peter Wilkes
travellingstrom said
Thanks Peter, nice meeting you as well, you bought a good bike 🙂
Cheers TS
Mark Goodyear "Miles City" said
Hey there!
Was nice to have a beer with you at the Montana and the Yellowstone last night. I know I said I would come find you tonight for another beer, but unfortunately I Have some Family business to get done 😦
Well have a good trip up to Alaska! I will be keeping tabs on you! And will let you know when I make it down to the Southern Hemisphere!
Hopefully this does not Double Post 😀
travellingstrom said
No worries m8, well met and I may see you on the other side of the world 🙂
Cheers TS
Graeme said
Hi, Richard/TS/Aussie….
Very encouraging website, fascinated to ‘copy’ some of your tips/travels aboard my KLR650 out of Brissy. One question? Where did you buy those ‘Givi’ engine crash bars? not keen to break by expensive fairings or radiator… don;t think much of the SW-MoTech or Happy Trail designs.
Shall follow you journey RTW, take care in the US.
Graeme & Jutta
KLR650 and F650GS
TravellingStrom said
G’day m8
Thanks for the comments. I just contacted Givi Australia who gave me quite a number of ‘dealers’ in my area who can import/onsell Givi gear. I cannot remember that street where you have all the bike shops, probably anyone of those will be able to tell you, it is over on the south west side of Brissy.
Cheers TS
Smurph said
Hey TS,
It was a pleasure to meet you and even better to get to ride with you. I look forward to crossing paths with you one day again.
Ride safe,
Smurph
TravellingStrom said
Thanks Smurf, sorry to have missed you on the Saturday, maybe later on my way back south 🙂
Cheers TS
Jim Winterer said
Hi TS,
I just learned about your site from the LongDistanceRiders internet discussion list. I posted the link at a popular 650 V-Strom list on Yahoo: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/DL650/ .
One member of that list was in Dawson City this past week, too. Bill from Oklahoma is heading up the Dempster to the Arctic Circle today.
I live in Minnesota but have been to Dawson City, Inuvik, etc. a couple of times over the years, so it’s fun to follow your updates.
My Wee is set up for long-distance rally competition, including Happy Trails and 11 gallons of fuel. It’s an ’04 with 80,000 miles. Not doing enough WeeStrom riding this summer, but lots of observed trials competitions, which I also enjoy.
How are the mosquitoes treating you?
Jim Winterer
St. Paul, Minnesota
TravellingStrom said
G’day m8, how’s it going?
I do not know the groups you are talking about, but I guess I have spoken to members somehow etc.
I decided to do the Dalton, as it is the furthest north, I am still thinking of returning and doing the Dempster, I am now back in Fairbanks after achieving two goals, the Arctic Circle and Prudhoe Bay, so now I need some rest,a clean and workout the next section.
How did you manage to get 11 gallons on the bike, is the rear end modified with no passenger seat etc?
Cheers TS