This has been a few years in the planning, but finally, I’m out.
Not really much of a plan, most of the work has been prepping the bike (and in this I include buying, and rejecting, a KLR and Suzuki DL650 V-Strom before settling on the S10), working out finances and whatever i might need for Sth America, and getting out of the job and the house.
Yesterday – departure day – was very stressful. After selling or giving away everything (and shipping a few things to Perth), all I’m left with is the bike and whatever I can carry on it.
That day was exhausting, and really I should have just called off my exit when it got to midday and I was still packing. It would have been much more sensible to just leave the next day. As it was, I didn’t even make it out of Maryland. I got out of DC and into West Virginia and just made it to Romney Cycles just before closing time. I said my goodbyes to my friends there, and took Rt 28 north. By 5pm I was near Cumberland, Maryland, mentally and physically exhausted. I got a motel, showered and collapsed into bed. That’s $40 I didn’t need to spend… If I’d stayed home and left the next day, and gone the most direct route, I could have been at that motel by 10 that morning. All in all, not a very successful first day. I hoped things would improve.
This is the bike on Day One. I did a trial load a while ago, wasn’t too bad, but still more than I’d like – 170lbs including the weight of luggage. Since then I’ve added a number of “must have” items that I probably won’t need. I also had to add a few items at the last minute, that should have been in the Perth shipment. At least I can get rid of those at the next post office.
Not to worried, I’m looking at this as “revision 1.0” of my setup, I’ll fine tune as I go.
Heading to Michigan now then west via Sth Dakota, Montana, Idaho. Not breaking any speed records, so hoping to have time to get the blog up and running.
Heading off into the remnants of Isaac now – my Klim Badlands suit will show its worth (I hope!)
