Around the World Question

CB650F

Premier Member
#1
To put it simply, what the heck is it?

I noticed that ride listed in the big ride list, and it intrigued me so I clicked on the link to read more about it. The description is simple: "Ride around the globe in seveal trips, returning home between trips" and "Ride around the globe in one continuous trip" for Gold. That got the wheels in my head turning. How can you possibly ride around the globe in one continuous trip? You can't go over the poles, even with the most robust ADV bike. You're also going to have one heck of a time making it over the Pacific with any land based vehicle. Clearly, that's not what it is. What could it be?

Then those pesky wheels started turning again. The circumference of the Earth is basically 40,000 KM. Ah, maybe it's 40,000 KM with some travel on each continent. Now that kinda makes sense. But if it was that, wording to that effect would be in the description page. Oh, dummy, look at the big list of certified rides and see what info is there. Ugh, why didn't I think of that sooner? So that's what I did. I searched for "Around the World" in the big cert list and found a few. Yep, there's a few. Lots of info given too. 14 to 35 countries visited, most around 15. Between 3 and 5 continents visited. Wait, I guess that means you don't have to hit each continent. KM counted is between 20,000 and 50,000. Wait, I guess that means it's not a 40,000 KM based ride. Oh, wait, I got it! Most of the world is water. The land portion of circumnavigating the Earth is probably around the 20,000 KM mark. I guess you could fly from continent to continent and rent a motorcycle for the land portion. Except that you probably can't rent a motorcycle then ride it through several other countries. I doubt a rental agency would ever allow that. Oh, the certs only list 1 bike for each rider. Must be a ferry of some kind over the water, then a ride across the land. Ah, now I gots it! I r smort!

At least, I briefly though I was smort! Alas, no, I are not smort. Something about that just doesn't seem right either. How could you possibly return home between each trip like that? Also, passage for yourself and a motorcycle across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans? That's gotta be expensive as hell! But a high financial gate on an IBA ride? That isn't what the IBA is about. Surely, that's not it either. Now I'm pretty much clueless as to what this ride is about. It's clearly not riding the distance of Earth's circumference, or even riding on each of the continents. So, what the heck is it?
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#3
Yes I did. I ain't scurd o' no rabbits! If you read the whole post, then you followed my path down that hole. Don't do that. I'll just get us both lost. Speaking of getting lost, did you remember to bring some water?
 

OX-34

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#4
CB the continous part refers to time, not terra firma.

Riding it in bits can be done by riding your bike for a chunk of days/countries/continents, leave your bike roughly where you parked it and fly home. In a few weeks/ months/ paychecks fly back to where you left it and carry on for another chunk. You could of course fly your bike back and forth for each restart. o_O$$$$!!!

A 'round the world trip is unlikely to be cheap, nor easy for anyone. But the two options (continuous vs several trips) give any grand adventurer the option to choose whether they are time-poor or money-poor.

Some of us non-US riders do incur great costs crossing the Oceans already....

And as for rental agencies, just about anything is possible - it just takes money. Perhaps lots of money.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#5
Some airlines will fly your bike, and you, across the ponds to a limited number of destinations. This would be part of your planning process. Air Canada is one, during a specific time period during the summer months, as I recall.

You can ship your bike for a reasonable cost, relatively speaking. Ship traffic takes longer, so most people ship the bike well ahead of when they fly to the destination, then arrive a few days before the ship arrives and sort out visas and other travel docs before picking up their bike. This sometimes requires crating and disassembling, fuel drainage, etc. Certainly things to learn about prior to jumping in.

In most cases, you'll pay far more in rental than just buying a bike locally. The advantage to buying a local bike sometimes means parts for that bike are readily available, rather than a high end BMW or Ducati, or model not sold in that country where parts would have to be air shipped to you if you broke down.

It's not usually hard to find a place to store a bike in many countries. Finding a place you trust, that will keep your bike maintained for months while you plan your return may be more difficult. There are known people and businesses in Europe and other regions. (surprise, you're not the first to think about these things)

The transport mileage doesn't count. It's not about how many miles/kms you ride, it's about a route that moves you around the globe. Some take years to do this kind of ride. Some travelers take decades to complete it, living abroad, working abroad, life happening to them during the lulls in their travel.

Others are on a mission and ride as much as they can during each 'season' for the part of the world they want to cover on each leg. You wouldn't want to cover the USA in Winter, for example. Or Southeast Asia in Monsoon season.

Go ahead, plan and dream. Most of us don't want to do this level of adventure, but it's ok to dream about doing it. :) For some it's just about closing the garage door and going. They figure the rest out as they travel. Brave or clueless? Some of both helps. Being confident in your ability to deal with problems and sort out things on the fly helps a lot. But you really have to WANT this kind of adventure. Many do. Many don't.