AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS!

More "Sport Touring" than Adventure if you were to ask me

... and 81 nights

WELL, that's not going to happen, but at least I am prepping for an exploration of southern New Brunswick back roads and sights.

There was a time, when I was in my late 30's early 40's that I had been planning for a round the world solo ride.  Back then there were fewer than 100 people that had done that.  I researched bikes and came to the conclusion that the KLR 650 Kawasaki was the bike of choice to do this.  I had designed a cargo sidecar that could be mounted on either side of the bike or towed inline.  This rig would be rugged, durable and practical.

I'm no hero, so my route bypassed all the known politically dangerous hot-spots of the day.  I was pretty sure I would have plenty of adventure that I didn't need to go looking for buried landmines, machete/AK wielding warring tribes, dictatorships, civil wars or that lost jungle tribe of Amazon women!  Well , maybe the last one.

In my early forties, I was on the cusp of relationship problems once again (remember, I have *D.I.D.s right), maybe a tribe of scantily clad women would have done me good, but I digress...

Relationships can be difficult and sometimes riding your motorcycle around the world has a certain appeal.

It didn't happen.

No tubular steel side hack, no AK's and no Amazons either.  What I did get was a rear ender that ruined 10 of 12 thoracic ligaments, gave me a bum shoulder with impingement syndrome and one fine sunny Sunday in August 2002, ended my thoughts of being the 101st or so rider to do it.

This of course was before Ewan and Charley rode the long way round on the wrong motorcycles (I still maintain the GS 650 would have been a far better choice) By the way, while over-weekending in Great Falls Montana, we met them pulling into the hotel.  Rock would not leave them alone and I felt he was wearing out their good nature.  Of course by then Mongolia, the Road of Bones and both getting hit in Calgary was behind them.  To me it was obvious they wanted to teleport themselves and their big GS's to New York rather than ride the remaining distance.

I'M  loading the not so Wee Strom, for a week long trip south.  I will be house/cat/and dog sitting while Lisa and family are away out west.  I sure raised a couple of globe trotting daughters haven't I!!

Weather report is most excellent, I will have a leisurely ride to get there tomorrow, and then take daily day trips from their home in Rothesay.  My plan is to leave the side bags in my bedroom (**No I didn't get the loft suite over the garage, but I do have a basement bedroom with attached bath)

It's going to be the triple digit back roads, some paved, some not and I will not shy away from graded gravel.  I will however dispense with trails such as Stretch and I covered last year while riding my XT 600, which unlike the V Strom, is actually trail-able.

The Strom and others of it's ilk, contrary to what you see in the ADV ads (The muscular 6 plus footer with the chiselled from granite features, wearing the Hein Gericke ensemble that costs more than any three of my bikes together.) is not a dirt bike.  At well over 600 lbs wet plus whatever you cram in the bags, and a seat height that even lowered for my instep, is still tip toe for my 5'4" frame.

Nope, this trip will be very leisurely, lots of photo op's, covered bridges, uncovered bridges, ferries and a map only in case I get lost (not likely but is possible)

So that's the plan.

Maybe I didn't get to ride a KLR around the world, but what I did get was several visits to Baja CA, the American SW and now the wilds of the Maritimes.

And for that, the DL 650 works well.

Life is good... Doc

*Damsels in Distress Syndrome

**Deal was when my daughters buy homes, I get a loft Dad suite over the garage and a place to park my bike.