My best friend bought a motorcycle and it was around that time Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman was released. That was it. I saved up the money, bought a bike too and we started doing small trips in and around Switzerland.
As time went on, the bikes got bigger but the routes not really longer. At the same time, I read up on Ted Simon and Elspeth Beard and followed the adventures of Two Wheels South or Tolga from RideMust. The dream of seeing Alaska and Patagonia got stronger but it all remained very distant. Wishful thinking at best. As live goes though, I got a not so gentle nudge and decided to finally go for it.
Routes, paperwork, budgeting and long packing lists filled my evenings and weekends. Within a few months everything was as ready as could be.
THE BIKE
It’s a 2017 Honda CRF 1000 D Africa Twin. There's a few things I did to it to get it ready for the trip. First, I wrapped tank and fairings with black matte 3M foil. Two reasons for that mainly. For one the bike should be less recognisable and then to get rid of the 90s graphics.
These are some of the most important accessories added to the bike:
Heidenau K60 Scout tyres
Touratech Windshield S
Touratech bar risers 20 mm
Lower saddle Honda original
SW Motech seat rack
Kriega Fork seals
Barkbuster JET hand protectors
Touratech bash plate Rallye
Touratech crash bars
Pivot Pegz MK3 footpegs
SW Motech EVO side carriers
Kriega Kriega OS-32 saddle bags
Kriega Kriega OS Platform
Steelcore Security Straps
HONDA CRF 1000 D Africa Twin fully loaded
The bike boxed and about to be reassembled at the Buenos Aires Cargo Airport
THE ROUTE
Buenos Aires - Ushuaia - Tuktoyaktuk
As I left work in November, it was a perfect time to start in the South and hopefully make it all the way North before snowfall.
FOLLOW MY JOURNEY ON INSTAGRAM
