UPDATE 19 - EQUIPMENT AND PLANNING

EQUIPMENT AND PLANNING
At the outset of this trip we said that we would give you some feedback on the kit and equipment that we used. Having used it over a six month period, covering 30k miles in vastly varying conditions, climates and terrain we think that we have a fair idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each item. We have also included a list of companies that we used for insurance, shipping etc.

EQUIPMENT
Commercial disclaimer. During this trip we were not supported, sponsored or funded by any individuals, dealers, organisations or companies. The inclusions of the companies and their products in this website is not an endorsement, they are the companies that we bought products from, and with discount from some. The aim of including the equipment that we have used is for interest only and to help anyone else planning a trip of this kind. Our comments on the positive and negative issues are as we have found them along our journey.

BMW
http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/

BMW 1150 GS Adventure Special Edition: Well obviously; well perhaps not! You can do this sort of trip on anything; we met people on foot, mountain bikes, tandems, and skate boards, on four wheels and every conceivable size and type of motorbike! For the trip that we planned, with its time constraints and the distance to be achieved, there were only two bikes that we would consider; the KTM adventure or BMW adventure! Each one has it merits and neither is the sales support or enthusiasm of their dealers!

We opted for the BMW; not sure if it was because it had the greater fuel capacity, shaft drive so no chain to maintain, or was it the Macgregor/Boorman experience when KTM said that they would not provide bikes for the Long Way Round because they would fail! Was it that Macgregor/Boorman would fail, or they would fail on and because of KTM or it was KTM that would fail?

We think that we made the right choice and we have nothing but praise for these machines. They were bought new in March 2006 and completed 30k miles each in the following six months in some very testing conditions and over even more demanding terrain. During the whole period neither of these bikes let us down once; although we did let them down a few times and quite hard; they just got back up and carried on as though nothing had happened; more than can be said for us! We have not had a single mechanical fault on either bike which is testament to the competence of the longevity of this model and their robust engineering.

We’ll be keeping these two bikes, as they’re only just run-in, and use them for the next jaunt which will probably be the real “Cape to Cape” as the Americas was just the warm-up rehearsal for the trip from the UK to Nordkapp, the northern point of Norway and onto Cape Town South Africa; starting either this summer (2008) or next? Highly desirable

CLOTHING
BMW Rallye 2 Pro Suit: Mick S had the full Rallye 2 Pro suit and I had just the jacket and used a pair of BMW Air Flow 2 trousers. The Rallye suit did not impress us; the design is flawed by trying to be all things to all men for all conditions! The suit is not waterproof but has a gortex waterproof liner that you insert into the jacket and trousers! The jacket may not be much of a problem, but you have to get your trousers off, which means boots too, to put the gortex trousers liner on!

The suit has a number of venting zips to increase the air flow through the clothing but they were not very effective when you consider the size of the Beemer’s screen and the added wind protection from its large front end! The venting zips were not weather proof and during cold wet conditions they allowed the ingress of water and cold air.

The external lower pockets are next to useless. They are too small and poorly shaped with a flap closed by two small patches of Velcro which are insufficient to secure the contents; and they blow open when riding at speed. These pockets fill up with dust, dirt and water. The two chest pockets are good and work well, but only the small pocket is water proof; the other larger one is more useful but your kit gets wet in it!

The build quality leaves much to be desired. Both of the cuffs of Mick S gortex jacket separated from the sleeve not long into the trip and bits fell off the clothes too

Our recommendation for this sort of clothing would be that the suit should be constructed with an integral waterproof membrane; all zips should be waterproof, including venting zips. Pockets should be as large as is practical, waterproof with weather tight seals, with lower pockets located so that they do not rest on the thighs when riding. Desirable

The BMW Air Flow 2 trousers: These worked really well in all conditions giving the greatest flexibility by using a combination of additional thermal trousers and gortex over trousers to suit the conditions. Highly Desirable

For total foul weather protection we used an all-in-one waterproofs.

BMW Pro Winter Gloves: These were the mutts nuts for cold dry conditions and as we experienced a lot of very cold dry conditions these were used continuously to great effect. Unfortunately they are not waterproof which would make them the only glove you’d need for cold dry/wet conditions. Highly Desirable

Bike Spares: We travelled with a few specific items that might be difficult to find on route:
Fork seals
Fuel Tank Quick Release Fuel Couplings + O-rings
Fuel Pipe Clamps
Improved Headlight Bulbs
Oil Filters
Oil filter tool

Kenwood Radios: We had a pair of radios for bike to bike comms that worked through the Pro Com 7. Unfortunately we never did quite manage to get them to work properly. The concept was great but the reality was that we could only talk to each other occasionally and even then intermittently! These are a very useful tool if they work when you’re separated or navigating through dense traffic. Desirable

WUNDERLICH
http://www.wunderlich.co.uk/
Big Foot: This is an oversized plate, attached to the standard side stand plate to increase the size of its footprint. It is very useful for heavily laden bikes parking on soft surfaces. Unfortunately the design of this plate is not that clever as we lost two; one before we left the UK (which was replaced) and the second in the second week of the trip! The concept is highly desirable but you could achieve the same effect with a locally produced product. Highly Desirable

Blue Air Filter: We fitted washable, reusable, long life air filters in order that we could wash and service them on the road instead of having paper filters that would perish more easily if they got damp or we drowned the bikes during river crossings! Desirable

Filter Plus: This is a magnetic plate that attaches to the oil filter to attract and collect any metal debris in the oil. As the bikes were brand new we wanted to reduce the threat of engine wear during the early weeks. Desirable

Magnetic Sump Plug: A magnetic oil plug that collects any metal debris from the engine. As with the Filter Plus, they were fitted to assist in collecting engine filings. Desirable

Signal Minder: Enables the indicators to remain on providing a permanent light while remaining a direction indicator. It provides additional visibility of the bikes/rides – safety. Desirable

Lifting Handle: Provides a handle in the right position to assist lifting the bike onto the centre stand. This is absolutely essential if you have a heavily laden bike. Essential
Splash Guards: They fit below the pots providing a weather shield to the feet and they work very well. Highly Desirable

Fenda Extenda Front Mud Guard: These are highly desirable in order to give added protection to the front of the engine from flying debris. Highly Desirable

Rear Extenda Rear Mud Guard: These are supposed to reduce the splash at the rear of the bike and provide additional protection! Not Required

Oil Filler Plug Lockable: This is to help prevent tampering with the oil filler plug. It is a useful security option but not essential. Desirable

Cruise Control: This is an unsophisticated throttle friction lock cruise control system that did work reasonably efficiently and helped on those 600 mile straight roads of Argentina! Desirable

Puncture Repair Kit: Could state the obvious!! Absolutely essential, include tyre levers and a method of pumping up the tyres too! Essential

Micro Flooter Spot lights: Additional spotlights were for safety; to be seen was more important that to see! Highly Desirable

Black Side Panels: They are cosmetic really but they do cover the brake reservoir and would help to deter and prevent tampering. Desirable

Battery; Improved Amperage: We opted for the improved battery providing greater amperage as we were going to run/recharge all sorts of electrical equipment and didn’t want to find a dead battery. Highly Desirable

Handle Bar Risers: These did provide a slightly more relaxed riding position; not essential! Desirable

Foot Peg Lowers: Mick Simpson had a set, I did not; Mick S spent a lot of time dangling his legs off the pegs, I was quite happy with the standard riding position. We do not recommend them due to the huge expense (£100++) of this kit and they catch the ground when riding rough ground or leaning low on tarmac! Not Required

Foot Brake Enlarge: This is a larger plate fitted to the foot brake to makes it easier for the foot to make contact with the foot brake. It is very useful when you’re desperately trying to find that rear brake pedal, especially when riding cross country! Highly Desirable

Pro Com 7: This device provides the interface between bike to bike communications, mobile phone, IPOD and GPS audio feed into a helmet earpiece. It is not essential unless you are using multi gadgets as you can put your IPOD earpieces in your ears and listen to the music on the go. If bike to bike communications are used some form of interface device will be required. Desirable

GPS BMW Nav II (Garmin 2610): Although our GPS did not have digital mapping for Americas, they were useful for dead reckoning and enabled us to plot where we’d been as well as enable us to return to a known point, especially if we had to go for help and then return to our companion! Desirable

TOURATECH
http://www.touratech.co.uk/ Oil Cooler Grill: The protective grill collected all sorts of flying debris, but none of it made it to the oil cooler, probably an essential piece of equipment. Essential

Centre Stand Protector (Belly plate): This was an additional plate to extend the standard belly plate. We felt that it would be essential to protect the underside of the bikes as much as possible as we were not sure what we were going to encounter. Essential

Exhaust Y Centre box (Exhaust non Catalytic): We were advised that the standard catalytic converter could be fouled by poor quality fuel and the Y Centre Box would prevent this. It also reduced the weight by a few kilos! Desirable

BMW to Cigarette Lighter Socket Adapters: BMW provide two electric power sockets on the bikes, but their size is not compatible with standard cigarette lighter powered equipment; making them unusable for anything other than BMW supplied electrical items. Adaptors are essential. Essential

Headlight Guard: An essential piece of kit as neither of our bikes suffered any damage to the headlights. We were either very lucky when riding the gravelled tracks of the Americas or the headlight guards did their job. Essential

Sondersystem 41 Litre Pannier System: A very good load carrying system. Not only did the panniers swallow a huge amount of kit, but they gave very good protection to the bikes on the few occasions when we put the bikes on the floor! Essential

Touratech Pannier Security: They do provide at additional cost integral locks and keys to be fitted to the catches, for their boxes and panniers. But they are as much use as an ashtray on the handle bars! We found that the locks were not robust enough for the job; they fell to pieces. It would be more secure and cheaper to buy a suite of small padlocks with identical keys. Although the catches keep the lids on the boxes during riding and crashing, the mechanism is woefully inadequate for the security of your kit as we found out in Canada when our panniers were broken into and kit stolen. A screwdriver will flick the soft aluminium catch open. We will fit additional security to these panniers for the next trip! Not Required

Top Case 33 Ltr: I do not think that we will use the top boxes for the next trip. Although the box was of good quality, the interface bracket to the bike was not sufficiently robust. We will probably dispense with the box in favour of a large bag/grip/canoe bag. It’ll take more kit and be more versatile. It can be secured to the bike with straps and use a Backpackers wire net to prevent it being slashed and kit stolen from it. Not Essential

Hand Guard Extenders: It is difficult to measure the level of additional protection that these give as they were fitted from new. Desirable

Bottle Holder Brackets Holds X 2 Sig Bottles: One pair of bottles on each pannier provided an additional 4 litre of capacity; one litre of oil and three litres of fuel. Highly Desirable

GPS Handlebar Bracket (Lockable): The stock BMW GPS cradle is plastic and although very competent in general use it would not withstand the rigour of our trip. If you’re using GPS a secure bracket to prevent/reduce the risk of theft is very useful. These brackets kept the GPS securely on the bike even when we threw them on the floor at speed! Essential

BIKEBITZ
http://www.bikebitz.co.uk/

Airhawk Seat Cushion: It is a comfortable pneumatic cushion that you clip to your seat. Absolutely essential, an absolute must if you’re going to be in the saddle for long periods and it really does work. Essential

TYRES
Continental TKC 80 (Knobble): These are a superb tyre, capable of good progressive road riding on tarmac, keeping up with the road bikes and gave us no problems off road either. These are our preferred choice of tyre, capable of dealing with all surfaces and terrain that we encountered. We averaged about 6k miles on each set of tyres. Essential

Metzeler MCE Karoo (Knobble): A good off road tyre but a nightmare on tarmac. Not Desired

Dunlop Road Tyre: These were a set of genuine road tyres that I had from Quito to San Francisco and they worked very well as we were on tarmac; except for 50 miles of muddy track!

Metzeler Tourance Dual Purpose: Fitted in Denver for the last run to LA; sheer luxury to get off the knobble’s as they were giving us RSI to the hands after so many miles on tarmac with high vibration knobble’s! Highly Desirable

PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS.

INSURANCE
Travel Insurance: Campbell Irvine (insurance Brokers) Ltd, 48 Earls Court Road, Kensington, London W8 6EJ. Tel +44 (0)20 7937 6981. http://www.campbellirvine.com/

Bike Insurance: Maria M Alessie. Assurantiekantoor Alessie, Eliotplaats174, 3068 VL Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Tel +31 104 555 946 fax +31 104 555 948. Email Alessie@Alessie.com

Bike insurance USA: Harley-Davidson Insurance, Drive Insurance, PO Box 6807, Cleveland, USA. +01 800 925 2886

PERMITS
International Driving Permit: RAC Motoring Services, Travel Administration, PO Box 1500, Bristol, BS99 2LH. http://www.rac.co.uk/

Carnet De Passage en Douane: Paul Gowen. RAC Operation, Great Park Road, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 4QN. +44 (0)1454 208000 (switchboard) +44(0)11454 208304 (direct line)
pkgowen@rac.co.uk http://www.rac.co.uk/

SHIPPING
UK to The Falkland Islands: Darwin Shipping Ltd, Crozier Place, Stanley, Falkland Islands, FIQQ 1ZZ Tel 00 500 27629. Email: Darwin@horizon.co.fk

UK office: Charringtons House, The Causeway, Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 2ER
+44 (0)1279 461630. http://www.the-falkland-islands-co.com/

Falklands to Punta Arenas Chile: Via The Falkland Island Company Ltd

Receiving Shipping Company Chile: Agunsa, Av Independencia 772, Casilla 60-D, Punta Arenas, Chile. Tel +(56) 61 241065. Email: mbuljan@agunsa.cl http://www.agunsa.cl/

Colombia to Panama: Diaduanas Ltd, NIT 830.093.753-7, Manga Cra 29 No. 28-29, Cartagena, Colombia. Tel 6609216/02

Receiving Shipping Company Panama: Seaboard Marine Ltd, Via España, Plaza Regency, Piso 12, Panama City, Panama, Apto. Postal 4369 Zona 5. Phone: (507) 210-9600Fax: (507) 210-9635. Contact Person: Joris Deruwe.
E-mail: jderuwe@seaboardmarinepanama.com Website: http://www.seaboardmarinepanama.com/

USA to UK: American Export Lines, Global Logistics Company, 13500S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90061, USA. Tel 001 31- 523 2300. Email, info@shipit.com http://www.shipit.com/

Receiving Shipping Company UK: Kingstown Shipping Ltd, Ferry Birth, King George Dock, Hull, HU9 5PS. +44 (0)1482 374116. Email: info@kingstown-shipping.co.uk http://www.kingstownshipping.co.uk/