2RidetheWorld

[Scott Brady]

Seattle, WA - (June 30, 2009) World-record setting motorcycle adventurers, Simon and Lisa Thomas visit Touratech to make some upgrades to their bikes before leaving for the next four years of their journey. The Thomas’ are 152,000 miles into a 10 year continuous motorcycle journey around the globe. After overhauling the bikes with the help of Touratech and BMW, both bikes are shipping to Japan this week.

From Japan the Thomas’ will venture into East Russia where they will traverse west to Siberia and Mongolia. They will then head South through the “Stans,” a group of countries bordering the Caspian Sea that include Kazakstan, Uzebekistan, Tajikistan and others. The final stage of this segment will take them back across the Southern part of the continent into the Far East.

Russia will be their 60th country in a quest to ride 122 countries. They left the UK in 2003 with nothing but their motorcycles, camping gear, and a dream. Simon has ridden the entire journey on a BMW R1100GS while his wife Lisa has been on board a BMW F650GS.

When asked what the defining moment of the journey has been, Lisa replied:

“We found ourselves in the middle of the Sahara Desert…and it’s then that you realize just how small and insignificant you are…You look around and realize that you are just a speck.”

In the beginning of 2009, Simon and Lisa surpassed the world record for the longest continuous motorcycle journey by a team. They have other goals in sight, including being the first team to ride on all seven continents. When people stopped by the Touratech showroom to look at the bikes, Simon and Lisa were both quick to point out that all of the original Touratech parts have withstood the rigors of the entire 152,000 miles ridden so far… a true testament to the quality, design and durability of Touratech products.

During their visit to Touratech we took a few minutes to speak to them about the Journey. Here are a few video highlights from the interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQPPgoNefqc

If you would like to learn more about Simon and Lisa’s travels you can view their website www.2ridetheworld.com
For more information on Simon and Lisa Thomas or anything for your next adventure, contact Touratech-USA:
www.touratech-usa.com
www.cycoactive.com

 

[goodtimes]

Simon and Lisa are just incredible people, with an incredible drive.

I had the good fortune of talking with them a year or two ago as they were touring the US giving multi-media presentations on their journey. They play off of each other very well, and give a great, real world, presentation. It isn't all fun and games out there. They had some tough times...but they are both living their dream...so more props to them.

If anyone ever gets the chance to see one of their presentations...it is well worth it.

 

[haven]

Thanks, Scott, for posting this. Here are a few words I transcribed from the video. They are spoken by Simon Thomas, after 6 years and 150,000 miles of continuously traveling by motorcycle:

"Like a lot of people, Lisa and I had dreams and aspirations. What tends to happen is you end up getting caught up, and you end up putting things off. 'I'll wait until I have more time. I'll wait until I have more money.'

The reality is you need to look at the sacrifices you need to make to make your dream a reality, and just decide if they're worth it. And if they're *not* worth it, refocus on something else. You're never going to have enough money to provide the safety net you think you need. And time never gets more convenient.

Lisa and I talk with people about our journey. We've had this amazing six years. I know people imagine that we're doing it because we're somehow better qualified. Nothing could be further from the truth. We weren't mechanics, we had no off-road experience. It's just that we made the decision to do it.

So the advice really is: Make some preparations, set some goals, but just put the plan in action!

The scariest moment of this entire trip wasn't the accidents, or the dangers that people perceive . It was the deciding to do it. It was truly terrifying. But we haven't looked back in six years.

It's just the doing of the thing, taking that very first step.

The rest is breathing in and out, twisting the throttle, making stuff up as you go along, and hoping for the best."

 

[West Coast Mags]

Safe Travels, thanks for taking us along on the adventure.