"For my own Reasons"

Admittedly, none of us have posted much in the past few months, giving the impression that there hasn't been much in the way of preparation for this trip. In terms of communication on the subject between the three of us, that is absolutely true.
A prime example of this is tonight when, after a hiatus on the blog, I come back to find that apparently I'm not going to Chernobyl, "for my own reasons". This is news to me. Never in the past year have I said I wasn't going to go through with this.

So, A few rants and phonecalls later and here we are. I AM still going on the ride, there still isn't a set date, and the three of us need to work on communication skills on the topic.

So anyway, a quick update on my past few months:

Following the cancellation of several bookings, I still haven't gotten through my Mod 1 test which was originally set for last October, and am now waiting to get the time and decent weather (it snowed today!) to restart the course. After a rise in insurance cost for no apparent reason and a bad winter, I'm not insured to ride my CG at the minute. I'm also devoting whatever free time I get on working on my next car, a Nissan 200sx, sitting in my brother's garage some 30 miles down the road.
Because of all this, despite replacing a rotten vacuum pipe and cleaning up the sparkplugs (£12 each!!) on the 400 to get it running again, I haven't had bikes on my mind recently. Hey, I need to create my own balance to John's obsession, after all.
So to summarise, I'm back. In actual fact, I never left, but someone (John Bailey, I'm looking at you!) got the idea that I was.

Latest updates

Good Day,
In the last few months there have been many things going on in my life which have left with me with little time to update and work on the website.
Dont worry i have not forgotten about the trip and everything is still on as much as i can do. Paul is still fighting on and well into his lessons and at the moment has his heart set on a honda transalp.
Unfortunatly there has been much saddness since the last post, my Grandma and Grandad died in the last six months and much of my time has been taken up around this. They are people i will never forget.

There will be regular blog posting and website updates in the future from myself and Paul.

Much of the information about the trip is now running through the site www.twowheelstochernobyl.com
I will continue to update this site but would like as many people as possible to join the mailing list there and follow the blog through the website.

Until next time, take care and ride safe.
John

fun times with big bikes

So much has happened since the last post, I have now got my big bike licence and got myself my big bike, a CBR600f, its in yellow and black and has a scrape down the side. Im not hugely worried about the condition, as a first big bike I think there is going to be much worse things happening to it in the future.
Ive also got myself lots of fun extras to use while im biking, a nice tank bag, a scala G4 headset, a white and red honda racing motorcycle jacket, a new lid, all nice things.
I am also very excited about the addition to the trip, Paul will be great along side, three of us on the run.
Another big addition since the last post is that I have more or less finished the website for the trip, check www.twowheelstochernobyl.com and let us know what you think.
ride safe
John

New arrival.

Right. I know that in the darkness of my room at 3:30am Ill awake, shaking, covered in sweat and screaming as the realisation of the epic adventure that is soon to unfold infront of me sinks in. Im sure I have nothing to worry about. However, the the thoughts of foreign terrain, foreign people and foreign experiences are a little daunting when you've never actually ridden a bike before. My CBT is approaching and maybe it'll be more exciting and less shit ya pants scary once Im actually riding. Johns worried that I wont enjoy riding but if Im honest it wont matter. This, for me, is an adventure. Having known John for 14 years and Teggert for, Im not actually sure as i have a hazy, drink fueled recolection of a dry humored individual talking in depth about the vast expanse of the universe, I'm confident that I shall be supported and ridiculed appropriately. Am I going to manage this? I know so. Will I enjoy it? We'll see. Much love. Maddison out.

We're getting some buffeting!

Went to sleep last night to the sound of the rain, woke up this morning to the sound of the wind. I don't care, I'm using the bike for work today. I'm working 7 days this week, this half-day Sunday is the closest thing I'm getting to a weekend. I'm using the bike.
The rain had just about dried off by the time I set out on the deserted roads this morning, and I never noticed much wind either, other than a fresh breeze in my helmet trying to compete with the Boom Boom Satellites in my ears and the rattle of my bike's tail panels. I'm sure some sellotape or blu tac or something would fix that.
Anyway, come the afternoon I've got 20 minutes to get home to catch the Grand Prix, something I know I can do in a car. As soon as I'm up on the dual carriageway, I'm belted in the face and my bikes kicked aside as the wind berates me for dismissing it earlier. Both hands on the bars, this may get a little rough.
Leaning at about 60 degrees in order to go in a straight line isn't as comically funny as it seems, and I'm soon zipping up my jacket further at the first opportunity. The waves starting to hit me in the chest trying to topple me backwards getting more frequent, I snarl at smug bastards nodding to me from their K1200s and Blackbirds as I'm struggling to hit 50mph and stay upright. I probably look like I'm nodding back, I'm being shaken about so much. I suppose this was the 'experience' I was looking for when I thought it'd be a good idea to go out in this weather on a naked 125, rather than being in a comfy car.
Soon though, I'm into nice sheltered 40 and 30 zones, tapping and singing out loud to the music only I can hear. That's probably better done in a car too, when I think about it.
So I get in and discover I've missed the first 7 laps of the grand prix, and it all now feels like a wasted struggle. The answer is lying in wait for me in a garage, give it another week to get the money together and I'll be applying for lessons and tests to get on my 400. A faired, faster, heavier, more wind-resistant bike. Oh, yes.

Some pictures that we have taken of us on the 125s, there will be more of these bikes then alot more of us on the big bikes, be prepared to be swamped in pics.
Ride safe everyone

John

A new bike, now I need the new License.

A few days ago I finally came into possession of a 16 year old Honda RVF 400, the 3rd love of my life. The fact that this object is, in fact, not human, and I don't have the license to ride it yet doesn't dissuade my use of the word "love".
The little Honda 400s are one of the very few bikes that I like every aspect of. Usually theres something I can pick out about a bike that I don't like the look of, but with the RVF I love everything; the fox-eye lights, the small but strong and racy looking body, the retro styling of the tail. The only thing wrong with this bike is me.
Having spent the money to buy the bike, I'm now trying to wait a while before going for my lessons and tests. This of course means theres a bike sitting in a garage being neglected while the Summer whiles away. Oh well. I've got the bike now, at least I've got that part out of the way. Thing is, I don't want to get rid of this bike in a year's time when we got to Chernobyl. I wonder how my skeleton feels about going across Europe on a sporty little 400.