Join me on another little trip

The precise route will only be determined as I go along, because I cannot foresee every eventuality. But I do have a fairly detailed plan and a good idea of where I'm going and how the travel arrangements will shape up. You can find out more about the route I've planned in this part of Episode 1 on my YouTube channel.

I have a plan of my route, which although detailed may change of course - I'd never be able to say precisely which roads (or lack of) I was going to ride. I'm starting in São Paulo, Brazil and aim to end up at my home city of Oxford, England. This is approximately 40,000 miles (64,400 kilometers) and with the things I want to see and do, and people I want to meet again, it will take me around 24 months.

My motorbike is a Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT, from the 2017 model year. It is a mid-sized adventure bike and I chose it for a number of reasons - it's a great all-rounder and Suzuki bikes are famed for their reliability. It also sounds quite nice! I've owned the bike for around 5 years and done many trips on it in that time, but none as ambitious as this one.

Almost all of my protective clothing is from a brand called Rev'it, and my helmet is by Shoei. I've chosen my gear based on the fact that I'll be riding in all kinds of conditions, from −20 °C in Alaska, to over 40 °C in South East Asia. Rev'it seemed to be the best brand to me for versatile adventure gear that suited my needs.

My trip and my content is not sponsored in any way - I've simply chosen motorcycle clothing that I like and which works for me.

My bike is fairly standard and I haven't made any significant modifications to it. When I purchased it in 2019, it already had a sturdy metal bash plate and engine guards installed. Most of the modifications I have made include adding luggage - pannier racks, a top box, rigid side panniers, a tank bag and so on. I've also added metal foot pegs to replace the rubber ones, which are much better on rough roads and uneven surfaces, but do come with the compromise of slightly more vibration at higher speeds. A headlamp protector, as well as mounting points for the cameras I use for filming my YouTube videos have also been added.

I am a firm believer in planned preventative maintenance, so I am regularly having the bike checked and serviced throughout my trip. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep ahead of things and avoid any major issues before they happen.