Our sole aim is to travel far and wide by motorcycle, visit all the countries, islands and autonomous regions in the world from Siberia to Africa and from Scandinavia to South America, while documenting our experiences and incidents en route, to live and eat with locals and experience diverse lifestyles and existential complexities.

To venture out of our comfort zones and beyond the bounds of our home and hearth, to face life’s stark realities and see for ourselves what we have only read and heard about.

Our equipment comprises of two motorcycles, pencil and notebook, cameras, all our worldly possessions packed up in our panniers and backpacks. Basic camping gear will supplement our housing needs when we are out in the countryside.

Our anxiety to travel while still young and healthy and powered by a sincere determination to meet the other inhabitants of our earth face to face, look them in the eye and heartily shake their hands.

We are residents of Bangalore — Garden City of India — now famous for its numerous pubs, ubiquitous cafes and software multinationals. Passion for travelling, innate curiosity to explore and a thirst for adventure have spurred us on to dream big.


Common biker quote: “In a car you’re watching the world like a film, but on a bike you are the film. No mountain, bad road or river can stop a biker in his quest for adventure.”

The aim of our tour is to meet people from different parts of the world, share and understand their way of life, joys and their courage in facing difficulties. The providential meeting with various RTW bikers such as Chris and Erin (www.ultimatejourney.com) in 2000 and Linda Bick in 2006 as they rode through India were great motivators. With each of the riders we spent hours listening to their experiences on the road, looking at pictures, dreaming about our own tour etc. The purpose of our trip is to see new sights, meet new people, experience varied culture and traditions, understand history, take part in local rituals and customs, face new challenges etc.

The poem below summarises our desier to travel by motorcycle

Why?
by James Richmond

"'Why do you do it?' friends often ask, perplexed,
Brows raised, minds sorely vexed.
'The world out there is dangerous!
Aren't you scared? Why do this?
You need steady work, a house, two cars!
You have only a motorbike, and sleep under stars!'

Dear friend, if you must ask, you cannot know
This curiosity that drives me so.
To you it is hidden; in me rises unbidden!
But one day the world I'll have ridden
By iron steed, then perhaps this need
Will have vanished, finally vanquished!
That day will find me on deathbed,
With no regrets for the life I led.

Will you be able to say the same?
Or will you despair a life worn plain?

I will stake my Himalayan memories
Against your estate of a thousand trees.
Pit my Thai sunset
Against your private jet.
Weigh my horse rides at sunrise
To your Italian suits and ties.
I'll rejoice in friends before I go,
Not the figures of my stock portfolio.

And, amazingly, there are more like me;
They reject slavery, and are truly free.
They took the chance we all had,
And honestly it makes me sad
That you didn't.
You thought you couldn't...
What?
Live without the luxuries
Of all our modern amenities?
You choose the bonds of mortgage, but claim to be free,
Wasting a lifetime absorbed by TV.
Why watch it? but live it!
One life's all you get!
Don't put off 'til morrow and continue to borrow
The lives of strangers; 'tis the greatest of dangers
To the soul
Which grows old
Before its time.

Hercules, Columbus,
Guevara, Odysseus,
Champlain, Agamemnon,
The list goes on...
What have they in common?
Regardless man or god,
The soil of continents they trod,
Not in search of gold but adventure!
Not growing old 'cause they ventured
Far from safety; but far be it from me

To Judge...
The pitiless pity us
With souls black pitted.
Pray! save it for those less spirited.
For us... our horizons are unlimited."

We want to travel on a motorcycle because it is the most convenient and economical mode of transport. The goal of this journey is to take each day as it comes, make the best use of the odyssey to learn. As John Lennon said: "Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans." Being an ardent nature and wildlife enthusiasts, we also want to spend as much time possible camping, learning about local environmental issues, volunteering with local NGO’s wherever possible.

We plan to travel around the world in phases, bit by bit, slowly, taking one region at a time. Our first phase is to take on the eight South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, and Srilanka). We are scheduled to start off on December 3, 2006 and travel along the west coast of India and enter Pakistan via Lahore and return back to India, travel into Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh and Srilanka before finally ending at Bangalore, India.

While we have worked hard and saved for the past few years, we know that all our savings put together would be difficult to fund such a monumental adventure journey completely. Hence we are looking for sponsors/ supporters to help us achieve this dream. If you feel that we are doing something adventurous and wish to help, e-mail us to contribute your drop of oil?

• Offer a place to stay for few days
• Pay for our fuel in one or more legs of the journey
• If you are an editor/ publisher, buy our travel stories
• Get us publicity in your local newspapers, TV or radio

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please free to e-mail us.

Like Brian and Shirley, two Aussie bikers said "Roads are for journeys - not to reach destinations" we want to travel as much as possible.