Beast

My vehicle of choice is quite literally a motorcycle.

To be more specific it is a Honda XL650V Transalp, affectionately known as the Tranny.

Isn't she a beaut?

The long list of amazing features this incredible machine is sporting includes:

- Engine, 647 cubic centimetres of unleashed fury

- Seat

- Wheels (yes, that really is plural. 2 entire wheels)

- Temperamental alarm

- Decorative speedo

Some of the things this bike lacks are:

- Roof

- MOT

- Tea & coffee making facilities

- Furry dice

Inspite of these obvious drawbacks I believe it is the perfect machine for the job. I can confidently say this for two main reasons. Firstly, it's mine. And secondly, it's still working. How long it will be working for remains to be seen.

In the event that something does go wrong I have a watertight strategy for coping with it. I intend to jump up and down, shout very loudly and hope that someone else turns up who knows what they are doing.

To support me over the next several months the Tranny has been loaded nearly to breaking point with various tools and equipment. I tried to take the bare minimum, but it seems that even that is a lot.

With me I have:

- Camping stuff - tent, sleeping bag, stove etc

- 3 sets of clothes

- 2 spare tyres, I decided it would be too difficult to find the right sizes en route

- Lots and lots of tools. When packing I probably should have made sure that I didn't take unnecessary duplicates - I know there are at least 3 12mm spanners under the seat and I found another one in my trouser pocket today

- Gadgets - cameras, GPS, laptop, chargers

I have no idea how much all of this stuff weighs, just that when fully loaded and on the centre stand the rear wheel touches the ground. Hopefully I will be able to dump the spare tyres at some point when I am done with the road sections.

For anyone else travelling in the same part of the world this year I should be easy to spot. The bike will be in several pieces and I will be by the side of the road with a kettle muttering something about a cup of tea actually being able to fix any problem.