Jonathan Yates - The Real Way Round: 1 year, 1 motorcycle, 1 man, 6 continents, 35 countries, 42,000 miles, 9 oil changes, 3 sets of tyres, and loads more

Getting started

Motivation for the journey

I stuffed the magazine into my backpack: I was running late and rushing to catch a bus to Hobart, Tasmania. The magazines cover had dramatic photographs of a Thai fruit festival men mutilating their bodies to celebrate harvest it looked interesting so I grabbed it. It was 1997 and I was on a year out after university, backpacking round Australia.

What had seemed a pretty insignificant book/magazine swap, commonplace with all backpackers, was later to have more relevance. Within the magazine (called Revelation ) was an article Rider on a Storm which detailed a ride across the Nullabor (Perth to Sydney) by a solo rider who had to overcome weather fronts and rough camping, as well as face the challenge of elements of his personal circumstances, whilst riding home to meet his estranged family.

The article was so captivating that I made the same journey as part of my year in Australia: my first real road trip and a truly great journey. Previous travel in Australia had involved using public transport, or organised backpacker trips, none of which came close to the sense of freedom of having your own transport in a foreign land, providing the opportunity to really explore and get off the beaten track.

Make progress make progress the instructor yelled as I failed to get up to speed on a dual carriageway during lessons in motorcycle riding in East Lancashire in 1998 (the year I passed my bike test). His squawking never really bothered me; I always rode at my own pace and have continued to do so: everyone has a sweet spot when riding, dependent on mood, conditions, and the bike.

Not much happened after I passed my test ... the AGV helmet and leather Lewis gloves gathered dust on a shelf. I did, however, continue to travel, making several short trips to Asia, including Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, all of which left me thinking how great it would be to escape the main tourist areas and do things in my own time. As it was, even a three week period made trips tight.

My career took me to Leeds, and North Yorkshire provided the backdrop for the majority of the weekend rides I began to take on my bike, rolling in and out of the North Yorkshire Moors and the Lake District. I loved the simplicity of my first machine a 600cc Yamaha Fazer which I bought in 2007.

After five years of working at J D Wetherspoon there was the opportunity to request an unpaid sabbatical. I had told a few people about my ambition to ride round the world, and they boosted my levels of anticipation by buying inspirational books related to my ramblings, such as Jupiters Travels and Mondo Enduro . Visits to the Horizons Unlimited website (http://www.horizonsunlimited.com) and meetings were equally encouraging. Events and circumstances were colluding; the urge to do the trip increased following the Ewan McGregor/Charlie Borman Around the world ... documentaries. But could I do it? Was it possible to travel solo around the world? I had done only 3500 miles (5632km) on the Fazer, so was hardly experienced.

More research followed and I part-exchanged the Fazer for the new Yamaha Tnr XT660 a bike that boasted it could get you anywhere on a proven single cylinder engine. By this time (2008) I had made the commitment to myself more planning was required but the decision was made: I was going to do it. I took a basic motorcycle maintenance course at Wakefield College, made some simple modifications to the bike, and applied for a one-year sabbatical from work, which was approved and began from Saturday 1 August 2009.

To be honest, the decision had been made before I even bought the Tnr, and I had been researching possible routes for a few months, and making lists of kit necessary for serious overland bike adventure. I knew that some areas/countries were more difficult or even impossible to ride through. The Americas seemed well-travelled and accessible, but how to get from Europe to Asia, the Stans, China, Burma, and India?

Having one year to get around the globe did focus my plans. On my trip I met a number of riders, some of whom had similar time constraints, whilst, for others the trip had become their lives: riders four years into a road trip with no end in sight. I got the feeling some folks were just wandering: high-powered, high-plain drifters on metal steeds. I was always impressed by their stamina but did wonder what their plans were if they had any. You meet lots of interesting travellers on the road, and theyre all different people on very different journeys.

The magazine article in Revelation over ten years previously was the inspiration for my Round The World challenge. When people asked Why? and many did the simplest and best answer was: Why not?

Planning: things to do and getting organised

Budget

Keep this simple: reduce everyday costs and start saving. I think my entire trip cost 17-20,000, but it can be done for less (more rough camping/no hotels), and obviously you can spend as much as you have there is no ceiling.

This estimate includes three air freight transportations of the bike: not sure how these elements can be reduced, and theyre difficult to avoid if crossing between continents. Actual day-to-day expenditure isnt that much, especially if youre happy to camp, comparable to a year at home with bills, mortgage, insurance and weekly shopping as regular payments. Whats not at all comparable is the experience!

Solo adventure or group ride?

This is an important decision, determined by personality and how flexible your plans are. If you dont mind a few diversions because a travel companion wants to take a different route or have a day off, then riding in a small group can be fun, and allows for interesting chat about the days ride. There are also benefits to riding solo; I think it provides a better opportunity to meet locals, who are more likely to speak to a lone person, or even offer the hospitality of a drink and meal, than if you are with a group of riders.