Friday 20 December 2013

Bikes: For this German couple, the world really is their oyster!

So being a part of the Adventure Riding Community (ADV) I have had the great fortune to meet lots of riders.. some of whom have become great friends.

So from this global community, into our lives has come Helmut (Helle) and Bea. A young couple in their early thirties, they are travelling the world by motorcycle…. and having a ball!

Since leaving their native Bavaria over 2 years ago, they have travelled through Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and then shipped their bikes to Thailand. Around South east Asia and then to Darwin. All over the place and finally to Brisbane.

It is refreshing to have them here with us; the stories of their travels simply amaze me. Camping in the middle of nowhere in Mongolia with not another person in sight and having no fear of any harm coming their way. I guess that is the part of their attitude to life that amazes me. And unlike Basil Fawlty, you can mention the war. It is interesting to discuss Germany's later history with a young couple whose parents were not even alive during that time. They are frank in their discussions and with young people like them around; we baby boomers can hand over to them the custody of the planet with confidence!

They believe that everything will be perfect, that they will be safe and it always is!

Helmut is a mechanical engineer and Bea is an environmental engineer and they just seem perfect together as a couple. Travelling and living off motorbikes for more than two years would test any relationship and theirs appears to have passed all tests.

This morning they took the two Hondas to Port of Brisbane to ship them to Auckland for the next chapter of their adventure. Helmut has spent the last week cleaning the bikes to ensure that they pass NZ quarantine requirements. I started out by pressure cleaning the bike.. Helmut then pulled half of the bike apart and took to it with a bucket of detergent and a toothbrush.

Truly.


Helmut with his tooth brush and Bea's Honda.

The motorbikes are quite amazing. They are a pair of 25 year old Honda Trans Alp 600cc V twin. Helmut has spent over 1000 hours on each bike in preparing them for the trip. First he fitted fuel tank and swing arm from a Honda African Twin and then made his own stainless steel pannier racks to adapt his tool boxes to the sides. He has also made the crash bars and sump guards for the bikes. His attention to detail combined with his knowledge and skills are just amazing. And he offered to clean Deb's car.. but first he must pull it apart and so spread the engine pieces all over the garage floor!

And do they make me laugh. His sense of humour is wicked and they both keep Debra and I in stitches .. we will be truly sad to wave good bye to them both on Sunday.

So if you see Bea and Helle on the road.. give them a wave!

They truly are living the dream; while we are all probably living somebody else's dream perhaps!

About to take the bikes to the wharf!
Update! See their Youtube video of South America!