The Left Coast,Road Stories Pt IV.............Nearly Time To Ship Out.

Crikey,I didn't realize it had been 10 days ago that I last posted,i've just been scrambling to get everything together before I leave for the EU. Since this is my first really big RTW trip and I don't expect to be back for at least 2 or 3 years if not longer, I really don't have a blueprint or checklist of 'Things To Do Before You Ship Out For 3yrs' that I can reference.

If anyone has any sage advice for me,now would probably be a good time to let me know. I have a few people I know who have done a RTW themselves, but none for over 6 months, and certainly not for 2 yrs +.

Well at least my bike has already shipped out, it is as we speak on a container ship steaming it's way down toward the Panama Canal ( he says hopefully).

This the last time that it will be seen in motorcycle form, once I pick it up in Rotterdam on May 2nd,I ride 160 kms down to Elsendorp in Holland to LBS Sidecars, where it get's taken apart for the start of the conversion to a 2 Wheel Drive sidecar outfit. The next time I 'ride it' I will actually be 'driving it' as it technically no longer falls into the motorcycle category,but it will still be my motorcycle with a sidecar to me.

I know I am going to miss certain aspects of having a motorcycle,the leaning all the way over into a turn,the ability to lane split or run up the inside shoulder on a 5 mile backed up Highway or road,but the benefits in a sidecar for the type of traveling I do along with the fact of how much time I will be on the road in the coming years (it will be my 'Home' for the next 5 years or so) far outweigh the loss of the ability of 2 Wheels.

Neil and Mum (MamaRica).


Meanwhile,back in California on a Sunday morning ride Chuck,John P,Andy and I took off up the canyons and headed to the Rock Store on Mulholland Highway,where amongst others I met Neil Simeonas and his Mum MamaRica, in his BMW Sidecar.
He could of been me for heavens sakes,Mum in the sidecar?. That's exactly what I plan to do as soon as my sidecar is built,take Mum on a sidecar trip over in Luxembourg and points East. I spoke about taking me Mum on a trip in the sidecar when I sat down with Jay Leno and he asked me about where I was going in Europe and what I was going to be doing.
I've already run it by Mum and she's ready to go.
So anyway,Neil has me hooked up with the Romanian Support Team,MamaRica will be in Transylvania from March on,and Neil's best friend Dag will be in Bucharest.
Can't wait,looking forward to it Neil,thanks for the support.

Neil's sidecar is fully stocked.

You have a good son Mum,well done.

There is always an interesting mix of motorcycles at the Rock Store,as well as sidecar outfits,and the passengers are not always the human kind either.

Andy Manidis.

Chuck Null,my West Coast brother.

'Koda',a super cute dog I met at Neptune's Net in Malibu CA. Perfect sidecar size,but Koda's owner wasn't about to let him go........pity.

The ride back up through Decker Canyon after chowing down at 
Neptune's Net in Malibu CA.


So,I leave from Florida on Tuesday and fly to LA,then a week later fly out to Dusseldorf on the 29th to my friend Ad at LBS Sidecars in Elsendorp in the Netherlands,take a train the 160 kms up to Rotterdam,pick up my motorcycle,ride it back to Elsendorp,and there begins Part II of the WhereTheHellisMurph unplanned,unscripted,seat of my shorts adventure of my life.......








Murph