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Two up globe trotters ready to leave |
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Written by Jon
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Monday, 26 July 2010 16:36 |
 Polish-born rider Andrzej Woynarowski is about to depart on an 80,000 mile tour of the globe on his Suzuki DL650 Vstrom and his wife will be keeping him company as pillion. The pair are holding their leaving party in Scotland, where they both now live, this weekend before setting off on the journey of a life time in the hope of finding a new job and new home and a new adventure.
“My passion for motorcycle travelling is almost as big as my nose,” said Woynarowski. He is about to allow this passion to change his life completely. The 27-year-old civil engineer has been living and working in Scotland for the past four years and saving for a mortgage and everything that comes with that. But in a fateful phone call to his wife Gosia a year ago Woynarowski told her he had another idea for how to spend their savings: a three year round the world motorcycle ride.
To Woynarowski’s delight Gosia said Ok and within two weeks they had bought a brand new Suzuki Vstrom DL650 with all the trimmings.
“When I realised I had been dreaming about this for 10 years I was terrified that I might never do it,” said Woynarowski, “I didn’t see myself working to director level, getting a big mortgage and having a heart attack at the end of it.” Having become active in the adventure riding community Woynarowski said he met many people who had done these rides and it made him realise that it is possible. From that point on he stopped considering the “what if’s.”
He explained, “Too many people worry about ‘what if’. ‘What if I break my leg,’ ‘what if they put drugs in my panniers in Columbia and I go to jail’”. Though still with some safety fears Woynarowski won’t let them put him off this adventure.
Like most riders, biking is in Woynarowski’s blood. When he was fifteen he fell in love with motorcycles sitting on the back of his brother’s. When Woynarowski left Poland for the Scottish Highlands the first thing he bought was a laptop and the second was a Honda VFR 750.
Having enjoyed the past four years taking weekend rides round the UK Woynarowski said he needs to tour the world to find a home. “We don’t feel at home in Poland anymore and we haven’t found home in the UK but hopefully we’ll find a several places on the ride that we want to return to and maybe one to settle in permanently.”
The first thought of any rider committed to a world tour is to go for the BMW R1200GS, says Woynarowski. But for those who aren’t backed by BMW the price tag of these machines can be a put off. Woynarowski argues that more than anything else the bike has to be right for the rider. “We have met people going round the world on an R1, a Harley and a Fire Blade, it doesn’t matter what you take, what matters is what you feel comfortable on.”
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely and in one fairly preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!” quoted Woynarowski.
The pair will head up through South America, round North America, cross to Australia, ride through Asia and Russia to the finish line in Poland.
You can follow Andy and Gosia at www.journeyfarbeyond.com
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 08:20 |
