A little bit about myself; I was a late comer to biking and one of the primary reasons I got into biking was watching the 'Long Way Round' series with Ewan and Charlie. While the idea of riding off-road did not really appeal I started to see the appeal of two wheels and so in 2004 I did a 'Direct Access' course and started commuting to work by bike (Kawasaki ER-5 in those days).
Although I added both 'Long Way Down' and 'Ride to Dakar' to my collection I was still very much a road rider, graduating in 2008 to a BMW F800 ST. However, at just over 6' tall I couldn't get on with the F800 ST as I would end up with cramps in my thigh muscles after 90 minutes of riding. So in 2010 I swapped it for a new R1200 GS, which was the beginning of my love affair with adventure bikes. Unfortunately I found the GS a very tiring bike to ride - I have problems with my lower back and it's just too big and heavy - so I decided it was time to move to something smaller and lighter. At the same time an opportunity came up for a new job which would allow me to get back to daily commuting by bike.
I had already sold the GS and yesterday I picked up my new (to me) 2009 Kawasaki Versys 650. This will primarily be used as a road-going vehicle but I seem to have finally overcome my lack of interest in riding off-road. My plan is to book myself in for a course with 'Off Road Skills', make sure it is definitely something I am up to. If it really takes off for me then I may look to either replace (or add to) the Versys with an F800 GS.
In terms of adventures, my parents live in the south of Spain so one trip I am already thinking about is riding down there and then exploring their local area. Beyond that, I live just outside North Wales so I reckon there is plenty for me to explore both on and off road.
Here are a few pictures of my new bike. Hopefully I may meet a few of you along the way.
(thumbs)
