Reviews and update.....

Been a good week.Chipping away at the weekly London to Johannesburg Admin. Doing the blog and seeing some good visiting numbers.From UK to USA. from Japan to Russia. It seems An Idiot Got Bored. The Slow Way Down.......( The Angry Pants are on )...!!! Is picking up steam. If you want to get involved, just e mail me. You never know. I have put my feelers out for some Motor Cross bits I am desperately in need of. Hand Guards, Disk cover and a Scott Oiler are at the top of the list.

So I have been out on the sandy beaches of both Redcar and Robinhood Bay, practicing for Africa.I don't think anyone is going to buy into these sleepy English Sea Side villages are like the Sahara Desert, but what do you do ? Riding in the sand is so different, and has shown me just how vulnerably the little bike is. It has been smoking a little since it's last outing. But has cleared up now.I am doing my best to do something for the Challenge when ever I can.Be it practicing on the bike, trying different pannier positions or maintenance. As soon as I've done the blog, I am off to adjust the chain. As it has stretched a bit. I also am going to take some of the Monster Truck oil out the front forks.As they are now rock hard. Now's the time to get all these things right. But I do feel time is not on my side. And there is so, so much still to do.

On the beach at Robinhoods Bay. England...( twin of the Sahara Desert..)

Now you've seen our miserable beaches, you can see why us Brits are always going on holiday abroad.Miami Beach, it is not !!! You can however, buy an over priced ice cream and get chased by the Police in a 4 x 4. ( It wasn't me ).

On top of Robinhoods Bay.

Whilst it's hard fitting everything around the Extreme Stunt Show. As we are on tour every day now, till 10 th September. I am enjoying, what can only be described as a  " roller coaster " of Planning & Preparation. My budget is so small and tight. That every penny counts. And at this stage, I am still in dire need of a Sat Nav. and Camping kit sponsors. Help !!!!

To follow The Extreme Stunt Show, as we trek across the UK..click the logo.........Scotland in two days. :)



Quick word on the boots I have gone for. They are Lowa Zepher GTX High. Anyone out there in the Forces will know of them. They are simply fantastic. As space and weight are major issues on the little 125. I am taking just one pair of boots. And these are the ones to go for.British Army issue and made in Germany.They are 100 % water proof and breathable.Ideal for Africa. I have no idea what the sole is made of, but they are as light as my trainers, ( sneakers for folks over that side of the pond ).And as comfortable as your favorite chair. ( I love good kit ).

It's Armed Forces day here in the UK. Where we show our support for those that commit the most to our country.And unfortunately get severely injured and maimed in the process.I am trying to help the men and women who loose arms and legs have a " normal " life again.I am dedicating 15 months of my life and over £6,800. All I ask is you help me to help them.If you click on the Help for Heroes logo below, you can make a donation safely and securely.


try this CLICK ON LOGO
Till the next time. Will

Exact departure date, time and location

Depart Saturday .September 14 th. 1400 hrs. From The Biker Store. Blindley Heath. Surrey. RH76JP. England.

Wow, two blogs in two days !! I am trying to cram all admin. for the challenge in the next ten days. So, here we go. Sponsoring company TaskForce Distribution are sending me a pair of Lowa Zepher GTX Gortex Desert boots. They will be at my mates house in Nottingham today. They are the same boot used by the British Army. As I have to travel very light, I shall be taking one pair boots for ridding, walking and the odd tribal dance. This is the boot I really wanted and TaskForce Distribution have been kind enough to get behind the challenge and sponsor me. So it's a big, big " thank you " from me. Here is there site. Just click the boot below..



Johanthan at The Biker Store,they have a massive store, has really helped me out too. He is sponsoring me a AGV AX 8 DS helmet. ( I just had to go for Titanium.Proper boys colour. )Some goggles, gloves and " technical underwear ". I am at a loss as to what that is. But they sound good !! Click their logo to check out the store. All these goodies are on their way to my mates house. His neighbors are going to busy with couriers leaving boxes. :) I have just got an e mail from Suzuki GB. There has been some Red tape about ordering accessories for the challenge. That being that Suzuki Japan can only sponsor me Suzuki Van Van genuine accessories. Which creates a problem. As they don't make any !!!! So the solution is a loop hole within their ordering process. I will update you all as soon as I know more. But it looks like Hand Guards, F/ Gaiters,F/ Disk Cover and high grade Denier panniers can be sourced. All my bits are crossed.:) On the media coverage front. The Nottingham Evening Post have said they will cover the story.The editor is calling me on Monday. Gaining coverage is an area I am concentrating on over the next few days off.The more coverage, hopefully, the more donations. I am ridding over 20,000 kms. Solo and unsupported, cross UK, France, Spain, Morroco, Mauritania, Mali, Gambia, Nigeria, Angola..the list goes on.Some of these countries are in bloody civil wars and not to mention I have to cross the Western Sahara Desert and Eastern Sahara Desert. Help me to help wounded servicemen who have lost arms and legs. Click the Help for Heroes below and make a donation. Here try this CLICK ON LOGO

Suzuki Great Britain sponsor the challenge.

What a few weeks I have had. I am working seven days a week for a touring Stunt Show. 150 odd dates across all of the UK. So time is of a premium.

When I set off on my journey in September, I had planned to give up my rented flat. It costs me over £1000 per month. But, doing this stunt show, has enabled me to give it up early. So whilst I am officially homeless, I will be saving over £6,000 in rent and bills for the period. Not to be sniffed at !!

The mighty Suzuki Van Van is with me on tour now as well. So I am busy practicing, put myself and the bike through the paces. In the process of taking the bike on and off the truck twice a day. It has acquired a few minor battle scars. But nothing a can of white spray can't sort out.

Mods. to the Van Van so far include. A full re spray in white. raising of the front fender by 40 mm. Three cap fulls of thicker oil in each front fork and a enduro rear brake light.The new non slip, Help for Heroes blue seat cover has turned out to be brilliant. The bike is really comfortable to ride. Which was one of the reasons I chose the Suzuki Van Van.

BIG NEWS TIME!!!

Suzuki Great Britain  have signed up to sponsor me!! James and the crew invited me to Suzuki Towers in Milton Keynes last week. I only had 60 minutes to meet them all. I had one person checking out my sizes for an Adventurists Suit, whilst James did an interview. Then I shot off on the 70 mile trek back to the Extreme Stunt Show.

I can't tell you how pleased I am to have the backing of Suzuki GB. They are covering my Carnet de Passage. ( At a cost of £757 ). Have supplied me with a top Adventurists Suit and had my pick of the Suzuki clothes wear at the Head Office. A quality top bag / luggage. I've not seen it yet, but Emma says it's the business. One of those rubber ones that you can roll up. Just need to fabricate a suitable rack and source some decent denier side Panniers. Anyone out there want to help me on that ? Please e mail me. My address is on the right hand side of this blog. :)

Suzuki GB are also providing me with free labour , parts and accessories.They are also willing to ship any bits to Africa or reimburse me via my Suzuki Traders account we have set up.

Me outside Suzuki Towers on the mighty Suzuki Van Van last Friday. ( I think !! No idea what day it is or where I am doing this job ).

The other great news about teaming up with Suzuki is their Public relations Dept. James has been busy writing a feature on the challenge in the Suzuki Magazine. Hopefully more people will read about what I am doing and who it's for. And make a donations.

Read the Suzuki feature on the 20,000 km solo and unsupported challenge. From London to Johannesburg on a Suzuki Van Van .CLICK TO READ STORY

Other news include. Suzuki World Super Bike team are promoting the challenge !! How cool is that ? The Suzuki WSB rider Leon Camier is being asked to hold either a banner or have something put on his fuel tank. That something being our Text to Donate number. He will have it on the Donnington race in England, later this year. If you like what I am doing and the fact every penny is going to wounded servicemen. Most of whom have lost arms and legs. Please, please pick up your mobile phone now. And text WALK to 70900 and make a £5 donation today.

Here try this CLICK ON LOGO

You can also visit my charity donations page by clicking the Help for Heroes logo below.

Sorry for the delay. Between not having any internet connection, due to being some field. And working from 7 am to 10 pm 7 days a week. It's been hard to put pen to paper as it were. But things are coming together.

If anyone has any ideas on how to promote the challenge, please e mail me. And if anyone would like to get involved  again, please email me.

That's all for now. Please share this blog on your Twiter and Facebook pages and lets raise the £15,000 I'm aiming for.

Will

The Good and The Bad news.

Well it's been four weeks since the last blog. Mainly down to my Summer job, working as on a touring Stunt Show. We are doing 140 odd, back to back dates, across all of the UK. It is long, long hours, seven days a week. So sorry for the delay, but work must come first to pay for the challenge in September. So what's been happening ? Well, I do have some magazines that want to feature the challenge. But have been waiting for the sponsoring graphics company to send the " London 2 Johannesburg " tank graphics. And the " Text WALK to 70900, to donate £5 today " banners. Short of it is,they messed it up. A sub contractor to the graphics company has all the information. And has had a big fall out. So that's the bad news. The knock effect has been, that there has been a delay in taking the challenge to a national level. And a subsequent loss of donations to my charity. Help for Heroes. Who assist in the recovery of wounded servicemen, who have predominantly lost arms and legs. The next 22 weeks, working 7 days a week is to pay for the 20,000 km solo, unsupported challenge. From London to Johannesburg on a Suzuki 125 Van Van!! So please do your bit and sponsor me. By clicking the Help for Heroes logo below. It's a UK registered charity. And a donation can be made quickly, safely and securely. Here try this CLICK ON LOGO
Although the situation with the graphics company has been frustrating, to say the very least. I do have some good news. Help for Heroes are now featuring this challenge on their main website. As an inspiration to others. So I feel pretty honoured about that. But slightly embarrassed. The big news is that I have been in contact with Suzuki GB for several weeks now. Their Public Relations Department have e mailed me twice, to say they are 99% sure of a full sponsorship agreement. Which is music to my ears. But I will leave it at that. As there are a few ifs and buts. But it's looking very good. I thought I'd try and post a quick video of some of the stunt stuff we do too. So check it out below.

Click to see our Stunt Show FMX riders..Free Style Motor Cross flying through the air.


  Some more good news. despite the graphics hick up. I did ask Adventure Rider Magazine to go ahead with their feature. They gave a nice write up about the challenge. And put the donations page link at the bottom. Take a look at the article.Click Adventure Rider Magazine to read  Before I leave you for a few days. I just had to show you our two Monster Trucks. If you are a parent of a child about 3 ft tall ( Im not a dad, no idea of ages). take them to a show. They love them. And finally....a touring Stunt Show glamorous? What do you think to where we live ? It's a converted truck trailer. Very roomy !! One last comment. Please, please help me to raise donations. Re post this blog and tell your friends. But most importantly, link the Help for Heroes logo above yourself. Your £20 or whatever you choose all adds up. We have £1300 so far. My aim is £15,000. Will

Back to the Future.....a taste of what is to come.

Whilst waiting for the paint to harden on my bike, so the graphics can go on. I wanted to share with you some photo's of others who have done similar journeys. They are not from one particular " Overlander ". And are there to give you a taste of the challenges I shall face.

Remember, unlike most .I am doing this completely solo and unsupported. 20,000 km's across 2 continents. 19 countries. Through the Sahara Desert and vast regions of famine. And finding a way through countries like Mali, that are in Civil War. 28 Western men have been kidnapped and beheaded in the region in recent years. I am not undertaking this challenge lightly.

Take a look at the photo's and we can all wait for my fuel tank paint to go hard. ( Tum te tum..)

Solo.......

 No AA , RAC or ADAC here ! You break down, you fix it. You run out of fuel.....you best have brought plenty of water!

Sometimes there isn't a bridge!

Africa is massive.USA, China, India,Argentina,UK and Europe,ALL fit in her.

Different cultures and ways of life. No Tesco or Walmart here.

 One of the modifications  I will be making to the mighty Suzuki Van Van, is the tank. 7.5 lt is ok for green lanes. Not for the Sahara .

Morocco...the Sahara Desert....no back up truck!

 Gravity.......a harsh mistress. !!

After ridding all day in 120 degree heat, pick up your bike and fix it.

 Washing the bike, Africa style.

It's never going to be the Hilton. Plenty of gods creatures to keep you company at night though.!!

I will have the rainy season half way down. I hear it can turn into 1 mt deep mud.

New meets old.

 So MR big BMW GS......is my little, but "mighty," Suzuki Van Van 125 so silly now ? I will lift mine and you can lift yours..:)

But the Sat Nav. says.....

What a snake bit can turn into. Ewan on Long Way Down had a private Doctor. I have a First Aid kit and my fingers crossed.

Enough said...

Gulp.I have no witty banter for that one.

Still nothing..

You've seen some of the obstacles I shall face. This is the sole reason why. To help wounded Servicemen Most of whom have lost limbs.

Not for all the tea in China.

 

Lovely countryside mind..

 All for these guys.

  Not for these guys. I can not begin to tell you how much I hate snakes. But i will do whatever i have to do. :)

Angola and Mali are just two countries that have been in conflict in recent years.

 Nigeria in is another country with a large extremist element. That have attacked, kidnapped and murdered Westerners.I shall however avoid the North of the country.

 There are armed gunmen all across Africa. I read most are friendly. I guess i will find out.

A bit of a stocking filler really and to give a taste of what's to come. I am doing this 20,000km challenge for charity. And funding it myself. Please take a min to donate to the charity for wounded servicemen., Click the charity page  DONATE HERE

Thanks. i fixed the Comment box. Feel free to banter away.

Will

Adventure Bike Rider Magazine are to feature this challenge..

I love the Statistics feature I have with this blog.

So " hi " to the bloke in Bahrain that keeps visiting and the six in China....( there's loads of you guys, so invite your mates) !!!  And "thanks" to the two thousand who have read this blog in the past week.

What a few days! But first things first. I am waiting for the paint to harden on the tank and panels, so it can be couriered down to me from Preston. Graphics.net are busy finishing off the, well,.......the graphics. The new seat is on it's way to me now. Finished in Help for Heroes blue. And with a non slip cover. Ready for my boney backside to chafe it's way down the African West Coast.!!

ABR. Adventure Bike Rider have said they would like to feature this challenge. With a News Room article. Where I will update them as I go along my way. Providing extra exposure for the cause. That cause being wounded servicemen, many of whom have lost arms and legs. Everything to do with this challenge is for them. All the expense, the admin, chasing sponsors, promotion and PR work. It's all so you will say " fair play " and click the donate button.DONATE HERE

One article that has already been written was in wemoto News. They are a national motorbike spare parts company. Nice guys actually. ( I would say that, they sponsor me ) ! Big thanks to wemoto for helping me, giving the challenge a write up. Click here to read it. wemoto News


Now for the really good bit. I have a new sponsor. The Biker Store, in Surrey. click to see the store. The Biker Store   I spoke with Johnathon, the Manager. He said he " got loads of these, " but decided he would sponsor An Idiot Got Bored.. The Slow Way Down. How good is that ? Below is the helmet I am having sponsored. It's a AVG AX8 Duel sport. A brilliant helmet. Very,very light weight, with great ventilation for those scorching African Savannas. And lets be right, it just looks cool !

Come on...it looks cool. :)

On top of this great helmet, they are also sponsoring me RST Adventure jacket and trousers. They look fantastic.They were designed to ride from Northern Siberia to South Africa.With various membranes and high end materials. Despite what most people would do,I am not wearing biker boots. As I am on such an under powered bike. ( To grab the public's attention,so they donate ..:)) ) Weight and space are my number 1 concern. I simply do not have anywhere to put personal kit. So I shall be wearing British Army issue desert Lowa boots. Sponsor me anybody ?

Sleeves come off and there are buttons and straps and stuff everywhere. What more do you want ?

Really impressed with these pants and what The Biker Shop have done for the challenge. As soon as all the bits for the bike are back with me. It's Public Relations phase. Where I have to gain as much exposure as I can for this challenge. This challenge doesn't come free!! I am paying for it. It's costing me thousands and thousands. I'm not doing it for my health or because I want to make myself homeless. I am doing it so men and women who have served our country can walk again. 1,600 people a week are reading this blog. And that is Vantastic!! ( see what I did there ?) From all over the world. I will ask you to take 2 minutes and make a donation. Else what's the point of me writing this blog ? If you like what I am doing and who I am trying to help. Click here DONATE HERE Thank you.

The Stig has been busy...

Hi all and welcome...we have followers from Russia to South Africa.

London 2 Johannesburg's own  Stig has been a very busy man. More of that in a sec..

But I wanted to cut straight to the chase and ask a question to you all. Comment box is below. One Carl Froch, the IMF World Boxing Champion Tweeted me yesterday. And re Tweeted this challenge ( Big thank you Carl, if you are reading ). Anyway, as a result, this blog had 400 world wide visits in 24 hours. Brilliant I thought.

But, and yes there is one. The total amount the challenge charity, London2Johannesburg. Help for heroes received was.....zip! Narder. Nowt. Nothing.!! In fact, in the past 5 days, this blog has received over 1,300 views.With no donations.

So my question to you is, what am I doing wrong ? And how can I improve the donations to the challenge charity ? As, whilst I love a challenge and adventure. The whole reason I'm doing all this, is to raise awareness and donations for our wounded servicemen. Most of whom have lost limbs. Answers in the Comments box or e mail please.:)) DONATE HERE click me.


Ok. L2J The Stig..aka Dave. He has been in the paint booth, ( more things I don't understand ), and he has been working his magic.Remember, the bike is going from Yellow to White. So the " London 2 Johannesburg " graphics and "text2donate" number will stand out.

Re introducing London to Johannesburg's very own.........The Stig !! ( aka Dave ). :)

Dave has been busy all weekend sanding down everything and applying fiberglass to the mud guards.

Sorry Dave, I forgot to mention the rear mud guard was a bit of a mess.:)

Rear mud guard being filled with......that stuff that Dave uses.

Brown ..??....going on

Lots of sanding and stuff later.

All primered up and ready for the White paint.

Sanded and getting ready for primmer.

Stigy is good....... isn't he !!

Side panels and two 40mm extension brackets. To raise the front mudguard

WOW Dave....he has made me promise that I will never, ever fall off.!! I agreed to the deal. ( Lol ).

Dave isn't a pro..but look at this finish. And again,I promise not to fall off on this 20,000km ( 50% off road ) challenge.:)

Front mud guard.See the two holes? 40mm bracket will fit there.To raise it higher off the tyre

Look at the difference to before...great job Dave. He is available for jobs.....I will auction his e mail for H4H donations:)

One of the sides......old Dave is a leeeegeeend !!!!

Well there you go.A picture may paint a thousand words. But Dave, aka The Stig paints a Suzuki Van Van !!
Brilliantly !!!!!! These Van Vans are just great little bikes ( Suzuki where's the cash ? ) It just reminds me of a little terrier. Yapps away, wags it's tale and scurry's about for ever and a day. Talk about the little underdog being asked to fight above it's weight.There is something good about that. And I cant wait to go on this epic adventure and challenge together.

Well,that's all folks. For now. Remember,who we are doing this for. Our brave servicemen, who have lost arms and legs.! My efforts are worthless, without your kind words, support and donations. Don't leave it to someone else.Please make a small donation today .click DONATE HERE 

This is why I am funding and doing this 20,000km solo challenge

Will