[mikeyMarine]

welcome! the 08 is a great machine, and you got the faster red one instead of the better gas mileage black! do the seat release mod, check the gas tank for rust, and take a glass of water on your trip, it gets kinda thirsty out there!

 

[mikeyMarine]

Welcome to the Burgman world.

Not sure if you will be going on sub standard roads like sand and gravel. There are no real Adventure type tires for a Burgman 400. You may look at mounting a Car Tire for traction if legal in your areas.

I've been on "roads" that the back tire would push but the front tire would slither around when ever it found solid ground , kinda like pushin a lariat up a waterfall., finally got it off the side of the road into the grass and got the heck outta dodge

 

[mikeyMarine]

burgs do like to wander and explore, not sure how good they are at finding water and food, but mine never had a problem finding "refreshin beverages"

 

[mikeyMarine]

ride that route again and take a camera, I'm pretty sure you can get some snaps of yourself coming around the curve behind yourself or going around the curve in front of you, (be sure to blank out the license plate numbers)

 

[mikeyMarine]

yeh, that hospitality thing, we used to keep some local currency in coin with us, if the situation called for it, some coins might accidentally get lost under a rug or something where it would be discovered a couple days after we left, we always set up a fake emergency callback to get us out after a couple hours. military radios din't need cell phone towers so it always worked

 

[mikeyMarine]

grip puppies will change the outer diametr of your handlebars, and heat and cold charachteristics, but vibration and feedback , not really, think about it, the burg soesn't fight you, it doesn't have a clutch you gotta be squoxin a lot,. there's no need to keep a firm grip on it, a VERY light grip is fine, ride guarded, fingers draped over the brake levers, thumb hangin below the bar elbows bent, basically usin the bars to rest your hands on to keep them fron draggin on the pavement, Kinda like you put yer hand over yer money on the table at the Kitty Kat Klub.

If you ain't squeezin, you won't git the feelin an squeeze too tight , it ain't right

 

[mikeyMarine]

I don't remember seeing extra fuel containers, was I gettin fergetful ?

 

[mikeyMarine]

i bleve i'd strap them cans on, water on rt side, an do some bumpy test rides!

 

[mikeyMarine]

cool ! I was thinkin like there are still lotsa places in Florida where you got long stretches of nothing and no cell service, gotta send texts by carrier buzzard and Amazon uses alligator delivery.

 

[mikeyMarine]

Oh we got remote out here, this is what it looks like in between gas stations

View attachment 101131

duuude, that runway sure is short, but it's wide enough!

 

[mikeyMarine]

I can’t answer your question but I’m glad your back.

I was afraid you rear-ended a camel, 🙀

 

[mikeyMarine]

Just a quick update All good my end, and now considering the first major bureaucratic decision - perhaps you can help weigh in:

The Burgman is registered and running UAE plates, and I'm the legal owner, so that's all in the clear. The issue is once it leaves the country. There are two options, one for people who want to tour internationally and then return to origin; and the other for people who want a one-way trip. I'm unsure at this stage and would like to keep my options open.

Option 1. The Burg stays on UAE plates and remains registered in UAE, and I get a "Trip Ticket" (aka Carnet de Passage) which is like a passport for vehicles, gets stamped at the borders upon both entry and exit, and requires a hefty cash deposit to guarantee that the vehicle will in fact exit the countries, and which is refunded upon return to the country of origin. If it doesn't return to origin, as intended, some documents need to be submitted with the request for refund - a bit unclear at this stage.

Option 2. The Burg is de-registered in UAE and export plates are applied, and I carry an Export Certificate which proves I am the owner. At each border I'm let through, hopefully, but it's unclear whether a Trip Ticket / Carnet is also required (most countries have dropped the Carnet requirement) and it's also unclear how long the vehicle can stay in each country along the way, since the intention is to cross directly to the destination country, where the vehicle should be imported. This could very well be what I end up doing, since I'm not too sure about reaching EU, turning around and riding another 10k km all the way back!

I'm trying to connect with someone official who knows, within the police, Ministry of Interior, vehicle licensing dept, etc. but so far no luck. The UAE Automobile Club, which normally handles the Carnet, apparently is no longer involved.

Anyone here have any experience or advice?

is there a time limit on leaving it regirstered ? like maybe go , decide you don't want to ride back yoet, fly home for a spell fly back and get the burgy and ride back?

 

[mikeyMarine]

that would probably cover getting stuck waiting for parts somewhere too,, I gotta trhink, after I completed my journey, riding back wouldn't be as much fun or adventure and I might lose motivation (unless there were a few motivating factors on the ride back.)

 

[mikeyMarine]

I suppose you know already about sand and dust and air filters. I envy you your adventure,,,,, but not the flies and the grit

 

[mikeyMarine]

now, about that pull behind trailer, you wanna get the extra large capacity or the super extra large capacity

 

[mikeyMarine]

Having been on the empty roadside with a busted bike, 7 broken ribs a broken SCAPULA (they don't break often_ a broken collar bone and a couple internal organs displaced, I prefer a tiny bit of traffic. pleasant riding is the imperative as it is what you will spend the majority of your time doing, and so it will determine the quality of your adventure.

 

[mikeyMarine]

Yup, riding in dry heat is much preferable to wet cold! especially in Saudi. Nasty sticky mud.

 

[mikeyMarine]

Tell me more about the wadi RUM, I might need a visitors pass

Augh , paperwork,, it should only be required in the "throne room"

 

[mikeyMarine]

as a caution I had one of them bubbly thangs on my honda seat, maybe it was the corrosive environment or whatever, but it din't last 500 miles before alla bubbles weren't . Ya can't plan for everything, and can't carry enough for every contingency but you seem to be getting a good start, and I am looking forward to your journey !

ummm , I think you neeed a cat, I have one available for just shipping

 

[mikeyMarine]

plus the sheepskin makes a good warm soft addition to your bedroll, for your feet for your feet, considerin where it's been all day , you don't want it near yer nose at nite