Mosquito Beemers: Photos

The Silk Riders

An Interview With Adventurous Kiwis
By Ernie Conover #107981

I first became aware of Gareth and Joanne Morgan last year when the director of a firm I work for in New Zealand put me on to them. Holding a doctorate in economics from Victoria University of Wellington, NZ; Gareth Morgan is CEO of Gareth Morgan Investments and founder of Infometricts, Ltd. While Mr. Morgan is very successful in business, he and Jo are very active in philanthropic work having given thousands to worthy causes and are now setting up a foundation to administer grants to worthy organizations.

In 2005 Gareth and Joanne Morgan, accompanied by Dave Wallace, Bryan Wyness, Phil Lough, Brendan Keogh and Selwyn Blinkhorne retraced Marco Polo's journey from Italy to China. Because BMW sponsored the trip, supplying them with F650GS bikes, they actually departed from BMW World Headquarters in Munich. This difficult, dangerous, epic journey, done without support vehicles, is chronicled well in their book Silk Riders. It is well worth the read and can be ordered online at http://www.paperplusbooks.co.nz. It should be added that this was not the Morgan's first arduous motorcycle trip as they had previously completed trips in the Indian Himalayans, South America and Australia.

Having become addicted to a life of adventure on the road their 2006 trip is in North America. Titled "Backblocks America" the original plan was a circuitous route starting in Miami and biking up the Atlantic Coast to Virginia, down the Blue Ridge Parkway and along the Gulf Coast. Then it is up the backbone of the Rockies, through Canada to the Beaufort Sea. From this most northern of places it is down the coast of North America finally disembarking at Los Angeles. The shipment of their bikes from New Zealand went terribly wrong. They had to hire a car and drive to Charleston, South Carolina to meet up with the Beemers and actually start the trip.
They then decided to detour north to Ohio to see the Amish. My colleague in New Zealand e-mailed Gareth that I live in the center of Ohio Amish Country, am an avid BMW motorcyclist, and president of The Mosquito Beemers, a MOA and RA chartered club. Gareth phoned me for directions and we talked out navigation and timing. My wife Susan and I then had had 24-hours to organize what became known as the Great Amish Country Dog and Pony Show. I made calls to as many of Mosquito Beemers as I could reach. On 24-hours notice it was only a enthusiastic could show up.

In the afternoon on Thursdays April 27th club members began to trickle into my shop in Parkman, Ohio at about 2 o'clock. The Silk Riders arrived bang on time at 3 p.m. This years Backblocks America Trip has Silk Road veterans Gareth and Jo Morgan, as well as Dave Wallace. New comers are Rodger Clausen and Mike O'Donnell. After bike ogling, snapshots and a group photo, I gave an explanation of Amish lifestyle. After as much palaver as ardent riders can stand, it was off on my standard Amish country and covered bridge ride.

It was a meandering route on mostly paved roads predominantly settled by Amish. My southeastern corner of Geauga County is approximately half Amish. We made numerous stops, the first being in the town of Mesopotamia at a country store. The Silk Riders were able to chat with Amish and were most respectful of their not always wanting to be photographed. It is best to ask! We then visited the Mesopotamia Cemetery where a local settler, Howard A. Brigden, carved memorial stones from granite boulders called erratic, which were left by the glaciers in this part of Ohio. They are nothing like the tombstones of the time and are real works of art. The group then paused for photos of Don King, the fight promoter's house-a textbook example of outdoor decorating run amuck. We ended at a covered bride which delighted the Kiwis. While Rodger rode back and posed on the bridge Dave Wallace and Gareth took turns making "artsy" photos though the rear hub of the new 1200 GS.
While I was out gallivanting Susan had been busy cooking up a storm. We returned to hors d'oeuvre on the patio followed a sumptuous roast pork tenderloin dinner. The temperature was dropping rapidly and although we braved the patio fire pit as long as possible people, one by one, gravitated indoors. It was a grand evening of motorcycle gossip with the Silk Riders holding court and explaining to us mere mortals what made great expedition riders tick. I thought other BMW enthusiasts would also like to know what we learned so here, in their own words, are the answers to our questions.

Q. The Silk Road presented many more risks than previous trips. You had to put up with unstable politics, customs and immigrations problems, being mobbed by excited locals on motorbikes, dysentery, government thugs and 10 days of enforced sobriety in Iran. Tell our readers a little about your motivation to go to such places at great personal risk, to speak nothing of discomfort, to yourselves.

A. We've got to the age now where it is time to further our education. Kids have left home, careers are about as developed as we want them to be so it's time to get out there and learn something about the world, rather than remain cocooned in our own little corner of the universe. So in 2001 we started that process. We have yearly biking trips covering the world, planned out until 2010. By then we may be old enough to take up golf (though I doubt it). Combining motorcycling (which we've both always loved) with a desire to see how the other half lives, has led to this obsession with biking the globe.

Q. While you all rode F650GS bikes on the Silk Road most everyone but Jo has gone to the R1200GS. Tell us a little about your feeling for both bikes.

A. It's really horses for courses. On the Silk Road the road conditions were far less predictable and we needed a bike that we could easily pick up if we did a desert flop or gravel grovel. You need to remember that we carry quite a bit of gear (as we don't have support vehicles) so that makes the overall unit quite heavy. When it came to North America we could see that even your secondary roads were what we'd call highways. This, combined with the fact we have a lot of distance to cover, led us to the 1200GS. Joanne didn't opt for this bike merely because of its height - the same as she didn't use a 650Dakar on the Silk Road - the 21-inch front wheel, just made it a bit tall for her, so she has stuck with a tried and trusty F650.

Clearly the 1200 is more powerful and has a ton of torque for overtaking on the highways. In that respect it's definitely a step up, but the additional weight isn't always worth it. Next year we will return to Dakars for the trip across Africa.

Q. Given the conditions encountered on the Silk Road the 650s held up very well. How are the 1200s doing in America?

A. We have had no issues with the 1200's at all, having already done 10,000 miles here that are very pleasing. To be fair; however, the conditions are hardly testing. The shake, rattle and roll of the Silk Road were just a wee bit more arduous for man and machine.

Q. You all wear BMW Clothing. How has it worked out? Gareth, Joanne and Dave all wear Rally Suits which must have been great in the hot climate of the Silk Road but how are they in North America? Also how does having to put in the water proof liner under the suit work out?

A. The suits are great in the hot weather as you say. But we've just come through Yellowstone Park where the temperatures were down in the 40's. The suits need "help" to be suitable for us in these conditions. We wear up to 3 layers of very thin merino wool undergarments, then a Gortex® layer and then our suit. If we're still cold we then put plastic raincoats over the top to stop the wind. So far this is working fine - but we're about to motorcycle to the Arctic ocean so I'll have a more informed view then!

Q. In New Zealand you also ride Harleys. Tell us a little about your feelings on how the Beemers compare.

A. I ride a Harley Deuce and have always it seemed had a Harley Softail custom-type bike as my road recreational option. These days of course they're very reliable machines and for cruising about in nostalgia mode, a great relaxation - providing you don't rely too much on braking in the corners! The BMWs are an altogether different proposition. Without the obligation to nostalgia, they are engineered to the top performance standards available. For example - how many of the big Beemers do you see with just a single front disc brake? Harley could obviously do that too, but it is not the point.

It depends very much what your purpose is. When we first mooted touring the U.S. I automatically thought it has to be done on a Harley - after all this is their home. I only enjoy the chopper-style Harleys, the big front wheel full dressers are not for me. So the idea of loading up the rear of my chopper style Harley with all the gear for 4 months and setting out, soon sobered me up. It would be like doing a wheel-stand across America. Given the project at hand - big distances, lots of gear on board, and a mix of on gravel and sealed roads - the GS was the obvious choice. We're happy with that.

Q. The average account of a motorbike trip in the Motorcycle Press describes a couple of guys riding circuitous roads like blazes, stopping only for gas or sleep. BMW riders in particular seem to be obsessed with riding long distances in the shortest period of time. It is what I call the Iron Butt anathema. I thought Susan and I were the only riders in the world who liked to ride back roads for no more than 250 miles a day and stop often for photos. Do you think your touring regime is unique or is it an New Zealand thing?

A. Definitely not a New Zealand thing - I think serious bike riders the world over like to go hard. But we can do that back in New Zealand if the urge takes us, we don't need to go to the expense of shipping bikes around the world. What we're doing is different - sure biking is the most exhilarating form of land travel we know - speed when you want it, smells, temperature changes, etc. - you are very much in touch with your environment. But the additional dimensions - and this is particularly the case when touring the 3rd world - is the people. Whole villages turn out to engage you. What sort o buzz and learning experience is that? You'd miss it if you were just doing a testosterone run.

Q. America must be tame compared to your previous adventures. What are you feelings about Backblocks America so far? Is it too tame a ride?

A. It is tame but it is enjoyable too. As always, people are what make it. We stop in to diners in wee towns and the people are just so friendly and welcoming to us - strange as I'm sure we are to them. That's what makes it such fun. We're trying to avoid all the cities and that rat race stuff. It's been very rewarding so far. Sure there's no language barrier and customs are pretty much as we know them back in New Zealand. But America is different, definitely. We find the church thing pretty weird but the folks are just lovely - and so polite!