“I was soaked, partially from the rain but mainly from the sweat of my desperate efforts to get my bike back up on two wheels. I’d unloaded all the luggage and was trying to get some grip with my boots, bracing myself against the bike while trying to lift it. However, my feet were constantly slipping away on the muddy track. And, to make matters worse, during the few moments I had some decent grip, the bike would start sliding away just as I’d managed to get it up again.” – Bert Boute
“Finally! The bike was back up and staying up! I managed to load her up and start riding again. Trying to get a little bit of grip so I could go in a straight line instead of sliding sideways, I managed a painstakingly slow crawl forward. It was taking several counts to cover one meter of the muddy track at a time. My average speed? Between one and two kilometers per hour. And I still needed to cover a lot of ground before I’d be reaching the grassy hills with more grip. And then, I dropped the bike for the eighth time that day. Totally exhausted, I started my little ritual again. Unload it, position yourself, try to pick it up, slip away, try harder, repeat. At these moments, you start questioning yourself. ‘Why am I doing this? And is this really what I wanted to do?” But, you have no choice, so emotionless I continued my trip, step by step…”
Reaching the grassy hills with a mind swirling full of doubts about my trip, I slowly initiated my descent in the drizzling rain. Suddenly I saw a couple hiking up the hill, so I rode over to them to ask for the closest gravel road. At that point, I’d had it with the mud. After a short conversation about my trip, the woman opened up her backpack and offered me a hot cup of tea. ‘This is typical Serbian tea’ she said as she poured me a warm cup. It was the best tea I had ever had. Then they shared their cookies with me, peeled me an orange, offered me more tea and even some peanuts. This was just heavenly; this was what it was all about! Being completely regenerated and in a blissful daze of the experience and hot tea, I said goodbye to the amazingly friendly couple and headed my way towards some better ground.”
Belgium rider Bert Boute, an Industrial Product Designer by profession, is currently exploring east across Europe into Asia on a twenty-four country trip that will see him cover more or less 25 000 mi / 40 000 km over nine months. “I’m a big aficionado of adventure sports and has spent much of my youth rock climbing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding or ski-touring in general. I like to explore the world and find interesting places which are still, for the most part, untouched or difficult to reach for the ‘normal’ human beings out there. Setting up camp in these places and enjoying nature is just some of the most fantastic moments I’ve had.” This spirit has led him into exploring on two wheels. “I only started riding about three years ago. From the start though I knew I wanted to ride an adventure or dual sport bike. I knew I wanted to be able to modify and repair it myself. So there was no room for a fancy modern bike with more electric components than my car has!”
Like with a lot of riders, the idea for Bert’s current adventure across Europe and Asia, started with a “small” idea. “Over the years, it slowly evolved into a real plan. I’d already been traveling form a young age, together with my parents, and later on solo or with friends. So I’d always felt that need for exploring from deep within. However, I had to balance this with my responsibilities and decided to finish my studies before setting off on a significant trip. At that time I was a doctoral student in industrial design and was working on a project to develop and design a new patient support device for radiotherapy. Especially for beam irradiation of the breast and regional lymph nodes while in the prone position. So, after I achieved my Ph.D., I decided it was time to start planning my first big trip.”
Bert’s philosophy has been pretty loose on his trip so far. “Don’t plan too much, and If you think, that might be an interesting moment, place or picture, take it. Don’t wait for the next ‘special moment.’ I have had the greatest satisfaction from the smallest things, being invited for tea, or offered a meal by locals.” Ironically it’s been the trappings of modern life that had Bert worried initially, but that proved the easiest to escape. “Initially, I thought it would be hard to stay connected while always being on the move and crossing borders. But it turns out that nowadays it’s very cheap to buy a foreign sim card for internet access, and there is already great coverage. It is quite handy but to be honest, I’ve now learned that I almost prefer less coverage and accessibility. It forces you to interact with the people you are passing, to ask for directions, and to experience more of the real culture you are traveling through. It can be quite hard to explain what you want if you don’t speak their language sometimes, but it’s not impossible. I do try to find the local stuff; small thermal baths, unknown monuments, etc. That hasn’t been overrun by mass tourism yet.”
Bert bought his 1998 Honda Transalp second hand. “The price was good, and the fundamental things of the bike were also good, but the motorcycle as a whole was not in the best state. However, if you looked up Honda Transalp in the dictionary, it’s synonymous with reliable. Especially the old ones similar to mine. A lot of the parts are standard components and are quite cheap and easy to order all over the world. Furthermore, the V-twin engine configuration is quite comfortable for riding at higher speeds.”
The most notable upgrade to Bert’s ride is the custom carbon fiber rally fairing that he made especially for the trip. “To be able to fit the headlight, USB ports, navigation, and switches I had in mind, I developed a custom carbon fiber, and aramid reinforced, rally-inspired front fairing. This was done together with my good friend Matthieu Libeert of Mat2Composited. “I also worked a lot on upgrading the electrics, fitting a fuse box and relay to safely and reliably run all the electronics, like USB ports, heated grips, and lights.” Other alterations for the long road include a reinforced back wheel with thicker stainless steel spokes, a back up 1.5 gal / 6 L auxiliary fuel tank, crash bars, wider side-stand support, additional center stand support, custom saddle and sheepskin for “improved but-comfort.”
Down below Bert fitted a custom aluminum bash-plate specially made in the Netherlands, along with a set of bigger more robust motocross foot-pegs. The machine itself was also treated to a new and more reliable regulator from a Transalp 650, a K&N Air filter and a new exhaust from a Dominator R. Suspension is now handled by a set of Hyperpro progressive front springs in the front and a YSS rear shock. Another often overlooked upgrade is a self-made helmet holder that Bert designed. “Its a small 3D printed hook that is located next to my handlebar so I can easily and safely hang the helmet instead of laying it on the ground when stopping.”
“I am using the GIVI Canyon Gravel T side panniers on this trip. It’s a soft luggage set-up, easy to compress, absolutely waterproof and you can store a lot in it. If you crash, it’s not dangerous for your legs, you can easily repair it, and it also acts as a buffer to reduce possible impact on the subframe. Furthermore, I use a GIVI 60L duffel bag on top and the GIVI Gravel T series tank bag with an integrated camera bag. The tank bag is completely waterproof on its own, and the GIVI camera bag fits perfectly into this tank bag. Then if I need it to be safe, I use steel webbing by PackSafe which wraps around the luggage.”
The only aspect of his machine that Bert regrets not having touched yet is the front fender. “A raised front fender would be so much better, and I regretted not having done it almost from the start of the trip. When I was stuck on that slippery track, with it having rained for several days, I really started to appreciate raised fenders. Mud was sticking everywhere, and as a result, I’d already dropped the bike eight times that day. Trying to continue my journey, I kept slipping away, stalling the engine and being unable to steer properly. Having a closer look, I realized that my front wheel was not spinning anymore due to the mud stuck between the fender and the tire. I could still kind of go straight sliding along, but when I tried to turn, I just kept slipping out sideways. Consequently, I had to disassemble the front fender to remove all the mud so that I could get back up and going.”
Bert is currently in Iran and taking the time to catch up with his girlfriend while exploring more of this beautiful country. “Last week, I entered from Turkey through the Serow border in the south. It was stressful since I’d heard motorcycles above 250 cc aren’t allowed anymore! But I got through and headed straight for the mountains near the Azerbaijan border in the northwest. From there on, I went to Tehran, where I parked my motorcycle. We are currently traveling for the next two weeks using public transport to explore the country and meet its people.”
Follow more of Bert’s adventure through his Instagram page. All images Bert Boute.
Less access ability? I am all for that. I want a phone like Liam Neilson had in one of the Taken movies. About the size of a Zippo lighter and has 3 numbers programmed in it.
Have a great time in Iran, i have awesome friends there. I hope them the best.