Shopping For Sponsors

"I know just which buttons to press and how to press them. 

One has to be in the right mood, though it's not difficult to get there.

Standing back and admiring the view,

looking at those curves gets my heart pumping.

It actually takes a bit of mental preparation, because I know that when I start,

I probably won't be done for at least an hour.

Of course the right protection is necessary,

so it takes a moment to slip it on, which only builds the anticipation.

After some, umm, preliminaries,

a gentle thumbing of the button elicits a bit of a high pitched sound as a surge of air is inhaled,

but quickly replaced by a low purr.

My grip tightens and the piston pumps faster and faster, building to a crescendo...

I kick the shifter down, let go of the clutch and I'm off!"
-J.S. Boyes

Image used courtesy of Google Maps

Hey everyone and welcome to the official Long Way Across blog! Right now, we're just in kick-off mode. We're trying to get in contact with Big Earth, and the Long Way Crew (Russ Malkin, Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman and Claudio Von Planta).

We've just pulled out our maps, and are writing down possible sponsors and affiliates to contact. We know that our starting off point is the prelim ride from Tofino to Nanaimo. We'll be starting off our prelim trip from the Schooner in Tofino, after a good breakfast, back over to Nanaimo, where we will take a night to rest, and trim down our supplies.

We are hoping to raise money for donation to The Canadian Diabetes Association and Unicef. Kassi is a type 1 diabetic and has been dealing with inadequate treatment and funding for many years. We're hoping that this trip will help raise awareness for how it is to live with type 1 diabetes. She does not yet ride her own motorcycle, but has ridden on the back of John's a lot in the last two years. Our show begins with her and Todd learning how to ride. They're both getting onto Kawasaki Ninja 250Rs. Now, we need to post a disclaimer; we aren't officially affiliated with either Unicef or CDA yet, though we are working towards doing so. We will be getting boxes/cans in which to collect donations to put towards both charities, that will be sent for deposit to those charities. We are also hoping to be able to host a page on TuDiabetes, the world's premiere diabetes social network.


John is currently on a Honda CBR 125, which is a nice starter bike, but he is hoping to upgrade before the trip. He's put just under 27,000km on his bike since 2008, and currently needs a new back tire in a bad way. He's currently sporting standard IRC tires for the 125 but is looking to upgrade to Pirelli tires.


So right now we're mapping (thanks to Google Maps and Google Earth) and searching for assisted funding. We still need:


-At least 2 Kawasaki Ninja 250RRs
-3 lipstick cams (helmet)
-At least 1 handheld camera w/ shotgun mic
-Two sets of all-weather riding leathers
-Three sets of sport saddlebags
-60 days of Lantus and Humalog insulin
-An emergency supply of Glucerna and Powerbar meal replacements
-A bike-friendly GPS system (an iPhone would be perfect- to tap right into our Google Maps)
-3 bike radios
-1 single man tent and 1 two-person tent
-3 Camelbaks
-3 mummy sleeping bags
-Fuel (3 bikes and 1 support vehicle)
-Accommodation (RV sites are fine)
-Food
-1 Full-Face Helmet
-3 portable first-aid kits and 1 full first-aid kit for support vehicle


This list will likely grow a great deal before we kick off. But at the moment, these are huge priority. Stay with us, drop us a line, send us your pics and ask us your questions! Until next time...