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Without the support of
our family and friends, a journey like the one we’ve been
undertaking would be impossible. Their contributions have been both
intangible, in the form of moral support and advice, and tangible,
in the shape of discounts on products and services. Both are equally
invaluable. Of course these supporters didn't give us any
money (common question), but they do continue to offer help when
we have problems on the road.
Please help us show
our appreciation by supporting them, just as
they’ve supported us. There were countless individuals who
helped us along the way, but these folks went out of their
way to help us. If you need products or services that they can provide, we wholeheartedly request that you give them a
try.
- Chris &
Erin Ratay
products
resources
dealers
products
| Adventurer
Workshop |
Supplier
of top-quality adventure touring products, including Hepco
& Becker gear and Wilbers USA suspension. Andrew
provided us with crash bars for the new Dakars, which are
awesome! |
| Aerostich |
The ultimate riding wear for the
serious rider, at a fair price. There's a lot of great
gear out there, but we found this stuff to be the best. Among other things, Andy and his team have
answered our needs in seconds, saving us time and money!
Thanks for the new jackets, too! |
| Continental
Tires |
Given
a choice, we always went for the TKC-80s on our big trip.
Now that we're back, Chris still favors the TKCs (60%/40%)
while Erin is sporting the new Escapes (70%/30%).
Whatever the trek, we wouldn't ride out without our Conti's! |
| CyclePump |
"Air
when you need it" electric
air pump and other innovative items from BestRest Products. David and Judy
provided us with a CyclePump and EZ-air gauge. In a
nutshell, we don't leave home without 'em. |
| Cyco-Active |
Touratech-USA
importer and supplier of a variety of hi-quality products
for long distance adventure motorcycle touring.
They also do special soldering to GPS units which are critical
for adventure touring. Tom helped
us with some map cases at the beginning of the trip, and more recent, supplied
us with a GPS 176 with Ram/Touratech mount.. |
| Daytona
Boots |
Of
course they offer great protection, but these waterproof
boots are as comfortable as sneakers for taking long walks
around town. Contact Helimot
European Accessories for a dealer (USA) near you.
Helmut and Linda replaced our worn boots, and Erin is
excited about her new Lady Star boots with built-in raised
heel to get her firmly on the road. |
| Helen-2-Wheels |
Creator
of the Super Packing System, Helen developed a unique line
of great motorcycle bags, straps, and pannier liners, the
later of which we used on our entire journey. Always
at a rally, be sure to say hello to her. |
| Jesse
Luggage |
Simply
the best Aluminum Panniers -- Slimmer,
stronger, and with more capacity than the others. We
wouldn't travel without them. Al
& Julie not only helped us out with the panniers, but were
the first to react with solutions to early electric problems when we
were stuck in India. |
| Moto-mail |
Motorcycle
accessory shop in Auckland, New Zealand. Prices in NZ can be
better than other parts of the world. Kerry and Karl helped us prep
the bikes before leaving NZ, and saved us a lot of money by
getting their suppliers to offer us special pricing! |
| Sharp
Electronics |
The
slimmest and most durable laptop we've seen, with largest
and clearest screen resolution for ease of viewing photos
and web design. They're customer service is terrific,
and respond to issues in every corner of the globe.
They've recently helped us with a second notebook, so we can
work on the book simultaneously. |
| Schuberth
Helmets |
When
the manufacturers of the BMW system helmet came out with
their own model, we jumped at the opportunity to try them
out. For comfort in everyday or RTW travel, it's the
only helmet you will see us wearing. Thanks Paul and
Bettina, for your support and for bringing such a great
product to the USA! |
| Staintune
Exhaust |
Lighter,
slimmer, and with more power than factory exhaust, the
Stainune pipes we put on both new Dakars also have a nice
"throaty" growl that's barely louder than
stock. And without the catalytic converter, it's easy
to travel anywhere in the world! |
| Travelcade/Saddlemen |
Innovative
motorcycle seats, luggage, and accessories. Makers of
gel and heated saddle inserts to make every journey as comfy
as could be. Tom offered to refurbish our seats at the
end of our trip, but after more than 100,000 miles, we felt
they were as good as when he made them for us all those
years ago. |
| Wilbers
USA |
Full
suspension custom built to your specifications, fully
rebuildable, and comes with a full 5-year warranty!
With excellent customer service and follow-up provided by
Klaus, we recently made the switch to these top of the line
shocks. |
products
resources
dealers
top
resources
| BMW
New Zealand |
Grant
Clegg and John Glasswell, the 2 leaders of BMW NZ helped us tremendously while
in NZ, and continue to offer help from thousands of miles
away! |
| Chain
Gang |
F650
Owners Club -- Great information, newsletter, and camaraderie.
If you own an F650, you will regret not joining. Several
members have gone out of their way to help us in times
of trouble, and Steve, the founder, is ready to dig up parts
and send to us anywhere in the world! |
| Horizons
Unlimited |
A
clearing house of info, bulletins, and stories from other
motorcycle travelers around the world. Grant &
Susan, former travelers themselves, do a wonderful job of
keeping this asset up to date. Be sure to attend a
Travellers Meeting, you'll be happy you did! |
| Trans-Atlantic
Bikeshare |
Ride
those far-away places without the expense of renting or
shipping your bike, and great info from local riders/friends. TABS members have been a great
help throughout the journey. |
products
resources dealers
top
dealers
| Blue
Moon Cycles |
BMW dealer near Atlanta specializing in Vintage motorcycles, /2 & /5
parts, and International orders. John helped us
get some of the gear we needed, at very favorable pricing. |
| BMW/Ducati
of NoCo |
When
we moved to Boulder, there were a few local dealers to
choose from. We met Tyler and a few of the staff one
night, 2 hours past dark, after an 14-hour off-road
adventure ride. They guided us over the 12,000+ foot
dirt pass in the middle of the Rockies, and to the campsite
of the Dirty Dozen Ride. The crew are real riders and
have helped numerous travelers we've sent their
way. |
| Cliff's
BMW |
A
new BMW
shop in Danbury, CT -- most of the crew is from the old
Lindners Cycle shop, who helped us prep the bikes for the
trip. Stop in and see Erin's bike hanging from the ceiling,
and say hi to Cliff and the rest of the fantastic staff.
Hey Cliff, thanks for getting us into those new Dakars!! |
| Morton's
BMW |
True
southern hospitality in a thriving
metropolitan area outside Washington, DC. Jeff allowed us use
of his workshop, a lift, and support by all the staff when
we needed to work on the bikes -- what a great find!!
Stop in and see Chris' bike on display. |
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