The Motorcycle World Challenge

Graham Saunders

Around the World

Riders fall in Australia World Motorcycle Challenge 2002
	Riders Crash on Unfinished Road (It gets slippery when wet chaps)
	Nick Sanders, Bill Smith, Matt Mason, Graeme Willet, John Baggaley. All fall in a heap.
		Bill Smith was not hurt he just a good old timer having fun	Matt Mason NO DAMAGE to his Bike only Mud & a dented pride
	All these riders fell on bad roads. A report from other riders had said that a section of road two miles long was under construction, that morning about 6:30 am we were riding along a section of road where a water container had spayed half the section (Left Side) where we ride. The other side of the road was dry, but when a Road-Train comes the other way you have no option but to keep to your side of the road, where it was wet. When they hit the wet stuff off they came. There were two injured Marco with a left ankle sprain and Graeme Willett with a knee sprain and a knock on the head.
		Graeme Willett high sided and did some damage to his BMW R1100 GS with a crumpled clutch cable and lever but all is well with the other riders.	Nick falls in the mud as well but he was OK. His bike had some damage to the exhaust system, but this was OK to ride together along with mud on his bike.

	! Graeme Willett comments on his ride around the World !
	I was one of the privileged few to be lucky enough to be on the challenge. It really did seem like a dream when we set off from New York, but a close encounter with an 18 wheeler soon woke me up. Then it was off to Niagara and across the prairies to the Rocky mountains ,what beautiful scenery, next up to Alaska and across the top of the world, with real live bears in the road. Onto the heat of death valley and the lights of Las Vegas, whoever would have thought they would ride their own bikes down "the strip". Then on again to Texas, Mexico and Los Angeles. A short rest and then the "dreamtime" ride around and across Australia, really the stuff of dreams. Onward to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, beautiful countries, wonderful people and fantastic food, too much to say not enough time to do it justice. India and the Royal Enfield's what an experience, the excitement, the hospitality, the vibrancies and at times the fear (this only relates to the traffic in the cities and perhaps the odd buffalo). Then it was onto Turkey across Greece, Italy, France and home. For me 27000miles of pleasure, thrills, memories and friendships. It was truly a privilege and a pleasure to be part of this trip and ride "AROUND THE WORLD" with such a great group of people who I believe because of this experience will remain friends for the rest of our lives.