The Plan
It’s all tentative. As time goes on, the “route” and “itinierary” become less defined, more open to interpretation. There are some places of intrigue along the way, and a general outline to keep things moving.
The United States
The first jaunt will bring the Ricks through the American west, visitng the homelands of Kyle (California) and Kit (Texas), with some superb desert riding and hopefully some flying mixed in.
Washington -> Oregon -> California -> Nevada -> Utah -> New Mexico -> Texas -> ….
West Africa
Time to bring the heat. The Ricks plan to ship their bikes from Houston, Texas to Dakar, Senegal and, barring a heat stroke, will drive up along the Atlantic coast, culminating in a month (or two) in Morocco.
Senegal -> Mauritania -> Western Sahara -> Morocco -> ….
Europe
As autumn arrives, so do the ricks. The tentative plan is to depart Africa by ferry and arrive in Genoa, Italy, and then head to the Eastern Adriatic for some fine terrain, driving, and Balkan experiences.
Italy -> Slovenia -> Croatia -> Albania -> Montenegro -> Greece -> Turkey -> Bulgaria -> Georgia
Georgia
Winter snows will stop the progress east, so the Ricks plan to set up a base of operations in the mountains of Georgia for the winter, most likely at the resort of Gudauri. It just so happens to be a Mecca for speedflying, offers expansive skiing terrain, and easy access from Tbilisi to the rest of the Caucuses and nearby Levant. გაუმარჯოს!
Asia
The big stint. Epic desertscapes, high mountain valleys, and endless steppe. The Ricks plan to spend the majority of 2018 driving across Asia.
Azerbaijan -> Kazakhstan -> Uzbekistan -> Afghanistan -> Tajikistan -> Kyrgyzstan -> Kazakhstan -> Russia -> Mongolia -> Russia -> …. Japan? To be determined…