Local couple set off on biking adventure around the globe
Biker Boy
While most people in their 30s would be thinking about settling down, raising a family or building their careers, Mr Kelvin Cai and Ms Debbie Lim have decided to chase their dreams by hitting the road.
The married couple, both 34 and full-time English tutors, will pack their bags and helmets and set off on an epic motorcycle adventure this week.
For the next four to six years, they plan to see the world while riding Honda CB500X motorcycles across six continents over a distance of between 120,000km and 180,000km.
Mr Cai said: "Some friends say we will be missing out on our careers, but it is precisely the worry of 'missing out' that we are going on this great adventure."
The couple will first fly to Denver, Colorado, in the US where a pair of 500cc Hondas will be waiting for them to begin their long journey to the "ends of the world", covering the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The trip may seem like one done on a whim, but it was actually years in the making.
There were sacrifices made "from a long time ago", said Ms Lim, who met her husband in 2008 while attending a motorcycle safety course he helped organise.
On their second date in 2008, they dreamed of going on a globetrotting adventure and started saving for it.
Their four-room Housing Board flat has been rented out for the next four years to fund the trip.
KIND SOULS
On their travels, the couple hope to meet "kind souls" who are able to share knowledge of riding routes with them or offer them somewhere to stay.
Even before they start their journey, people have been offering help. For instance, the paperwork for the purchase of the two motorcycles, which cost $30,000, was done by an avid American dirtbiker named Alex whom the couple have not yet met. Mr Cai was introduced to him online by a Singapore motorcyclist who had toured the US.
Research for the trip included reading ride reports by other motorbikers and studying weather charts and the changing political situations of countries such as Nicaragua and Ecuador.
Ms Lim said: "There were at least 30 people who contacted us on our 2 Moto Hobos Facebook page to offer us a place to stay. They advised us on local routes, safety and mechanical help."
Getting free shelter will certainly help keep travel costs low. In the US and Europe, food and labour costs for motorcycle repairs can be high.
They hope to spend less than US$100 (S$137) each day by cooking their own meals.
The pair are also all set to rough it out. Along with their biking apparel, they are taking with them camping gear, a Teflon pan and a spatula - and the know-how to service their motorbikes.
What if something unexpected happens to them while on the road?
Ms Lim, who said she is able to plug a flat tyre or fix a snapped motorcycle chain, said they will savour their adventure "one moment at a time".
"The plan itself is not important because we would have to react to whatever happens to us on our journey."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
