Ian Coates. RTW legend.

http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/update/2013-01-13/biking-great-grandad-back-home-after-14-years/

I have had the great pleasure to accomodate Ian Coates (facebook/iancoates) who I have had on my facebook friends for a number of years.
Ian arrived back in the UK on Friday and asked for a place to pitch his tent in Manchester whilst he visited the Manchester Motorcycle Show.
I asked him to stay here with Sharon and I, and not in his tent but in our spare room.
Arriving in Friday in Hull, he rode the 110 miles to Sale, and arrived looking fresh and certainly not showing his 69 years on this planet.
Leaving home 14 years ago, Ian has been just about everywhere, and despite being back on occasion, his last visit 3 year ago was to see his new great grand son and his family. Mrs Coates has seen Ian 7 times in 14 years, meeting him occasionally with spares, and a holiday.

Ian is a character, and has lots of tales about his self financed trip during which he helps out, works for free bed and food, and only asks for help when he needs it.

From 8 months on a ship between Argentina and New Zealand to getting lost in the Sudan for 2 weeks and almost meeting his maker, Ian and his trusted Honda Africa Twin have travelled 245,000 miles (400,000km) on the same engine, only 4 sets of brake pads, and no major breakdowns.

Not resting too long, Ian is off to Portugal soon to drive back a Landrover he bought a year ago, then plans to be in Mongolia by April if he can find a replacement bike.

I suggested his Twin should be saved and maybe put in a museum.

If one RTW rider needs some corporate support this guy is the one.

With his Fred Dibnah look on life, Ian is a cult figure in the XRV, Facebook and RTW sector, and deserves to be added to the long list of British Eccentrics that become household names via TV.

Ian Coates is on Facebook,

I managed to get Ian and his bike on a stand at the show, Thanks to the organisers, but no thanks to Honda who showed no interest in this record breaking Grandad,

Many people came to meet him and his bike was a great attraction with its fully loaded, dirty and 'well used' gear still strapped on.

Stay safe Ian, and travel long and safe. 

Google / Ian Coates Honda, for lots of stuff.

 

That was a year...... well I guess it was a full one. It seems like the last twelve months went far to quickly. Plans made never seemed to be remembered after a few weeks but as they say;

A man with no direction, will get lost, A man going nowhere  normally gets there, and with that in mind I never got more than a few rides out and about in 2012.

2013 has a few 'ideas' in mind.

Job interview early Jan. Fingers crossed ,

Italy with Sharon taking in the Alps, Lakes and a long awaited trip to Positano.

A few Adventure Bike Rider meets (camping weekends and rides).

But the biggest PLAN is to get my booked finished and then read , re written and hopefully published which would be nice.

Can U thank Ride Magazine for the recent mention, Overland for the Feature, Motorcycle Sports and Leisure for their feature, and over 16000 page hits from across the globe.

Most of all I would like to thank these two ladies in my life. Sharon my wife for putting up with my 'grumpy old man' antics for 32 years, and Alexa my beautiful daughter who will become Mrs Moores in 2013. I love you both and wish you a great New Year.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Overland mag issue #4

With thanks to Paddy Tyson  and the Overland staff for a great write up in the latest  issue. (No 4)
What a classy mag this isand I assure you that if you buy it , you will keep each issue safe.
Apart from excellent stories , the quality of the paper and photo reproductions is second to none.
go to www.overlandmag.com  buy on line and get a new coffe table , cos thats where it will live.

 

 

After a week of bad weather and fog on Thursday, winter is here without doubt. Riding to work each day has become a bit of a chore, but needs must.

 

Christmas is not far away, and the usual huff and stuff that that brings. On a good note Sharon is 51 years old on Monday, and thats nice.

Looking more beautiful each year babe. I loves ya !

 

 

 

That it for December 1st 2012, and if I don't see you before, have a great Xmas.



 

 

Viva Las Vegas

 

Guns n Roses , Las Vegas, Nov 2012

 

Its not eveyday one gets invited to Las Vegas, so it was a pleasant surprise to be asked to fly there from Dallas to train a new gang of stonecoat applicators. Not only another first, but staying in the

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino was another good reason to pack my suitcase yet again.

DFW to Las Vegas is just over 1000 miles and a little over 2 hours on a plane. With a 'problem' before we took off, the delay was explained as the Coffee machine leaking. Hard to believe but an extra hour added after we had boarded is always a pain.

Vegas is a sprawling place in the middle of nowhere and the red rock mountains are quite stunning as you fly in. I missed the Grand Canyon fly over as the guy in the window seat was asleep and the blind was down.

Next day, a quick guide around the offices of CLM and we were underway. Classroom stuff and a quick run through the who, what, where.

After a run through and practise wall day two and three were practical and re-finishing the exterior of the building.

 

The red stone of Nevada was the plan.

 

Later that night, I managed to blag a ticket for Guns and Roses in the hotel. Not a bad end to my Vegas visit.

 

 Front row.... not bad !!!

 

 

By Friday I was back in Addison TX, and spent the last few days relaxing before flying back to the UK.

Saturday saw me attending the Progressive Motorcycle Show in Dallas. A small affair with a good turn out of manufacturers. Some lovely customs and vendors to talk to.

A few hours to myself, and a nice break from 'work',

16 hrs on the go, I arrived back just as Mrs R2M was going out to work.

 

The Motorcycle Live at the NEC Birmingham starts today, So maybe another show by the end of next week.

Take one Honda Goldwing, and start again.

 

The guy working next to me is wearing two T-shirts and a hoody, plus gloves and a baseball hat. Its about 89F in a cul-de-sac of 10ft high brick walls and the cloudless and windless sky and high sun is giving me a trouser sauna. Even with a single T-shirt and shorts, I am suffering, lifting and shifting and working along side the locals.The two Mexicans and a Texan thing its cool today. They can not believe that I am too hot. Summer temperatures here in Fort Worth reach 120f and I am going to Vegas on Sunday, and thats in the desert. Sunday comes and the two hour flight receives an extra hour wait as the planes coffee machine has sprung a leak. Yes, only in America , but even with the water turned off, the coffee gone and the loo's not flushing, it took 62 minutes to get us off the ground. The passenger were strangly calm and accepting of this delay. Viva Las Vegas. I miss the Grand Canyon fly over as the window seat is occupied by a magician on his way to a gig. He is asleep, the blind is down and the mumbled PA announcement by the pilot was lost in a mix of static and his southern drawl. The 30 stone black DJ on my left added to my own 'bulk' hinders a comfortable trip, but arriving over Vegas I am surprised at the vastness of this yellow earthern landscape dotted with buildings for mile after mile. A giant blue lake below looks like the Adriatic coastline and as we land once again the calm on the plane surprised me as the passengers allowed all those in front of them to get up and leave in order.(No matter how long it takes). Entering the surreal world of Marbella on speed, the bright sun hasn't managed to heat the dry air above tolerable. Texas time was reduced by an hour as 'daylight saving time' came into action last night, take off plus either one or three hours for the trip west and its either lunchtime or breakfast, I still don't know. Travel back in time , yes we can ! The Hard Rock hotel and casino is just another glittering icon to the dollar, and the 'strip' can wait until its dark. Meanwhile the splendour of the vast air conditioned room allows me some rest bite from the noise of the street and the continual row of planes that pass just in front of my 7th floor window, bringing some more dollars from all over the world. Despite the supposed reduction in the economy the airport is mad busy and even in the arrivals lounge the ever lasting stream of slot machines that spread into every nook and cranny let you know you have arrived. Vulgar or great, false or fantastic, it doesn't matter, Vegas is cool as custom cars and bikes wander by. Its Sunday so I guess its 'go for a ride' day and the international feel is a change from the All American macho attitude of Dallas. I could be in Marbella, it could be Blackpool, but for the sun. I am here to work, and the next five days it will be just another city, another hotel room without a decent cup of tea and eight blokes more to train, take some stick about my accent and send out into the world of Stonecoat.com Guns and Roses are on down stairs on Wednesday.... now there's a thing, I dare not evenlook at the price of tickets, and anyway Slash is missing form the line up. My host is in the reception bar which has 18ft wide TV's showing 3 football games at once, 200 slots, food and most important BEER, so as you would expect from a Brit abroad....... I'moff

Back in the USA Its the end of October and as the clocks go back an hour in the UK and the temperature drops to a few degrees above ice cold, I am back in the USA. Texas to be exact. Not riding this time just here to evaluate a new job position-oportunity. The temperatures here hav e been between cool (double T shirt with my shorts), to 85F which is pretty hot for October. Addison is a flat and newish conurbation of single story shops and outlets, appartment blocks and a small airport that has a fine collection of privately owned Leer jets. Dallas and Fort Worth is just down the road, and money is all around. I just spent a week in the wilderness of Cisco TX, a wild west style town that boomed in the Oil years and the site of the very first Hilton Hotel. The biggest buiding in town is now empty and derelict as is most of the town. I was there to train some new Stonecoat guys in the art of stone effect walls, and despite 90 F rain storms and 48f winds.We spent a weekworking long days to finish 2800 sqft in 5 days. Thats pretty good going. Back in Addison, I am sat in a cheapo hotel for this week before heading out for LasVegas for more of the same next week. The issues of food that I recognise as healthy or tasty still stands. In Texas things ARE BIG. Big quantity small on taste and quality. Very few things are crunchy, and many meals are mush on a plate. After a week of Tacos helped along with plenty of Halapinos, the lack of licenced restaurants means that its Water, Coke or Iced tea. I am being looked after by my hosts, and spent the first weekend here running around in a monster 5.7ltr Hemi truck kindly lent to me by Clif Tinder. Big Loud and thirsty..... the truck not me or Clif. We had a laugh with the crew, worked hard and created friendships that will last.

After a few weeks of banding about with telephone calls and e-mails between UK and USA, I finally got the tickets booked for a visit to Texas. Stonecoat Inc to be exact in Arlington . The job is to train some guys in the art of stone effect carving (decopierre), and I will stay a few weeks to see if there is a more perminent position with the company. Not much riding to report as my bike will stay here under wraps, but that doesn't mesn I won't be looking for something to ride out there. I got a four page spread in a UK maga2ine called Motorcycle Sport & Leisure. Plus the section header page show my on the Dragon Tail. Great to see some press about my trip.