Inside the western culture there are big differences how we deal with proud. Where I am from, to feel proud or worse, show that you are proud is more something negative. Though even if I feel quite proud about a few things, because I think it took me an extra effort, I had to grow over myself to achieve this or that, I won’t tell you here. My poor mother had to suffer many times when I forbid her to feel proud about her son when I passed a test at school and shit. I can be very strict and I’m definitely not proud about that because it makes life not always easier, but hell, we all have our weaknesses. Usually when people ask me about how long and how far that I’m traveling I confess the last few weeks. Not that I’m at large and have to hide from prosecution, I just like to keep a low profile at the beginning. And the idea that other people think I’m bragging makes me feel uncomfortable, especially because I really think what I’m doing is not worth to show off. Traveling is pretty much like go for a swim in cold water. The final decision to actually do it makes the difference, all the rest is about moving though you stay on the surface and keep your body temperature warm.

Although it was never the intention to be extreme in any way, I admit I got a little jealous sometimes when I heard from crazy stories of people doing extreme stuff. That makes my own life look so pale. And the only extreme thing I can offer I can think of, is that someone like me, with no technical skills at all, can travel the world for such a long time with no major technical problem. When I first time got questioned, if I could easy access the valves of my bike, and BMW drivers with boxer motors always ask you if you can easy access your valves, I went to an internet café to look up what the heck valves are and if my motorcycle also has valves. Meanwhile I overcame my inferiority feeling and even if I know now that I guess almost all petrol engines have valves, I answer with: “I’m just the driver”, because, you bet right, I still have no idea how to access these things. Not that I’m proud about my ignorance, it’s more that I found my own personal way of travelling and feel sure about it. Over time I developed a feeling for the engine of my motorcycle, or the motorcycle in general. I listen the sounds, I sense the vibrations, I smell the odors. Recently someone asked me how often I change the engine oil. Usually that is a value measured in hours or kilometers. My answer was: “When I feel it needs to be changed.”

The engine started to sound differently, the exhaust started to smell a little strange, especially when using the engine brake. Shifting gears started to get roughly and the motor had increasing oil consumption, but I was confident to make it to Perth with Buddhie. The receptionist of the KTM workshop in Perth started to call his mates to watch: “Hey look at this! This guy made 300 hours with an EXC!” and repeatedly spoke to himself, “we never had that before”.

KTM 530EXC on a long-term test