My latest crazy idea: International adventure motorcycle tours

motion · 02-05-2017, 03:52 PM

I had an idea

Put this together over the weekend: Ride The Wild World

Comments? Is it self-explanatory? If you were considering a vacation, would you do something like this?

charlesbahn · charlesbahn's Garage

Really cool.

I'd be in if I had a bike, or knew how to ride one. Fees seem quite reasonable for such an organized trip. Web site is very good to excellent. Good luck.

Charles

motion · 02-05-2017, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlesbahn

Really cool.

I'd be in if I had a bike, or knew how to ride one. Fees seem quite reasonable for such an organized trip. Web site is very good to excellent. Good luck.

Charles

Thanks for the feedback!

dewolf · 02-05-2017, 06:07 PM

So anybody worldwide can book and then meet in the place of departure?

motion · 02-05-2017, 06:09 PM

Yes, for sure.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Why not handle the hotel and bike reservation for the guests?

If they are doing all the booking, etc.. What is it you are charging for?

I have done this - it's awesome - would do again. I want to try something in the Appalachian trail or Smokey Mountains.

motion · 02-05-2017, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreit

Why not handle the hotel and bike reservation for the guests?

If they are doing all the booking, etc.. What is it you are charging for?

I have done this - it's awesome - would do again. I want to try something in the Appalachian trail or Smokey Mountains.

This is the kind of feedback I was hoping for!

I was hoping it would be evident what they're getting for my fee.

JavaBrewer · JavaBrewer's Garage

How are folks not familiar with the area going to be confident they are staying in the right place and renting the right equipment. You should offer that as an additional charge at least. I am on board with the Chile trip...just don't know where to start as I have never been there.

motion · 02-05-2017, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

How are folks not familiar with the area going to be confident they are staying in the right place and renting the right equipment. You should offer that as an additional charge at least. I am on board with the Chile trip...just don't know where to start as I have never been there.

OK, I can see that its not really evident that I'm pre-booking everything. Working on changing some wording right now...

Thanks for the input.

motion · 02-05-2017, 06:56 PM

My goal here is to create a tour that is informal enough that it creates a true sense of accomplishment for the customer. I would never do one of the traditional tours, because I don't like all the hand holding and coddling.

So, I'm going to make the customer do a little work and planning, and in return, they'll save a lot of mulah and be more active in the adventure. I think it builds better memories.

Worst case, all the customer needs to do is send a few emails to reserve bike and hotels, book their airfare, then follow along on the ride.

cstreit · cstreit's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

My goal here is to create a tour that is informal enough that it creates a true sense of accomplishment for the customer. I would never do one of the traditional tours, because I don't like all the hand holding and coddling.

So, I'm going to make the customer do a little work and planning, and in return, they'll save a lot of mulah and be more active in the adventure. I think it builds better memories.

Worst case, all the customer needs to do is send a few emails to reserve bike and hotels, book their airfare, then follow along on the ride.

Cool - The one we went on (Souk and a few others here from Pelican) to Baja was great. Here is what I didn't like:

1. Hotel rooms didn't have the option of singles. They had us double up. That was NOT good for me.
2. The days route was a mystery. Didn't like being ignorant because you don't know what can happen.
3. They either stopped too often or not enough most days. (one extreme to the next) and didn't solicit feedback from us. We had to approach them to adjust.

What I did like:

1. Restaurants were good. They took care of bikes, booking hotels, and meals. We only paid for drinks. I wouldn't have minded booking the hotels - however... Some of these places were out of the way. Booking them might have required local knowledge, lots of phone calls, etc... Be sure that part is easy.
2. The routes they had were adaptable to a degree
3. The crew was super-friendly (except for the owner)

BTW if you want to plan one in the aforementioned places - I'd be a customer.

Exotic locals are cool - but I'd like to do something stateside. I've been to enough 3rd world places that I don't need that type of adventure to be happy.

motion · 02-05-2017, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

just don't know where to start as I have never been there.

That's perfect. I want to somehow make it clear on the website that I'll provide EVERYTHING you need to know.

I'm really interested in hearing more feedback on what you see as a barrier to doing something like this, after you look at my site.

LakeCleElum · 02-05-2017, 07:34 PM

Richard III:

I think it's a great idea and excellent web site. One question that is not clear from the web site:
Will you be present and leading the tour, or do your clients go on their own?

How is the Alaska trip planning going?

dlockhart · 02-05-2017, 07:42 PM

Cool stuff.. and there is a market for it.
My pal Jay rode with us at the track before making the move to ADV.
He bailed out of Motorola and is now doing some neat stuff on the other side of the world.

Motorcycle Adventures in Kenya, Peru, India

motion · 02-05-2017, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Richard III:

I think it's a great idea and excellent web site. One question that is not clear from the web site:
Will you be present and leading the tour, or do your clients go on their own?

How is the Alaska trip planning going?

Thanks for your input, Bob. I've made some adjustments to the wording to make it clear that I will be the guide.

I'm not planning the Alaska trip

If I were riding by myself, I'd make it up as I went along, which is my plan

motion · 02-05-2017, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlockhart

Cool stuff.. and there is a market for it.
My pal Jay rode with us at the track before making the move to ADV.
He bailed out of Motorola and is now doing some neat stuff on the other side of the world.

Motorcycle Adventures in Kenya, Peru, India

Now those are some off-the-beaten-path trips! Awesome.

motion · 02-05-2017, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreit

Here is what I didn't like:

1. Hotel rooms didn't have the option of singles. They had us double up. That was NOT good for me.
2. The days route was a mystery. Didn't like being ignorant because you don't know what can happen.
3. They either stopped too often or not enough most days. (one extreme to the next) and didn't solicit feedback from us. We had to approach them to adjust.

I think I have all of those covered:

1. Single rooms for everyone, unless you want to save money and bunk with a buddy. Up to you.
2. No mysteries on the route, although you're free to follow a different road for the day.
3. Tough one... everyone has a different comfort level.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreit

What I did like:

1. Restaurants were good. They took care of bikes, booking hotels, and meals. We only paid for drinks. I wouldn't have minded booking the hotels - however... Some of these places were out of the way. Booking them might have required local knowledge, lots of phone calls, etc... Be sure that part is easy.
2. The routes they had were adaptable to a degree
3. The crew was super-friendly (except for the owner)

Some people are OK with spending $150 a night for a 4 star hotel, others are OK with a $10 hostel. I'll block rooms at a $60ish a night hotel, but give people freedom to do what they want. I'm not trying to provide a BMW "adventure".

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstreit

BTW if you want to plan one in the aforementioned places - I'd be a customer.

Exotic locals are cool - but I'd like to do something stateside. I've been to enough 3rd world places that I don't need that type of adventure to be happy.

Where? Like Colorado, Montana, California coast, etc?

Holger · 02-05-2017, 10:34 PM

Website feedback: a great, nice looking site!
BUT: dont use a GMAIL-mailaddress! That looks very unprofessional!
You have ridethewildworld.com, so the mailaddress should be contact@ridethewildworld.com, getwild@ridethewildworld.com or the like.

flatbutt · 02-06-2017, 06:05 AM

Motion, I get a security warning when I go into the booking page.

Chocaholic · 06:39 AM

Didn't read through all of this but...get your hands on an issue of BMW Owners News (BMWON). Dozens of ads for tour services of many types. May be worth seeing how your competitors do it. There's lots of them.

Also, do a search for tour companies on ADV's site. Here ya go: http://advrider.com/index.php?search/27793712/&q=Tour+company&o=relevance