Hey guys,

I joined the XT forum about six years ago, and it was a massive help when preparing for a ride from the UK to Iraq. So just thought I�d say hey again as I�m finally back on the road with my XT!

My girlfriend and I left our jobs, sold up and set off round-the-world from sunny Slough on our '09 Yam XT660 R three months ago. By the end of the first week we hobbled into -10C Slovakia - just about. The battery died, the bike spluttered a dozen error codes, the MM exhaust snapped off the pipe and we sounded like a tractor with a megaphone up its bum, the chain cut the remote preload adjuster cable, we ran out of petrol and had to hitchike with a Hungarian lorry driver named John.

Our luggage caught fire, we were ridiculously overloaded. Oh, and we got caught in storm Eleanor for 4 days of the worst wind and rain I've ever ridden in and nearly flew off the motorway. We had to wait three weeks in Slovakia for new shock parts while the snow came down heavier each day. We�ve finally made it to the warmth of the Turkish coast (and ended up with a bunch more problems on the way haha!) Still loving the trip though!

Also, you can follow our trip here if you�re interested

FB - madornomads
https://www.facebook.com/madornomads/
Insta � madornomads_
Website is www.madornomad.com
I've reviewed a bunch of our gear from the trip on the site and chucked loads of tips in, and also explained how i prepped the bike for this trip!

Thanks guys!