Frequently Asked Questions

GlobeBusters Expeditions are here to take people on amazing journeys to unusual places.   We don't ride around in a big group, or take people to France for the week.  We don't do scooter tours or trips to track days.  We are not trying to be all things to all men (or women).   We are a small specialist overland expedition company that will allow you to have a true overland experience to some of the best places, riding some of the best roads on our planet.   So what can you expect from GlobeBusters and from your chosen expedition?

The following will answer many of your questions.   Some queries, such as specific clothing and motorcycle preparation, we cover in our detailed pre-expedition briefings.  Please note that this advice may not apply to the Discover Our Earth expedition.

The Adventure Factor

Riding in far flung corners of the globe is a challenging and risky undertaking. Local driving standards are poor because many drivers are not trained and do not adhere to normal road rules. Local vehicles are not well maintained, may have bald tyres and many would not be roadworthy by the standards of your own country. Roads often are potholed, broken up or are only gravel and dirt. Due to its very nature, the risk of accident and personal injury to you is significantly higher than normal, as well as damage or loss to your bike and personal belongings.

You will also have to contend with lifestyles and cultures that are very different from your own. You must come prepared to cope with unpredictable situations, local inadequacies and unforeseeable events. Even with our detailed organisation, things can go wrong. Many places where we travel are off the beaten track, may be economically and politically unstable and do not have the same infrastructure or health & safety standards as those in Western Europe or North America. It is your responsibility to read your own country’s government advice and warnings for each country that we visit and be satisfied that you are prepared to travel there.

Therefore, our expeditions are not suitable for riders who expect to be indulged or demand for everything to go exactly as planned. For your own interest, and that of your fellow riders, please do not book an expedition if the above is not acceptable to you.

Expedition Types

GlobeBusters have two styles of Expedition.  

Epic Expeditions are over 10 weeks in length and can be up to 5 months duration.   These are longer journeys that often trace epic historic routes.    Silk Road East Via Tibet and Everest Base Camp; The Original Trans Americas; London to Singapore; all are legendary trans-continental journeys

Overland Trips are 4 - 10 weeks in length and are shorter rides that may stand alone or form part of an Epic Expedition.  Overland and Epic rides are designed to be undertaken on your own motorcycle (although hire bikes are available) and are bold and challenging trips that will touch your life and outlook, and taken you down a road less travelled.

Expedition Style

Our expedition style is to provide the riders with as much freedom as possible.   Each day, a rider is free to ride either with the Expedition Team or by themselves following the route notes and maps provided.   We travel as a group as little as possible, so that each rider can ride their own pace stopping to see what they want to see.   Where safety, borders, or legally required to do so we will ride as a group.   The vast majority of the time each rider is free to rider their own ride.   This is also why we do not include daily lunches or evening meals in our expeditions.  You will not be required to turn up for a set meal, at a set time, every day but will enjoy the freedom to eat what you want, where you want and with whoever you prefer.   We do include one group evening meal a week on most expeditions, as a way of bringing the team together and sharing stories from the road.

Rider & Passenger

Riders must be a minimum of 21 years of age. We expect you to be a confident and competent road rider, with plenty of experience riding large bikes. You should normally have held your motorcycle license for a minimum of two years and be able to demonstrate regular frequent mileage on your bike. You must be confident that you can satisfy the skill requirements as noted in your chosen Expedition Summary.

It is important for you and the rest of the team that you can demonstrate a good standard of riding, have excellent slow control, be capable of handling a fully loaded bike. In addition, you should have had previous experience of riding overseas. 

Please also note that all of our expeditions include sections of gravel or dirt roads, as stated in the Expedition Summary. We never travel off road; it is simply that there are sections where the road is not paved. Whilst off road experience is mandatory for some Expeditions - see your chosen Expedition Summary - for others, it is optional, but highly recommended. For those expeditions that do not include off road training, we would still recommend that you consider undertaking this type of course.

Our trips are suitable for experienced motorcycle passengers, unless stated otherwise in the Expedition Summary. Motorcycle passengers must be a minimum of 18 years old.  They should be experienced at touring and be able to manage longer days riding (up to 475 miles). Please note that there is no guaranteed seat in the support vehicle for motorcycle passengers and any travel in the support vehicle by a motorcycle passenger is always subject to space in the support vehicle being available.   The primary purpose of the support vehicle is to support riders and passengers in case of illness or injury and should not be viewed as a back up taxi service.  

Finally, our expeditions call for riders to be good team players, who are flexible and adaptable when things do not go as planned and will muck in as requested by the Expedition Leader. Self sufficiency is important and being able to manage yourself - your well being, hygiene & health – is vital, together with having a good sense of humour. Overland travel can be challenging and bring up the most unexpected of situations. This means that you will all be expected to work together as a team to resolve any problems we may encounter, but always subject to the authority of the Expedition Leader.

Own Bike

You need to have a bike that is suitable for this type of riding and you must be the legal owner of the bike, with the requisite paperwork showing ownership. We recommend a medium or large dual purpose machine. You must also ensure that your bike has appropriate luggage system that is capable of carrying your personal belongings for the whole journey.

Whilst there is no restriction on what brand of bike that you can bring, your bike must be capable of riding on and off road and be in a good working order to prevent any unnecessary hold-ups on the road.

Hire Bike

GlobeBusters can hire you a GlobeBusters bike for your chosen expedition. Our rates are per day from the official start date to the official end date of the expedition. All GlobeBusters bikes are UK registered and are shipped out to the start of an expedition (if applicable) and freighted back at the end. The freight is included in the price you pay for the expedition.

To hire a bike you must be a minimum of 25 years old, hold a full valid motorcycle license and not be excluded from being able to obtain third party insurance for all countries where it is a legal requirement to have it in place. Hirers must also be able to demonstrate previous riding experience on bikes of a similar cc size. All hire bikes are subject to separate terms and conditions and an additional hire agreement must be signed by the rider. Please refer to our Bike Hire Page for further details.

What is included in your expedition price?

• Hotel or hostel accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis or camping with breakfast from the official start date to official end date, in accordance with the approximate percentage given in the Expedition Summary.

• Group freight of your bike from our UK freight agent’s premises to the official start point (if applicable) and from the official finish point back to our UK freight agents premises, as given in the Expedition Summary.

• For the Original Trans Americas Expedition and Latin America Expedition only, the intermediate freight between Central and South America.

• In transit motorcycle insurance, during freight, subject to an excess of £500.

• Assistance with all documentation relating to taking the bike abroad (insurance, airway bills or bills of lading, dangerous goods, carnet de passage, International Driving Permit "IDP").

• For any expeditions that include China, all permissions and paperwork needed for your motorcycle to enter China (but not your personal visa), China route government approvals and compulsory Chinese guide.

• Any local guides travelling with our group, acting as translators and facilitating our route through some (not all) countries, but not local guides relating to other optional activities or sight-seeing that you may decide to do whilst on the expedition.

• Two motorcycle guides to lead the group (where the group is twelve riders or more).

• Support vehicle to assist in case of breakdown or other emergency, equipped with satellite phone, spare fuel, water, tools, selected spare parts and emergency first aid kit.

• Support Driver, with motorcycle mechanical experience and expedition first aid qualifications

• One group evening meal per week.

• If flying to the start of an Expedition not commencing in the UK, transfer from the airport (if applicable) to the first group hotel at the start of the expedition.

• All en route ferry crossings.

• Pre Expedition Training & Meetings as stated in your chosen Expedition Summary.

• Daily route notes, with GPS information (where available)

• GlobeBusters Guidance Handbook with all pre-trip information.

• Discounts from approved UK companies who supply equipment relevant for an expedition.

• GlobeBusters souvenir and stickers.

• The Participants private area of the GlobeBusters website, which provides access to documentation, notes and forum to chat with other participants.

Not included in your expedition price

• Your own international or domestic passenger flights.

• Insurance and documentation costs, such as travel insurance, motorcycle insurance, visa applications, Letters of Invitation, International Driving Permit, carnet de passage, border crossing fees etc.

• Bike servicing, repairs, fuel and other bike sundries, toll roads, traffic fines

• Freight costs of your bike should you leave the expedition early (for whatever reason) and we have to organize a one-off shipment of your bike from a destination that is not the official end point of the trip.

• Personal spending money, meals (except where stated), tips, snacks, drinks, alcohol and additional excursions you may wish to take. 

• Travel, hotel & meal costs associated with any of the UK Pre- Expedition Training & Meetings

• Any hotel, subsistence or other costs incurred prior to the official start date of an expedition and after the official end date of an expedition.

• Any costs relating to having to change your airline ticket due to late arrival of an expedition.

Accommodation

Where we show an expedition as hotel based, our prices are for bed and breakfast accommodation on a shared basis (normally double occupancy, but on some occasions, greater numbers may need to share). Single supplements are available but there are certain occasions where sharing will still be necessary. You must request a single supplement as early as possible as it is subject to local availability.

The hotels that we use vary in their facilities depending on their location, but for the majority of occasions (although not all) are good mid range hotels that include en suite bathroom facilities and often satellite television. The key ingredients are security for the motorcycles, cleanliness, safety, comfort and location. Sometimes we may stay in an isolated rustic estancia, a bunkhouse on the edge of a remote border crossing, or in a small family run hostel; other times in a modern 4-star hotel. However, you need to understand that hotel standards in most of the countries that we travel through are not the equivalent to those of Western Europe and North America.

We are able to book rooms in the group hotel for you before the official start date and after the official end date of your expedition, subject to local availability. Please request accommodation at least three (3) months prior to arrival. Some expeditions will involve camping, either at campsites or as a wild camp, or spending the night in home-stays. GlobeBusters provides individual tents for participants. You must provide your own sleeping bag and mat, with other personal camping equipment. For camping or homestays, you should note that there are rarely any showers and toilet facilities are very primitive.

Food

Included within your price are all breakfasts and one group evening meal per week. Group evening meals allow a free choice of the restaurant menu and include one soft drink, or a glass of beer or a glass of wine.

You should note that breakfasts vary according to local customs of the countries that we are in and in some places may only consist of coffee, juice, breads and jam. However, we do try and supplement such breakfast with eggs and fruit where available. When camping, breakfast will be provided by the support team. Evening meals will only be provided on rough camp nights where there are no other alternatives.

Documentation

You must hold a full passport that is valid for at least six months after the end of your chosen expedition and has sufficient pages for visas (if applicable) and all country entry and exit stamps. We will guide you through the process of obtaining documentation for your bike over and above that required for the UK or local country. You must have the registration document (V5) or title for your vehicle, which is in your name (as per your passport) and shows your current address. USA citizens must have both the title and registration document for their bike.

You must also have a valid UK or local country driving license and the name shown must be the same as your passport details.

Thereafter, we will advise you on how to obtain the additional documentation required for riding your bike overseas (for example international driving license, carnet de passage, local motorcycle insurance, where available). You are personally responsible for your documentation at all times. Any loss of documents whilst on the expedition can cause significant disruption to you. All direct and indirect costs of replacing documents are your responsibility. In extreme circumstances, you may need to temporarily leave the expedition to organize replacements. Whilst we will use all reasonable efforts to assist you, we cannot delay the expedition schedule, nor can we allocate a dedicated team member simply to accompany you whilst you organize replacements.

Vaccinations and Medical Precautions

Vaccination requirements do change regularly. We strongly advise you to consult your doctor or specialist travel vaccination clinic and obtain the recommended vaccinations. Whilst we carry an expedition first aid kit with us, you must bring your own personal travel medical kit. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you must inform us of this and also have written confirmation from you travel insurers that the condition is covered. If you take any prescription drugs then you must ensure that you have a sufficient supply with you (including contingency supply in case of loss), kept in their original bottles/container, together with a signed letter from your doctor.

Travel Insurance

It is a condition of booking that you have comprehensive travel insurance, including coverage for riding a motorcycle of the appropriate cc engine. If you cannot prove that you have insurance, you will not be allowed on an expedition. You must ensure that you have a policy designed for adventure travel that will cover you for personal accident, medical and repatriation costs, loss, damage and theft of personal belongings and for cancellation or curtailment.

We advise you to take out travel insurance immediately on booking an expedition to cover you in the event that you cancel your trip before travel. Please remember that your deposit and other payments are non-refundable and GlobeBusters will not provide any refunds for cancellation where you failed to take out travel insurance or if you cancel due to an incident that is not covered by your insurance. You should also make sure that you are happy with the amount of cover provided for cancellation or curtailment, as many cheaper policies will only provide cover at an amount substantially less than the cost of your trip. In such cases, you should seriously consider increasing the limit of the cancellation cover by paying an additional premium.

You should also note that if you do have to curtail your trip for whatever reason, travel insurance will not pay out for additional costs incurred in shipping your bike back home and this additional cost is down to you.

Finally, as many policies only cover overseas medical expenses, you should also consider taking out a policy to cover future consequential loss that you may incur if you have a serious accident or illness (for example loss of earnings, disability, medical care etc).

Motorcycle Third Party Insurance Cover

Where available, we require that you hold minimum third party insurance to ride your motorcycle in the countries that we travel through.  For Explorer expeditions Third Party Coverage is already included.

For all expeditions that travel through Eastern Europe, Turkey and Morocco, riders must hold a Green Card from their insurer.

As not all UK insurers issue a Green Card, please ensure that you enquire about this with your insurer well in advance of your expedition, in case you need to change to a different insurer. For countries outside the EU, we are able to provide you with a list of insurance brokers who provide these services for some of the countries that we travel through. Some countries will also require you to buy compulsory local third party insurance at the border. It may not be possible to insure your motorcycle in certain countries and you must accept the associated risk of this.

If you have ever been refused motorcycle insurance or have been disqualified, you may not be able to obtain the relevant cover required.

Riders who are under the age of 25 years old do suffer increased premiums for foreign motorcycle cover and it can be more difficult to obtain. For some countries, you will be able to upgrade your insurance to cover theft or collision. Quotes for this cover will depend on personal circumstances and are subject to the terms and conditions of the insurance brokers.

If you cannot get third party insurance cover where it is available and is a legal requirement for the country, you would not be able to participate in an expedition

Air Flights

We are not able to make your passenger flight reservations for you. Any good travel agent can deal with your flight enquiry. Please remember to take into account the potential for the late arrival of the itinerary and ensure that your return flight to the UK makes contingency for this. We strongly recommend that you book a ticket that allows you to change your return date if necessary.

For expeditions where passengers have a domestic or international flight as part of the expedition route, we facilitate this locally for you through a block booking and you then need to pay the travel agent directly for your flight.

Expedition Team

The team will comprise two motorcycle guides (for teams of twelve riders or more), with a support driver responsible for the support vehicle and providing mechanical assistance. You should note that Kevin & Julia Sanders are not present at all times on all expeditions. We cannot make any guarantees that specific guides will operate on any given expedition.

All GlobeBusters motorcycle guides have advanced road riding qualifications (eg RoSPA), considerable off road riding experience, are qualified expedition first aid trained and have gone through a rigorous GlobeBusters training programme to ensure a high quality of leadership and customer service. Whilst on the expedition, your Expedition Leader will have to make many decisions regarding the day to day operation of the expedition and also when unforeseen matters occur. When decisions are being taken, this will be done on the basis of what is judged to be best for the group given all the known circumstances at the time and not to suit any particular individual. All riders must respect the decisions taken by the leader and acknowledge that on an expedition such as this, an element of compromise is necessary to ensure that the trip runs smoothly.

Support Vehicle

For all our expeditions, we will have a dedicated GlobeBusters support vehicle. The main purpose of the support vehicle will be to provide assistance to the group in the event of a breakdown or other emergency. From time to time, the group will need to ride without the support vehicle, which occurs when the support vehicle has to be freighted en route as part of the expedition to a different destination. It will also not be with the main group if there has been an emergency incident or other unforeseen event and it is being used to assist the riders involved.

The support vehicle will carry items for the bikes, including some tyres, fuel, spare parts, an emergency medical kit and water. The support vehicle will only carry personal items where there is an emergency or if the gravel or dirt roads are in very bad condition. Riders must be able to carry all their own personal belongings on their own bike. The support vehicle follows the official expedition route and cannot also provide support to individual riders who decide to take any alternative routes.

Expedition Schedules

The routes and timings given on the website and in the brochure are a fair indication of the schedule. However, they are not intended to be absolute statements of fact. Overland travel is subject to delays and itinerary alterations for many reasons, including politics, climate, bureaucracy, vehicle breakdowns and decisions of the group itself. The whole philosophy of this type of overland travel is one which allows alternatives and a substantial degree of on-tour flexibility. It is a fundamental condition of joining any expedition that you accept this flexibility, and acknowledge that delays and alterations, together with their consequences, are possible.

In particular, we cannot be responsible for the results of a late arrival of an expedition, howsoever caused. We therefore advise against making any firm commitments for 3 days after the scheduled arrival date for an expedition and to have a return flight ticket which allows a change of return date.

Pre-Expedition Training & Meetings

It is important that all participants are properly briefed about the expedition and provided with advice relating to the type of bike, modifications, luggage and equipment and have the opportunity to ask any questions. Consequently, we provide Pre Expedition Training and Meetings as outlined in your chosen Expedition Summary. We will also provide you with the GlobeBusters Guidance Handbook to cover all aspects of your expedition.  We strongly recommend that all participants attend the Pre Expedition Training. 

Pre-Expedition Bike Preparation

Prior to starting any expedition on your own bike, it must have had a full service and new tyres fitted. For expeditions which are more than 6,000 miles, we will organize service points (official motorcycle dealers will not always be available) and tyre changes for your bike to fit in with the expedition schedule and the requirements of the group as a whole.

You should therefore note that if you have a new motorcycle inside its warranty period, we cannot guarantee that there will be an official dealership to do service work on your bike. The cost of the actual service, repair, tyre change etc will be your responsibility. You should also note that obtaining official manufacturer parts can be difficult or very expensive to obtain in certain countries and it is advisable to have basic service parts with you.

For other shorter expeditions, having had a full service at the start of the expedition, there is no need to schedule any formal bike servicing points en route.

Bike Freight

No later than three months prior to departure, you will be provided with the details regarding the process for freighting your bike to your outward destination (if applicable) and what you need to do to ensure all necessary documentation is completed. The period of time that we require your bike before the start of an expedition for the freight varies depending on the outward bound destination and whether bikes are shipped (sea freight) or flown (air freight).

If you bike is being shipped, timings are normally eight weeks prior; if you bike is being flown, timings are normally two weeks prior. Please check for freight methods and timing when booking your expedition. At your Pre-Expedition Meeting, you will be provided with details for dropping your bike off for outward freight and where to collect your bike when it returns back to the UK. On the Trans Americas Expedition and Latin America Expedition, we also organize the freight of your bike between Central and South America.

Our UK freight agent is normally able to organize specific door to door collection and delivery of your bike in the UK. This is an extra cost to you. If you require this service, please request this and we will forward your details to our UK freight agent who will contact you directly to make specific arrangements.

Please note that at the freight destination, you to have to be personally present to complete Customs formalities for the temporary import and export of your bike, and to sign the necessary paperwork. Where an expedition starts outside the EU, it may take up to three days to complete such formalities and get the release of your bike from Customs. Be prepared for a sometimes protracted and frustrating process.

If you are not a UK resident, we can offer a freight service of your bike to and from your own country. Timings of freight will be different to that indicated above, depending on your location. We will provide an individual quote for an expedition price excluding all freight to and from the UK and a separate quote for your individual return shipment.

If for whatever reason, you do not complete an expedition, then due to Customs formalities, normally your bike must be freighted home from the same country that you also depart from. GlobeBusters will facilitate this for you. However, you are responsible for all the additional costs of this one-off shipment and GlobeBusters cannot provide any rebate, based on portions of freight not used at the end of the expedition. 

You should note that GlobeBusters uses reputable global freight forwarders to manage the bulk freight of our bikes. However, the timing of freight can be subject to delays beyond our control, where airlines or shipping companies change or cancel schedules or customs procedures change.

You should also be aware that during freight there is a small risk that some minor damage may occur to your bikes (such as scratches, scuffs) and that GlobeBusters accepts no responsibility for such damage. Your bikes are insured in transit and any major loss or damage is covered by this insurance, subject to an excess of £500. 

Arrival at Official Start Point

Where your expedition commences outside of the EU, we recommend that you book a flight that will arrive at the official start point 2 - 3 days prior to the official commencement date of an expedition. Arriving early will give you time to recover from jet lag, complete the formalities with local Customs and check your bike. As each expedition is slightly different, please check with us on the recommended date that we advise you to arrive at the official start point.

Optional Excursions

We have included time to be able to take optional excursions, which are an additional local cost to you. Optional excursions are ones for which we need to involve a local operator to provide you with a specialist service or where we cannot take the motorcycles. You should note that whilst we help to organize optional extras as a service to you, we are not necessarily recommending them.

As these excursions are operated locally, standards of safety are not always in keeping with those of Western Europe and North America. These types of activities are always subject to the local operator and you are always at liberty to organize the same excursion with a different local supplier.

Booking

In order to book an expedition, please complete the reservation form included in our brochure or on our website at www.globebusters.com and forward to GlobeBusters with the required deposit. You will also be required to sign a release and waiver form.  GlobeBusters reserves the right to contact you through telephone or meeting prior to accepting any bookings, as well as being satisfied with your biking experience and type of bike. GlobeBusters has total discretion as to whether your application is accepted, without any right of reply.

Should you have to cancel your booking, please note that your 10% deposit is not refundable and not transferable to another expedition, irrespective of personal circumstances.  Therefore, we strongly advise you to take out appropriate travel insurance immediately on booking in case you are unable to travel due to any accident, illness or bereavement to you or your family or travelling companions.

We are only able to accept payments by cheque or electronic bank transfer; this keeps our costs down and therefore our prices because we do not have to factor in the merchant fee for credit card transactions. 

Payment Schedule (Epic and Overland Expeditions)

A deposit of 10% of the full brochure price is required for each Participant booking an expedition. Payment must be sent to GlobeBusters Limited, Unit 15, Woodlands Business Park, Ystradgynlais, Swansea, SA9 1JW, United Kingdom.

The payment schedule for the balance of the Expedition is 33% twelve months prior to the start date and 67% three months prior to the start date.  

Minimum Numbers

For expeditions of five weeks or less, we require a minimum of eight riders to go ahead. For all other expeditions, we require a minimum of ten riders to go ahead.

Maximum Numbers

For all expeditions we try to run with no more than 16 bikes and this may be lower for tougher expeditions.