Spotted in Thames, New Zealand
 

This Russian guy has been riding since 2000.
And he is actually mute and and deaf!!
http://www.sjcyfl.com/russianguy.htmCheck out his panniers!

http://www.sjcyfl.com/2007/RTW_Biker_012.jpg



http://www.sjcyfl.com/2007/RTW_Biker_014.jpg
(picture courtesy of shafty)

More Pictures here

Quite a mission I say.


http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_55.gif

I bet he's mute because he can't speak English and deaf because he cannot answer for the same reason ;-)))

No, bulldust - check the following link http://www.joesgarage.com.au/images/Nov8.jpg

I missed him by a few days when I dropped in at Joe's Garage in Hobart. Matt, the owner, told me about Vlad. What an amazing guy!

Nice one!

My kind of traveller....

And he's got pannier moun ted training wheels! :-D

longer than you think
 

This guy has been riding a lot longer than that. He started out on a 2 cylinder Jawa. I'm surprised nobody here knows who he is, despite the fact that he is one of the most famous overlanders currently riding.

I ran into him several years ago in San Francisco, when he was still on the Jawa. Here is a story from about four years ago...

Vladimir Yarets - ADVrider

and the wikipedia story

Vladimir Yarets - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and his own site

Yarets Vladimir Alekseevich - Round The World Trip

I'm sure you're right
 

Given the horrible way he was treated in the US during the six months he was in the hospital, I'm sure you are right. He probably only speaks russian. In fact, here is a link that proves you are right, and he is not deaf and dumb, just doesn't want to speak english. And because he was born in Russia in 1941, I'm sure he holds Germans in a lot higher regard than Americans. Probably speaks fluent German when he's not pretending to be deaf and dumb.

Âëàäèìèð Àëåêñååâè÷ ßðåö - Âåëèêîå Êðóãîñâåòíîå Ïóòåøåñòâèå - Ìèíñê Áåëàðóñü

The terrible way he was treated in America? Like when he crashed his Jawa and Americans got him a new BMW and all new gear right down to new clothes etc.? He wsan't charged a penny by the hospital or anyone else.

He has stayed at my house. He's deaf and he can make noises but he can't speak. Not even to a Russian friend of mine.

It's called Irony
 

I was responding to an Anti-American comment. Vlad was extremely well received in the US. He was hanging around Fisherman's Wharf when I saw him, with signs on his bike saying who he was and what he was doing. I thought the Jawa was really neat.