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16 Apr 2010
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Northern Turkey
Howdy everyone!
This year we will be traveling through northern Turkey on our way to Georgia.
The obvious (and fastest) choice is to take the route
Istanbul - Bolu - Gerede - Samsun - Trabzon - Georgia.
Now, we can read about sightseeing in tourist guides but are there any longer roads in this region worth mentioning and riding?
Any help and tips are appreciated to cover this longish distance.
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18 Apr 2010
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Hello
The norther coast of Turkiye offers you great sceneries and lot of historic sites up in the mountains.
Q1. What type of riding and how much time do you have?
If you can manage some dirt roads (adequat tires and possibly an enduro bike). There are several places.
Kastamonu has a large park area with canyons . There are some lodge style accomodaions as well.
Sinop as city gives you a castle an harbour with accomodation.
Trabzon also known for their football team, gives you many mountain sites most famous Sumela Monastery.
There are several plateus you can visit as well. (I have to confess I need to consult my friends who have been there).
Tell us how many days you have to give you a better route.
Regards
[url=http://www.emok.org]EMOK :: Enduro Motosiklet Kul
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18 Apr 2010
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Tesekur for the info, nomadb.
I am riding enduro bikes for years and this time we will be two up on a KTM990. Dirt roads are no problems for us.
Time is, unfortunately, limited  but meanwhile, we stumbled also upon some tips on one part of our trip so maybe you can say if this is OK. On our way to Georgia we plan to visit the Sumela monastery and then continue like following:
Sumela - Yagmurdere - Kayaici - Bayburt - Uzungol - Ikizdere - Rize.
This part should be nice gravel roads with beautyfull nature. As far as i can see from the map, there is no way to do this route in one day so we will maybe skip the part to Ikizdere and head for the coast after Uzungol.
We would be happy if you could let us know about mentioned plateus we could visit. We do not have a fix itinerrary so everything is possible. Thank you also very much for the info about Kastamonu. As we plan to visit Safranbolu, Kastamonu will be on our way so maybe we will find some nice roads in this region also.
On the way back, we will be most probably take the route Kars - Erzurum - Erzincan - Divrigi - Sivas.
On this route, we plan to ride the famous Kemaliye Tasyolu. Unfortunately, i do not believe that we will have more time after Sivas so it will be only highway to Ankara, up for a drink on the Golden Horn and back home.
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18 Apr 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SixDays06
On this route, we plan to ride the famous Kemaliye Tasyolu.
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I was about to bring this up. Definitely a great area to go to. I bummed around there, didn't make it into Georgia though and I can't wait to hear your report once you have been there.
A few maps and pix are here.
Cheers
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20 Apr 2010
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Thank you for the link, great story, gorgeus pictures! 
Are you sure that there is no unleaded petrol in Georgia? If it is really true, i do not know what to do with our mufflers and the catalytic converters in it. 
Meanwhile, we have found great roads and a gorgeus playground east from Sanliurfa that look very promising! Great mountains, great gravel roads. I just hope there will be no rain. The road to Sanliurfa is less promising but hey, what the hell, this is alo a part of great journeys. 
As it looks now, the traveling to Georgia will last for one whole week, but then, when in Georgia, we will try to visit the whole Kazbegi but also the Svaneti region.
On the way back will go most probably through Erzurum, Erzincan, Kemaliye, Divrigi, Sivas, Ankara, Istanbul....
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20 Apr 2010
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Hi, i am pleased to here you are taking the Bayburt to Uzungol route, i travelled that route last summer and highly recommend it. I would also sugest a vist to the 'Road of Stones' at Kemalye, although this may be too far off your route.
There is camping in Uzungol about 0.5 km outside of town (the other side of the lake from the mosque) and a decent cheap hotel in Kemalye. Andy B
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20 Apr 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SixDays06
Thank you for the link, great story, gorgeus pictures!
Are you sure that there is no unleaded petrol in Georgia? If it is really true, i do not know what to do with our mufflers and the catalytic converters in it. |
Not sure at all. I'm still trying to figure this out. I ran into some Georgians near the border and they simply didn't seem to understand that there is leaded and unleaded fuel, which is not very confidence inspiring. I later met a German guy in a Diesel truck who was convinced that there is unleaded fuel in Georgia. I have asked every Georgian I have met since and still don't know the answer or the Georgian word for unleaded :-)
Because of the uncertainty I ultimately didn't go. On the new Tenere you can't just replace the cat with a piece of pipe as you can on some cars and bikes. Would have been ~EUR1000 to replace and it was not worth taking that risk for me, especially since I had such a great time in Turkey.
Please do let us know what you find out.
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20 Apr 2010
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Hi agian, here is a photo i took of the Bayburt-Caykara (near Uzungol) road. Andy B
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21 Apr 2010
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Thank you for the pictures. We will visit the Kemaliye Road on our way back.
On our way to Georgia, we will ride the Bayburt-Caykara road in any case.
Just out of curiosity, can you tell me what is now the situation with the road police in Turkey? During our last visit to Turkey, 4 years ago, we did not see _any_ road police during whole 2 weeks.
I hear now that they are very strict and present on the roads. Do they have any toleration towards motorcycles or do they strictly follow the law and the limit of 80 km/h?
Tesekur ederim!
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22 Apr 2010
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Oh they are out and about, certainly in the South. The limit for motorbikes is 70kph, not 80. Fines are issued on the spot but you dont pay on the spot. If you pay at a bank within 7 days you get a 20 per cent discount. Pleasant chaps to deal with though.
Cheers,
Dickyb
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22 Apr 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SixDays06
During our last visit to Turkey, 4 years ago, we did not see _any_ road police during whole 2 weeks.
I hear now that they are very strict and present on the roads. Do they have any toleration towards motorcycles or do they strictly follow the law and the limit of 80 km/h?
Tesekur ederim!
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Dober dan, SixDays!
I can tell you that I rode a large part of Turkey two years ago while going and returing from Syria and Jordan, and Police patrols where very spread on roads.
I got fined in the south because I was 35 km/h over the speed limit (I was riding at 105 km/h with limit of 70).
There was a plain police car (a green Subaru) parked on the side of the road that had the radar machine inside, and I was pulled over by uniformed patrolmen two km ahead, there were warned by the cop sitting in the Subaru.
The road fine was 130 Euro (about) reduced to 100 because of my friendly and cooperating behaviour and fault admission.
Zero tolerance against bikers, so. A friend of mine was fined last year and he was in central Turkey (caught with the radar pistol some 500 meters ahead).
Drive carefully, mate!
__________________
Nick and his 2010 Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré
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22 Apr 2010
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Hi, We spent a month in Turkey and had no problems with police and like yourself never even saw a police speed trap. We did get stopped a few times by military police with big machine guns but these were routine check points, a flash of our passports got us through immediately. I had also read about over efficient police and for a few days rode slowly but after that we cruised at about 70mph. The people in Turkey are very very friendly, enjoy your trip. Andy B
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27 Apr 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SixDays06
Tesekur for the info, nomadb.
I am riding enduro bikes for years and this time we will be two up on a KTM990. Dirt roads are no problems for us.
Time is, unfortunately, limited but meanwhile, we stumbled also upon some tips on one part of our trip so maybe you can say if this is OK. On our way to Georgia we plan to visit the Sumela monastery and then continue like following:
Sumela - Yagmurdere - Kayaici - Bayburt - Uzungol - Ikizdere - Rize.
This part should be nice gravel roads with beautyfull nature. As far as i can see from the map, there is no way to do this route in one day so we will maybe skip the part to Ikizdere and head for the coast after Uzungol.
We would be happy if you could let us know about mentioned plateus we could visit. We do not have a fix itinerrary so everything is possible. Thank you also very much for the info about Kastamonu. As we plan to visit Safranbolu, Kastamonu will be on our way so maybe we will find some nice roads in this region also.
On the way back, we will be most probably take the route Kars - Erzurum - Erzincan - Divrigi - Sivas.
On this route, we plan to ride the famous Kemaliye Tasyolu. Unfortunately, i do not believe that we will have more time after Sivas so it will be only highway to Ankara, up for a drink on the Golden Horn and back home. |
You must definitely add Amasra (near Bartin) and Camlihemsin Plateau (Rize) on your way.
You will not regret ...
__________________
"where the traveller goes, nobody knows ! "
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7 May 2010
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Hi there Samy!
thank you for your tips. We've red a lot about Amasra but i doubt that we will have the time to visit this part of Turkey this time.
On the other side, we've spent now the last week on Google Earth looking at the plateaus between Trabzon - Bayburt and Rize.
As i can see it, the whole region is full of stunning gravel roads and great views. We have the first part of our tour from Sumela down to Bayburt and up to Uzungol. Now its time to prepare a rout from Uzungol to Ikizdere (road 925) and further through the Kackar mountains.
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