Need advice finishing my trip plans.

[Martincito]

I'm leaving in a month and a half from Madrid to Mongolia and have a few doubts. Trying to avoid polluting the forum creating a thread for each so I group them in his one.

Camping or not camping. I'm not sure about carrying a tent with me.
I'm not particularly a hardcore camper but I enjoy camping when the site is interesting and let me enjoy the nature in a way that is not possible staying in a hotel. Otherwise I rather pay for a hotel and get a hot shower and a meal.

Is Northern Asia a place with beautiful camping opportunities?
I'm planning to staying in Yurts if I have the chance.

Turkmenistan. Yes or Not.
I have two options to get from Turkey to Uzbekistan.
1-Georgia-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan
2-Azerbaijan-Ferry-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan.

I'm leaning towards the first one to avoid the ferry, the Turkmenistan visa and traveling fees implications.
It's true that the ferry is slow and unreliable?
It's riding a few days with a transit visa in Turkmenistan interesting?
I was reading in Caravanistan about a lot of fees just to get through. I wouldn't mind paying them if the ride is worth it.

Tires
Where is te best place to get a fresh set of motorcycle tires Before I hit the Pamir Highway (Eastbound)

Many thanks for your help.

Martin

[Ralf1150GS]

Hello Martin! We will be leaving Germany on April 1st for almost the same way and beeing seniors three things are important for us:

1. safe riding: never at night, never too fast having 4 months enough time for the whole trip.
2. good food
3. convenient nights


We will sleep in hotels in the cities (for secure parking) but take our (lightweight) camping stuff with us as well for beeing independent and enjoy nature. We found many informations for camping here: ioverlander.com


We will go to Iran first but later not to Turkmenistan. Our choice will be the Caspian Sea ferry and it should not be that bad! https://caravanistan.com/transport/caspian-sea-ferry/


We will change our tires twice during our long trip. First in Baku at Motomondo (Continental TKC80 - for Pamir!) where we will order the tires in advance. The owner is Sabir and he speaks english. https://de-de.facebook.com/MotoMondoAgusta/
Second in Russia (probably in Ulan-Ude) - again we will order tires in advance (Heidenau K60 Scout) - this time at Denis Panferov (he speaks english as well): http://www.motorezina.ru/


In case you understand a little bit german I would like to invite you to my website with all the informations concerning our "farawaytour" (or just use google translator!).

[klausmong1]

Hi, I am answering directly in the tread in colours

Originally Posted by Martincito

I'm leaving in a month and a half from Madrid to Mongolia and have a few doubts. Trying to avoid polluting the forum creating a thread for each so I group them in his one.

Camping or not camping. I'm not sure about carrying a tent with me.
I'm not particularly a hardcore camper but I enjoy camping when the site is interesting and let me enjoy the nature in a way that is not possible staying in a hotel. Otherwise I rather pay for a hotel and get a hot shower and a meal.

Is Northern Asia a place with beautiful camping opportunities?
I'm planning to staying in Yurts if I have the chance.

I personally have camping gear with me. I think that you have so much wonderful places to camp and it is nicer there than a ( often very simple ) hotel.
Specially Mongolia, Kirgistan etc are beautyfull spaces for camping.
But I avoid camping in Russia, for many reasons.
Lots of mosquitos, and you have to look for camp-spots where nobody sees you.
And in the cities it is easy to get cheap hotels and walk around in the cities and do sightseeing.

Turkmenistan. Yes or Not.
I have two options to get from Turkey to Uzbekistan.
1-Georgia-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan
2-Azerbaijan-Ferry-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan.

I'm leaning towards the first one to avoid the ferry, the Turkmenistan visa and traveling fees implications.
It's true that the ferry is slow and unreliable?
It's riding a few days with a transit visa in Turkmenistan interesting?
I was reading in Caravanistan about a lot of fees just to get through. I wouldn't mind paying them if the ride is worth it.

Well, in 2017 I did the ferry from Aserbaidschan to Kasachstan and it was a lot of fun.

And in 2018 I did Turkmenistan from Konye Urgench to Ashgabat.

It was very expensive to get though Turkmenistan, you have to pay the Visa at the border ( 70 USD ) and some road tax and some other fees. ( plus the visa procedure before with an extra50 Dollar , if I remember right )

I would not pay this amount of money again to get to the gate of hell, the burning crater of Darweerze.
Even if I do not want to miss it, it is not worth the price and all the other regulations.

You cannot stop at the streets of Ashgabat to take pictures, the police stops you and erases them.
They look at your computer at the border and your foto camera and erase the pictures.

We met some people personally where this happened to them.
We got lucky because we applied for tourist visa.
We were a group of 5 people from different Nationalities so we decided to ask for guided tourist otherwise it would break the group if just one of us would not get transit visa.

I would say it was nice, but in relation to the price I would not do it again.

If you got from Georgia to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan, that is very nice place, you have the old army roadt and the Cross pass to Vladivakaz, then go either Chechnya or Kalmükken to Astrakhan.
In Kalmükken you have Elista a very nice place.

Desert is in this countries everywhere you have to cross, Turkmenistan also and Kazakhstan or Usbekistan.


Tires
Where is te best place to get a fresh set of motorcycle tires Before I hit the Pamir Highway (Eastbound)

I always changed my tires somewhere around Mongolia.
Either in Barnaul or in UB directly.

If you get Mitas E07 or Heidenau K60 Scout they last very long.

I personally did it with new tires from Austria. and changed in Barnaul.

When you want to change tires before, you do not have many possibilities.

oYou can ask in Dushanbee, there is the green house hostel and a biker club ( I don't know the name ) maybe the biker club can provide tires.
You also can find tires in Osh, but that is after Pamir.

Or get tires in Russia from Dean/Dennis in Astrachan. It will be hard in Kasachstan on this route and Usbekistan to get tires.


Many thanks for your help.

Martin

[klausmong1]

Originally Posted by Ralf1150GS

We will change our tires twice during our long trip. First in Baku at Motomondo (Continental TKC80 - for Pamir!) where we will order the tires in advance. The owner is Sabir and he speaks english. https://de-de.facebook.com/MotoMondoAgusta/
Second in Russia (probably in Ulan-Ude) - again we will order tires in advance (Heidenau K60 Scout) - this time at Denis Panferov (he speaks english as well): MOTOREZINA.RU - свежая моторезина по разумным ценам. motokolesa, мотоколеса, моторезина, резина для мотоциклов

Well, from Baku to the Pamir you have around 2.300km on hot Asphalt which gets your profile down a lot. ( if you go straight to Pamir without Muynak or other places )

And after the Pamir I do not think you can make it to Ulan Ude ( or Barnaul ) with TKC80

You have to be lucky to get to Almaty to chance tires.
That is around 4.500km on TKC80 in areas which I would consider tire life threatening surfaces.

And the Heidenau was good ( as a good compromise ) for Pamir.

On a 690 ore similar I would use TKC80, but chance more times on the way, like in Osh and again In Russia

[ZorroMoto]

Or you just ride the pamirs with your old ones and get a new set of TKC80 or a K60Scout then in Osh. It depends what kind of tire you need after the pamirs towards Mongolia an 80:20 might be suitable vs. the 50:50. No extra order, no more headache for planing...

Anyway, you have to come for a coffee here in Osh.
Chears!

[Ralf1150GS]

Although this post is not about Martincitos issue (I am sorry) - but I just have to thank klausmong1 and ZorroMoto for their suggestions concerning my choice for tires until now. So I will change to Heidenau K60 Scout for the whole tour.


Zum Kaffee kommen wir in Osh sehr gerne vorbei! Vielen Dank für die nette Einladung...

[Martincito]

Thank you so much guys for the advice!

I'll be leaving Madrid with a set of Avon Trailrider, they should be good all the way to Dushanbe (around 8000km). If I can not preorder a set of TKC or similar in Dushanbe I'll buy in Astrakhan or in Georgia and carry them with me.

How are the road conditions on northern Kazakhstan (Around Beyneu) and in Uzbekistan?
Should I get the more dirt oriented tires mounted before hitting that area?

[ZorroMoto]

Originally Posted by Martincito

Thank you so much guys for the advice!

I'll be leaving Madrid with a set of Avon Trailrider, they should be good all the way to Dushanbe (around 8000km). If I can not preorder a set of TKC or similar in Dushanbe I'll buy in Astrakhan or in Georgia and carry them with me.

How are the road conditions on northern Kazakhstan (Around Beyneu) and in Uzbekistan?
Should I get the more dirt oriented tires mounted before hitting that area?

As I said, TKC80 will be provided here in Osh. It is not jet published because I only publish what I have at place.

[lorbs]

Is there a reason that the Motoz tires aren't considered? I am truly not a fan of the TKC 80 due to the tire life. Are they just not available there?

[Martincito]

Originally Posted by ZorroMoto

Or you just ride the pamirs with your old ones and get a new set of TKC80 or a K60Scout then in Osh. It depends what kind of tire you need after the pamirs towards Mongolia an 80:20 might be suitable vs. the 50:50. No extra order, no more headache for planing...

Anyway, you have to come for a coffee here in Osh.
Chears!

Hi Dave,
I'd love to buy the tires in Osh but I'm traveling eastbound so Osh will be the end of the Pamir trip.
I'd like to get a set of TKC in Dushanbe prior to the Pamir higway
Can you ship them there or tell me where could I get them?

Thanks,

Martin

[dooby]

Originally Posted by lorbs

Is there a reason that the Motoz tires aren't considered? I am truly not a fan of the TKC 80 due to the tire life. Are they just not available there?

Motoz are available in Europe but as you move to the east very hard to get them.
Either get them in Europe and ship them to UB or to any other place you have on the route.

cheers
Dooby

[Martincito]

I contacted Denis and he is shipping me a set of TKC to Astrakhan that tomorrow I'll mount and pick up.
I know they don't last as much as others but is my favorite tire.