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Central Asia - what bike? Central Asia - what bike?
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Northern and Central Asia Topics specific to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea
Photo by Helmut Koch, Vivid sky with Northern Lights, Yukon, Canada

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Helmut Koch,
Camping under Northern Lights,
Yukon, Canada



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  #16  
Old 27 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by edwardbgill View Post
This is a really good point. I did it from Osh up to Karakul Lake in an afternoon....and was a very sick boy for a few days, in part due to this and in part due to some kind of nasty stomach bug at the same time.



Ed
That's the other thing: everyone who goes to Pamir gets shits even guys from Kazakhstan and kyrgyzstan.. noone knows why. I have heard different theories.. tomatoes, water.. etc. Just make sure to stock up on TP and bring some meds for running stomach. LoL
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  #17  
Old 27 Dec 2021
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Surely you want something Japanese, reliable and capable.

Ask yourself. Do you want to enjoy the ride or just ride the road. That may answer the question if small asthmatic bikes are still for you ?

FI vs Carb. That old question.

My DRZ400S coped just fine at 4000 meters. It had a CV carb. I didn't need to rejet. THOUSANDS of carbed bikes have been doing this route for decades before FI even existed. When the roads were worse and the infrastructure far less.

FI does adapt better. But then you add complications to a bike. An FI bike requires a lot of electronic sensors to always work correctly. A fuel pump never to fail and an injector never to block.

However, FI is INCREDIBLY reliable now. Especially if you bought something a new Honda CRF300L etc.

Arguably, a new FI bike is probably as or more reliable than an older carbed bike now. But it will never be as simple or as easy to fix.

People often recommend small capacity, cheap bikes. Unfortunately, with these bikes comes cheap suspension. And cheap everything else. And I imagine that you will spend a lot of time on tracks and poor roads. So lots to consider.
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  #18  
Old 27 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by cyclopathic View Post
That's the other thing: everyone who goes to Pamir gets shits even guys from Kazakhstan and kyrgyzstan.. noone knows why. I have heard different theories.. tomatoes, water.. etc. Just make sure to stock up on TP and bring some meds for running stomach. LoL
Thanks, yes I've heard/read that many times too. Some say it's the oil they use for cooking?
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  #19  
Old 27 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by cyclopathic View Post
That's the other thing: everyone who goes to Pamir gets shits even guys from Kazakhstan and kyrgyzstan.. noone knows why. I have heard different theories.. tomatoes, water.. etc. Just make sure to stock up on TP and bring some meds for running stomach. LoL

You make it sound such an appealing route



Rachel
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  #20  
Old 27 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
Surely you want something Japanese, reliable and capable...
Absolutely. We have settled on Honda Bajas despite they being carbed. As you rightly say we want something reliable with a good pedigree and if things go wrong we need to be able to fix them.
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  #21  
Old 27 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by rachel_norfolk View Post
You make it sound such an appealing route



Rachel
As the matter of fact yes; I will be going there as soon as restrictions lifted.. for Mangystau, Tash-Rabat and Bartung valley.. then to Tuva and Altai
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  #22  
Old 29 Dec 2021
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Virus and borders permitting I plan to go through Central Asia in '22 - first through Siberia to Magadan, then returning via MN, KZ and the Stans. I chose my bike a while ago, KTM 790 Adventure, and it has strengths and weaknesses. Most of the mileage will be on road so the bigger engine will be relaxed there. However it also has quite good capability off road (nothing extreme, just dirt roads). It has more electronics than I'd ideally like but as the man says modern electronics are extremely reliable. Mechanically it should be sound (it's a proven unit) and with a tank range of over 400 kms it'll do some of the longer stretches between gas stations.

In an ideal world I'd go for something in the 500cc class, properly ruggedised with less electronics and long range, but there isn't really anything that fits the bill ATM.
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  #23  
Old 3 Jan 2022
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Originally Posted by Tomkat View Post
Virus and borders permitting I plan to go through Central Asia in '22 - first through Siberia to Magadan, then returning via MN, KZ and the Stans. I chose my bike a while ago, KTM 790 Adventure, and it has strengths and weaknesses. Most of the mileage will be on road so the bigger engine will be relaxed there. However it also has quite good capability off road (nothing extreme, just dirt roads). It has more electronics than I'd ideally like but as the man says modern electronics are extremely reliable. Mechanically it should be sound (it's a proven unit) and with a tank range of over 400 kms it'll do some of the longer stretches between gas stations.

In an ideal world I'd go for something in the 500cc class, properly ruggedised with less electronics and long range, but there isn't really anything that fits the bill ATM.
KTM had right idea with 701LR
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