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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 Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 20 Dec 2021
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Actually you can ride with every bike.
It depends on the routes you want to go.

I have seen people with Harleys, BMW K100 and also small bikes, Big and small enduros.

But routes like the Bartang I would not do with a Harley

Personally I would use fuel injected bikes instead of carburator versions
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  #2  
Old 20 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by klausmong1 View Post
Actually you can ride with every bike. It depends on the routes you want to go...

...Personally I would use fuel injected bikes instead of carburator versions
Great
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  #3  
Old 20 Dec 2021
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Hi. This guy goes through Bartang Valley on a small Honda SuperCub.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_sbhqbIpwg
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  #4  
Old 21 Dec 2021
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Sydney-London an a CT 110 Postie
https://www.redbull.com/au-en/sydney...bike-interview

Nathan once got questions about the bike.
And he said that it was the perfect bike for that trip.

Cheap
Easy maintenance
Easy to find spares
Cheap spares (Tyres for £5 each !!)
Reliable

And I quote him on one sentence.
=
Out there you have no use for horsepower. You need a bike that you know starts every morning
=

So do not worry about horsepower.

Many years later, he road in USA with a passenger,
And used a completely different bike. That was better for that purpose.
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  #5  
Old 21 Dec 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Erik_G View Post
https://www.redbull.com/au-en/sydney...bike-interview

Nathan once got questions about the bike.
And he said that it was the perfect bike for that trip.

Cheap
Easy maintenance
Easy to find spares
Cheap spares (Tyres for £5 each !!)
Reliable

And I quote him on one sentence.
=
Out there you have no use for horsepower. You need a bike that you know starts every morning
=

So do not worry about horsepower.

Many years later, he road in USA with a passenger,
And used a completely different bike. That was better for that purpose.
Thank you for that and yes, I have read his books. I have ridden Atlas mountains on a 250 and have done Vietnam south to north on a 150cc bike but have not quite ridden at 4000m + altitudes. Hence the question. You have reassured me, so thank you.
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  #6  
Old 21 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by nharave View Post
Thank you for that and yes, I have read his books. I have ridden Atlas mountains on a 250 and have done Vietnam south to north on a 150cc bike but have not quite ridden at 4000m + altitudes. Hence the question. You have reassured me, so thank you.
If you aiming at Pamir military road do it counterclockwise. I was initially planning to start from Osh but was talked out of it by locals; they were telling me stories about altitude sickness because you are going from ~700m to 4300 in very short time. Coming from other side gives you almost a week to adjust.

The stories of loss of power I have heard were from people who were on carbureted bikes jetted at sea level and didn't rejected them. If I were to use carbureted bike something like DR I would go for Lectron or Smart carb or at least carry jet kit and do the airbox hole/duct tape trick.

The other issue that in some places they sell gas by bucket so if it's carb get an inline filter or if EFI spare filter or fuel sock. I have heard more than one story about burnt fuel pump or carb float getting stuck and pissing precious fuel.

Also once there don't expect to find anything higher than A-92 (and it could be mixed with A-80) so make sure your bike isn't finicky. I carried a can with A-98 but my bike wasn't picky and I ended up giving it to a truck full of locals when they ran out of fuel in exchange for them taking italian cyclist who broke chain.
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  #7  
Old 21 Dec 2021
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Ride whatever you want mate, whatever you feel comfortable with is the right bike for you. Personally I like bigger bikes for long distance work. I would never ride a Postie bike ( I ride one everyday to commute) but want something better and more powerful for overlanding.
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Old 22 Dec 2021
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Originally Posted by cyclopathic View Post
If you aiming at Pamir military road do it counterclockwise. I was initially planning to start from Osh but was talked out of it by locals; they were telling me stories about altitude sickness because you are going from ~700m to 4300 in very short time. Coming from other side gives you almost a week to adjust.
Good tip! But I don't know where that road is. Is it the road that runs beside Karakul Lake in Tajikistan heading towards the Kyrgyz border and Osh? If so do you mean ride from Karakul lake to Osh?

As for the carbs, we will be hiring the bikes and the guy has said he will rejet the carbs and install appropriate sprockets to be able to cope. I have to trust him and take his word for it as he lives there and I guess he knows what he is talking about.
Nice photo by the way!
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  #9  
Old 26 Dec 2021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cyclopathic View Post
If you aiming at Pamir military road do it counterclockwise. I was initially planning to start from Osh but was talked out of it by locals; they were telling me stories about altitude sickness because you are going from ~700m to 4300 in very short time. Coming from other side gives you almost a week to adjust.
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
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