Hi,

My wife and I are planning to go to Mongolia this summer. We are an experienced couple riding together on one bike.

After decades of riding through almost whole Europe and North Africa, during the last two years we are gradually discovering Asia. Last year we did a trip through Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and back through Kazakhstan and Russia. The year before we did Ukraine, south Russia, west Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

We are travelling on the road bike, BMW R1200R, which did fine on every kind of road we travelled, and occasional off road/bad road parts were also ok.
By off road/bad road I mean parts like Georgian Military Highway, bad parts of Karakum Highway in Turkmenistan, road from Tyup in Kyrgystan to Kegen in Kazakhstan, the road to the Charyn Canyon, streches of bad roads in Kazakhstan, and stuff like that. Basically, we never had to cover distances longer than 50-100, mostly 150 kms of unpaved road. I do not like off road particularly, but I can live with it up to a point, and we managed it, so did the bike.

From what we can hear and read, Mongolia is quite a different story. Hundreds, maybe thousands of kms of unpaved roads and paths are waiting for us.

Can any of you who have been in Mongolia by motorcycle give me an advice whether is wiser to go to Mongolia on the relatively heavy road bike which we are used to, which is very comfortable for two people, easily carries all of our luggage, have enough comfort and power to easily eat the distance between Croatia and Mongolia and back, or should I start to prepare my old BMW F650GS Dakar for the trip?

If I was going alone, I would take the Dakar without thinking about it, but for two people (used to the comfort of big bike) the Dakar is very cramped and uncomfortable.

I know how to fix bikes, and maintaining or repairing most of the stuff that might broke on either bike should not be a problem, so that is not an issue.

Also, I am not the world's best or the world's worst rider. Mature enough, with almost forty years and close to a million kms experience, but without any formal off road training. Never needed it, and allways managed to go with the bike where I wanted. If I see something that looks too difficult, there is usually a way around it.

How shall the R1200R be difficult to ride two up in Mongolia? If somebody tells me that is an insane thought, we will squeeze ourselves on 650 and thump all the way through Russia so we can more easy travel through Mongolia.

I am thinking about taking the south route, which is supposed to be the least difficult.

And, we allways travel alone... should we make an exception this time and look for some company for this Mongolian trip?

Thanks, Boris