Well, thank you for the more answers :>

Jervig, due to university related stuff we cannot be sure, if the year afterwards we will have enough time to do a trip at all. Unfortunately


Daze, actually what you describe is almost exactly what we plan to do by now . We are just not sure yet, if we go through iran and Turkmenistan (Carnet is expensive) or take the ferry from Baku to Aktau (time schedule not reliable), or if we go from Azerbaijan to Russia and then Kazakhstan and then south through uzbekistan (safety issues in North Caucasus). "Worst" case we enter russia from Latvia and then go South. We will see what time brings (financial aspects, safety situation in different areas, etc.). There are many opportunities for the final route. We also still need to do a lot more research.

We like the idea of selling the bikes in mongolia and flying back, because after mailing with the customs it turns out that there is not much of paperwork problems .

We are going on a Honda Transalp and a Dominator, which we think shouldnt be a problem.

Interesting is the aspet of time issues that you mention, which is also one of our bigger concerns. But we "only" have to average a little more than 300kms per day, so we thought especially because in the first few days in Europe we can make a lot more than that already, and if we plan our riding and especially resting times well, the time schedule should be okay - at least we expect that right now^^.

Daze, was it hard to find someone to sell the bike to in Ulaan Bataar? Did you have to sell it far under value?

In 2013 there were this Dutch couple going to UB on (one) motorbike.
They shipped the bike back from UB by train (Transsiberia railway) to Moskou but it cannot be booked in advance. You have to organise it on the spot. I dont think they had any trouble doing this. This trip took 3 months.
We are a Dutch couple as well, planning our trip in 2015 as in the same direction (and further to NZ), scedule now is leaving Holland in april and do the Stans in june. I agree on the do not hurry-mode; it always the tension-wanting to see and do-time and also enjoying it!
Groetjes
Lilian

Wordt een gezellig NL onderonsje hier........

Lilian,

Period for the Stans is perfect; april til june.


Saskia,

You will be traveling mid summer, did you check temps in Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan in summer?

I would choose Turkey central plateau, Georgia (2 weeks till here), around the Caspian via Astrachan to avoid the ferry (we did it this year), Uzbekistan (3,5 weeks), Kazachstan (5 weeks), Russian Altai (5,5 weeks), enter Mongolia at the west side (Tashanta) to UB and sell or transport from there (7 weeks).

Check our website in Dutch: Welkom bij camperreis.nl - Familie Peerenboom

Groetjes,

Jeroen

Lillian, the train back from ulaan bataar sounds like an interesting opportunity if we have enough time . It is nice that we appearantly dont have to plan everything in advance, but just can decide on the spot what we do.
Do you know yet, which route you will take to reach the stans? Iran?

Jervig, this route sounds nice, but do you think the north caucasus is safe enough? We read a lot of bad stuff about it, but we can imagine, that sometimes people also tend to exaggerate and talk worse about stuff, than it actually is.

This would be a rough outline of the route in this case:
https://www.google.nl/maps/dir/Ensch...7.92!3e0?hl=en
Maybe entering Uzbekistan later than indicated, maybe skipping the pamir highway, etc etc, we will see about that.

About the temperatures: Our thought was, that in a country like in this route Uzbekistan we get up very very early in the morning and pack our stuff as long as it is kind of cool and then travel fast, so that the temperature doesnt affect us so much. We thought, that only if the roads get really bad and we have to drive slow and extremely concentrated, it might be a serious problem.

Jervig, this route sounds nice, but do you think the north caucasus is safe enough? We read a lot of bad stuff about it, but we can imagine, that sometimes people also tend to exaggerate and talk worse about stuff, than it actually is.

As I wrote, we did it this year, still feel sorry that we didn't spend more time between Georgia and Astrachan. We never had unsafe feelings.

GRTZ,

JP

I went via Georgia, Azerbaijan, Dagestan, Chechnya then round the top of the Caspian Sea into Kazakhstan without feeling threatened this year. I certainly didn't feel the North Caucasus was dangerous.

Only issue anywhere was a very drunk Russian in Astrachan but that can happen anywhere.

You'll find more details here

Shaun's Blog Archives - Speed Couriers

Thanks Jervig, Leuk.

Habi, Yes we are taking the route through Iran. Didn't you consider this at all or ? We heard a lot of positive stories about this country.
This is our travelscedule : route

groetjes
Lilian

Hi,

My wife and I drove our Merc truck/camper to Thailand this year from the UK and when we past through Ulaanbaatar we stayed a few nights in Oasis, when we was there I watched the Oasis staff making crates and putting motorbikes in them ready to be shipped so if you plan on shipping then I would start by asking Oasis, also we met a couple from USA that had left a bike at Oasis for 3 years and was just collecting it when we were there, so I am sure you can store it at Oasis long term.

Hope this info helps

Kind regards

Dave
www plodd.net

hello
we want to cross China in September October 2015 from Mongolia to Laos
we are with a sidecar.
which agency did you choose to cross China ?
Congratulations for your trip and complete information
regards
christian

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vieux-motards-quejamais.blogspot.com
side-errant.blogspot.com

Hello Dave (and others), I am the other half of this adventure

I have contacted Oasis, just to find out they work with Pan Europa Transport as mentioned above. Prices go well over 1000 euros per bike.
As our plans for the next few years are far from clear I would not like to leave a bike in Mongolia to pick up later, selling is still an option.

Today we sorted out some uncertainties about the schedules here and we will probably have more time than we thought.... Which brings us back to the possibility of doing a round tour. As Carnets are costly and require a deposit consisting of more than a multiple of my current financial stockpiles we are looking at the route around the Caspian sea (unfortunately that means Iran has to wait for another trip).

Next challenge will be getting a multiple entry visum for Russia. A requirement is that we can show a previous Visum, which neither of us has. Anybody know if a Transit to Kalinigrad counts?

Hello!

For transportation, you can contact Sambor (he writes here) at

ADVFACTORY – Home � ADVFACTORY

He transports bikes from Kyrgyzstan every year, and maybe he has also something from Mongolia...

Sambor ships bikes from Warsaw to both Bishkek and UB (and Tblisi I think) and back. You can ride from one to another. The cost is not cheap but if time is an issue, it saves a lot of time.

Modman and I are arranging to ship bikes to UB in 2015, fly in, ride UB to Bishkek and fly back. We're planning around three to four weeks riding. If all goes well, we'll overshoot Bishkek and spend some time in the Pamirs/Bartang etc. before heading back. The total cost of shipping and flights will be around £2,000 (€2,500) but it saves us the better part of six weeks travel. Running my own business means that I just can't be away for that long so I'm biting-the-bullet and coughing up the money.

ADVFactory tell me bikes must be in Warsaw 29 May, arrive UB 25 June, must be in Bishkek by 20 August and arrive back in Warsaw 10 September. You can do the reverse trip but I don't know the dates. You can also collect and drop off at the same location.

__________________
Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand

Hi Saskia.
I did Switzerland - Wolgograd - Aral - Osh in 21 days. Not too much to see except it is on the side of the road. Long distances are the same (Ukraine, Kazskhstan)
Also Switzerland - Turkey - Azerbaijan - ferry Baku - Turkmenbashi - Uzbekistan in 16 days. Much more interesting scenery. Problem is the ferry… but still possible.
Now we do Switzerland - Turkey - Iran - Turkmenistan - Tajikistan - Kyrgyzstan in 31 days. Most interesting. Most expensive (needs CdP).
I agree, 7 weeks all the way to Mongolia is very stretched if you want to see something off the paved roads.
Why do you want to send back 20 year old bikes? You can get them for Euro 1000.- by the dozens in Europe. Sell them for couple 100.- and you replace them easily, or not?
CHeers from Osh.

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Thanks Muztoo for these timings,
l need more details about your trip Switzerland, Turkey, Iran, Turkm.: Did you drive across former Yugoslavia or did you use the ferry to Greece? And about your whole trip, did 31 days inlude some loops for visits in Turkey, Iran, ....?
Thanks in advance,
RR.

HI Roro.

Check:

MuzToo Abenteuer Seidenstrasse

for more infos…

CHeers

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