uk to Vladivostok
 

Hi
Thinking of riding to Vladivostok at end of July/Augest on my Goldwing. Anyone rode direct? How long without sightseeing?
Thanks
Tony

Blimey, a Goldwing! And I've just questioned another posters suggestion I go on my B-King. What are the roads like? Do you know. I want to go to Japan.

Direct to Vlad it's 12,000 Km (7,500 miles).
At 400 miles a day (generally doable but hard to maintain for so long) you should allow 3 weeks minimum to get there from UK. Factor in some rest/sightseeing as well as other possible delays.
Tarmac (variable quality in some places), fuel, food and reasonable (price and comfort) accomodation all available all the way.

What are you planning once you get to Vladivostok?

Similar thread.
 

Hi,

I just posted a similar question to yours on a different thread then stumbled across yours. Check out the responses to mine here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ugh-time-61682

It seems like a really long way. I was quite surprised at the suggestions of 3 weeks. I'll be on a little smokey DRZ400 but will allow myself 10-11 weeks. Hopefully this is easily sufficient.

this will be the worse you come across unless it pours with rain lol


Tayshet Siberia - YouTube

Chita - YouTube

Looks like it's going to be a busy road this coming summer :)

So that's what it looks like all the way? Pretty busy. I was surprised. Still want to do it though.

All these UK-Vladivostok posts have got me wanting to do it too...

DAAAAAAM !!!

Taf along with me, lad. What is your mount?

You're going to get me into trouble lol..

650 V-strom at the moment. Although, my bikes change almost monthly..

I think I've owned 50 bikes over the last ten years.... doh

Well, mine is a Buell Ulysses, which I wouldn't dream of going on, for obvious reasons. I fancy an XT660R.

You might as well pay a few extra pennies and get the 660 tenere.. It has the tank, fairing, clearance, seat etc etc.

I'm looking to add one to my fleet eventually... Ticks all my boxes.

I just wish it was a little lighter....

I see a Mid Route Party coming together bierjeiger

Me and Bushman did our RTW last year from the UK but went westwards across USA then flew to Vladivostok (via Bejing) and waited for our bikes to arrive by container from Seattle. The first bikes we saw in Vlad (these had been ridden east from Netherlands across Russia) were two low slung Harleys - the next two bikes to arrive in the car park were ANOTHER two Harleys ridden by two Fins from near Helsinki (called themselves "The Old Farts"). We also saw two small scooters along the route pretty much proving that you can do it on pretty much anything. As Bushman says the journey will not centre on the actual ride but more upon the interaction with the locals along the way - wonderful people.


As for the road being busy... not really, some days you can travel for a few hours and only see a handful of vehicles (mostly ferry drivers delivering cars inland from Vladivostok). Now and again you might hit a pocket of traffic, mostly caused by the many half hour waits at level crossings waiting for trains to pass.

... And as Tony has also mentioned - many sections of the road are just mind numbingly boring with precious little change in scenery.

You can get some idea of what to expect along the way from my blog Round the World in 80 Ways - 8th July 2011 onwards covers the Russian journey (Vladivostok itself between 9th June and 7th July)

Strimstrum. Thanks for that helpful post. I will indeed read your blog. The shot of the bike (filmed from a following GS1200) made me think it looked really busy but now I think more clearly (as in alcohol free) it could hardly be like that for the whole way!!
Touring Ted. Don't like the Tenere at all. And I want to keep it light as I can re: shipping it back from Tokyo. This is going to take some planning but I can't stop thinking about it!!:funmeteryes:

I learned the hard way to keep it light.But that waws not for freight purposes.

Shipping costs are not to do with weight but overall volume. Sea freight certainly, ignores weight, air freight only considers it to a very limited extent.
Think about asking an air freight firm for two quotes for (say) a ton weight. The first being feather pillows. The second for lead bars.
Get the idea?



Agreed.
But don't let it take over.

I have heard of people who planned to the Nth degree and then on their trip found it a total anti-climax.
Over planning has also left people so vulnerable to an unexpected event that they cannot cope with the mental or physical consequences. Resulting in abandoning 'before things get worse".

'Adventure' means being close to the unplanned and unexpected. The more there is, the greater the adventure.

Your spot on Tony.

Our only Firm plan for our upcoming year and Half trip, is to catch the Ferry out of the UK on the 7th May 2012.:mchappy:
after that we will just see how it goes .

Hi Algarve Nick.

We have had the XT660R, and there a very good bike. we only changed to the XT660Z because all our trips are two up. The Tenere does that better than the XTR.
only down side to the xtr for me was the ground clearance on harder off road sections . The head light is better on the Xtr than it is on the Tenere.
Fuel economy is good on both bikes , we were getting about 210 miles to reserve on the XTR and 280 to reserve on the Tenere riding at a steady pace .

With the XTZ having twin front disc on the front it's better for two up riding. Both of these Yamaha's can be picked up for a good price and both are capable of RTW rides.

Have a great trip
Dazzer

XTR


http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...w/CIMG2109.jpg


XTZ

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...rrtw/074-1.jpg

Thanks, Dazz. They may be cheap in UK but nothing is cheap down here in Portugal. At least vehicle wise. I am drinking a 1.50 pint ia a Lagos pub as I type. I take it your XT660R had the standard tank. How big is it? I will try to find a good one (bike that is, not tank) asap. Doubtless it'll cost me 1000-1500 euros more than back home. By the way, where is the shot of the Tenere. Lancs?

Oh...and where did you get the R's bash plate and is that a built-in tool box at the front of it? Nick

To Tony. Don't worry, mate. I won't plan every move on the actual trip. Back in 1984, I set off from London on my XT500, unsure of whether I was heading for Greece or Portugal. The only detail I'll stick to is a pre-booked room in a hostal in nw central Tokyo for a month. Tokyo can be a reasonably cheap place to stay and have fun in if you know your way around, even at 120 yen/GBP.

Hi Nick.
Tenere photo was taken at Ribblehead In the Yorkshire Dales not far from Ingelton.
The Bash plate on the R was from Touratech, it was the best on offer at the time.
The tool tube on the front was made from a old alloy bottle which I made a plastic lid for.
I use one of these on the Tenere gear4bikes.com (UK) Bike Accessories

They are very strong and can withstand a good bashing.

The Tank on the R if I remember correct was 16lt. The aftermarket tank at the time were far to expensive at e800 so we justed carried a 5 lt jerry can with us.
Hope this help's

Dazzer

Hi Dazzer,

I have an XT660R here in Turkey and it takes me everywhere. I'm looking to make it more comfortable for the Mrs and have just seen your photo with the contoured seat. Did it work and where did you get it if you don't mind me asking.

Cheers,

Dicky

I had the seat made for me by Motorcycleseatworks
This was done back in 2007.
It worked a lot better for me and Leigh { my Pillion }
The standard seat did not have much padding for the pillion and also caused leigh to slide forward when I was braking.

I sold that seat when I sold the bike and It was to a chap over on the XT660.com site, I think he was from your neck of the woods.

Dazzer





http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...w/CIMG2103.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...w/CIMG2104.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...w/CIMG2107.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s...w/CIMG2109.jpg

Thank you very much for that Dazzer and for taking the trouble to put up some photos. Yep, Juliet has the same problems that Leigh had. I'll see what I can get done over here.

Thanks again,

Dicky

Thanks, Dazzer. I'm pretty sold on the idea of the 660R. In your experience, is it very reliable?

Oh...I'm from Skipton, by the way, so I should have recognised that bridge. But, oh so close to Lancashire.

One more ...
 

Yes, I'll be heading across, too, east to west, starting about the beginning of June.

Old Aussie sheila on a WeeStrom. Keep an eye out for me along the way.

Regarding the XT660R as a suitable bike for getting to Vlad, I seem to remember reading, I think Touring Ted saying the petrol available en-route was sometimes 92 octane. Could this bike run on that stuff?

It could have been Tony P :oops2:

Probably but no matter. We are ALL here to help each other.

Cities and main towns across RUS will normally have 95 and 92. Smaller, more remote areas will probably have only 92 and lower. Beyond that you cannot be picky!

Colebatch and I both had to fill up from virtually empty with 78 at Udachny, up on the Asian Arctic Circle. (And that was after a bit of interesting pleading and bargining with the fuel station lady and eventual danger to Colebatch). The alternative was staying there for ever.

With an angry Husband looking for him, we chose to leave town - fast!
Despite it being well after midnight ......!
Maybe that is in the book too ;) as well as my many punctures that night.

Both bikes (F650GS-D and G650XC) ran perfectly for their entire tank fulls, desipite a desperately difficult time (not the Husband) until we reached a 92 supplier, again almost on empty, a day later.

Modern fuel injected engine management systems adjust for many things, octane being just one. Others include air temperature, ogygen availability (altitude), exhaust temperature and so on.

Thanks very much for a very entertaining reply. I take it a standard exhaust with the cat in it would suffice then? I was reading about Colebatch today. In that big hardback job about building the ultimate adv bike. Great bike he's got.

In Russia? For sure. All fuels are unleaded.
Some people remove the cat if they are going to areas where only leaded fuels are availble.
My bike had the completely standard BMW exhaust and cat. Colebatch had a loud 'aftermarket' exhaust (to frighten the bears he said but I don't know - maybe to attract the girls' attention more like!). I doubt it had a cat - or too much pussy.

Yep - that bike has almost certainly done more serious travel than any other adventure bike in the World, and still going to do more.

It is a credit to the unburstable Rotax 650 single engine and the knowledge and preparation abilities of experts in their respective fields in Wales, England, and Holland plus the supremely skilled ordinary people in remote places to actually still repair things to gt them going again.

On the topic of repairs in remote places, see post 69 here The BAM Road - ultimate test of man and machine - Page 5 - ADVrider and read on to find out how my 'irrepariable' 'unserviceable' BMW rear shock was repaired for a few Russian Dollars (a bottle of local cognac!) and is still going strong.

Despite the weeks and months I have spent following it, I still cannot remember its registration number beyond RO08 ***.


There is a SibirskyExtreme book now (to go with the DVD) and in it Colebatch devotes several pages about his bike's preparation Sibirsky Extreme Book Walter Colebatch motorcycle expedition journey siberia mongolia

Brilliant. I'll definitely give all that a read, Tony. Think the XT660R is the one I'll buy. What do you reckon? I really wouldn't trust my Buell Ulysses! But, you know, with the right prep, new wheel bearings, headrace bearings, swingarm bearings, drive belt, clutch cable, it would probably make it. It hasn't let me down yet.

Nick.
Don't get hung up about the 'best' bike or anything. Focus your attentiomn on just doing it. As I said to you weeks ago, ANY BIKE CAN REACH VLAD.

Here is a Cut'n'Paste from a reply I gave on another forum over 2 years ago. As far as bikes, look at the sentance I have now put into bold. Otherwise the full post is exactly as it was - even a bit in red. No one said I was wrong and there are a lot of people out there who know far more than I.

--------------------
As to specific brands of gear I would say, if you can afford it, get higher end stuff from an established manufacturer. There is no best of anything - it is all good, all works as intended. Much is personal preference and what you have and know.

Colbatch and I had identical riding suits but this was sheer coincidence. We had been using them (or similar) before we first met a few years ago but as we had never ridden together before we were unaware. I only discovered we were using the same suit, even colours, when I saw the first photos of him setting off 2 months ahead of me. Too late to change!

Bikes are a little different matter, if you have the luxury of choice. The type of trip and expected terrain make some models appear more suitable than others. Weight, height, ground clearance, reliability, spares availability, tyre sizes, repair possibilities, fuel capacity, comfort all have a part in the deciding process. But a competant rider will do well on an unsuitable bike whereas no bike will make up for poor riding ability.

But in my view by far the most important piece of gear or equipment to get right is in your head.
The right attitude.
You cant buy that - but you can work on it!
-----------------------------------------------
Go for it, Nick.

As Tony P says any bike can get there , the first four bikes we saw in Vladivostok were Harley's two finns and a dutch couple , and on our way home from Vlad along the Siberian highway we met a couple on these 125 Chinese made step thru.

As for fuel plenty of it along the highway usually 92 but at the new stations (and more being built) most octane’s were available . Fuel is a bit scarce between Ulan ude and Chita , just do a "splash and dash" at every opportunity.

the only down side on the whole trip was a car of Bulgarians flagged us down in the middle of nowhere said they had run out of fuel and roubles, but they had a "gold" ring to sell. We just said sorry no money and no fuel to spare and off we went only to meet the same crew some 400miles down the road the next day doing the same .

It does at times get busy usually at the road works were everything slows down, the car ferry drivers from Vlad can be a bit crazy, but just give them room and let them get on with it . The thunder storms can be frightening, lightning hiting the road in front and no cover for miles, but they seem very localised, maybe after 20 miles your out of it .

Don,t worry just do it, you will be suprised how easy it is and how friendly everyone is.

Thanks for the encouragement lads. It's not so much that I want to do Russia, more that I really want to ride to Tokyo. Used to live there (89-92) and ever since leaving I've wanted to ride back. Want the XT660R as it's economical, reasonably light, reliable and would be perfect for overland to se Asia the year after too. I've retired early, and whilst I'm not loaded, I can afford to do this sort of stuff. When you're away you're not spending at home.

lots of people have done it on a Gold Wing, even back in 2004 when it was 3000 km of dirt road there were people doing it on Goldwings.

Now its all asphalt.

If you are a Nick Sanders style rider, you could do it in 2 weeks

I'm going to do it on the B-King. Walter, in that book about building the perfect adv bike, what is the riding suit you've got on. Halvarssons? I spy an 'H' and is it any good? Vents under arms and inner thighs?

i think I had an old BMW suit on then, now riding with a Klim Badlands Pro, which is the best adventure travel suit in my opinion.

Thanks, mate. I shall google that. And perhaps I'll do it on the XT660R but I suppose tyhe B-King would be fine if no off-road sections. Probably not your kind of mount and no way can I ride like Nick Sanders!!

Hi, my wife and I did the crossing in 08. I understand the road has improved but you should allow 21 days riding to get across Russia plus rest and maintenance days. We had a better trip than most (no crashes etc) but it is still long and hard. We say this as Aussies who are used to long distances. At any rate, have a look at our blog for this in the travel tales area of the site ...tstories/hannan. As for the Gold Wing, it is doable, but there is a cautionary tale in the blog about the Korean HOG we met west of Chita. All sixteen of their bikes were broken before they got half way. The bikes weren't up to it. Don't know about the Honda or the current state of the road but why take such a big and difficult bike on this trip if you don't have to?
Finally, you will need some rest on the way and it is probably a good idea to spend some time meeting some Russians and enjoying the hospitality along the way. Don't be in too much of a rush! We had a great time and the Russians were very good to us. Mike and Jo Hannan

AND it looks like I too will be heading that way from Europe. I am thinking of taking all of september to make my way there.

Kent 1200 GSA Happy travels!!