Two trips to Central Asia and no problems with theft anywhere. We tried to find secured parking for the bikes at night but often ended up just parking in front of the lodging.

There was one place, Beyneu, Kazakhstan, a frontier border town where 'the vultures' did descend. My partner went inside the railway hotel to arrange for a room and I was out watching the bikes. Pretty soon there were at least a dozen grown men, a couple of them drunk, pawing at things. My partner, who was taking every opportunity to practice his Russian, was taking his time inside, chatting up the clerk.

Meanwhile, one the men started to mount my bike. I put a stop to that and when I turned around, I saw another had picked up my partner's helmet and gloves and was wearing them around, showing them to the rest of the group. GPS's, luggage straps, water bottles, and windshields were all poked and stroked, and the group would occasionally break into laughter.

Finally, my partner returned, and we took everything off the bikes and hauled it inside. The odd thing is: the whole time, there was never any bad feeling from the men. They were just curious, and didn't seem to have the same boundaries for interacting with other's property that I am used to. Plus they were bored and unoccupied (no work?) and just looking to be entertained. No harm was done.

We had to leave the bikes, forks locked and covered, but unattended out front there over night, but nothing was disturbed when we got out in the morning.

Of all the places, we stopped that was the only one where anything at all out of the ordinary happened. Just take ordinary precautions, I think.

.............shu

Thanks for the story shu, and one reason I'm not overfond of travelling alone (though it's not going to stop me). Beyneu is a well documented armpit of a town but much passed-through as it sits on the junction of several major roads. As you say, there is a very little work and very much drinking that goes on there.

Lesson 1 don't leave anything on the bike that's not locked to it.

Lesson 2 lock it away at night sounds more and more a sensible move.

Thanks all

For me Osh is the place with not the best memories. We were parked on the side of a big street. Might had been the same that goes straight to the border crossing. Nothing really happened, but some beggars decided to take a bottle of (some was left) that most likely had gone bad already and a few days old prjaniki. And some guy tried to get into one of the cars. And all of that happened, while we were messing about around the cars.

I remember it because those prjaniki were supposed to be my breakfast.

But otherwise no issues at all in the Stans.

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Frank

Not worse than anywhere else in the world. We never had any problems around central Asia, other than speeding fines in Kyrgyzstan last year.

I would say that the bigger the town the more the risk. But in big towns you can find hotels with secure compounds. In Osh we left the bike in the Osh Nuru hotel where the car park is locked at night and guarded…
Last year we stayed at a newish hotel in Bishkek, and the bikes were parked near reception. We then were asked to move them to the carwash/workshop nearby (separate company) where they were locked in at night. W eewre not asked money for it either!

Usually staff at hotels / hostals will tell you (if you ask) if it is safe for the bikes to spend the night “there” or they will find a secure spot for them.

Border towns like Bayneu etc.. are always higher risk but hotels will let you park in the lobby or they will suggest a solution. Last year in Kazakhstan near the Chinese border we lifted the bikes up into the entrance by the reception desk, as instructed by the lady owner.

In Russia we even got the bikes, one night, up the outside stairs to the 1st floor reception, helped by the receptionist! Lucky we have light bikes though!
In Mongolia, the only town where the bikes were not in a compound (in Ulaangom) we just locked them together and removed all luggage. The bikes were just parked near the entrance of the hotel.

All in all, if in doubt, ask the staff if it is safe, ask where you can leave the bikes. They will always help you. They don’t want hassle with the police.

As for stopping on the road during the day. We travel with soft luggage, most without any security device. Sometimes we may have stopped on the road and not always keeping sight of them. Take the essential out of the bike. For us, it is my tank bag, which olds the maps, iPad, camera etc… All our other docs (passports, money etc) is always on us. Always.
Never had a problem but then, opening our soft panniers is a huge hassle as you have to dismantle 2 set of Rok-Straps! Just don’t make it easy for someone to grab something and run!

Basically all common sense in the end. However, we always carry a big lock and lock the bikes together at night. Since I got one of my bike stolen in Brazil, back in 2007, during our 1st overland trip, we have been a little bit more cautious!

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com