Hi I traveled a similar route in 2009 to what you have planned. if I can give you just one piece of advice . DO NOT take the GS. Just watch the long way round videos to see these guys struggling with the weight and complaining every time they get to some interesting riding. I took a Yamaha xt600 ( and traveled with a xr650l and ktm 640 adventure) which is a lot lighter yet even this proved to be a bit heavy at times.
Top trip you will love it.enjoy

We've run a few road of bones tours over the years, our website has lots of information including the route that we take. We leave mid May and take 100 days to get to magadan, leaving later increases the chance of hitting cold weather (snow) towards the end. Pack some very good mosquito repellant or buy the Russian super strength stuff, you'll need it in Siberia.
Cheers
Jack

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Compass expeditions adventure motorcycle tours

Kito your are very welcome to give any advice as it will be very useful leading up to the trip,,,,,,I have looked at this and asked myself what would be the best bike,, the off road you are absolutely right but that's just a small part and I can only take one bike and a 1150 wins as the distance is a big factor and the 1150gs will win hands down on that,

I no a few guys that has decided to have there bikes shipped to magadan in a container 2014 then ride around for a month then send it bake, if I was doing it like that I would have my ccm 404 sent with out a doubt

Old Summer Road advice...

Realistically, you are not going to do the old summer road on an 1150 GS unless you are very very lucky with weather and water levels.

It was done with once with one 1150 in 2006 when water levels were quite low. And thats it. In 2004 Ewan and Charlie failed to do it on 1150s (they failed to do ALL their off road sections on those heavy 1150s - they failed to finish Mongolia too). Only one 1200 has ever done the OSR too for that matter ... so only one 1200 and one 1150. Thats a pretty low success rate for 15 years of the most popular adventure bikes on the planet. Especially considering in a normal year 3-10 single cylinder bikes do it.


You arent going to want to hear my advice, but I have got to be honest with you, as a former 1200 Adventure owner / rider, and as someone who has been to Magadan a bunch of times, almost everything you have expressed in this quote is going to bite you in the arse.

Firstly, my experience, which includes heavy adventure bikes, midweight adventure bikes like transalps, light adventure bikes and very light adventure bikes, and adventure riding on every continent, is that your logic for selecting the bike isn't right. Yes every bike for every trip is a compromise. No argument there. The question is how do you frame the compromise. What is the best compromise.

The majority of first time adventurers to Siberia / Mongolia etc think (mistakenly in my view) to base their compromise on what the majority of the trip will be. My experience, however, is that you should not choose a bike based on the needs of the majority of the trip and compromise on the smaller parts. What you should do is choose a bike based on the requirements of the toughest parts of the trip and compromise on the easy parts. If you intend to do the old summer road, then your starting point is a bike that can comfortably do the old summer road. THEN factor in the needs of the rest of your trip. Not the other way round.

Your starting point for bike compromise decisions should be nothing to do with the majority of the trip. Your starting point should have everything to do with the TOUGHEST parts of your planned trip.

Secondly, the distance ... the 1150 will win basically nothing regarding the distance, over a 650cc bike. There are speed limits all across Russia - strictly enforced on the long trans siberian highway. 90 km/h (55mph). Overtaking opportunities are limited and illegal overtaking on a solid white line is a BIG DEAL there and cops hide behind trees, bends, and enforce this fiercely. Partly because its a huge killer on Russian roads, and partly because its a great revenue raising opportunity. The best opportunities to speed when riding across Russia are actually on gravel roads (where there are no cops). Its easy enough to sit at 75 mph all day on secondary gravel roads across the countryside, but a 650 will be more comfortable doing that all day than an 1150, on which you will be gripping the bars with knuckle fever doing those speeds with that weight on gravel.

You will have 3 days of advantage in Western Europe (saving you a total of about 2-3 hrs) - if you take the motorways - on an 1150. If you go to the Old Summer Road you will realise that this 2-3 hrs of net advantage in Western Europe is not worth the endless daily misery that miniscule advantage costs you in Siberia.

I am not telling this to change your mind. You are clearly well underway in bike prep. You are going to do it on an 1150 and that's fine. Just want you not to be kidding yourself when it comes to the reality on the ground in Siberia, with respect to Russian highways and what its actually like to cover that distance on them (its very boring and you are stuck behind freight trucks with very limited overtaking opportunities), and especially with respect to the Old Summer Road - which normally has a couple of dozen thigh deep fast flowing water crossings. (this last year - 2013 - no one did the Old Summer Road - including experienced off road guys on light bikes - because water levels were too high). I will try and put a brief video compilation of OSR water crossings online in a week or so to give you an idea.

Realistically, taking an 1150, you are going to need to be doing the federal road, rather than the OSR. The federal road is a 2100 km long piece of good graded gravel road that you can cruise along at high speed all the way from Yakutsk to Magadan if the weather is good. Parts of it can get boggy and muddy and slippery if its wet, but if its dry you can do it in 3 days.

If the Federal Road was the toughest part of your planned trip, then the 1150 is a suitable compromise. As you are well down the 1150 road already, and are not going to change bikes, I think it would be realistic to adjust your focus from the Old Summer Road to the Federal Road. You are still going to look back at the end of your trip thinking I really should have taken a lighter bike, but at least then your aims will be compatible with your bikes capabilities.

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Looks interesting. Would be interested in joining you but only in March 2016 as I am planning my trip then.
Afraid I am a bit older and will be retired in 2016 . Not strong enough to lift up a loaded BMW so have opted for either a Suzuki DR350 or a Yamaha TTR600. Both being rebuilt and to be tried out over the next year.
Would be interested in hearing from you on your return.

Best of luck with the preparations

Another Graeme

Hi Graeme
Shame that I would love to ride it with you, but take what bike that suits you, I've seen posts that people on honda cubs have done it, so there you go, good luck with your retirement.
I've got other little trip arranged if you like some company
Thanks

Lowrider..... You've done a lovely job on that 1150 restoration.. Seems a shame to mess it up in Siberia...

I do admire your determination. I really do. I don't think anyone is trying to joke with you.

In my experience, for what it's worth, I've found that the people who have 'been there' and 'done that' are generally 99% right..

I've done my fair share of RTW riding like many people on here and I asked the people who had ridden the roads in that region extensively about conditions and their suggestions.. I'm taking a XR650L and some think that is too big


If they say you can't do it on a 1150GS, I would listen... Expecially to those who have A LOT of experience. Unless you are a professional off-road rider ?? Or have super human strength ?? Can you push a 300kg loaded 1150GS through rivers and deep mud ???

People generally like to look out for each other on this forum and in the Motorcycle travel community in general.

I sincerely wish you luck with your 1150GS on the OSR. However, I don't you won't be riding the OSM on that 1150. Not for long anyway.

Best of luck on your trip.

Ted

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Hi ted
You are right about the weight as its a bugger to move about in mud with the full kit on, if I had to do this on my own then its going to be on my mind,

If I say ok then it's better to look at something else that's more suited, what bike will do the 9000 miles with reasonable amount of touring equipment and able to tackle the highways and off road sections and series's off-road sections,
Please don't say ktm 690 as I'm not a big fan of the ktm's as reliably is a issue

I've used ktm exe for trail riding in Northumberland trails I've found they need to be rebuilt every two thousand miles or so, used a ccm 404 for two years, I like that but bits seem to drop off at times so always in my workshop, at the moment I'm riding a old 1996 klx 250 little under powered for any road work but on the trails it fantastic, it will ride over anything for its age it's quit reliable, this was imported in 1990 from china.

I'm thinking if I get my hands on a ccm 604 or 644 then rebuild put my own mods on then that's an option, I like the rotax engine, back when I was younger I used to race with that engine found to be very reliable,

What bike do you recommend as a reliable machine that would do the job

Never thought I'd say it, but having ridden one in Eastern Siberia this summer, I'd suggest a "rebadged Aprilia" :-) , also known as a BMW G650 X Challenge, with non oem suspension like Hyperpro or Ohlins.

With XTank rear extra fuel tank and soft luggage. Rotax motor too. = Basically Walter's bike, but personally I wouldn't bother with a big rallye fairing. Naked is good for me.

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TBS.com

Never had a problem with the 690, bet it's more reliable across Siberia than a 1150GS.


Mark
www.bamriders.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

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Mark
www.bamriders.com

Mark its a mater of choice you chose ktm I don't

Looks very nice. Hope you enjoy it, and looking forward to your ride report when you go to Magadan.

Brave choice of bike....

BMW have dropped Husq. now. I don't think anyone is currently supporting them properly. It takes an AGE to get parts and no one really has any experience with them.


I think we only sold about 5-6 when we were still selling them with the BMW's. Most of them have been back with running problems. However, they were the Nudas and the 125's...

Let us know how you get on with it..

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I'm always up for a challenge, I new about BMW before I went for the bike,
I wasn't aware of any mechanical problems with the terra, I took it off road today in the hills with only intermediates on, I'm pretty happy with it, this weekend I'm going to take it off road over to the lakes then stay there the night and ride back, I'll put the panniers on and load the bike see how that works,

I've been reading up on them in the husky forum there's not a lot wrong with the bikes, I did notice on turning the throttle there's some hesitation before you get power, I'll look into that, it seems to me it need more fuel.

I'm very happy with it with getting the bike at a very low price makes it even better

This is just an update,

Last year 2014 I had three off's on the bike first on the 1150 gs insurance Wright off, I managed to repair backonthe road.
Then my new 1200gsa on the m6 bike right off only broke my fingers,bike in the scrap yard.
Travelling though Albania, a car ran me off the road, I was on my 1150gs that I repaired ealier this year, not so lucky this time broke shoulder and collar bone, bike is in Greece I'm traveling over to pick the bike up in July, the bike will need work I think, my trip through Russia this year is off till I manage to sort things out,
The husky 650 terra went a journey I took it off road across to the lakes 350 miles of lanes, what a pile of crap, so sold the bike, over the winter I've been working on two rebuilds one a xt 600 34f kick start that's just about done the other is a xt600 tenere 1vj electric start, one off these bikes will be my preferred bike for the trip.

I'll be looking out on here to see if any one is doing this trip 2016 as my dates are open now I'm happy to change my plans as it doesn't need to be magadan,

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