steele01
Registered user
awesome trip report really enjoying it 
Impromptu trip to Mongolia
- Thread starter Glynn
- Start date
I head for the only biker bar in town.
Harley's lined up outside, steppenwolf blaring out and girls dancing on the pool tables...
NO not a bit of it... There's no one there when I show up...and when this couple march in they head straight for the shelves, pull down the monopoly box and start having a game.
I forgot to look what the city was! Damn!
Harley's lined up outside, steppenwolf blaring out and girls dancing on the pool tables...
NO not a bit of it... There's no one there when I show up...and when this couple march in they head straight for the shelves, pull down the monopoly box and start having a game.
I forgot to look what the city was! Damn!Attachments
The bike hasn't been idling well today and I'm sure it's the valves. I haven't adjusted them since home and reckon that's the problem. I'm at a smartish hotel (£9.00 smart?) parked on the street. I'm forced to ride outta town to the nearest bus stop.
It's raining hard and I give it a while to cool down. I've never checked valves on a warm engine and don't know what to expect. 3 out of the 4 are way too big.
Not what I was thinking. I set them to the original spec.
Its back to running perfect again!
It's raining hard and I give it a while to cool down. I've never checked valves on a warm engine and don't know what to expect. 3 out of the 4 are way too big.
Not what I was thinking. I set them to the original spec.
Its back to running perfect again!
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After a couple days in Irkutsk and baikal I'm back on the road but for the first time in 3 weeks I'm heading South, to Mongolia.
The bikes vibes through the bars and seat have got worse.
It lurches to one side when I roll the throttle on and off. Some of the unseen bumps and dips have the suspension bottom out and I can feel the back end step out of line. All I can do in these situations is grip the bars tight and gently apply the front brake to steady it up and transfer some weight.
I keep my speed down to around 50mph.
I don't bother checking how wobbly the back wheel is. I know it's fucked and there's nothing I can do about it. So long as the oil stays in I think I'll make make it to Mongolia.
The bikes vibes through the bars and seat have got worse.
It lurches to one side when I roll the throttle on and off. Some of the unseen bumps and dips have the suspension bottom out and I can feel the back end step out of line. All I can do in these situations is grip the bars tight and gently apply the front brake to steady it up and transfer some weight.
I keep my speed down to around 50mph.
I don't bother checking how wobbly the back wheel is. I know it's fucked and there's nothing I can do about it. So long as the oil stays in I think I'll make make it to Mongolia.
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The Transiberian road I'm following crosses the railway numerous times. Desperate to see and catch a photo of the express I arrive at this crossing just as the barriers come down. Perfect.. I set the camera up for what i hope is the T/S express. Its not! Its another coal train.
But the barriers stay down. Mmmm. Unusual???
I check my mirrors, theres nothing behind me. Theres no traffic on the other side either...
My mind drifts off and a car comes into view... 2 men get out... they ask me for my papers... bundle me into the back seat... I'm taken to h.q.... tied to a chair...in marches a tall high heeled spectacled leggy blonde... who asks me to tell her everything or l'll be sorry...oh no wait a minute thats not from the Great Escape but from a movie you might not have seen before...
Voosh! The Trans Siberian Express goes by from the other direction...
But the barriers stay down. Mmmm. Unusual???
I check my mirrors, theres nothing behind me. Theres no traffic on the other side either...
My mind drifts off and a car comes into view... 2 men get out... they ask me for my papers... bundle me into the back seat... I'm taken to h.q.... tied to a chair...in marches a tall high heeled spectacled leggy blonde... who asks me to tell her everything or l'll be sorry...oh no wait a minute thats not from the Great Escape but from a movie you might not have seen before...
Voosh! The Trans Siberian Express goes by from the other direction...
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My niece works at a private school in Mongolia and my mother, sister and brother in law had decided to visit her for a holiday. I did too but on the bike! That's what put this mad trip into my head, and at such short notice. It wasn't a lifetime ambition of mine. I'd suddenly found myself with the opportunity.
During my trip across Russia I had arranged for them to bring me the parts I needed. But would I make it?
I'd remembered I had an old final drive collecting dust in the garage. Was it any good? It was so long ago I couldn't remember. I ordered a new shock absorber and persuaded my 83 year mother to be my mule.... to smuggle the final drive and shock absorber in her suitcase.
During my trip across Russia I had arranged for them to bring me the parts I needed. But would I make it?
I'd remembered I had an old final drive collecting dust in the garage. Was it any good? It was so long ago I couldn't remember. I ordered a new shock absorber and persuaded my 83 year mother to be my mule.... to smuggle the final drive and shock absorber in her suitcase.
The Oasis guest house in Ullan Bataar is the hub for travellers in this part of the world. Bikers of all nationalities continually coming and going all with a good story to tell.
2 Germans roll up..... The sand is bad, the zips on their both their boots are knackered and they need new ones.
Amy shows up fresh from the BMW challenge on a BMW 310.... She's got bitten by a dog... Rabies is pretty common round here and the treatment ain't
simple.
Tony limps in, he's had a big off in the Gobi desert. And has the X- Ray's to prove it. Early bath for him and his DRZ.
2 Germans roll up..... The sand is bad, the zips on their both their boots are knackered and they need new ones.
Amy shows up fresh from the BMW challenge on a BMW 310.... She's got bitten by a dog... Rabies is pretty common round here and the treatment ain't
simple.
Tony limps in, he's had a big off in the Gobi desert. And has the X- Ray's to prove it. Early bath for him and his DRZ.
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It was only after having arrived in U.B. did I realise how much stress I'd put myself under. I been constantly dreaming up a plan in case the wheel locked. It wasn't the act of stopping by the roadside and dying a slow lingering death. That didn't bother me in the slightest.
Pulling the clutch in wasn't going to make any difference. Every overtake, bump in the road had me thinking, what if?
I'd made it.... Now where are those parts... I hope she's brought right ones, and not the clutch next to it....
Pulling the clutch in wasn't going to make any difference. Every overtake, bump in the road had me thinking, what if?
I'd made it.... Now where are those parts... I hope she's brought right ones, and not the clutch next to it....
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"So how much has it cost you so far?"
"About £2000, not including visas and £6.99 for the number plate"
" Mmmmm quite a lot "
"Not really for over 3 weeks travel and 7,467 miles"
"You would still have had to eat right, so deduct that"
"Mmmm"
"And you'd have drank some beer if you'd have stayed at home... So deduct that"
"Ahhhh"
"And you'd have spent some money on petrol too right? So deduct that off the cost."
And you'd have had to take your money sucking wife out every Friday night too and maybe buy her some new shoes"
" So what you're actually saying it costs more to stay home ... Mmmm I might actually save some money"
"
"
"About £2000, not including visas and £6.99 for the number plate"
" Mmmmm quite a lot "
"Not really for over 3 weeks travel and 7,467 miles"
"You would still have had to eat right, so deduct that"
"Mmmm"
"And you'd have drank some beer if you'd have stayed at home... So deduct that"
"Ahhhh"
"And you'd have spent some money on petrol too right? So deduct that off the cost."
And you'd have had to take your money sucking wife out every Friday night too and maybe buy her some new shoes"
" So what you're actually saying it costs more to stay home ... Mmmm I might actually save some money"
"
"Attachments
The Panzer lads had already been out in the desert. After 1 day the 4 of them had run out of water and thought there might be dust storm on the way and turned around. One of the bikes had actually toppled off its side stand due to all the stuff it was carrying. He shed 30 kilos!
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DeanoBeano
Registered user
Awesome read. I've ridden eastern Europe with Ukraine being the highlight. This is inspiring to say the least, for my next planned trip. Stay safe
I take a scary taxi ride downtown for a family get together. Like countless passengers before me I wish it had dual controls. (My mothers taxi driver is watching a dash mounted TV and can text at the same time!) We come up behind a long line of cars with their hazards on. Funeral he declares! "Dead taxi driver?"
There's a long wait at the restaurant... New on the menu is 'short beef ribs' I order them. 15 minutes go by and the waitress returns... they don't have any.
Being a pissed twat by now I ask if they have any 'long beef ribs'..... 15 minutes go by .... Er none of them either....
There's a long wait at the restaurant... New on the menu is 'short beef ribs' I order them. 15 minutes go by and the waitress returns... they don't have any.
Being a pissed twat by now I ask if they have any 'long beef ribs'..... 15 minutes go by .... Er none of them either....
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Excellent report, Glynn... good luck for the rest of the journey and keep it coming....
A week in U.B. and I'm ready to leave town and head home West. Living in Eastern England it ain't very often I get to ride into the sunset. The bike seems good. I've been keeping an eye on the weather and I'm expecting the water levels to be low.
"Ah but when it's hot the snow melts and the rivers rise"
Mmmm maybe I haven't thought this out too well.....
"Ah but when it's hot the snow melts and the rivers rise"
Mmmm maybe I haven't thought this out too well.....
My first BIG river....100 metres across.
Walk it... Mmmm deep upstream... I go for it! It's a G/S it'll make it!
I'm heading upstream and deeper water. I've allowed for the current to take me down river a bit. There is no current. The clutch starts slipping.... I desperately realign and bump up the bank. Phew! A round of applause and some disappointment from the assembled bystanders....
Walk it... Mmmm deep upstream... I go for it! It's a G/S it'll make it!
I'm heading upstream and deeper water. I've allowed for the current to take me down river a bit. There is no current. The clutch starts slipping.... I desperately realign and bump up the bank. Phew! A round of applause and some disappointment from the assembled bystanders....
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