Impromptu trip to Mongolia

10 questions you wanted to ask me but were too frightened to....

Same bike again?
For Russia... No....for Mongolia yes!

Why not in Russia ?
The bike doesn't have the 'legs' for 7,500 mile trip to Mongolia. Big adventure bike would be my choice.
Perfect in Mongolia! Only drawback is not being able to cross really deep rivers. Jap trail bike has ability to ford deeper rivers....if you have the balls to.....

Cross Russia again?
No! Way too boring...being a country that goes laterally across the world it's all the same from Moscow to the Pacific Ocean! Lotsa trees... And lotsa trucks. I put the bike on the train to come back.

Ulan Bataar is a nice place?
Plan on spending a night there at most!

Airhead again?
As I own one, yes... Would I recommend someone to go out and buy one above all the other bikes out there?....mmmmm maybe....

How much was the train from Novosibirsk to Moscow for the bike?
£114.00 one way. I just rocked up at the freight company...who use the train.... No appt and they took it off me straight away, I paid them there and then too. 8 days the bike was away from me😱
That price also included crating...yeh a bargain for 1,500+ miles!

How much was the train for yourself?
£116.00 48 hours. Didn't like it....too stuffy and crappy bunk mates.

What does the shipping company name translate to?
JDE.ru I think!

Did the bike break down?
Rear final drive and rear suspension. Never checked either before I left home....
Apart from that nothing! I didn't use a single thing in the pannier full of spares I took apart from the oil filters and medic gloves. Not even a crush washer for the final drive I drained every day for 2 weeks! I did service it every 5000 miles.

Camp or hotel?
Hotel in Russia and camp in remote parts of Mongolia. Small cheap tent is what I would take.
 
Having done the same trip

My two penneth. Sorry Glynn ...

I loved Russia, a great country with lovely people. Would go back tomorrow :thumby:
Not boring at all, the culture, the people, the people we met and stayed with were terrific. Maybe being an older couple we were welcomed by everyone :thumby:

With hotels at US $5 to $8 not worth camping ... our motorbikes safe and secure inside the hotel or armed compound :eek:

Even riding across Mongolia to Ulan Bataar and then down through the Gobi Desert to China we maybe only camped a couple of time. We were invited in to peoples homes on so many occasions ...

Ulan Bataar, Mongolia ... spent a week or so there, what a place. Intriguing ... exploring the corners, the back streets ... fascinating :thumby:

Sue's 'bike broke down (we did the six month trip on two F650GS's) had to be taken to Altai on the back of a wagon where I sorted it ;)

The F650GS's were ideal (for us) but we took too much :blast

With apologies Glynn ... now carry on please :thumby:

:beerjug:
 
I agree with you except...... if you rode 7500 miles down the Americas or Africa the scenery would be so much more varied..(as well as people etc). That's what I meant to say.
Oh and I have rode the Americas and some of Afica, and Asia and Australia.... I'll get me coat....

I too loved Russia and endorse everything you say.
If I can criticise it for riding.... It's like Australia....ride 500 miles...not much here...ride another 500 miles...not much or did I miss it.... It's not possible to ride 500 miles and not see something in Europe/States/Africa even Asia. I'm talking riding and scenery.
 
I agree with you except...... if you rode 7500 miles down the Americas or Africa the scenery would be so much more varied..(as well as people etc). That's what I meant to say.
Oh and I have rode the Americas and some of Afica, and Asia and Australia.... I'll get me coat....

I too loved Russia and endorse everything you say.
If I can criticise it for riding.... It's like Australia....ride 500 miles...not much here...ride another 500 miles...not much or did I miss it.... It's not possible to ride 500 miles and not see something in Europe/States/Africa even Asia. I'm talking riding and scenery.

I know exactly what you're trying to say.
I went on the Ural Pilgrimage to Irbit and rode a Ural in Siberia for six days.
The experience was novel and exciting but the country (not the wonderful people we met, Micky, but the scenery.....the place ) in all honesty, was boring.
Much like a flat Scotland....an awful lot of NOTHING.

In most countries you can reach whatever's on the horizon in an hour or so, and have a totally different vista.
There, you could ride all day and never reach the horizon.
Flat, boring, scruffy shrubs and wild grass.
Yawn.
 
There's no scenery ever boring ... there's always something to be seen, but it's the people you meet along the way that you remember, always the people that you meet :thumb

:beerjug:
 
Ha ha... I can't resist replying....
I think I side with Tarka

True, if my bike had a better riding position, a bit more power, a screen/fairing and some suspenion! I would have enjoyed the ride to Mongolia more.
The people I met did make the journey! Loadsa folk stopped to look at the bike no matter where I was. Some were bikers and would have stopped anyway but most weren't and stopped to chat for loads of different reasons.
I don't get bored riding across a desert.

But if I asked you Micky to ride 100 miles anywhere in Europe and take a photo every mile. You would have 100 different photos of churches/castles/rivers/lakes/stately homes/mountains etc etc
Now.... If I asked you to do the same anywhere in Siberia..... Erm .... trees and ?
 
Glynn and Micky, thanks for that exchange. Just reminded me that with every passing day we can see things differently. A place in time and space. :thumby:
 
Excellent ride report and a true adventure....many thanks for sharing it with us! :beerjug:
 
But if I asked you Micky to ride 100 miles anywhere in Europe and take a photo every mile. You would have 100 different photos of churches/castles/rivers/lakes/stately homes/mountains etc etc
Now.... If I asked you to do the same anywhere in Siberia..... Erm .... trees and ?

Ha ha ... I can't argue with that Glynn :thumby:

.... endless miles of trees, setting off in a morning with the sun in your eyes, more trees and watch the sun go down in your mirrors, repeat every day through several time zones :thumby:

Never boring though ...

i-wsv5nT6-L.jpg


Then the trees kinda run out ...

i-f9wpxgr-L.jpg


Apologies ... I've jumped in to your thread. But you brought so many memories back ;)

A great trip and report Glynn ... thank you :thumby:

:beerjug:
 
No problem Micky!!!

:beerjug::beerjug::beerjug:

Did we cover the topic on how straight the roads are.......?
 

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Amazing, inspiring and epic!

Just read this start to finish, well done and many thanks for sharing.
 
Its all a distant memory now.... no useful content contained now - for any new readers...

Just trying to add some of the photos that should have been included earllier on!
 

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Its all a distant memory now.... no useful content contained now - for any new readers...

Just trying to add some of the photos that should have been included earllier on!

Well carry on please ... in your own time ;)

:beerjug:
 
Just read this again, if it doesn't inspire you to go off on your bike then nothing will
 


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