The other "BIG ONE" but to Iran..................

[tatters]

Starting this thread up so fellow BCFers can follow my latest adventure, not the best timing for this tour due the swine flu hysteria and it kicking off in Iran but hopefully things will improve plus l,ve put in a years planning and work to achieve this undertaking.



First off the route: Starting late June 09 till late December 09

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/tatter2009trip.jpg



I,m planning to cut straight through Europe and the Ukraine within 1 1/2 weeks straight to Russia due to the high costs of touring in Europe, from there l,m hopefully going to be able to make it to Mongolia in 2 weeks were l will have 3 weeks of exploring till l back track to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is going to be were l,m going to have to deiced if l can get through Turkmenistan and Iran both are quite difficult to enter and resent events dont help, l also have to get my Visas for theses in Kazakhstan. if worst comes to worst my back-up plan is to use a double Kazakhstan business visa l,ve acquired which lasts for 90 days meaning l can re-enter from Uzbekistan and cross the Caspian sea to Azerbaijan then Georgia,Turkey etc.

I would really like to see Iran especially as l,ve had to fork out for a carnet de passage though l did manged to get Syria included on the paper work so can use there as well.





The bike:

I decided after last years tour to Russia not to use my Honda XR650R and sold it mainly because of the limited load it could carry plus it was bloody uncomfortable.

So instead l brought my first BMW a 1992 German import R100GSPD, l was thinking of getting a Africa twin but the proven reliability and simpleness of the old Air cooled GS,s won me over.

The bike has quite a few modifications far to many to list but basically l,ve upgraded the suspension,engine protection,charging system, lighting, clutch. rebuilt the gearbox with new bearings/seals/springs and fitted a lower 1st gear and a higher 5th, the driveshaft U-joints were out of phase and is the weak point of the paralever GS,s so l sent it of to a guy in the states who rebuilds them and after great expense it now has greaseable U-joints and the old rubber damper has been replaced with polyeutherane.


https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p1010006_116.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p1010008_190.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p1010010_190.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p1010011_190.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p6170038.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p6170039.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p6170040.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/p6170041.jpg
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[.....]

Good luck mate

See you when you get back (on a dirt bike hopefully).

[michael j]

Bon Voyage Tatters!!
Keep us informed.

[Ste]

Cool, sounds interesting. Have fun.

Looks like the bar for dangerous places to go touring has been raised again, to top this someone is going to have to go to North Korea.

[michael j]

[colin1]

I'm impressed with all the technical mechanical preparations.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[tatters]

[TheDonUK]

Goodluck
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[Toukakoukan]

Is three spare tyres strictly necessary?
Though I do like the cushioning aspect on either side of the tank...

Good choice with the stebel btw, but be careful with the orientation of it, mine got very pissy if I didn't have it upright.
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RTW Motorcycle Blog

[tatters]

[Toukakoukan]

[D O G]

Nice. Suspect the write up may be more believable and less exaggerated than the other adventurer....

Just to say, you could take a small detour and stop off at lake Baikal in Siberia - the largest lake in the world. It's only a bit further north than your route in mongolia.

Though I guess if your Russian visa only allows you in and our once it could be a pain.

Meh, I'm only saying it 'cos I want to go there!

[Charlie]

Nice, looks like an awesome setup and an awesome trip! Have fun you lucky boy
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[Al]

All the best
That front view of your bike looks like some kind of flying quad
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Yamaha FZR400RR 3tj
My Instagram Thingy

[Clanger]

Enjoy...good luck,and if you see Itchy, I think it's best to steer clear - as he seems to attract trouble
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[tatters]

Will be keeping a eye out for Leon and Nathan though Mongolia is a big place
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[silky666]

when is the leave date Tatters ?
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There's nothing that shouts "Poor Workmanship" more than wrinkles in the Gaffa tape.

Gaffa tape is like "the force" - it has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

[the gaffer]

that sounds awsom mate.hope all goes well and enjoy!!!

[Chriss]

Good luck, PM Sent!
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Itchy]

Boot note:

Nathan isn't going to Mongolia anymore and thus you will probably miss each other as by the time you are out he will be either turning back or heading to Vladivostok.

You might meet Jean-Yves in Iran he is currently there on a Honda C90.

The rest of the stanclan group are midway through the stans and thus you'll probably hit them in UB city.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[tatters]

Not going so great chaps......................



l,m now back home in the UK after riding non-stop for 42 hours from Smolensk 6am yesterday stopping only for petrol/oil and border crossing (must be a BCF record for a ride ).

My output shaft oil seal blew with me only finding out in slovakia causing a very slow oil leak from the gearbox into the dry driveshaft swingarm housing, this was,nt that big of a problem as the seal which is bloody new was only letting by around 250ml per 1000 miles plus l had installed a sightglass when l re-built the gearbox so l could easily keep a eye on it and drain the swing arm every 1000 miles by uncliping a boot. though once l reached kursk in Russia after touring the Ukraine it had gotten alot worst to a point were l needed to change it.


Changing the seal is,nt too hard to do just time consuming as the gearbox along with the drive shaft/swingarm etc has to be removed and l was going to see if l could find a freindly workshop that would let me loose on there premises but while searching l was pulled over by a two Milyta (russian police) who put me into the back of there car and demanded 3,000 rubles (about £60) for some made up crap about me doing a U-turn up the road which l had,nt of done. At this point the driver stays slient but the other one a big fat russian starts getting really agressive and l,m trying to keep my right leg stuck out of the door so just incase the fat one sitting in front of me on the passanger seat trys to close it l also have about 30,000 rubles hidden inside my bike jacket and 500 rubles plus a few US dollors in a fake wallet with cancelled credit cards etc to look real.

I cant take 3,000 from my stash or there are going to want the lot and l,m not going to give up 3,000 easily so l produce my fake wallet and show him all l have in it making out its all the money l have, but he does,nt fall for this and trys to gester that l go to the bank and get more, l played dumb on this making out l did,nt understand what he was gestering and start flicking though the wallent with a sorry look upon my face which cause this fat fu*k to fly into a rage and he then pulls out a grubby old small caliber pistol from under the seat which he cocks in front of my face so l can clearly see a round in the chamber and leans right over the back of the seat towards me. I,m absoulty shitting myself and again pushed the wallet towards him, this time he grabs it off me pulls the small amount of cash out hands me the empty wallet back and makes it clear for me to fu*k off sharpish.



That was the most intresting experance l,ve had with Russian/Ukraine police but after being constantly stopped at pretty much every village/town and seen as a two-wheeled police cash machine its got really stupid so l,ve come home to change the seal plus other little things on the bike and l will head out again soon.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[colin1]

Im not sure if you are brave or stupid to bluff for the sake of £600 when your life is at stake.

I'm glad you are alive to tell the tale. Sorry to heal that the apparently more suitable bike is proving less reliable than the dirtbike which you had thought silly on paved roads.

Maybe simplicity and offroad ruggedness does rule after all.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Phoenix]

I don't think his life was at stake, they were coppers not gangsters, albeit bent Russian ones. They were relying on intimadation most people would fold the second the pistol came out and hand over the lot. If you can put your initial fear aside as tatters did then you know they're not going to shoot you for doing an imaginary U-turn and you see it for what it is, intimidation.

Maybe Itchy has set a precedent by paying them every time he's stopped and so you were fubbered as soon as you got in the country

What made you come home to change it rather than do as you say and find a friendly garage in Poland/Germany or somewhere? I suppose if you can manage 42hrs in the saddle ok it's the easiest option, just expensive fuel wise. Any idea why the seal failed considering it's new? Genuine or pattern?

As a thought, maybe you can get away with putting an Irish flag on your plate rather than GB, might make foreign police less inclined to try arguing/bargaining with you

[Itchy]

Paying?

I havent paid a cop anything since Azerbaijan and that was when he grabbed my passport and held onto it , and decided to get into his car for a snooze and thus waited me out after a very long time.


Russia has been cleaned up massively since cops have had me bang to rights in Russia (running red lights , illegal U turns ) and I play dumb or they just say in Russian dont do it again, or the cop plays a dirty trick on me ie he gets on my bike rides it round the corner and his partner says you walk now......But the bit before Samara and Ukraine is sort of dirty.

I start walking and they laugh and say it is a joke.pat me on the back and give me some chai.

But I think you should alter your story in that these things although they REALLY do happen and ALL my stories are true (although some confusion may arise ie man with stick in that I wrote it as if a man smacked me over the head with a big plank , it was more like a big twig), some people will think you are a liar because such things do not happen to them.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Itchy]