Way to Russia Community and Forum

vorteks · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 1:12 pm Post subject:

Yes the way through the baltic states is the most convenient

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:16 am Post subject: motorcycling across Russia

Well, I'm now 3 days from embarkation. I first fly to the U.S. to take care of some last minute stuff, and then I fly to Germany, meet up with my bike (hopefully!) and ride to the Isle of Man. From about June 6th onward I'll be travelling east bound.
I just got my Russian Visa yesterday but on my way out of the embassy the supervisor told me my visa is not valid for my bike. I have to get a different visa. I'll check around, but looking at other web sites, it seems like I should be OK. I know I have to declare the bike at the border, and buy insurance for Russia (in Latvia I'm told) and I think I should be good to go. I have the registration document which proves I own the bike.
I will be entering Russia from latvia and then head for Moscow. I'll probably stay in Moscow for a few days and then head for Ufa, Tjumin, Omsk, Novosibirsk and finally the border with Mongolia at Tasanta.
I will be in touch via e-mail along the way so if any of you want to say hello, just drop me an e-mail at pmc (at) public (dot) bta (dot) net (dot) cn.
I hope you can read it.
Regards,
Jim

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 10:19 pm Post subject: motorcycling across Russia

Hi,
well, the first part of my trip is now history which was spending a week at the Isle of Man TT races. It was just incredible. I posted some pictures at www.changjiangunlimited.com just look under Whats new. I#m in bremen for a few days and then start the 2nd part of my trip heading through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and into Russia. I should get into Moscow around June 25th or so.
Regards from the road,
Jim

Camrade · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 10:48 pm Post subject:

2Jimbosidecar

that's great that you didn't forget about this forum Smile

nice pictures...

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:25 am Post subject: motorcycling across Russia

No, I couldn't forget about this list. Some members have been extremely helpful to me. I'm now in Pyerm having ridden across from Latvia and spet 4 days in Moscow. Hope to make Ekaterinsburg tonight and will find an internet cafe to post more.
Regds to all.
Jim

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:47 pm Post subject:

Greetings from Ekaterinburg!
I'm not sure of the protocall here if I should be posting my journal here or just give a link to where my journal is posted.
Anyway, Russia is incredible. Nothing like I expected. The people, the landscape, the buildings, the driving all great, the roads could use some work though!!!
And if any of you are KGB types there are 2 very crooked police in Novgorod just before the brodge that leads out of town towards Kazan. I stopped to ask them directions (as they were stopping other motorists) and they took my documents, threatened to take my bike, unless I gave them U.S. Dollars $500.00!!!
Lesson learned- Don't ask police for directions. Next lesson, start out polite. If that doesn't work get very firm. Finally they "let me go" for just 1,000 Rouples. Just for asking directions...
The driving skills here are MUCH better than in China and I'd say even better than in the U.S. I'm not used to polite drivers!
The OTHER police I've run across have been extremely nice. Twice they led me to a hotel.
Yesterday from Kykmop to Pyerm I got stopped 6 times by the police! Each time they just wanted to see my passport, looked at my map with disbelief, and waved me on with a safe drive.
I've posted my journals on advrider.com under Trans-Eurasia
and pictures are posted at changjiangunlimited.com under whats new. Look for my name, Jim Bryant.
One last comment- I want to pblicly thank Roman and his friends for inviting me to their events in Moscow, the Wednesday night bikers meet and the BikeFest south of Moscow. I had a fantastic time.
Regds,
Jim

vorteks · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 12:28 am Post subject:

Congrats for making it to Ekaterinburg on your own! Very Happy

Yes, tatar milicia is the most bribe thirsty, especially in big towns. Out of towns, they ll probably stop you out of curiosity more than for bribes. How do you communicate with them, in russian?

Be aware that after Novosibirsk, road conditions will worsen dramaticly, so tighten up those loose bolts of yours! Razz

And yes, unlike their reputation in western europe, russian drivers are much more civilised than chinese ones, for whom motorcycles just dont exist.

Do you go back to Beijing with that bike? If so i wonder how you ll survive the Gobi desert with such a heavy bike with low clearance....

Anathema · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:13 am Post subject:

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 7:44 pm Post subject: Motorcycling across Russia

Hi,
Greetings from Omsk. Today (from Tyumin to Omsk) I only got stopped once. And yes, you're right it's mailny out of curiosity. I don't speak one word of Russian, so I just show them my passport, and in my tank bag I have a list of the cities I have visited or am going to visit written in Russian and I point this out to them. At the bottom it says Mongolia so they know I'm on my way out of Russia. I think that eases them somewhat. But today was a BIG surprise. One of the police that stopped me actually spoke English. I was so surprised and thrilled, I gave him a huge bear hug. They must think I'm really crazy.
I also met 2 Englishmen who are bicycling across Russia. Been on the road 8 weeks as of today and are also headed to Ulaan-Bataar. Glad to see someone is crazier than me!!! I gave them both bottles of water I had. It was quite warm today.
Anyway, I hope to make Novosibirsk tomorrow and then spend 2 days there. However, this city Omsk is quite nice with a big river running through the middle of it and all the beach goers taking in the warm weather. I'll bet it gets plenty cold here in the winter though...
Thanks for th tip about the hiway after Novosibirsk. I have to make a decision as to do I go north to the southern tip of Lake Bakaal and then enter Mongolia south of there are enter Mongolia at Tsagaannuur. If anybody has any recent experience with either route please let me know.
I did the Gobi desert in 2000 on a Chang Jiang so I think this bike will also make it.
Regds,
Jim

vorteks · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 10:49 pm Post subject:

Pity you didn t have time to visit the local bikers club in Omsk, they are very friendly people with amazing bikes, most of them imported from Japan.

You could stop in Barabinsk, 360 km east of Omsk, if you don t feel like riding all day to Novosibirsk. There is a road house there.

In Novosibirsk, dont miss the nude beach a bit out of the town. I stayed at the "kolos" holidays resort (bar, sauna and tennis) on the side of the beach. Here is a pic of the hotel :

380 km east ast of Novosibirsk, you can make a stop in Krasnij Jar (hotel and restaurant) and greet the local maffia boy owning the whole village there. If you manage to sympathise with him, he ll let you use his sauna

On your way you might find interesting bikes you could like :

From krasnih Jar, there is 430 km to Krasjojarsk and then 400 km to Tajschet. I wouldn t recommend staying in the hotel in front of the station, unless you like the station atmosphere : hookers and hooligans.

Further east, in Tulun (270 km), a small lost village, there is a kind of "resort" with sauna and restaurant and bungalows. Very friendly people :

And finally you hit the baikal lake (450 km). You ll find lots of accomodation in the village of Listwjanka, 60 km south of Irkustk.

Then there is a nice ride around the lake to Utulik (190 km) where there is a small dusted and rusted youth holidays camp.

335 km more will get you to Ulan Ude and then 200 km to the mongolian border, north of Subataar :

waiting for hours to get the permission to leave (a bribe can sometimes accelerate the process).

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:26 pm Post subject: Motorcycling through Russia

Hi,
Thanks for the great tips. I made it to Novosibirsk today although I did stop for lunch probably in the place you mentioned. A nice truck stop with clean and good food.
I wish I read this one day earlier. I'm now at the Novosibirsk Hotel. I'm thinking to stay here one more day to do some maintainance on my bike and look for 18 inch Ural tires.
I haven't yet decided which way to go to Ulaan-Bataar, through Russia to Lake Baikal or down to Tsagaannuur. My visa expires on July 9th so I don't have too much time left to leave Russia. But friends tell me the road in Mongolia is washed out with the rains.
So my question is this if you know it:
How is the road from Novosibirsk to Irkutsk. The road from Omsk to Novosibirsk was excellent except for a stretch of about 50 kms. I almost averaged 80 kmh today making it from Omsk in about 10 hours.
This will give you an idea how fast (or slow) I ride.
Thanks for your tips.
Regds,
Jim

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:36 pm Post subject: motorcycling across Russia

Hi,
Looking at my map I can't find the cities east of Novosibirsk that you mention. Here is what I find;
Yurga, Krasnoyarsk, Achinsk, Kansk, Zima, Usol'ye-Sibirskoye and then Irkutsk. I recognize the different spelling of Krasnoyarsk but I don't see any of the other cities you mention. It may all be academic anyway, if I total up the mileage you have it comes to almost 2,000 kms and I know I can't make that distance in 8 more days unless the roads were the same as todays roads. So in all probability I'll head South to barnaul and Tsagaannuur.
Regds,
Jim

vorteks · Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 12:05 am Post subject:

Well i was typing an answer while you were typing that last one.

The road will start to worsen, with sections of an average of 30 km of unpaved roads. Those off roads sections have very steep inclinasions on the side, I guess to help evacuate water. It was sometimes hard to stay on the right side of the road. So no the road is not as good as it was before Novosibirsk and might be tough to ride in case of heavy rain. But in dry or mild humid weather you should still be able to average 60 km/h

But after Irkusk on the way to the border, the road is fine.

I m surprised you didnt manage to find Tajschet, since it s a main rail crossroads east/west/south. Anyways you have the distances so you can approximatively find out where those places are on the map. Try these links for a more detailed map of the area :
http://encarta.msn.com/map_701516529/Siberia.html
http://renderv304.bay.prod.mappoint.net/render-30/getmap.aspx?key=B217E5C457A07B06B08Dhttp://encarta.msn.com/map_701516529/Siberia.html

Good luck to you, don t get sunburnt on the Novosibirsk beaches and keep us informed Wink

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:40 pm Post subject: Motorcycling across Russia

Hi,
Greetings from Hotv, Mongolia. Well, I made it and I have to say it was great touring through Russia. I met plenty of great people and had a lot of fun being the stupid tourist who doesn't speak a word of Russian. Once I got south of Barnaul, the scenery turned to the best I've seen inside Russia. Snow capped mountains, rivers, friendly peple. It was just great!
I've posted my latest journal again at www.advrider.com search for trans-Eurasia.
Das Va Danya!
Regds,
Jim

Jimbosidecar · Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2005 7:54 pm Post subject: Re: Motorcycling across Russia

I just got home (finally!) 2 days ago. If anyone is considering biking across Russia my advice is just do it. I got so much bad advice about how dangerous it is and how difficult it is. And none of it was true.
Although I didn't cross the entire country, I did ride from Latvian border to Tasanta at the western Mongolian border. Moscow was fantastic and I was lucky enough to be there during the bike festival just to the south of the city. And the scenery from Barnaul southward is incredible. The line from the Beatles song "Back in the USSR" about the snow peaked mountains way down south is true, even in July. The people were great everywhere. I owe a big debt of gratitude to Roman who showed me around the motorcycle scene in Moscow and even found me a hotel room in the peak tourist season. Thanks Roman! The police, except for Novgorod, were also friendly and helpful. The hotels are cheap, gas is cheap, but the roads themselves could use some work. And you have most courteous drivers in Europe and Asia! I finished my journals and posted them to www.advrider.com. The pictures should be posted in a few days at www.changjiangunlimited.com
Regds,
Jim[/quote]

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