I am going to the Golden Triangle!!

I am going to the Golden Triangle with my buddy!!

I am so excited! This is the first time for me to actually ride in Thailand!

I am riding with a buddy, two guys from Chiang Mai all the way up north to the golden triangle,

and crossing the border to Laos!

My oh my!

Route is planned, ticket is booked, room is booked, bike is booked.

I am just waiting now!!!

Cheers Riders.

Learning Russian!

Getting To Know The People - By Knowing Their Language

I am fascinated by the idea of actually talking to the people in their own language, to getting to know the place and the people more. To use English is of course an idea but I believe most of the people whom I will meet on my Long Way Round wouldnt speak the language.

And since I will be traversing across this vast land of Russia and her neighboring countries,

I figure it will do me good to learn Russian!

Hell it might even do me good at work as well!

I am a total new bee in Russian. I have to learn from the alphabets and I found the following youtube very useful and helpful.

For those who want to take a similar trip and have the willingness to learn the language, I introduce you this:

https://youtu.be/SzChuuvZcag

Cheers Riders!

The Route I Am Thinking

My Route of Choice

I have decided that I want to ride from Japan, all the way across Russia, enter Mongolia,
exit to the old USSR satelite countries, proceed to Turkey and meet my wife there, then push forward to Saint Petersburg while going through Eastern Europe. Again I will meet my wife in Saint Petersburg.

What a long way!! I am not sure how many months will it take. Maybe a year in total. Maybe less. But for sure it is going to be a life changer.

Will want to update all the point of interests.

Cheers Riders!

I Will Do This

Japanese Who Have Done What I Want To Do

I know that the idea of long way round is not foreign to any Japanese. Not that everyone afford to do a trip like that, but certainly there have been many who chose to do this, and enough publicity was made and this idea is no longer alien to any average japanese.

I thought I could learn from them, so I was looking for their record of their tours.

Since one of my possible route is to ride from Russia to Europe, I figure I can get some guidance from youtube. And below link could be one of the best links.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwvpA0UiJ6S4OZzzDcUv9g

Cheers Riders.

To Further Fuel My Desire For My Long Way Round

Where Am I Going To?

I will be off on a long ride. My own Long Way Round.

I have a vague idea and choice of route I want, but I hardly know if it is viable or to put it in general term, good or no good.

So I have come to get help from the map! With this map, I can clearly see the relative distance between the countries I want to cover, and what is awaiting me.

And I have got a book of world attractions. I dont know how much I will use it, but I am sure I want to go see some places during the trip. To ride is a big part of this trip, but not to see anything along the way will be a great loss.

And I have this trip log book(?) as well. I am not going to keep this until my Long Way Round begins. Instead, I will start using this to document my riding trips in Japan.

I hope everyone will have fun!

Cheers Riders.

Places I Want To Go - 2

Mountain Roads?

I definitely like mountain roads. But to tell the truth, I am not an expert in riding and most of the time I am scared of riding the twisties.

However, I figure that I need to conquer my fear. Not to say that I need to speed in the mountains, but at least I need to accummulate enough mileage on the twisties.

While doing that, might as well choose some good places to go eh?

県道45号大山環状道路。景色と走りの両方を満喫でき、大山南東に位置する蒜山高原(県道114号・422号)とセットで走れば、さらに楽しいルートとなる。

I have been there with my wife. Now I am going to ride it. Wonderful! I guess a slow two days ride is gonna be great!

Cheers Riders.

Places I Want To Go - 1

Going Places - Train My Riding & Photography Skills

I want to go places. Most of all, I want to for an overland trip. I do not only want to go there, but i want to take photos, shoot videos and enjoy the scene, and bring back the scenes.

Yes, there is a selfish motive - while I am doing it, why not do something extra that might, just might, earn me money at the moment or in the future?

So I need the skills to do it. And a good training ground is Japan. There are so many places to go, and definitely I want to go there, and while being there I can practice my shots.

In this blog I will have a series of Places I Want To Go. This is entry number 1.

The place is Shimane Prefecture. The cities involved are 安来市・雲南市・奥出雲町.

Yes I know most of you might not be able to read it, but you can always check back to my blog.
Here are two photos of the place.

Neat, huh? Just one of the places I want to go.

Cheers Riders.

The Most Reliable Personal Storage?

Immediate Access To Water and Personal Effects

http://www.camelbak.com/en/International/Sports-Recreation/Packs/Skyline-10-LR.aspx

I dont know how long I can keep riding on a bike without stopping, that will warrant me a need to buy a camel pack. Probably not that long. But I reckon that a camel pack will be a good investment because
1. it is a water pack and i can drink from it without needing to stop what I am doing, or shuffling through my luggage.
2. it is also a pack that I can keep close to myself to make sure I dont lose things.
3. More water is always not a bad thing.

Maybe I can try and buy one when I do the riding in Japan. See how it goes.

Cheers Riders.

For The Love Of A Mother

My Mom Made Me Cry

Mustering all the courage I could have had, i told my mom that I will quit my job and go on a motorcycle tour on my own to see the world. In a few years time anyway. My wife was sitting next to me at that time.

My mom was startled, apparently. First reaction from her was, "quitting your job so you can play around?" I said, "yes. quitting my job so i can do what I want to do before it's too late. before i tell myself i should have and could have." Mom said,"well i myself have many things I would have liked to do but didnt get a chance to." not without a smile I might add.

And so I grew a bit bravier. "and mom, that's exactly why I want to do it. I dont want to sit there one day at your age, and tell people that there are things that I wanted to do but I didnt."

With that she let the topic drop. She didnt actually refute or trying to stop me from doing it. She just didnt say anything. And of course she wasnt mad by a long shot.

This evening she rang me up, telling me she had found the old canteen that I used to bring with me on my camping trip. ( I had only camped once, mind you)
I didnt quite get her idea so I asked, "what about the canteen mom?"
She said, "you said you want to tour the world. So you need something to cook with, yeah? So i got this for you, all stashed away in the storeroom."

Oh my god..... I just broke into tears. She didnt stop me from going, but she actually helped me to get going!

Thanks mom. Thanks for letting me be me. Thanks for supporting me, in the way you can.

I love you.

Cheers Riders.

Watch Out!! (Pun Intended)

Any Watch Will Do. But I Just Want To Add Some Flair.

This is a Casio Protrek PRW-3500-1JF watch.

I know any watch is up to the job of telling time during the long way round trip. However, out of personal taste, I would like to add more flair to the choice of watch. I have and I love my mechanical watch. And I know it can take abuse. But it doesnt tell the temperature and it wont do backlite. I dont need a 400 USD watch I know that. But I think it will help me on the trip.

Just a reminder.

Cheers Riders.

Navigation System For the Long Way Round

Must Know Where Am I Going, Musnt I?

I believe map is definitey needed, but having a Sat Nat is definitely a must when I am in the middle of nowhere.

I have never had any Sat Nat for my bike. The best I did was using Waze or Google Map, and I think these two will cut it in the real world of wild.

I have no idea what a bike Sat Nat should be expected to do, but I do know there are two big names. Tom Tom and Garmin. Throw in another wild card with the name of Sierra as well.

Below is the link to a product review for these sat nats. I am entering this blog to serve as a reminder.
http://www.motorcycle.com/products/motorcycle-gps-review-89038.html

Cheers Riders.

A Short Ride Out On the Backroad On A Souped Up 883

There's No Replacement For Displacement

 

Got a friend who was kind enough to lend me his 883 to have a morning blast with him on the twisty backroads.

 

I am not a person who pushes for BIGGER IS BETTER idea, but I do see the point in having a bigger displacement in any bike. With a bigger displacement, even if the horsepower doesnt gain much because of that, the bigger torque is surely going to benefit the rider. It would be easier to ride around on a fixed gear with all that torque. Having to change gear often and open up big the throttle is one of the biggest contributors to biking fatigue.

 

 

Which brings up the question. I am kind of fond of SR400. A 400cc bike is no slouch even by today's standard. It has 3.0kgm of torque to push a total of 174kg of bike. But do i want to modify the engine for bigger cc? well maybe not, for I dont want to jeopardize the longetivity of the engine. Breaking in the middle of nowhere because of the mod engine is no joke.

Just a thought.

Oh by the way here is the link to the video I made for this trip.
https://youtu.be/bRqzhQweKFM

Cheers Riders.



How To Treat Water

Clean Water Is Difficult To Come By!!

I wont have a convoy tailing me and providing me with all the provisions.
The most important resource I need is water. And I know I cant really rely on convenient stores for water along the way.

Therefore I need to have a water purifier to get my hands on whatever water source.

Some product introduction.
http://spotlight-media.jp/article/199461933604667171

http://gak.boo.jp/bike/bikeitem/bikecamp/filter/camp_equip_filter_00.html

Looks like these are the pumps or gadgets I will need to bring onboard the bike,
in case I dont have assess to fresh water.

I need to start packing once I get back to Japan. Most important of all, I need to learn how to change tires!

I know there are water purification tablets as well. Need to check them out.

Cheers Riders.

What Vaccine Shots Do I Need?

Which Vaccine Shots, When, Where, How Much?

I need to take a few vaccine shots to protect myself from some serious diseases. I have no idea which shot to take. So I did some research on what shots the rest are taking. Here 's one example.

Polio, ポリオ
Hepatitis A, (I think I had this)
Hepatitis B, (I think I had this)
Typhoid, 腸チフス
Japanese Encephalitis, 日本脳炎
Rabies,狂犬病
Tetanus,破傷風
Yellow Fever黄熱
マラリア

But let's see the official words from Japanese government.
http://www.forth.go.jp/

How long does the effect of the vaccines are? the thing is we dont quite know.
But for Rabies it seems to be two years.

What about Malaria? Need to do more digging.

The thing is, do I take the shots in Japan, in Malaysia, or in Thai?
(reason why Thai is on the list because there are words saying Thai could be cheap. How cheap?
let's see the following table)

ワクチン名	タイバーツ	日本円換算	日本の場合
A/B肝炎検査	850THB	2,710円	3,675円
A/B肝炎混合1発目	1,150THB	3,670円	15,750円
A/B肝炎混合2発目	1,150THB	3,670円	15,750円
黄熱	1,000THB	3,190円	10,000円
日本脳炎	450THB	1,435円	6,400円
合計金額 Ok it sure looks like thai is cheaper. But since I already have Hepatitis A&B, I might as well do it in Japan! Cheers Riders.	4,600THB	14,675円	51,575円         

The Best Bike For Long Way Round

Help Me To Choose A Bike Please?

This is the question: which bike I should use for a Long Way Round tour?

I imagine needing a bike from a big name, like a BMW, or a KTM, or whatever with an adventure lineage. Afterall, those bikes are made for adventure, no?

After doing some research online and sizing up quite many bikes myself,
I have come to believe that using a nimble, technologically simple bike seems to be a safer bet.
A GS is almost out because of its height and weight. The bike will manage it, but I would not.
A cruiser is even heavier, as with the adventure bike, it might not survive harsh road conditions,
or put it fairly, I might not survive.

I think the following characteristics are important for me:
1. Relatively light weight
2. Relatively small to me
3. Technologically simple (so that I can fix it on the road)
4. Something tough (so that I dont have to fix it on the road)
5. Something relatively cheap and easy to maintain on the road where there is no dealer around me

So far, my choice is this:

 

 

The infamous SR400. It is a true old school design, everything is old on this bike, hence the low power output. There is no ABS, no adjustable shocks and NO electric start!! But it means you can always rely on your leg, not needing to worry about the starter. And it has less electronics to play with!

It churns out as much horsepower as the Duke200 (26) and has 2.9kgm of torque. But the Duke weighs at 137g or so, the SR400 comes at 174kg. Thats 37kg of steel. But then it means the frame is stronger and all that.

 

I think this is a nice bike to look at, although not gonna do any good on a highway. But then again, I am not going to ride fast, i need a bike to move around, I need the power to move me, and thats enough.

 

perhaps I will find something more suitable later, but first let me check out what kind of accessories there are for the SR400.

 

Cheers Riders!

Some Long Way Round Tours By Others - A Memo To Myself

What's Other People Doing Out There On Their LWR?

There are many people out there, even Japanese, who hav done their share of LWR.
I have a lot to learn from them: the choice of machine, choice of routes, mechanic skills,
courage and all.

I think it is a good thing to do to post their websites on mine,
so that I can always know where do I go in case I forgot the links or messed up with bookmarks.

The following links are quite good. A Japanese riding his SR400 across the globe.
http://www.wtn-j.com/html/ridersalbum/index.htm

http://global.yamaha-motor.com/jp/yamahastyle/resonating-worlds/journey/vol01/

An official account of how a man rides his SR400 across the globe. (again, SR400!)

http://baikunomatsuo.sakura.ne.jp/index.html
A japanese man riding a honda cruiser across the world!!!!

 

Really, after reading these websites, I realized that there isnt a trip that a man cant do, there isnt a bike that cant be used for LWR. It all comes to how far do you want to go, are you willing to go the distance?

 

Speaking of which, I need to think which bike I want for my road trip.

 

Cheers Riders!

Looking For A Bike Suitable For Long Way Round

I Love Cruisers. Are Those Good Enough for LWR?

I have this thing for cruiser. As a matter of fact, I used to own a Sporster 883.

I am not so sure if cruisers are good choices for a serious Long Way Round tour.
But nevertheless, I never let go of any chance to ride and test my fitting on the bike whenever I could.

These photos were taken in Langkawi, Malaysia. The bike was a Vulcan 900. Besides the knees being not bent-enough, everything seems fine, really.

 

Cheers Riders.

Race to Dakar

Charlie Boorman's Race To Dakar inspires me a lot

This book is all about Charlie's quest to win himself some recognization. I admire him for what he did, and there are things he said in the book that struck my heart very deeply.

Yes, it was indeed a chance. And why not seize it?

Below are the excerpts from the book.

Charley Boorman -
< Race To Dakar >...

... Here was my chance to escape years of mind-numbing hard graft and do something I really wanted to do. I had to seize it. ...
... When I considered all my options, I realized that... I didn't want to return to installing kitchens and the Dakar was my only escape route. ...
... "You better do the Dakar now," "where will we get the money?" "Just do it. We will work it out. Don't talk about it anymore. Just do it." ...
... After a year of breaking bones, preparing bikes, chasing sponsors, battling bureaucracy, getting visas and vaccinations sorted, learning to race off-road,... ... No more hassles, just a simple future. Put on my helmet, get on my bike and ride to Dakar...
... After the finish, I was crying my eyes out... I'd got what I really wanted. Do you want it that badly?"...
... "Remember you wanted to do this. That's why you are here"...
... "I have waited all my life for this moment, and now I really don't know why I am here."...
... "That's it. I've stopped. It's over."...
... "It was an emotional, physical and mental rollercoaster that demanded total devotion. If you need to ask about it, you probably shouldn't do it." ...
People, are you doing what you really want? Will you, one fine day, do what you really want?

Cheers Riders. Do what you really want.

Riding On A Track

Riding On The Track Helps Me Building Up Confidence

When I first picked up practicing in the track, I wasn't still quite determined on the idea of doing Long Way Round. Somehow, somewhere in the back of my mind i thought it would be a good idea to get to know more about how to properly control a road bike, and yeah, it's gonna be fun right? So I enrolled into the course twice. Photos are taken from both the firsta nd second sessions. You can see the "i-moto" at the corner of all photos. Yes the training was conducted by i-moto's instructor. If you happen to be in Malaysia and want to do some track training, I reckon you can try i-moto.

 As usual my good old fashion KTN125 was seen on site with me on full gear. The training was conducted at a international standard go kart track.

 Leaning into a corner with the hip out, head facing the intented direction.

 Another shot along the same stretch. The instructor said I was more relaxed and in control in the second session.

 Now in retrospect I think it was a good thing that I took up this training. I felt more confident riding on the road, knowing the limits of my bike and my skills. Perhaps after this I can keep practising on the track while taking up the off road training as well.

I dont know where can I get that in Japan but one thing for sure, if I was serious enough I am sure someone will help me out. It has been like that and it will remain like that, I believe.

Cheers Riders!

 

Some Links On Embassies

Gotta Get Some Visas, eh?

The first order of business, getting visas for my entry and getting carnet for my bike's entry into foreign countries.
Perhaps, coming back to Malaysia and apply all the visas is a better idea than travelling from Hiroshima to Tokyo?

Russia Consulate In Kuala Lumpur
http://malaysia.mid.ru/web/embassy-of-the-russian-federation-in-malaysia/consular1

Kazakhstan Consulate in Kuala Lumpurhttp://www.kazembassy.org.my/consular.htm

Mongolia Consulate in Kuala Lumpurhttp://embassykualalumpur.com/mongolian/mongolian-embassy-in-kuala-lumpur/
http://embassykualalumpur.com/mongolian/mongolian-visa-information-for-malaysians-nationals/

Pakistan Consulate in Kuala Lumpur

Nepal Consulate in Kuala Lumpurhttp://www.nepalembassy.com.my/en/

India Embassy in Kuala Lumpurhttp://www.indianhighcommission.com.my/visa_service_new.html

Turkey Embassy in Kuala Lumpurhttp://www.kualalumpur.emb.mfa.gov.tr/

China Embassy in Kuala Lumpurhttp://my.chineseembassy.org/eng/

Carnet relatedhttp://www.horizonsunlimited.com/get-ready/paperwork/carnet-de-passages-en-douanes-list-of-countries
http://www.fia.com/mobility-world-motion/cpd/international-cpd-network
http://www.bike-stay.net/europe/touring/carnet.html
http://www.4wanderer.net/world/preparation.htm
http://tabigokoros.com/junbi/junbi.html

ヤマハの世界一周http://global.yamaha-motor.com/jp/profile/craftsmanship/technical/publish/no42/pdf/ts_11.pdf

強者http://worldwalk.jp/blog/tema/motorbike/%E5%8D%97%E7%B1%B3%E3%83%90%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AF%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C%E5%87%BA%E7%99%BA%E6%BA%96%E5%82%99/

Getting Reacquainted With Motorcycling

Getting Myself A Motorcycle After A Considerable Long Break

I used to have a Sportster 883 when I was in Japan. I have sold it some three years ago when I thought I was done with motorcycling. I didnt have the time nor will for any decent ride. I wanted to spend time with my wife during the weekends, and the novelty of Harley was wearing off. The machine was so heavy for me it has become a chore to get it out from and into the garage.

And so I sold it, no without some tears shed that was. I was genuinely sad.

Fast forward to present time, I bought a cheap chinese made KTN125, to try and get back what I have lost. Yes. I think I have made a mistake in pretending to have given up motorcycling. Something was missing and I figured it was the bike. So I bought it, along with a full suit, an Arai full face crash helmet, a pair of long boots and of course a pair of gloves.

Off I went to ride. Getting on a freeway after so many years was something major for me. I was frightened really but nevertheless made it to my destination - the production facility of Malaysia national car - Proton. You notice the road sign that says Proton city?

Getting off the highway, I was greeted with local back road. Traffic was light and everything seemed right.

Here you go. The proton production facility. I was the only soul on the road. Me and my bike and our shadow.

Taking a closer look of the factory. The bike was in mint condition. At that time it was.

The trip was quite short, only some 200km round trip. But it was my first proper solo trip in Malaysia. My first big displacement biking experience took place in Japan and I have never thought I would ride a bike anymore in Malaysia. But you never know, here I am!

Cheers Riders!

A Trip To Mount Kinabalu

Riding A Duke200 to Mount Kinabalu, Sabah!

 On Nov7, I went to a Malaysian state called Sabah, which is located in the Kalimantan island. It is separated from the peninsular Malaysia and that was my first time being there. The main attraction for me was, nonetheless, a ride to the reknown Mount Kinabalu, the highest granite moutain in the entire South East Asia.
My friend was kind enough to lend me his Duke 200.

I didnt know what to make of it in the first 10 minutes but once the learning curve has levelled off, I found it a very relaxing bike for me. Although the seat could be softer and the footpegs could be moved a bit forward for my liking, none is a deal breaker. I reckon I want one of this.

 This is the infamous peak of Mount Kinabalu. The peak is called Lowe's peak. The photo doesnt do her justice. She has much more style in real.

 Me posing with Mount Kinabalu. This was the second visit in a day to the same spot. The first visit it was too cloudy to see anything at all. On the second visit the sky let up and we were lucky enough to see all of the mountain. God bless.

Posing with friends. A fun company. It has been a great road trip. And it was a step forward to materialize my Long Way Round dream. I figure I need as much riding experience I could get. I will keep on riding to improve my skills and build up my confidence.

Cheers Riders.
 

 

Little Trip Crossing The Border

 

Crossing The Malaysia/Thai Border

I like motorcycle touring.

Some think it means riding your bike at the highest possible velocity from point A to point B. I think it means giving up myself to the ride, take the time, enjoy the scenery along the way and soak myself in the local culture at point B.

The problem with my kind of touring is that only a handful of riders like it my way.
Well not necessarily a problem if I choose to ride alone.
So here's what I did. A solo ride from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, all the way up north crossing the border at Bukit Kayu Hitam, entering Thailand at Danok.

 
The trip took place in September 2015. I was equipped with a KTN125 and a backpack.

Took a photo before leaving. It was a tiny bike and I had to do about 500km to cross into Thailand from where I left.

Took two rest stops and finally arrived at the Malaysian border.
It's a drivethrough check point. Handed over my passport, getting the passport scanned - all on the bike! - then waved on.

This photo was taken after crossing the Thailand border. A reminder,
1. Insurance must be purchased.
2. Fill out the vehicle registration paper. (not a carnet)
3. Get myself stamped into Thailand before attending to my bike.
4. Grab the vehicle registration paper and proceed to the vehicle registration booth with passport. Sign in and then get waved on.
5. Go back to where you parked the bike, ride it out of the custom check point.
6. You are in Thailand!

Just a random photo I took strolling the streets.



I guess the only correct sentence was the one written in Arabic.

 

 

Spent a night and was on my way back to Kuala Lumpur.  All in all, I wish I had more time. But this trip will be remembered because it was my first proper country crossing motorcycle touring!

 

Cheers Riders.

My Long Way Round Route 2

So Riding Across China Seems Possible. What About Riding From Japan To Russia?

This links tells the tale of a couple riding from Magadan (Magadan!) to North then South Korea.
So, if I can work my way from Japan to Russia, it means I can go all the way to South Korea.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CF0QFjAIahUKEwiB1pDM7pHJAhWDSI4KHb--CDI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fworldbybike.com%2Fcategory%2Fgulag-road%2F&usg=AFQjCNHc2og-DIHfQub9fnc6NdELqpxxvA&sig2=RY4uSCSveeWtUBYfYMjSQg&bvm=bv.107467506,d.c2E

Can I ride into Russia from Japan?
http://4travel.jp/travelogue/10790134
Yes I can. In fact, I can travel all the way from Japan to Russia. The thing is can I enter Russia with a Malaysian passport? I believe I can because my cousin lives in Russia now. If anything I can ask him.
So, I can go on the Road of Bones??
http://ryuchung.jugem.jp/?eid=632
This is some personal account of a Japanese who did come back from Russia to Japan.
http://www.fregataero.jp/topics_detail5/id=49
And I found this travel agent in Japan that specializes in Russia Japan bike package.
Link for ferry. http://byferryfrom2japan.com/japan-russia

Can I ride into South Korea from Japan?
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ymh3xw1991/41628115.html
Yes for a fact I can. And as a bonus I have a Japanese PR visa so I should be treated simlar to a Japanese. And this is the link for ferry. http://byferryfrom2japan.com/japan-russia

Can I ride into China from South Korea?
Let's try and find out in the next post.

Cheers Riders!

My Long Way Round Route

I Want To Ride From Japan To Norway, Crossing China.

My desired route of Long Way Round is:
Japan -> South Korea -> China -> Nepal -> Pakistan -> India -> Turkey -> Italy -> France -> Norway

I dont know how many days will it take. But I do know it will take forever if I don't do anything about it.

First step, I checked the web for info on how to import my bike into China and ride across it.
Couldn't get any concrete and solid info on this, some says I need to enter with the aid of a guide, some say I dont. I have no idea which to trust but the following link says I could probably get away without a guide.
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/showthread.php?7462-How-to-Ride-Drive-Ones-Foriegned-Owned-Motorcycle-Vehicle-through-China-Un-Guided

And the link says something about the route and possible agents.
http://www.singaporebikes.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-366402.html

The RIDEASIA website. Contains many ride reports for all ASEAN countries and China. It says crossing into China from Laos border is perfectly doable.
http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/forum.php

This forum actually shows an actual case of a rider riding across China without a guide, from Russia / China border in the east all the way to Kazakhstan in the west! It could be done!!! So now I have to find a way to enter China from South Korea!
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/riding-through-china-i-did-82852

An official travel agency with a rather hefty price tag.
http://www.adventurebiketours.co.uk/china.htm

So it seems, there are  lot of options to travel across the continent. But what about riding across Russia??

I am going to leave it to the next post.

Cheers Riders!

Life Changing Books - Nov 14, 2015

The title says it all. I have actually read the books about a month ago, but I reckon it is appropriate to mark today as THE day, on which I have discovered, discussed and concurred with my wife on what I want to do with my life, from now on.

These are the books. I have watched the shows as well. The combined impact of the visuals and words is enourmous. It's overwhelming.

I cried reading these books. I kept asking myself, why am I so moved by these guys, their stories?
My heart raced when I read about their close encounters with deathly accidents, my heart sank when I read about the hardships they faced. Most important of all, I want to do what they did.

I suspect the idea of riding a motorcycle and disappear into the horizon has been inside me from a long time ago, despite being dormant. With this idea buried deep down without me giving myself a proper debriefing, I think, I have not been totally honest to myself, and I have not been totally happy with my life.

Yes my life is a rather comfortable one. An above average job, I have a mortgage on an old house, I have a lovely wife and some cash in my name. I have fought so fiercely for all this in the past 15 years. I am grateful for what I have and I am proud of myself. However, as time passes, I feel something is not right. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know something isn't right.