East European Bikes in Turkey and Syria

[ursus-spelaeus]

I'm thinking of taking a trip (probably next summer, not this one) from Romania down to Syria.

Does anyone know how hard it is to get parts for East European bikes in Turkey and Syria? I've heard that Jawa is really popular in Turkey and it's easy to get parts and service. Does anyone know about the possibilities for other bikes?

What kinds of bikes do Syrians ride? Do they have their own brands? Anyone know what the possibility of getting Jawa (or other) parts in Syria? I'm hopeful because I know that Syrians travel a lot in Turkey (for shopping I'm told).

At the moment, I'm leaning towards a Jawa 350. Some else though told me that a 250 single cylinder might be better as they are more reliable. Any suggestions there?

Final question (for now). Is it possible to drive a bike into Syria and then sell or leave it there? After Syria, I'll head back to Romania, but i'm curious about whether it's possible to leave the bike in Syria without any major fines or hassles at the border. I've heard that when you enter at the border, they stamp something in your passport that says you entered with the bike (or car) and you have to show it again when you leave to prove that you took the vehicle with you.


Any advice or comment would be much appreciated.


Norm