Trawling through the site and uncovered this posted by NMANNO ..... September last year:

"Leoni from MyTownMoto can order you tyres in advance so that you don't need to carry them with you all the way from Europe. He has a motorcycle club/shop and can also do repairs to most bikes.
He only speaks Russian though...so get yourself a Russian buddy.
Leoni: + 7 777 227 2497"

I'd do almost anything to avoid lugging a pair of tyres on the back of the bike across Europe and half of Asia! This place in Almaty looks very promising - however:

1. Has anybody experience of using them to supply tyres enroute?

2. If so ...... how does the system work - pay up front - collect on arrival ... or what?

Last thing I want to is to roll into Almaty on bald tyres only to find the "cupboard is bare"



On a slightly different tack ........

I know questions like "what's the road like between X & Y" are pretty subjective, but any feedback on a part or the whole of the two routes below would be really welcomed, particularly from other bikers. We'll be on two BMW GS'es August/September time.

Outward - Volgograd - Samara - Ufa - Petropavlovsk - Astana - Almaty.

Return - Tashkent - Shimkent - Turkistan - Qizilorda - Bayqongir - Aralisk - Aqtobe - Oral



Kinda half know the answer to this last question but think it worth asking those of you who've previously found a 'system' that worked for you. We'll be away from the UK for the best part of 3 months -

What's the best, most practical and safest way of dealing with accessing cash on route (given the countries we're travelling though) Plastic cards? a thick wad of US$?/ Euros?/ a mixture of both? or what?


All and any feedback really appreciated.

Tell me when exactly you will need tyres in Almaty/Kazkhstan/Kyrgyzstan. Perhaps I will be able to help you. If not I can call Leoni and will ask him. I speak Russian... (so tell me what kind of tyres you need for your bmw (tubeless or not and size, knobbies?...).

Route: 1. Good tarmac without any problems, lot of fuel station. Kazakstan will be boring as hell after one day by this route...

Return: more difficult but you will have a lot of experience, sandy and muddy if will be raining (but it shouldn't). You will have fun driving this route...

You should take USD or Euro, doesn't matter. Keep money in 2 wallets, don't show any of them to policman. ATM works even in Kazakhstan (big cities). Don't try to take small notes like 5, 10, 20 USD/Euro. You will get worse rate for it...

Keep not more than 300 USD in cash, it should be enough for some days... Then visit ATM and withdraw.

My Town Moto has been around for ages and seems pretty ramshackle, but I would trust them not to run off with your money.

On the other hand, I would consider Stoppy Stars a bit more reliable. They got us tyres in from the US within a week, and I'm sure you could organise something in advance.

Details in post 7 here

Ben

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Vladivostok - Denmark 2008... Finished.
Denmark - South Africa 2010-2011... Finished.

Sambor - Thanks for the very useful information - as usual Will PM you.

Henn - Straight from the horse's mouth - thanks.

Re the roads in Kazakhstan - they are generally uniformly cr@p but usable. The worst stretch I came across is the one from Aralsk to Aktobe - have a look at the Kazakhstan section of my website
overlandcruiser.net

Re the best way of accessing money - ATMs were just as easy to use in Kazakhstan as elsewhere.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/travel-hints-and-tips/nationwide-no-longer-fee-free-41376

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www.overlandcruiser.wordpress.com