Dreaming of a motorcycle trip to distant climes? This section will help you to plan your trip, whether it's to the next state, country or all the way around the world! Start here!
The Achievable Dream 5-part series - the definitive video guide for planning your motorcycle adventure. Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
You could just get on a plane with your credit card and passport and buy or rent everything you need when you get there. That includes the bike, riding gear, etc. etc.
Gear Up! is a 2-DVD set, 6 hours! Which bike is right for me? How do I prepare the bike? What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers! "will save you a fortune!"See the trailer here!
So you've done it - got inspired, planned your trip, packed your stuff and you're on the road! This section is about staying healthy, happy and secure on your motorcycle adventure. And crossing borders, war zones or oceans!
On the Road! is 5.5 hours of the tips and advice you need to cross borders, break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
Tire Changing!Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
With an HU blog, you'll get a lot more readers than in some obscure corner of the web, it's all set to go, no setup required, and it's free! Start your Travel Story Blog right now!
800+ HU Communities in over 115 countries! People who want to meet travellers - yes that's YOU - and can provide local assistance, and may be your new best friends!
Make a DifferenceTips on fundraising or donating time and energy to a cause.
After the big trip - Was the trip the best - or worst - thing you ever did?
Resources and Links
Horizons Unlimited Presents!
Ladies on the Loose! For the first time ever, a motorcycle travel DVD made for women, by women! These intrepid women share their tips to help you plan your own motorcycle adventure. They also answer the women-only questions, and entertain you with amazing tales from the road! Presented by Lois Pryce, veteran solo traveller through South America and Africa and author of 'Lois on the Loose', and 'Red Tape and White Knuckles.'
"It has me all fired up to go out on my own adventure!" See the trailer here!
Meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or across Asia! They will encourage you, share their experiences and advice on how to do it!
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When you decide to become a Member, it helps directly support the site. You get additional privileges on the HUBB, access to the Members Private Store, and more. Of course, you get our sincere thanks, good karma and knowing you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. :-)
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T-shirts, Calendars, Stickers
T-shirts Cotton or synth sweat-wicking t-shirts with the cool Horizons Unlimited graphic on the front and a snappy slogan (changing every year) on the back.
Calendars Featuring the 13 winning photos from the Horizons Unlimited annual motorcycle travel photo contest!
World Map Sticker for PanniersShow your route on your panniers. Great conversation starter when you meet people on the road!
Travel BooksMotorcycle and travel books to inspire and inform you!
Videos - Watch and Learn!
Horizons Unlimited presents!
Achievable Dream The definitive guide to planning your motorcycle adventure! This insanely ambitious 2-year project has produced an informative and entertaining 5-part, 18 hour video series. "The ultimate round the world rider's how-to!" MCN UK.
"The series is 'free' because the tips and advice will save much more than you spend on buying the DVD's."
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If you sell motorcycles or motorcycle accessories, riding gear, camping equipment and clothing, transport motorcycles, organize motorcycle tours, or have motorcycles to rent, you should be advertising with us!
Northern and Central AsiaTopics specific to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea
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Myself and a friend crossed the border from Ereentsay to Russia around June 10th this year (2011) without any problems, just the usual 3-4 hours search, paperwork and another hour waiting for the Russian customs people to come back from lunch Ha. Got the feeling they don't get many international travellers and Russia customs failed to stamp my documents properly for my motorcycle exiting Russia. We rode UB to Choiboylsan then north to Ereentsay to cross. Don't get caught between Choiboylsan and Ereentsay during the rain there are numerous low spots that fill with rain becoming muddy temporary lakes. Getting from UB to Choiboylsan was the easy part if you persist through the sandy and corrogated parts. Tell Sybelle Clyde said Hi.
For completeness ... its worth adding that in 2011 a 5th international road border was opened up from Bulgan in the west, between Khovd Province and the Chinese Altai. Usual deal, its 5 days a week, year round, 9am to 6pm.
But with China on the other side of the border, you will not be able to take your vehicle in unless you have a tour agency meeting you with Chinese plates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by colebatch
as many of you know, there are currently only 5 land border crossings open to foreigners entering or leaving Mongolia - they are:
Tsagaannuur - Tashanta (RU) in the west
Altanbulag - Kyakhta (RU) in the north
Dzamin Uud - Erlianhot /Erenhot (CN) in the south
Ereentsav - Solovyovsk (RU) in the east
and the rail only crossing between Sukhbaatar and Naushki.
For newcomers to Mongolia, this is a basic map, showing the 5 third party road border crossings (red dots).
Also shown are the most common routes people ride there:
Northern Route: Yellow
Southern Route: Orange
Middle Route: Green
Eastern Route: Blue (admittedly this one is not very common at all - very few bikers head out east)
Highway to Russia: Pink
On that map I entered Mongolia from the lower point at Bulgan
The road from the border to the coal mine is 350km of superb smooth pavement, after that the road turns north and joins the southern route eventually.
The road from Altai to UB is "supposed" to be all paved by the middle of this year. Don't hold your breath but they are certainly working hard and soon it will be paved
There is still 4,000,000 other tracks to choose if you want dirt, so don't despair
It's a pity that they didn't open the border at Hovsgol lake. Maybe they open it this summer?
Regarding that map Walter posted I can make a comment. I was in Mongolia in 2010 and from Ulaangom we went via Hyargas Lake - Songino - Tosontsengel - Moron - Tsetserleg. Highly recommended. Here is the gps track: Mongolia 2010 - Motorcycling trip | EveryTrail
It's a pity that they didn't open the border at Hovsgol lake. Maybe they open it this summer?
Regarding that map Walter posted I can make a comment. I was in Mongolia in 2010 and from Ulaangom we went via Hyargas Lake - Songino - Tosontsengel - Moron - Tsetserleg. Highly recommended. Here is the gps track: Mongolia 2010 - Motorcycling trip | EveryTrail
Bob (Cristian)
Good to see you also took the cool Khotgor Track between Olgiy and Ulaangom past Achit Nuur. Infact great work for choosing a route almost completely away from all the normally travelled routes (Northern and Southern). I like that kind of creative adventuring.
Do not hold your breath for the Hovsgol border to open any time soon. They have been talking about it for some years now. No movement.
Good to see you also took the cool Khotgor Track between Olgiy and Ulaangom past Achit Nuur. Infact great work for choosing a route almost completely away from all the normally travelled routes (Northern and Southern). I like that kind of creative adventuring.
Nice stuff ... Its a nice little shortcut and I hope it becomes more popular. Great pics Chris
Looks like you met a bunch of my Polish mates, including Robert "Movistar" Mamzer at Karakol and Michal Rej in Kazakhstan.
PS ... you are lucky you didnt have another run in with the Russian border guards when you camped just before the Mongolian border. Technically after Kosh Agach its a border zone and you are only allowed to be on the highway beyond that point !
Nice stuff ... Its a nice little shortcut and I hope it becomes more popular. Great pics Chris
Looks like you met a bunch of my Polish mates, including Robert "Movistar" Mamzer at Karakol and Michal Rej in Kazakhstan.
PS ... you are lucky you didnt have another run in with the Russian border guards when you camped just before the Mongolian border. Technically after Kosh Agach its a border zone and you are only allowed to be on the highway beyond that point !
You dont really look like a spy tho ...
The shortcut was recommended by a Russian biker in Tajikistan.
Small world isn't it!
At Kosh Agach there was a checkpoint: Maybe the matie told me that I had to stay on the road... His English/my Russian were both that bad it would have got lost in translation.
there are no more big problems with petrol in mongolia. maybe some petrolstations dont have 92, but 80 is everywhere....
enjoy!
cheers,
bernd
Hi, a question: are those octane ratings RON? If they aren't, what would be the equivalent in RON? I'm from Spain and most bikes in Europe run on 95 RON, so 80 sounds very low... Would and EFI bike run well with such low-grade fuel?
Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's thelist of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.
Virginia: April 24-27 Queensland is back! May 2-5 Ecuador June 13-15 Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 CanWest: July 10-13 Switzerland: Date TBC Ecuador: Date TBC Romania: Date TBC Austria: Sept. 11-14 California: September 18-21 France: September 19-21 Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.
Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.
Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!
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Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.
You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.