If it helps with the morale element, it is much the same across Europe:-
BBC Sport - Giro d'Italia 2013: Poor weather rules out Gavia and Stelvio passes

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Dave

Hello
As I started this thred I'd like to share me experience of Mongolia.
I arrived in Vladivostok on May 6th and due to the Russian custom and a holiday it took longer to head off to Mongolia.
I couldn't get informations on the eastern part in advance so I thought I'll see how wet the Far East would be and then decide whether entering Mongolia from the east or the north.
From Vladivostok around China it was so wet that I could hardly get off the road to camp.
Also the fact that I had only one chance to enter Mongolia due to my visa situation I played it save and made the detour via Ulan-ude.
So on May 22th I was finally in Mongolia and got welcomed by heavy wind and rain.
I stayed at the Oasis in Ulaanbaatar and tryed to find out the road conditions by talking to other bikers who came via the south route.
Once again it was impossible to get a clear answer.
A guy,who hasn't ridden a bike for years,did it on a XT250 and discribed it as pure fun.
Others on XT660 described it as challenging but O.K.
Then there were two guys on BMW 1200 GS Adventure who ended up on a truck.

After a few warm days in UB I wanted to see a bit of the east.
But as I had packed the bike my battery made problems and then came rain and later snow. So one more night at the Oasis.
Next day was good so I drove till east of Undurchaan when it begun to get muddy.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Snow East of Ulaanbaatar - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Undurchaan west on A1502 - YouTube
So I turned a bit north and then returned back to UB.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Northeast of Undurchaan - YouTube
From UB I chose the middle route.
Till past Zezerleg it's paved and then sandy and gravel with big holes.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Zezerleg to Tosontsengel 1 - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Zezerleg to Tosontsengel 2 - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Zezerleg to Tosontsengel 3 - YouTube
I followed the main road to Uliastaj. This is also the supply way for that city.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Tosontsengel to Uliastaj - YouTube
The track south to Altaj was small and very sandy.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Uliastaj to Altaj 1 - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Uliastaj to Altaj 2 - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Uliastaj to Altaj 3 - YouTube
From Altaj to Khovd was a flat corrugation gravelroad but due to the strong wind I coudn'd fly over it. There are also some sandy holes with bulldust.
I had a look at the road Khovd to Ulaangom but didn't go all.
First its a good gravel road that turns into a sandy track.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Ulaangom to Khov - YouTube
The road from Khovd to Ulgij was in the best condition of all what I've seen on this trip in Mongolia.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Khovd to Ulgij 1 - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Khovd to Ulgij 2 - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Khovd to Ulgij 3 - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Khovd to Ulgij 4 - YouTube
In Ulgij I had to decide if i go straight to Russia or take the nothern route back to UB.
So far I didn't run into any watercrossings nor really difficult parts so my heart said go for the north route,but after a long talk with my bike she convinced me to let it be. Probably a wise decision then after 2 years and 95000km the bike isn't in the shape to go to Mongolia in the first place,bended front fork from the kanguru,spring of the rear suspencion lost almost 10cm of tension,still the first clutch, couling and battery problems.
In all I should thank my bike for still working.
But at least I went for a look of the first section of the north route till the first rivercrossing.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Tsagaannuur to Buchmurun Sandy Riverbed - YouTube
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Tsagaannuur to Buchmurun River GPS N49 73211 E90 20898 - YouTube
Then I had my first flat tyre not coused by me or nails and stayed at the border in a Ger.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere Mongolia Ger Border Tashanta Tsagaannuur GPS N49 60366 E89 46291 - YouTube

Mongolia was a great review of all the tracks I did so far on my RTW.
Compared with those tracks I have to say that Mongolia is a league of its own.
The difference of "I survived Mongolia" and "I enjoyed Mongolia" depends on the weather and you and your bike.
It comes to the old formula; weight(bike,equipment) has to equate with personel riding ability.
My advice to those not sure about their riding abilities, why not enter via Ulan-ude to UB and then slowly get yourself familiar with the roads instead of crossing all the way and maby just surviving or worse ending up on a truck.
My dear BMW 1200 GS Adventure friends, who gave you the impression that this is the best bike for Mongolia? Was it your local dealer or Ewan and Charlie? In that case you should have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm.
Nowhere in the world I've seen so many of those as in Mongolia.
But if you know (not just think) you can handle it, then go for it.

Anyway, I had a blast, and hope you will too.

sushi
P.S.
(Videos by GoProHD wide angle and city names from my papermap.)

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My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

Good post Sushi, and a good list of detailed sections of the assorted roads for others to see for themselves what conditions are like.

This is totally correct, and people with a lot of experience of Mongolia have been saying this kind of thing for years. Even better to see a German speaker saying it, as in all the trips I have made to Mongolia, the German speaking countries tend to be the guys struggling the most with Mongolia as they are almost always on 1200cc bikes.

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Hello colebatch

They don't listen to me, has nothing to do with the language, simply the fact that I'm not riding "the one and only brand, tested by Ewan and Charlie".
Well since 50% of ALL Germans,(CH+A is less), already have a 1200GS chances are high they turn up in Mongolia with the bike they own.
But of the 5x 1200GS I met at Oasis,UB, 3 Germans came from Ulan-Ude, made a round tour and had a good time.
1 shipped afterwards to Ulgij,the others home.
2 Britisch failed on the easy part Ulgij to Khovd and had to go on a truck, being really disappointed, like nobody told them before that it's a bad idea.

sushi

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My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

So you are saying that there were 5 1200s at Oasis, but none of them rode across Mongolia? A kind of ... "go to Oasis on a 1200 GS with loads of boxes, on the asphalt highway from Russia, get the photograph of your bike next to the gers in the Oasis back yard, and then ship the bike home" sort of thing? Oh dear ....

My next question, is that of the 3 guys who went Ulan Ude - UB - Ulan Ude on good asphalt highway the whole way ... did those bikes have TKC80s on the wheels?

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Hello
Well 3 crossed Mongolia on a truck.
The 2 Germans did the middle route and then up to the north route back to UB and then shipped home. They saw quite some action but didn't cross because of the time they had left.
Don't know the route between Ulan-Ude and UB of the 3rd who then shipped to Ulgij. But he knew his limits.
Peronally I think you see much more on a round tour where you can turn and choose an other route when it gets to difficult than just doing the south route and just survive Mongolia.

The 5 1200GS had TCK80 and K60 Scouts but don't remember who got what.
sushi

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My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

Ah, the 'Gravel Goldwing' . . . "look Ma, no hands, she's in a truck."

Really, I know some braver, more intrepid Gold Wing riders . . . 'Gravel Harley', anyone ?

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