Advice for trip. UK > Russia > Mongolia

[Baron Bolton]

Hi, this is my first post, so please forgive me for any errors, idiot questions, spelling mistakes etc. Love the site, amazing wealth of information and top bikers.

I'm in the early stages of planning my first really big (relatively) bike trip, and could really do with some help with quite a bit of it.
My plan is to bike across Europe to Russia and then on to Mongolia. I have read quite a bit on this site and others about similar trips, so hopefully I've got some of the basic information covered, but we'll see.

My first question is about choice of steed. I've currently got an Africa twin '91 and a couple of elderly XR250's (all Honda's).
I'm wondering if the questionable road/terrain quality in Russia and particularly Mongolia, warrants using a more off-road machine? (I'd love to take an XR400 or similar for playing once in Mongolia)
..Or if the fact that most of the trip would be road work means a road bike would be best? I'm also interested in the (unlikely) possibility of hiring an off-road bike in Mongolia to have the best of both worlds, anyone have any experience/knowledge of this?

I’m planning to leave in June next year, and it would be great to meet up with anyone on the route, or in Mongolia, so please contact me.

If anyone has any advice or opinions that may be of help to me, then I could really do with some help. Thanks in advance! Email – baronbolton(at)gmail.com