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Crossing Russia to Vladivostok with a road bike Crossing Russia to Vladivostok with a road bike
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  #1  
Old 14 Jun 2010
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Crossing Russia to Vladivostok with a road bike
Hi guys

I am planing a trip crossing Russia to Vladivostok.

I heard that the Russian police likes to stops foreigners bikers to get some " extra cash " Can anyone to tell me if this is a usual practice or just some rumours?

Also I got a Fazer 600 year 02, are the roads ok for road bikes in the Russia federation

Thanks for your help in advance

Best regards and good trips

Alvar
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  #2  
Old 14 Jun 2010
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road conditions in russia
Adva

I was in south russia last month, and travelled from Rostov to Volgadonsk.
There wasnt many bikes that I saw on the road.
As you approach a large city or town you will see the Police check points. To avoid being pulled take your time. All this talk of police curruption and bribes is totally off the mark.
The roads between towns will be an adventure for you though. They tend to be good smooth tarmac that change every 20miles or so too some dangerous sections that are full of potholes. If you go into a town or city when the rain is heavy then expect extreamly flooded sections of the road.
The locals dont seem to have a problem driving these flooded roads at a fair speed, but bear in mind that there will be hidden potholes underneath the water.
If you get tired and want to call it a day. Just pull onto the other side of the Acacia trees that line most of the roads. You will come across trailers full of bee hives, with a definate buzz in the air. Dont worry about the bees, worry about the mozzies though. The quickest way to get rid of the mozzies is to light a fire from the acacia deadwood.

good luck

Ian
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  #3  
Old 14 Jun 2010
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Not being able to speak Russian also helps if you do get pulled over by the Russian traffic police.

Mark

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  #4  
Old 14 Jun 2010
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Russian police generally don't mess with you just for being foreign. They will pull you over if you break traffic laws, especially speeding or passing in a no passing zone. If you don't commit these offenses, you probably won't have any problem with police. I get pulled over every now and then, and usually don't have any problem at all, most of them that I meet are pretty professional. The one exception that I found was Bashkortostan, where they were greedy jerks. I also don't agree that you should not speak Russian with them, although I guess they get bored at some point if they can't communicate with you at all.
Last edited by motoreiter; 15 Jun 2010 at 03:22.
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  #5  
Old 15 Jun 2010
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Russian Police
Alcasi,

no personal experience (so far), but I had quite a few bikers come over here to Japan from Germany, crossing Russia and so on. The latest one will arrive on Thursday. So far I never heard any complaints whatsoever! I guess it also depends how you act and speak once (or if) you get stopped. Being polite, showing some respect should definitely proof to be an advantage. And, as mentioned before, follow the traffic rules!
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Old 15 Jun 2010
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Clarification - yes, be polite of course. But if you DO get caught speeding/overtaking (not difficult, given the level of police infestation on Russian roads), that's a good time not to speak Russian!
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