RTW with an old 950 ADV - route, bike and other stuff
 

Hey Guys and Girls!

After surviving my trip Berlin-Shiraz-Berlin last year and enduring endless office hours since then, i am getting itchy again. I am 31 now and the big questions and decisions are waiting for me everywhere (you know, the sort of decisions that bind you for atleast 18+ years^^). Because of that, every time i am exposed to beautiful travelling tales and landscapes my mind starts racing with thoughts of jumping on the bike and leaving (thanks Grand Tour Mongolia-Special for my latest fit!).

I was always dreaming of riding the Panamericana (duh) but until now i doubted my personal abilities (technichal and physical) and my readiness for big changes (quitting job etc.). But my 6,5 week trip to Iran last year, made me feel a lot more comfortable while thinking about stuff like this and so the dream of riding through the americas is getting closer than ever. Once i started thinking about it, another train of thought entered my mind: Why limit myself to the Panamericana if i have to quit my job and leave my life behind for a long time? Why not go "big" from the start?

Therefore i am currently thinking about a "little" extension of the Panamericana-Trip:

- Berlin-Wladiwostok (rough route, should include Pamir, Baikal, a bit of Mongolia)
- Wladiwostok - Japan
- Japan - Anchorange
- Anchorange - Ushuaia
- Ushuaia - Berlin (if the Bike survived ship or fly it home)

I calculated the route roughly with google maps and ended with an estimated time frame of 1,5 years. Does this sound possible? I am not the guy to stay in one place for weeks (if i dont have to) but i dont want to rush myself like on the Iran-Tour...
The bike i have at hand is a 03 KTM 950 ADV with currently 55.000Km on the clock. I dont think i will be able to start the trip this year so there will probably be a bit more KM on the clock once i finally start the trip (if i will^^). You think this old bike can handle the stress of this tour? Of course i know there are more practical bikes for something like this. To much fuel consumption, low range, heavvy weight, complex engine etc...But i kind of like my bike and getting another one is expensive too!
And finally: I googled for other RTW projetcs with similar specs (KTM 950/990 or a comparable route) but wasnt able to find something until now (granted i didnt invest a lot of time in my search:innocent:). Do you guys know of similar projects and can maybe point me at them?

Thats it for the start. Until now i am just painting pictures in my head and i hope you guys can give me a hand! Every comment/advice or "you are f*****g stupid" is appreciated!

Cheers from germany!

My thoughts on the choice of bike are if you enjoy riding it and know something of the mechanics then take it. I would suggest giving it an overhaul first, pay attention to the chassis and replace bearings, brake parts and anything else that is anymore than half worn. I have travelled with an older, high mileage BMW with no more problems than new ones seem to have.

Back in the day I did a similar trip on Bmw airheads, took about 6 years but that included time working in Aussi and Holland.

You are at an age when working along the route might be an option.......depending on skills, contacts visa issues?

In terms of timetables think seriously about climate, I would really want to avoid deep winter and rainy seasons, don’t make riding enjoyable or safe, and tends to involve too much time in expensive hotels.

At this stage I would be concentrating on budget and timescales. If you need a Carnet a cheaper bike will be better. Some guys get so hung up on the bike and equipping it that they never get to make the trip. ( I’m sure the 950 would be fine, it’s weaknesses are well known and nowadays UPS seems to get to most places!


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Possible? Sure. But apparently once people start traveling, they settle into it and either slow down, or never want to stop. :) Which is to say: don't make a dentist appointment for 18 months from now.

You'll have to do maintenance on the road, but there's no reason why it shouldn't make it. There have been plenty of heavy KTM ADVs going around the world.

On the other hand, if you're not wedded to the bike, consider the option of e.g. riding something to the end of Russia and selling it there for peanuts, flying to Alaska and buying another bike there to ride down to Ushuaia, selling it there and flying home. Figure that each transoceanic bike shipment on your route is ~2000 EUR.

Last year, I helped a couple of guys buy Kawasaki KLE500s here in Estonia. They rode them down to Kazakhstan, then along the Silk Road, through Mongolia and eventually to Vladivostok, where they sold them to a local bike dealer who took care of the customs stuff. I followed their blog, and I think they never had any technical issues.

get something light and cheap and limit your load.
you want to travel or race??



"On the other hand, if you're not wedded to the bike, consider the option of e.g. riding something to the end of Russia and selling it there for peanuts, flying to Alaska and buying another bike there to ride down to Ushuaia, selling it there and flying home. Figure that each transoceanic bike shipment on your route is ~2000 EUR."
very good advise

Hello

Most of your route is north of the equator in countries with real winter.

This tool might help planning.
https://weltreise-info.de/route/reis...-c,pata,cl-ipc

I assume ("Cheers from Germany") that you will ride with a german registered bike, then check out if Japan is possible for you, there are some problems with the legality. Anyway I would recommend Japan only if you have 6-8 weeks to spend there, travelling there by bike is slow but great.

have fun planning
sushi