Siberia in winter
 

I'm planning a trip from Magadan in Siberia to Amsterdam, next winter. Are here people who have experience in driving in extreme cold conditions? What can I expect? The bike will be a seventies Moto Guzzi V7. Hope to hear from you,

Paul van Hooff

Siberea in going to be stupidly cold, like minus double figures. I've ridden in minus 20 and so long as you are prepared it's great fun. I assume you'll be using a sidecar or are are you going for outriggers and studs? If you've never ridden in these conditions I'd suggest you put off Russia for a year and try the Elefant rally, the Alps or Scandanavia first. If you get it wrong these places are more forgiving in terms of getting help.

Clothing wise the layers and gaps are vitally important. Anything that sticks out gets chilled then forst bitten, so you need bigger sizes as you go outwards on the layers. One piece suits are best, either ski/snow mobile stuff or I have a lined tankers suit. Electrically heated kit is great, but you can't be certain of it, stand on the cable and you are stuffed if that's your only line of defence. A heated visor is a must, at these temperatures your breath freezes inside and any snow of fog on the outside. Again, snow mobile stuff or home made if you can't get it.

Tyre choice should be mud and snow but don't forget the compound is soft so it wears faster even at the temps it's designed for. I've mostly run bike tyres and a rear M&S can last as little as 3000 miles. If you are using studs check the legallity you may need normal tyres for borders. Chains work well but need to fit. I've used short lengths on cargo straps to get out of places and they are fine for the odd mile but after that you need something stronger.

Electrical power is the big issue. Even with thin winter oil you need a lot of cranking power, the battery will be down 50% and the alternator something similar. A sump heater will do wonders but needs power. You should think about an alternator upgrade. 70 Amps on the alternator charging two car batteries in the chair, one of them QD (so you can take it indoors at night) and one a marine/leisure battery that'll still give cranking amps when discharged is my choice. Carry a battery charger, hotels won't mind you topping off the charge. The Guzzi is a good choice as the car style alternator can be wound for more output and the sump comes off to fit a heater. The bad bit with Guzzi's is that if the carbs are out they are a swine to start and warm up. Make sure yours is tuned and you know how to balance the carbs.

As the days can be short you'll want your lighting to be up to it, but fit a battery monitor or voltmeter so you know you are charging. Better to slow down and use the normal headlight alone than run out of cranking power at a fuel stop.

I'm a relative beginer to this stuff. Hopefully Albert and some of the Scandanavians will be about. If you google threewheelbonnie I have a site with a few pointers. Drop me a PM if you think of anything.

Andy

Bugger me, talk about self-punishment. Any reason you want to look at snow and ice for 5000km ?. If you take the northern route, along the BAM railway line, you should get to some of the coldest populated places on earth, like minus 70C, even your fuel will freeze its nuts off.
There will be none of this :palm::Beach:

Each to their own...

If you are serious I'd suggest having a look at this thread: CLICK HERE

It shows the preparation, trials and tribulations of a Dempster Highway Winter ride in conditions FAR less extreme than you'll encounter in Siberia.

The new Federal Road from Magadan may be possible by truck or 4x4...

If you make it from Yakutsk to pick up the Trans Siberian, be aware that those areas of Russia do very little (if any) gritting / salting of the roads... Good for no corrosion problems but not good for traction when it gets icy...

I'd do more research - but my guess is that a journey of that distance at that time of year on 2 wheels is a bit of a "no go"...

As mentioned, this kind of riding is more about survival.
the biggest danger is the effect that cold has, in removing your sense of self-preservation. when hypothermic, you stop worrying about small things, and get careless about ruts in the road etc. Then you get run over.

The little jobs, like topping the oil up, become nigh on impossible below -30c. It doesn't come out of the bottle. Preheating the engine with a petrol stove in the morning is a good idea if you want it to start.

Suprisingly, below -20c, the riding becomes easier, as ice itself has friction against clean rubber, but for anything heavier than a c90, studs become essential for any serious riding.

Heated clothing is great, if it works, but have a backup plan. Good sleep is essential, get the best sleeping bag you can find. Hans Petter strifeld has a good website for such things

Take me home - Minutes of a Motorcycle Addict

Personally, I love extreme winter riding, but have spent a lot of time doing my homework, building up from the elefantentreffen, to playing in Sweden.
It is risky.

One very major advantage is that virtually all the river/lake crossings can be ridden as they are frozen. :scooter:

Also no mosquitoes :clap:

From what I have read, some settlements in Siberia are only summer settlements so gas/food supplies may need some extra careful planning.

Also shipping into Magadan may not be feasible in Winter ???, not sure if it is an all year port.

Freezing to death, unless you´re a real expert and sorry, but your post does not give that impression. It is the coldest region on the face of the Earth in midwinter, and not to be underestimated.

Maybe you want to try riding in Scandinavia first? Here we have nice and "warm" 0C -> -35C.... come and try, how that feels like - and after that, think that the coldest days here, were probably not as cold as the WARMEST winter days would be in Siberia!!

True, and you could argue that in places Siberia has a better network in Winter than Summer. When the snow settles a small network of Zimniks or winter roads, spring up though places that are hard to reach due to rivers and marsh but service the winter roads when there's enough ice.

My husband used to work on a Siberian project so he visited a lot the region, few years ago. In the winter around Irkutz and on field trips in the middle of nowhere you can expect temperatures of -40 and beyond depending where you are. I believe -50 is not unheard of!
When he moved around to field visits he was travelling around by 4x4 following roads of ice. Rivers indeed turn into roads if I remember what he told me.

I could check with him if you want. send me a pm or email.

Cheers,

M

you would have to fly or truck the bike into Magadan. The port freezes over.

Expect -25 - 35 C in Magadan with humidity. As you go inland , expect -50 - 55C between Magadan and Yakutsk but the air will be dry.

You will be not be able to shut the engine down overnight in those temperatures. (I wouldnt shut it down at all, as batteries will have very little power at such low temps) Plastic will be extremely brittle. You will need studded tyres for sure. Camping is out of the question - no sleeping bag will insulate you in those temps, which means breaking down is not an option.

Once you get south towards Irkutsk and the Trans Siberian, things will be warmer and a bit more normal. Expect -25 -35 again.

To do a trip like that would be an extreme expedition, with an insane amount of prethought and preparation. The bike would need an enormous amount of special prep and modifications.

Its possible, but would be no fun at all, very expensive, and require an insane amount of prep