Complete Newbie Planning London -> Melbourne - Please Help!

[breadlord]

Hi there,

I'm Brad, 33-ish and had enough of my life in London and need to do something before I go mental. I've wanted to do a big trip since I read Jupiter's Travels about five years ago, and been inspired by c90adventures and the like. I've got some friends in Melbourne so am thinking to go visit them. Starting in late July this year, hopefully.

The most adventurey trip I've taken is across the US coast to coast in two weeks on a knackered Kawa 550 LTD that topped out at 68. I'm mostly an inline 4 sport-ish type rider.

Since before I can even choose a bike I need to know the vague route I'll take due to cc restrictions and the like, so my first question is this:

What kind of route to Asia from Europe is considered passable nowadays? I see three choices.

1. "North", through Russia and down through China (I think that limits me to 250cc)
2. "Central", entering Russia and trying to get through the -stans
3. "South", through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Burma

All routes go through Thailand and Island hop / ferry through to Papua New Guinea

Has anyone any experience of this kind of trip in the last couple of years? Politically it changes so quick I can't keep up.