Australia to Scandinavia
 

Hello fellow adventurers!

This is my first post here, so please excuse me if anything is not according to the rules or if this is the wrong forum for this post etc.

I am seeking as much advice as possible, on all aspects of my big plan (and boy is it big). The gist of it is, I have bought a fantastic Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 here in Australia and fallen head over heels in love with it. In roughly half a year I will be moving back to Scandinavia and want would really like to take my bike with me. The sane option is just to ship it back, but where is the fun in that? So over the last couple of years, inspired by youtube channels such as itchy boots, c90adventures, and north and left a bit, a plan has been brewing in my head to try to ride it from Australia to Scandinavia. My initial rough plan went something like this: ride from southeast Queensland on the east coast of Australia, south down through Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, and west across to Perth. Ship the bike from Perth to Singapore, ride up through Malaysia and Thailand, and make my way through central Asia on my way to eastern Europe, obviously avoiding no-go countries along the way like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. Now, after some preliminary research I have identified a couple of what I am sure are well-known challenges with this route:
1. Myanmar is not very stable as of the last few years and also impossible to take a foreign vehicle into
2. China is not very welcoming to foreign vehicles either, but it is possible if you are with an (expensive) guide.
3. Avoiding aforementioned no-go countries leaves basically 2 options for continuing west - China or Russia. China seems to have very little in terms of roads, infrastructure, and settlements in the west and it does not seem possible to drive from let's say southeast China to the western border with Kazakhstan. Russia is an issue these days for obvious reasons, which was not the case when I first started dreaming about this adventure.

I am also curious to hear what you think about the Svartpilen taking on a journey like this. I am fully aware it is far from the ideal choice, but I feel like it should be doable with the right upgrades and mods.

Essentially, I am looking for any advice relating to the following points:
- A reasonably safe route, if there is such a thing
- Is it at all possible to do such a trip with a Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 (people doing far worse on scooters make me inclined to think that it is)
- If so, what mods and upgrades would be essential (luggage, extra fuel, maintenance and repairs, comfort, etc)
- Any essential items to include in my packing list (like satellite SOS beacon, etc)

Any and all advice from anyone from well-experienced adventure riders to keyboard sleuths is more than welcome and much appreciated!

Seems you have done a fair bit of research and have a clear idea of what can and can't be on your route. A couple of points.

Firstly, this idea of no-go countries is very subjective. I have greatly enjoyed travelling in all three, though Afghanistan is probably not a great choice for a first-timer in that part of Asia (if that is you). I was in Iraq last year and it was magnificent, a real adventure. Security seemed fine and there is a steady stream of tourists and overlanders passing through. People are still travelling in Iran, albeit in much reduced numbers. I would probably limit my movements a little according to demonstrations, but I would not write it off as a country. That is assuming you plan to travel on something other than a UK, Canadian or US passport (which makes it impossible to drive there).

Where do you get this idea that there is a lack of infrastructure and no way to cross China from e.g. Laos to Kazakhstan? You only need to look at a map made in the last thirty years to see that this is plain wrong. You are right however about the paranoic requirement for a state guide at all times.

Also Russia - if you are ruling that out, that is a personal decision. The country is open for travel if you want to go there. You just need to take enough cash to cover your entire stay.

But back to the main point - currently it seems your route is not possible. China has apparently opened its land borders but is not yet issuing tourist visas - but I would say there is a good chance that will change this year.

I think it is far less likely that Myanmar will open its border with India this year.

Note that Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan remain closed for paranoia/political reasons.

If you plan to travel to India or Pakistan, or ship into Malaysia, you will need a carnet de passages. For China, Russia and any other former Soviet state, you do not. Iran can be done without one, though it is better to have it.

Can't help you on anything bike related.

EO