Hi there ,could possibly be interested in joining you but would want to continue onto Alaska ,I would like to go the other way but I believe there is a problem getting from Alaska to Magadan .I'm in the process of rebuilding a Suzuki DR350 for the trip as I prefer a lighter bike over a heavy GS .I did South America about 5 years ago and have longed to return .

There's a guy who is planing to take the trip with me, he is also planing to continue onto Alaska then America , I'm unsure once I get to magada where I will be hiding,
Next year when it comes time to start arranging I will then decide on weather it's possible to extend the adventure further, it's all about weather I can take the time out or the financial side is also important we'll.

Well guys I've only posted a few photos as I'm not up to speed with how to post loads of photos on here, but the gs is almost complete only a few thing left to do, strip the seat to recover when the seat is striped install the heated seat, cam head covers are way being painted the graphics will be put on next week few other bits and bobs

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Hi I traveled a similar route in 2009 to what you have planned. if I can give you just one piece of advice . DO NOT take the GS. Just watch the long way round videos to see these guys struggling with the weight and complaining every time they get to some interesting riding. I took a Yamaha xt600 ( and traveled with a xr650l and ktm 640 adventure) which is a lot lighter yet even this proved to be a bit heavy at times.
Top trip you will love it.enjoy

We've run a few road of bones tours over the years, our website has lots of information including the route that we take. We leave mid May and take 100 days to get to magadan, leaving later increases the chance of hitting cold weather (snow) towards the end. Pack some very good mosquito repellant or buy the Russian super strength stuff, you'll need it in Siberia.
Cheers
Jack

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Kito your are very welcome to give any advice as it will be very useful leading up to the trip,,,,,,I have looked at this and asked myself what would be the best bike,, the off road you are absolutely right but that's just a small part and I can only take one bike and a 1150 wins as the distance is a big factor and the 1150gs will win hands down on that,

I no a few guys that has decided to have there bikes shipped to magadan in a container 2014 then ride around for a month then send it bake, if I was doing it like that I would have my ccm 404 sent with out a doubt

Old Summer Road advice...

Realistically, you are not going to do the old summer road on an 1150 GS unless you are very very lucky with weather and water levels.

It was done with once with one 1150 in 2006 when water levels were quite low. And thats it. In 2004 Ewan and Charlie failed to do it on 1150s (they failed to do ALL their off road sections on those heavy 1150s - they failed to finish Mongolia too). Only one 1200 has ever done the OSR too for that matter ... so only one 1200 and one 1150. Thats a pretty low success rate for 15 years of the most popular adventure bikes on the planet. Especially considering in a normal year 3-10 single cylinder bikes do it.


You arent going to want to hear my advice, but I have got to be honest with you, as a former 1200 Adventure owner / rider, and as someone who has been to Magadan a bunch of times, almost everything you have expressed in this quote is going to bite you in the arse.

Firstly, my experience, which includes heavy adventure bikes, midweight adventure bikes like transalps, light adventure bikes and very light adventure bikes, and adventure riding on every continent, is that your logic for selecting the bike isn't right. Yes every bike for every trip is a compromise. No argument there. The question is how do you frame the compromise. What is the best compromise.

The majority of first time adventurers to Siberia / Mongolia etc think (mistakenly in my view) to base their compromise on what the majority of the trip will be. My experience, however, is that you should not choose a bike based on the needs of the majority of the trip and compromise on the smaller parts. What you should do is choose a bike based on the requirements of the toughest parts of the trip and compromise on the easy parts. If you intend to do the old summer road, then your starting point is a bike that can comfortably do the old summer road. THEN factor in the needs of the rest of your trip. Not the other way round.

Your starting point for bike compromise decisions should be nothing to do with the majority of the trip. Your starting point should have everything to do with the TOUGHEST parts of your planned trip.

Secondly, the distance ... the 1150 will win basically nothing regarding the distance, over a 650cc bike. There are speed limits all across Russia - strictly enforced on the long trans siberian highway. 90 km/h (55mph). Overtaking opportunities are limited and illegal overtaking on a solid white line is a BIG DEAL there and cops hide behind trees, bends, and enforce this fiercely. Partly because its a huge killer on Russian roads, and partly because its a great revenue raising opportunity. The best opportunities to speed when riding across Russia are actually on gravel roads (where there are no cops). Its easy enough to sit at 75 mph all day on secondary gravel roads across the countryside, but a 650 will be more comfortable doing that all day than an 1150, on which you will be gripping the bars with knuckle fever doing those speeds with that weight on gravel.

You will have 3 days of advantage in Western Europe (saving you a total of about 2-3 hrs) - if you take the motorways - on an 1150. If you go to the Old Summer Road you will realise that this 2-3 hrs of net advantage in Western Europe is not worth the endless daily misery that miniscule advantage costs you in Siberia.

I am not telling this to change your mind. You are clearly well underway in bike prep. You are going to do it on an 1150 and that's fine. Just want you not to be kidding yourself when it comes to the reality on the ground in Siberia, with respect to Russian highways and what its actually like to cover that distance on them (its very boring and you are stuck behind freight trucks with very limited overtaking opportunities), and especially with respect to the Old Summer Road - which normally has a couple of dozen thigh deep fast flowing water crossings. (this last year - 2013 - no one did the Old Summer Road - including experienced off road guys on light bikes - because water levels were too high). I will try and put a brief video compilation of OSR water crossings online in a week or so to give you an idea.

Realistically, taking an 1150, you are going to need to be doing the federal road, rather than the OSR. The federal road is a 2100 km long piece of good graded gravel road that you can cruise along at high speed all the way from Yakutsk to Magadan if the weather is good. Parts of it can get boggy and muddy and slippery if its wet, but if its dry you can do it in 3 days.

If the Federal Road was the toughest part of your planned trip, then the 1150 is a suitable compromise. As you are well down the 1150 road already, and are not going to change bikes, I think it would be realistic to adjust your focus from the Old Summer Road to the Federal Road. You are still going to look back at the end of your trip thinking I really should have taken a lighter bike, but at least then your aims will be compatible with your bikes capabilities.

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Dead right !!

And having a lightweight, off-road capable, 70 mph single cylinder bike isn't that much of a compromise anyway. You very quickly adapt to it. Dragging a huge GS around closes more doors than it opens. The long boring roads are home of the average big GS.

The 1150GS is 280KG without rider and luggage.... INCREDIBLE !!!

My XR650L is about 150KG.


You won't cover the same miles in a day and your arse might suffer occasionally but the advantages HUGELY outweigh the drawbacks. Which is another thread altogether..

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I have to agree with Colebatch, but I wouldn't get too excited about the bike issue. You have what you have, the 1150 is a fine bike, and the federal road to Magadan is also a nice road, albeit without the allure of the OSR.

I would just plan on taking the 1150 along the federal road and if by some miracle the weather allows the OSR that summer, that will be a bonus!

Dont kid yourself there Ted. I cant see why my 650 with aftermarket seat and good fairing wont do as many miles a day as an 1150 on Russian highways. I have had 1100 km days on the Trans Sib. And I will do 3 times as many miles a day in Mongolia or somewhere like Road of Bones. I have had 800 km days on the Northern Route in Mongolia.

Even in Western Europe I question the difference. With my 1200 I had been above 180 km/h non stop for an hour on the autobahns, but the wind blast was misery, the bike vibrates and feels uncomfortable above 130-135 km/h, and the fuel consumption sux. Realistically, for all day cruise on a 1200, you are doing 130 km/h. With the fuel injected 650, with a good fairing, I cruise all day for several days back to back across western europe at 120-125 km/h on the GPS. The key is the right gearing and a good fairing. But in the end, the difference is not significant at all. You might cross Western Europe in 2 hours less on a 1200 than on a 650. And thats the lighter, more powerful 1200 ... not the heavier, slower 1150.

Who would logically make a choice to lug around an extra 100 kgs for 2-3 months, for the sake of a one off 2 hour (or less) saving ???

Its irrational - an illusion compounded by not knowing what its actually like out there on a heavy bike. That saving of 2 hours will feel like a curse when you are out there up to your nuts in Siberia.

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Just my personal experience..

I've done 600 miles in one day on an XT600E in Brazil... Killed me and it took forever. On decent roads too.

Longest day I did on my DRZ400 was in Sudan.. 500 miles through the desert. Excellent road again but slow going and uncomfortable.

In comparison, I've done some 700 mile days on my Africa Twins and Tiger and they were much easier. Bigger seats, more torque, less vibes, better wind protection..


Fair enough, when it gets rougher, you eat up the miles far easier on a small bike.. On the easy roads though, it makes a difference having that extra 15 mph and touring seat.

I'm still with you though. I've never travelled on anything bigger than an XT600. For the reasons you state.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Yes I did stress the aftermarket seat and good quality wind fairing on my post (first sentence even), which for me are essential adventure bike add ons for single cyl bikes. But with those changes, the modern 650s like XC and 690 can be just as good at mile eating as a 1200. I know this because I have eaten miles on both Driven the same roads from UK to Eastern Europe and UK to Morocco on 1200s and well modified 650s, and I dont see a huge difference in terms of all day cruising.

You dont know how good a 450 EUR Rayz seat is until 3 months later when you realise you never notice your arse complaining at all even after back to back long days on the highway.

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Excellent post - I have an XT1200 which I have spent months getting
ready for a trip from UK to Magadan 2014. After reading this and numerous
other posts on a nbr of sites its suddenly occurred to me that I have the
wrong bike for the job if I want to venture off piste. Recently I have been
considering selling the SuperTen and getting an XT660 instead for the trip.
Would this be a better tool for the job ?

Any bike (with the exception of big sheds) would be a better "tool for the job" than a shed like a XT1200

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If considering the western BAM road (for me THE highlight of my trip to Magadan this summer) apart from the weight/poor suspension of a big bike being unsuitable for general terrain, a flat twin will NOT fit down the walkways on the railway bridges you'll have to negotiate to cross the very high/fast flowing rivers where the road bridges are destroyed by the weather or fires.

Only skinny singles (for mere mortals like me ) or v twins (like a ktm 950... where you'll also have to be a very competent rider) will fit.

Basically any bike can ride pavement from Europe to Vladivostok or Magadan if you avoid interesting sections like western Mongolia, BAM and OSR. If it's muddy (like this year), even the NFR (referred to as the Federal Road by Walter, above) to Magadan will also end in a horror story on a shed like a big flat twin.

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A 660 would be a better tool for the job, yes.

There have been two recent trips where 660s went to Magadan including the western BAM and in one of the cases the Old Summer Road. Kudu expeditions ran a tour to Magadan in 2012 that included the Western BAM and they used a gaggle of about 6 XT660Zs - with no luggage (luggage in truck). A year earlier, 2/3 Swedes went to Magadan on XT660Zs, including both the Western BAM AND the Old Summer Road (with luggage).

So that shows the bike is capable of doing the job (Although the Swedes have since changed to much lighter Husaberg 570s)

It (the 660) is still very heavy (tho a lot lighter than the XT1200), and I think there are better options, but addressing your question, yes a 660 with soft bags would be a much better tool for the job.

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