hallo we are new on this forum and have an ambitous plan for this summer!
shanghai-three gorges damm- xi an- urumqi - kazachstan- tashikistan - uzbekistan - azerbaidajan or iran -turkey and so on

we greenhorns(kevin has no motocycle license but a german car licnese and lorraynne has a brazilian motolicense but almost no experience) want to ride after my contract in shanghai is finished this summer to vienna by bike. right now we already read some threads on hubb about asia travels and specially china topics so we are kind of aware about the problems we might face while making our dream come true. kevin has a residence permit in china and lorraynne will get a tourist visa. kevin is about to take a chinese license so he can drive the china part. do you guys know if lorraynne has to get a guide or can she travel by bike through china as long as kevin is riding?

furthermore wed like to have some input about really cheap bikes which match w our needs(relyable, easy to get spare parts in central asia). we think about using just one bike which should be as cheap as possible since we are both students and hv not a big budget. we were calculating 2500 euros for the whole trip including bike and equipment. is this a realistic estimation? are 6 weeks enough time to travel without getting too much under time pressure? what about cross broder and visa issues? how much money shall we estimate to spend on these things?

thanks for every advice!

kevin and lorraynne

Having not travelled in that part of the world yet, I am no expert, but just looking at the map I don't think your time-line is possible.

It looks to be roughly 8,000+ miles from Shanghai to Vienna using the most direct route. Just to cover that distance in 6 weeks you're talking more than 200 miles per day, every single day. 200 miles in a single day in a third-world country is difficult on any bike, not even accounting for inevitable delays with borders, visas and breakdowns/maintenance. Even if such a timeline were possible, you would be doing virtually nothing except riding, fuelling and sleeping, which would leave no time for actually exploring/enjoying those amazing countries you are travelling through. Double your time-line and you might be able to pull it off. Go for 6 months and you will have an amazing trip.

Your budget also seems low. 800 euro for a decent 125cc bike, 800 euro for fuel/oil/maintenance, and you're left with less than 900 euro for two people to eat and sleep. I don't know if that is possible unless you two are very experienced.

Can't answer the questions re money/time, but no need for a guide if your bikes originate in China and Kevin has a Chinese work permit & driver's license.

you might also want to check out the following travelogue about riding around China - The Middle Kingdom Ride: Two brothers, two motorcycles, one epic journey around China: Ryan Pyle, Colin Pyle: 9781468159813: Amazon.com: Books

Or their website, here: MKride

What formalities do you think you will encounter whendeparting China.?

I know you said, Chinese licence, and Chinese registered bike.
I would say the bike would have to be registered in your name, ie, your Chinese name on your Chinese driving licence.

I have thought about buying a pickup truck in China, in my name, with my Chinese driving licence, and driving to Europe.
Hoever, I was planning via Inner Mongolia to Mongolia, then Russia, etc.

Please let me know if you have heard about any restrictions on taking out your Chinese bike.

vette