Shanghai to Paris on a GSX-R - ROUFFIAC MICKAEL

You made your own plan,why do you worry about others' crosscurrents?I rode JH600,took 7hours from BJ to QingDao,of course on highway,so,I believe in your 13hours trip from SH to BJ,even though it's illegal riding on highway,but we do have methods to deal with it,you guys know how ,right buddies?

But,you SHOULD listen to the good suggestions,like Chinabiker's,it's so reasonable......

BTW,BJ is one of the city which allows motorcycle to ride on highway...

Take care,focus on your trip.

Cheers!
Lion.

[QUOTE=TB-Racing;39595

The discussion seems to heat up :naughty:

Fallew.

Oh sorry where I'm from a 'Highway' is a road that could be one and two lanes each way. Here in China it is a road which is a G road and has between 2 and four lanes each each direction. And yes they have red lights, farmers drunk car drivers etc. Even if you know the road and you are on the fastest bike in the world it would be hard to average over 100kmh, with stops it'll take about 20 hours, and that would be pushing it.

However a Freeeway, Gaosu, Autopista, Autobahn, Motorway, Autoroute is something else. And I can see from the 'thank you for your come' sign in the picture that this is where you rode, and you were very lucky to get your illegal bike or any bike on the Gaosu on so we have a breakdown in communication and 13 hours is totally possible. But your tirade of abuse is really pathetic.

I don't dare to ride for hours done a freeway? Oh, wow have I've been missing out with my silly country and mountain roads and picturesque scenery, I really must realize that roads that all look the same that serve food at twice the normal price and gives you diarrhea is where it's really at!

I'm not angry, it just seems that with your arrogant attitude where you seem to know it all and are invincible you could really get yourself badly hurt or in serious trouble, just because you rolled sixes so far doesn't mean this is the way of the world.

[QUOTE=ZMC888;39601

At least

So your trip is going to take more than 25 days, since you are going to stop for a few days at 2 different locations? However you present the whole plan as 12k km in 25 days! Oh and I did 17k km last year in 9 months, mainly NOT on highway, freeway, expressway or whatsoever. So I could just say I did 17.000 km in X hours :P

You still didn't answer the question on how you are going to pass the borders with an illegal bike, I'd like to know how?

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Originally Posted by fallwew

I wanna do it because it's never been done

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It has been done, many times. But maybe you'll probably be the first to ride to France on that particular bike, but that just because it would be most peoples last choice of a bike to choose. Many people have been from Shanghai to Europe even on a Yamaha YBR125.

But to me all this getting from one place to another as quickly as possible, it's not what riding is about, hammering down some unfamiliar, busy industrial road and hunting for a hotel or cheap dirty guesthouse at sunset and then worrying about the bike at night. In most countries you never see anything nice by the side of freeways or main roads. For me it's about riding on the best (twisty) roads with the best scenery, culture and meeting the genuine locals.

Thank you for updating us on the law?
You can get a bike on a freeway here. Usually you just beg then sometimes yes sometimes no. But under Chinese law bikes are allowed on freeways, but that doesn't stop anyone who owns or operates a freeway from having a bylaw that bans motorcycles, mostly they are just being nice and letting you on the freeway because you are a foreigner.

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Originally Posted by Barry

So your trip is going to take more than 25 days, since you are going to stop for a few days at 2 different locations? However you present the whole plan as 12k km in 25 days! Oh and I did 17k km last year in 9 months, mainly NOT on highway, freeway, expressway or whatsoever. So I could just say I did 17.000 km in X hours :P

You still didn't answer the question on how you are going to pass the borders with an illegal bike, I'd like to know how?

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My plan already include 2 days in Almaty... so i'll probably spend a few more days on the road and so what? I mean, what i wrote 25 days, it's the most optimistic plan, but if I've to waste 1 or 2 more weeks then i'll just waste 1 or 2 more weeks...

As for the border crossing, don't worry for that, plus the same way bikes can drive on highways (expressways, freeways, "whateverways"), they can actually be legal...


17k in 9month, so you drove a lot, as i did, congrats for that.

Once i'll be back in Shanghai, i plan to buy another bike (ER-6F or GS650), i'll surely be spending a lot of time on the smaller roads.

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

It has been done, many times. But maybe you'll probably be the first to ride to France on that particular bike, but that just because it would be most peoples last choice of a bike to choose. Many people have been from Shanghai to Europe even on a Yamaha YBR125.

But to me all this getting from one place to another as quickly as possible, it's not what riding is about, hammering down some unfamiliar, busy industrial road and hunting for a hotel or cheap dirty guesthouse at sunset and then worrying about the bike at night. In most countries you never see anything nice by the side of freeways or main roads. For me it's about riding on the best (twisty) roads with the best scenery, culture and meeting the genuine locals.

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It has been done, many times. But maybe you'll probably be the first to ride to France on that particular bike

So, it's like i said, it has never been done... I'm well aware of all the other people who drove ybr or ural...

Don't get me wrong, i love riding in nice lands but again, this, this is not about the surrounding...

Plus everyone have the right to have different feelings, to like different things, so to me, "what riding is about" doesn't mean much... I can like to drive the way you do, but i can also like to drive fast, do stunts.

It's funny you know, it's on this website that i heard about this guy who traveled with a R1, i'm pretty sure that many people told him that he was crazy, especially when he talked about the Sahara, he surely heard and read the same kind of thing as i read here.

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Originally Posted by fallwew

Dude, as a matter of facts, bike are allowed on highways.....

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G'Day,

Had to go grocery shopping and as they say pictures say more than words took some in the last hour..... enjoy, no further comments!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

G'Day,

Had to go grocery shopping and as they say pictures say more than words took some in the last hour..... enjoy, no further comments!!!!!!

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yes but you clearly on the sign it is not a gsx-r that is banned... anyway it doesn't look like a sportbike at all, look at the position of the rider !!! :D


one of my concern for this trip would definitely be the maintenance... there is no way i keep my tires more than 4000 km on my fireblade and 6000km on my r1150r, not sure it is that easy to get a spare michelin or bridgestone in kazakstan

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

G'Day,

Had to go grocery shopping and as they say pictures say more than words took some in the last hour..... enjoy, no further comments!!!!!!

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A man doing grocery shopping on a Sunday? You just lost all your credibility :icon10:
Welcome back!

I just went out as well. Bought some popcorn for this thread :popcorn::popcorn:
2 days not logged in, and 3 page extra with a heated debate, go on. go on!

be careful when you see this sign........ ==> Attachment 6287

You could carry a spare chain or pick one up at some point a while before you need it. I don't know if you could carry a spare tire but if you start checking into where they have them you could get them switched someplace in China and ride them till you can almost see the steel but it would risk the tire deforming at high speed, which is dangerous.
You might not be able to find good namebrands but I think you could find something that would fit on your wheels. The worse case scenario is getting stranded someplace and having to find a replacement tire then, but that would probably only set you back a few days at most.

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Originally Posted by falafel

"what riding is about" doesn't mean much... I can like to drive the way you do, but i can also like to drive fast, do stunts.

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I mean all those circle wheelies and endos are cool and everything, personally though I prefer to drop the front tire down to 17-25psi for rolling endos, and run more teeth on my chain ring for wheelies. Then all the luggage you're gonna need is really gonna effect the balance of the bike when you are wheelieing and you are gonna have to be extra careful when you clutch it up that you don't flip her! Also with those stunting pressures the bike will handle like jello.

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Originally Posted by fallwew

FYI you moron:
go have a look on Google map and type shanghai to Beijing...

Plus you're a real idiot, since when there are any red lights on highways...

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Inspector Jacques Clouseau: Yes, well, life is not all shoot-shoot, bang-bang, you know... [1968]

[QUOTE=TB-Racing;39610

[QUOTE=Jaunedoe;39611

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

Shanghai-Beijing 1350 kilometers, that's the direct distance that the high speed train goes. Probably more like 1500 kilometers in 13 hours, on Chinese highways? There's red lights, cars pulling out of junctions without looking shut roads without signed diversions...euphonius how long did it take you? At least 24 hours of continual riding? Or more?

Seriously I've never heard quite so much nonsense in all my life.

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First, though I am a frequent poster in this forum, I am not particularly keen to join in this discussion with its disrespectful tone and ad hominem attacks; as far as I'm concerned, these have no place in MyChinaMoto, and I hope that everyone in this thread can calm down and show greater respect for each other.

ZMC888 did ask me a specific question about how long it took me to ride from Beijing to Shanghai by expressway. This is a bit of an embarrassing request, since it's been more than 18 months since I made that ride (in summer of 2010) and I've yet to lay down a ride report. Shame on me! But I'll attempt to answer the question with some context.

I'd taken surface highways to get from Shanghai to Beijing, mainly the G104, and this took almost four days, including some really challenging road and weather conditions in Jiangsu and Shandong. In some places the 104 was completely impassable due to resurfacing. But once in Beijing I was delighted to learn that the expressways were accessible to motorcycles as long as you took a ticket and paid the same rate as cars, so I decided I'd try to make the return trip to Shanghai entirely on the expressways.

I left Beijing mid-morning, and immediately encountered major problems. Though I was allowed on to the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway (京沪高速), I encountered massive traffic jams even before reaching Tianjin, and this substantially slowed my progress. Though carrying wide panniers (105cm width), I was able to weave through the thousands of stalled vehicles and get past the jam, though I lost a couple of hours of riding time. After that it was smooth riding through Tianjin and into Hebei; each toll gate accepted my money and gave me a new ticket for the next stretch.

My Jialing JH600, though a fine bike, is not capable of 270kph; at best she'll do 140 or, riding downhill with a tailwind maybe 150kph. But if I feed her good petrol, she'll purr at 130 for hours and hours on end without complaint. That's 81 mph, which is a very respectable speed.

Unfortunately, I got a tank of bad petrol in southern Hebei, and my bike began complaining badly. It's not pleasant to lose power when you are cruising at 130kph, and at the time I did not know the cause. I started thinking about how to determine whether the sputtering and wheezing might be caused by 1) bad fuel, 2) poor air supply, 3) ignition malfunction or 4) fuel injection problems. I stopped quite a few times, and started calling the Jialing support network (Lao Zhou and Tang Wei in Chongqing, Liu Zhidong and Fan Peisheng in Shanghai and Li Shaoji in Anhui). By now it was afternoon and I was leaning strongly toward poor petrol, but also suspected a bad spark plug or plug cable.

Though the expressway was clear, I was losing time, and once in Shandong I started encountering friction from tolltakers. I was also keen to take the G15 coastal expressway rather than the G2/3 Beijing-Shanghai expressway, and was startled to discover in Shandong that one stretch of expressway linking the two existed only on my map, not on the ground! So somewhere west of Qingdao, I was forced off the expressway and given a lecture by the police there. By then it was getting toward evening, and I wanted more than anything to get back on the expressway. I continued in the direction of the expressway stretch that had ended, but quickly concluded this was a lost cause. So I turned around and headed back to the gate where I'd been ejected.

Fortunately, there was only one entry gate and there were many trucks queued up, so I got in behind a truck and when I got to the gate with more trucks behind me there was no way to turn back. The assh*le cop who had berated and lectured me ran out and confronted me again, straddling my front wheel. We had a long standoff, maybe five minutes, and I explained that due to the trucks behind me there was no way to go back; he'd have to let me through the gate, if only to turn around. Finally, with trucks blasting their horns, he relented, and as soon as the gate went up I blasted into the dusk, not looking back.

Now I was worried that the cops would be after me, but in China there is not (yet) the concept of hot pursuit, and I raced east toward Qingdao. As darkness fell, I pulled into a roadside rest stop and checked into a near-empty motel; they even let me wheel my bike into the lobby. So that first day I rode maybe 7 or 8 hours, with at least an hour of idle time calling around to ask Jialing people why my engine was spluttering.

Next morning I was on the road early, before 8, in confidence that my impudence the previous evening would have been forgotten. But then it happened again. Just outside Qingdao, the expressway ended again! I'd missed poorly marked turn south! So I found myself on the miserable G204 highway, which parallels the G15 expressway. With no help from my GPS, possibly due to the newness of the G15, I lost another hour trying to find an onramp. Once I found it, it was obvious that Shandong was not motorcycle friendly, and the tolltaker waved frantically to make me stop. I waved back with similar enthusiasm, and snuck past the gate.

The next several hours through eastern Shandong were mostly heavenly; great road surface and light traffic -- until I hit another patch of road construction, which forced both southbound and northbound traffic into the northbound lanes, with nothing to separate them but the good behavior of drivers. So it was totally snarled. Fortunately, I was able to weave my way through, but lost several hours. There were many accidents in that stretch. Impatient drivers make many blunders. But the bike can slip through very tight squeezes.

The next challenge came at the Jiangsu border, where two cops ran out to confront me. They asked how I'd gotten on the expressway, and I just said vaguely that it was allowed up north and, so, what's the problem. They took my passport, license and registration and made me wait 15 minutes, but eventually let me through, saying it was best to get off soon.

I continued south on the lovely G15, and worked my way through at least two more major detours, with more accidents and more self-inflicted traffic jams. I got hammered by a massive thunderstorm and lost about 90 minutes sheltering under an overpass. The rain was so heavy, I could not see at all. This took me to late afternoon, still on the G15 but without the toll ticket that would legitimize my presence. After the rain stopped, I blasted further south, then stopped for fuel and food. At the petrol station, I encountered another obstacle -- a half-wit security guard who demanded I leave the expressway, where motorcycles were not allowed. He too straddled my front wheel. So I had to gently drive forward and basically force him to accept that if he didn't stand clear I'd run over him.

This got me to the the final, and biggest challenge of all: The final toll gate before the SuTong suspension bridge over the Yangtze, linking Nantong on the north bank with Suzhou on the south. This truly seemed impenetrable, and it was getting late. Two police stopped me, took my key and started a polite interrogation. Soon we were joined by two People's Armed Police officers; there are PAP on all "strategic bridges" in China, and this G15 crossing is definitely strategic. We discussed the situation for over an hour. They told me that no motorcycle had ever surmounted the SuTong bridge, "not even those four Americans on their Harleys who tried to cross a few months ago -- we didn't let them cross." They had my key, and my ID, and wanted me to follow a service vehicle that they had summoned, saying it would take me to the Yangtze ferry. I protested and protested, saying I was expected back in Shanghai and it was dangerous to ride at night and this would put me at significant risk.

Finally, I relented and agreed to follow the vehicle. We shook hands, took a few pictures together, and I rode off, watching the sun to my right dipping toward the horizon. At the next exit, the service vehicle dutifully exited, expecting me to follow. I really wanted to ride the bridge, so I had to improvise. I stopped, and feigned mechanical problems, thinking someone was probably watching me via CCTV. The service vehicle kept going! I fiddled with my bike for maybe 10 minutes, giving them plenty of chance to come for me. But they didn't. Well, I had no idea where the ferry pier was, so I had little chance but to cross the bridge. I took a ton of pictures, thinking, I'm probably one of the few motorcycles ever to cross this bridge. I'll cut and paste this post into my ride report, and include pictures.

Once on the southern side, I was sure the cops would be waiting. Sure enough, as I rolled into the next toll station, I could see a guy running the entire width of the toll barrier -- maybe 10 or 15 gates. I tool the rightmost gate, which is always wide enough for a bike to pass. The guy stopped me, arms extended in the universal gesture for "halt". Then he saw I was not Chinese, and we played several rounds of charades. He gestured like he was holding a steering wheel, and nodded "yes", then gestured like riding a motorcycle and shook his head "no". I tilted my head to the side, meaning, "I don't understand." We went through this several times. Finally I gestured for him to come over, and said, in Chinese, "Look, I'm going to Shanghai and I'm almost home. Just let me through!" To which he responded: "Why didn't you say so! Go!"

This took me to one more police checkpoint -- the one to protect the Shanghai Expo from tr*ublemakers and t*rrorists -- and this turned out to be a lark. I'll tell that story in the ride report.

And so I was home free. As the sun dropped below the horizon behind me, I rolled into Shanghai, completing what was probably a 12-hour day.

So, finally, to answer ZMC888's question: Total riding time, including brief stretches off the expressway, probably was 16 or 17 hours. My route was not the most direct, but I believe I basically accomplished what I'd set out to do: Ride the entire route via expressway. Had I stayed on the G2/3 京沪高速, it might have been possible to pare that down to 12 a single day's ride. But that would have required perfect weather, no detours or other diversions, no interference at toll gates and a ton of luck. I know plenty of motorists who have driven Shanghai-Beijing in a single day, but it's always a very long day, and cars need not worry about access.

Sorry for the long-winded answer, but at least now I've written (the less interesting) half of my Shanghai-Beijing-Shanghai solo ride report!

cheers!

God of bikers, royal highness, almighty king of all roads, omniscient rider, Sir, ROUFFIAC MICKAEL!
I duly apologize for my silly mistake to express doubt about your honest, literate and wise words :bowdown:
How could I dare to be so stupid to disbelieve in your abilities, your reputation :rolleyes1:, your tremendous riding skills and, not to forget, your invincible bike.


Excellency, you state on your website to leave Shanghai, China on April 28th, and to arrive Paris, France on May 23rd - the same year I assume :lol8:
According to your itinerary, you have a day off on May 9th, therefore you are 25 days on the road. Highness, how comes that now it wouldn't matter if it took a week or two longer, as you wanted all of us to believe that you'll make it in 25 days total - didn't you?

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Originally Posted by fallwew

My plan already include 2 days in Almaty... so i'll probably spend a few more days on the road and so what? I mean, what i wrote 25 days, it's the most optimistic plan, but if I've to waste 1 or 2 more weeks then i'll just waste 1 or 2 more weeks...

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Originally Posted by fallwew

The discussion seems to heat up :naughty:you're probably right, but who's fault it is? certainly not mine, i didn't attack anyone here...

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Mickael, Sir, may I remind you of this very post, #27 to be precise, Sir.

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Originally Posted by fallwew

It's amazing to see how stupid some people can be... I hate these ignorant who just say things out without thinking and yet after knowing they are wrong, still think they are right...FYI you moron: go have a look on Google map and type shanghai to Beijing...Plus you're a real idiot, since when there are any red lights on highways...

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You are starting to issue contradictory statements, that ain't no good, not good for THE biker god, my lord.


One more thing, a)r*r7o^g$a@n!t(a&s%s#h+o}l[e
Apparently you aren't a real biker, who would seek advise, friends, company to talk about strange plans and the like. Instead, you are looking for compliments and over reacting on criticism - what a laugh you are :lol8::lol8:


P.S. It didn't happen without timely published GPS tracks, pics and witnesses - you know what I mean :foff:

[QUOTE=chinabiker;39663

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Originally Posted by fallwew

I'm more like: one hits you, hit him harder and more...

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You just might consider to unsubscribe both your thread, as well as your subscription from this forum.
The concept of the trip is a nice idea, but none here is waiting for your immature behaviour surrounding your tread.
Come back if you are grown up.

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Originally Posted by 998S

You just might consider to unsubscribe both your thread, as well as your subscription from this forum.
The concept of the trip is a nice idea, but none here is waiting for your immature behaviour surrounding your tread.
Come back if you are grown up.

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G'Day,

Spot on!!! no further comments......

I'm sorry. I'm not going to joke about this anymore. Fallwew, please calm down and plan your trip better, it can be done and on your bike too, but make sure you have all the things you are going to need for the trip to do it safely, your bike needs to be fitted out specially for this trip with at least some way of carrying a load low down and a GPS. I really believe that you could get yourself hurt or in trouble if you are not more careful. Also the way you behave has an effect on all of us who ride in China.

If you are going to ride your bike across Asia you need to equip yourself and your bike for this adventure properly.

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

G'Day,

Had to go grocery shopping and as they say pictures say more than words took some in the last hour..... enjoy, no further comments!!!!!! Attachment 6298

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By the way, funny to see those headlights coming at you on this one way entrance :icon10:

"headlights coming at you on this one way entrance"

Heheh, C'mon 998S, would you ever drive the wrong way down an onramp with your lights OFF?! How sensible would that be?! :lol8:

[QUOTE=998S;39670

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Originally Posted by 998S

By the way, funny to see those headlights coming at you on this one way entrance :icon10:

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G'Day,No worries, oncoming cars won't slow down an experienced stunt-speed-racer while he illegally enters the expressway on his fake plated hi-performance superbike......Attached a pic taken in Shenzhen last Friday afternoon.

[QUOTE=TB-Racing;39680