Another China to Europe thread. How to prepare old"ish" bike for this trip

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prince666

Hi

For Loas and Thailand only bike documents and Chinese DL is needed ! I will be takeing the same route as you back to the UK in June this year with 2 Chinese riders we are getting a Carnet to be safe but the cost is only 50% deposit to be held as security for the bike so in our case with the CF650G cost US 54,000 Rmb we need to leave about 27.000 rmb + the cost for the document .
Sorry I can't give much more detail on this matter as the 2 Chinese guys are sorting this out now back in Shandong , but if you need further details I can find make a call and find out more for you.

---

Thanks for a speedy reply. The 150% info came from the internet not from the actual place where the issue ATAs. Im glad to hear its 50% and Im glad to hear your friends are doing it for you. That means I might be able to send my ATA after Mongolia to a friend here in Zhejiang who can cash in that deposit. I only think aloud.
Dont want to trouble you to call your friends. I will try to find out more after the weekend, If I get stuck I will send you a PM.

Its awesome that you are doing the trip. Maybe we can meet somewhere in the Stans for a beer. You are riding back on bikes too?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zorge

Two more issues that no one mentioned so far: fuel filter and inner tubes.

---

Very good point Zorge

I don't know much about the YBR fuel injection, but most FI bikes can't take any kind of inline fuel filter. The fuel pump is usually inside the gas tank and they run at very high pressure. I had some problems with my V-Strom, but I had much better luck after changing to Sinopec.

If the YBR has filters in the tank, I would change them now and maybe carry an extra set if they're small.

Cheers!
ChinaV

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by modron

Thanks for a speedy reply. The 150% info came from the internet not from the actual place where the issue ATAs. Im glad to hear its 50% and Im glad to hear your friends are doing it for you. That means I might be able to send my ATA after Mongolia to a friend here in Zhejiang who can cash in that deposit. I only think aloud.
Dont want to trouble you to call your friends. I will try to find out more after the weekend, If I get stuck I will send you a PM.

Its awesome that you are doing the trip. Maybe we can meet somewhere in the Stans for a beer. You are riding back on bikes too?

---

Hi Modron

Frst thing you need to consider is with the ATAs web site you looked at, was it a Chinese ATA site or some other country ? because maybe the Chinese website site for Chinese people are cheaper then compared to the site you looked at? remember the 2 other riders in the my group are Chinese.
Our rough planed route is.

!. Start Shandong but this could change to CF head office near Shanghai

2. Head towards Beijing ACE cafe could have a send off from here as well?

3. Head towards Hohhot border of Inner Mongolia to take the new S101 to Erenhot already done this route with a group of riders from Thailand travelling to Vladivostok Russia

4. work our way south part of Russia towards Moscow, now because the 2 other riders are Chinese we will head towards Latvia and not cross into Belarus this will save on 1 visa ? and keep in the EU.

5. The cut into Poland, Germany, Belgium, France to the UK

Yes the ride is back to China, but will take the south route to the foot of Italy and take the ferry across to Greece , then into Turkey, take the ferry over the black sea to Russia again if things are cool with Russia/ Turkey.

Now at this point we need to decide if we head into Kazakhstan or go around this country back into china the same way as we got out?
I say this because the bikes we are riding ( CF 650G Police bike IMO is not the best bike to do this trip on )
By this time we will know if the CF can handle bad roads hope to do a tyre change for this part and fit continental TKC 80
Our trip we will be travelling with a full supported Ford LWB Transit van that will take all our riding gear and tools/parts , the TR comes in at 265 kg wet so we need to keep the kg down.

You are welcome to look at your route and timetable and arrange a hook up by this time I will be in bad need to talk to someone in English LOL, my group has very limited English skills heheheh and my Chinese is about as good as their English but I have been riding with these guys for the last 5 years in China, good riders, good mechanics good guys with loads of money lol .

I am hoping to set up a WeChat account for this trip maybe called Ace to ACE ? and will post the detail on MCM so other members can follow the trip with daily pictures and update with location maps.

Hope we can hook up along the way.

Steve (prince666)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by modron

Thanks ChinaV for taking the time to write such an informative post.
It would be awesome to be able to replace oil after 6-7k km but I recon its impossible on my bike. Even when I used most expensive 15w50 Motul oil, my bike started to complain at about 3-3.5k km, is Spectro oil really twice as good to double the intervals? . I My bike does run a little hotter then it used to. I probably am going to stick with changing the oil cooler though I noticed the way the tubes are attached to the engine is a bit funny and Ill have to find a way to attach the ones from taobao.
However, didnt have time to dwell on this much as am trying to sort out the legal issues. I hit the wall contacting customs about documents Id need to leave the country and enter again. Nobody seems to know in my little town, they are busy drinking their green tea and posting selfies on wechat.

Their is a friend of a friend in Urumuqi to whom Ill be sending tires and some other stuff. I remember reading on MCM that Urumuqi Yamaha center is nice and helpful so I will visit them for sure. I recon Ill need a check up after Mongolia.

Nice tip about the cables, Thanks.

@W3HS
Thanks for the info on carbs. YBR250 is fuel injected so no problems here. It does run like a 50cc scooter at around 3500-4000m ;)

---

Fitted a oil cooler to my YBR 125cc with a TTO spark plug head readout found this is the best and easy way to check the engine temperature. found the engine around town run nice at 120/140c but would rise to over 180c flat out hard riding made a point to keep it under 200c much about this you will be running into the danger area but at lest I had this TTO as a warning? cheap to buy but you need to buy from a eBay site?

Here are a few pictures of my oil cooler set up.

Attachment 18108


Attachment 18109


Attachment 18110


Attachment 18111


A few links to TTO for sale ...

http://www.trailtech.net/digital-gauges/tto


http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?poi...d=966987923148

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prince666

...then into Turkey, take the ferry over the black sea to Russia again if things are cool with Russia/ Turkey.

---

And to circumvent Georgia? :eek2:

If I can judge from the words of a few of my friends and acquaintances who have visited/worked in Georgia, it is a sin not to visit this country.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zorge

And to circumvent Georgia? :eek2:

If I can judge from the words of a few of my friends and acquaintances who have visited/worked in Georgia, it is a sin not to visit this country.

---

Thank you for the advise I could end up being a sinner just trying to cut down on Visas needed !✂️

It worth it!

Sorry for late reply Steve having laptop/internet problems.
Your trip sounds amazing, Id love to go through Russia but its nearly impossible to get a visa for a Pole in a current political situation. Definitely you should start a thread here and post some pics, Im already preparing popcorn ;)

Knowledge is everything, have I known about that plug thermometer I would have gotten it long ago. I will get it before I get the new oil cooler and see if I really need one. Thanks for that.

I talked to ATA people and a nice girl there said its 40% deposit to Mongolia and there is no service charge until the end of August. She said also that deposits vary depending on a country and are cumulative, meaning that if one travels to 2 countries need to pay 2 deposits....and so on. This procedure sounds a lil strange to me. I really wanted to go it Iran but Carnet de Passages is about 300-400% deposit which put me right off. Now, Iran is in ATA zone so maybe I can get into the country with just ATA but this will require more research so stay tuned.

Zorge Im not sure what fuel filter is in YBR, Ive not looked into this yet. Ill make sure to replace it before the trip. Also I will be using Mr Funnel so this should give me some results.
As for the oil tube connections, look at 13, 14 and 15 on the pic
https://www.yamahamotorcyclespares.c...es/13029/7.jpg
The bolts that hold the tubes in place are next to the out/inlets which makes it more difficult to find the right replacement, I didnt have a proper look yet tho. Will have a lot of time in spring festival so I hope to get the gear/part shopping list then.

Cunning bastards!

"Yamaha" people started to demotivate weekend mechanics straight from the drawing board. :icon10:

Only they know why they used such fittings on oil cooler lines. If you are firmly determined to fit more efficient/bigger oil cooler, you could find some shop in your neighborhood with hose fittings crimping machine, remove old hoses on those inlet/outlet pipes fitted on the engine, fit new hoses ending with a fittings that new oil cooler needs and crimp all four joints. If you can get some really good clamps, you can omit to visit crimping machine shop.

im probably a bit out of touch but is it too hard to pass through Iran? Do they require a Carnet?

Yeah, they need Carnet and after some thought I gave it up. Wont go there solely because of Carnet. Its just too much money and if your bike gets stolen you screwed

Hi Modron

Yes I can see that is a big concern not only your 1 bike down the bike but you also down the money you leave as deposit for the Carnet ?
I hope to stick loads of stickers saying " MADE IN CHINA " hopefully this will put off people with light fingers lol


Attachment 18172


Attachment 18173

Not entirely sure but prolly that money is gone in case of theft.
Made in China Yamahe surely is good in comparison to those CCCP bikes there ;)

I decided not to change fork seals before the trip simply cos I dont have the tools and the mechanic I knew and (sort of) trusted is gone as is the Yamaha dealer in my town :/ I will take a set of seals with me though.

I want to change the oil by myself without breaking the suspension down to pieces. Simply take it off the bike, drain, flush, fill and put on again. I was wondering what is the best to clean it inside (without dismantling). I was thinking kerosene or petrol. Google says kerosene is better

Also, stock fork oil is 10w, I want to go with 15w...good idea?

If people are saying that kerosene is better, then use it.

You'll know is it better to use 15W fork oil over stock 10W only after test your bike fully loaded, with modified rear suspension.

And which type of electrical fuse you have on YBR: those silly glass fuses or common blade fuses?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by modron

...says kerosene is better...

---

Chinese kero sucks !!! http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ll=1#post80204
400 ppm max (Type 1 低硫煤油) | 1000ppm (Type 2 普通煤油 )

Kerosene sucks :/
Does diesel evaporates as quickly as kerosene? do I need to leave the forks open over night ?

Quote:

---

And which type of electrical fuse you have on YBR: those silly glass fuses or common blade fuses?

---

Im not sure, next time ill check.

Nothing stops you to do little test with some oil and kerosene-or-diesel, to check who among those two dissolves and rinses better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zorge

Nothing stops you to do little test with some oil and kerosene-or-diesel, to check who among those two dissolves and rinses better.

---

Yeah I will, Im waiting for a nice day so I can get out and do some wrenching

Im still fighting with the ATA carnet for Mongolia, it proved to be very difficult to obtain. Despite the initial info from ATA bureau I can only get it in the town where Ill be crossing the border (unless there is a company which will apply for the ATA for you). So im still fighting with the paper work and I supposed to be leaving in about a month hah ......I still dont have international driving licence............hope this trip will happen tho.

As for the bike, I ordered new, adjustable YSS suspension from Thailand which came through HK. Pricey option but I wanted to have something good at the back. Ill be installing it later this month. Will post some pictures.

Unfortunately couldn't find anyone who could modify my oil cooler pipes to replace the radiator so I decided to install this fan,
https://img.alicdn.com/imgextra/i3/1...1857168537.jpg

I know, I know, its ugly and prolly wont work much but its cheap and maybe it will...so I decided to give it a go. Will install as soon as it arrives. Will report the result haha

As I recall, your plan is to start this journey this spring? I don't believe that overheating will be in top 10 of your issues.

I just found out as of the 1st January 2016 UK passport holders need a VISA for Mongolia now......
Here is the list of country who are still visa free.

As you can't obtain a IDP in China I and the 2 other Chinese riders are just getting is a international translation of our Chinese DL , the other 2 Chinese riders talking to other Chinese people in China tells them it works ok ???

Fan looks ok should do the trick with only 10 weeks before we leave time is getting short to sort out the last details ...


VISA FREE COUNTRIES /with ordinary passport/
Posted on 2016 January 21 by Selenge Taivanjargal


№ Country Duration of stay Visa exemption Agreement
1 Belarus Up to 90 days 2013.09.04
2 Brazil Up to 90 days 2015.09.21
3 Hong Kong Up to 14 days 1998.06.18
4 Israel Up to 30 days 1996.03.12
5 Kazakhstan Up to 90 days 1994.12.02
6 Kyrgyz Up to 90 days 1999.12.04
7 Cuba Up to 30 days 2001.10.08
8 Macau Up to 90 days 2004.07.03
9 Malaysia Up to 30 days 1994.06.06
10 Singapore Up to 14 days 1990.03.09
11 Ukraine Up to 90 days –
12 Philippines Up to 21 days 1994.05.13
14 Turkey Up to 30 days 2013.10.10
15 Laos Up to 30 days 2007.10.14
16 Thailand Up to 30 days 2008.01.13
17 Serbia Up to 90 days 2013.11.08
18 Russia Up to 30 days 2014.09.03
19 USA Up to 90 days 2001.07.06
20 Japan Up to 30 days 2010.03.24
21 Canad Up to 30 days 2013.10.12
22 Germany Up to 30 days 2013.05.30


Fitted a set of YSS shocks to my Yamaha as well works fine should not have a issue


Attachment 18266

I dont think overheating will be a problem at the beginning of the trip, later might be tho.

Its a bummer about the visa to Mongolia, I do need one now too. Called consulate in Shanghai but no one answered so went there only to find out that in February they cant process any visa applications. Im doing my Chinese visa now so I dont have my passport. I reckon I will stop in Beijing to get it on in the consulate at the Mongolian border in Erlianhaote.

How are you translating your DL? Through normal translating company or one that is accredited by Chinese Notary Public? I emailed every country Ill go through and got only one reply from Turkey, here is the email

Quote:

---

First of all, we wish you a safe ride and successful journey on the motorcycle!

What we can suggest is the following steps by step:
1) You can make your Chinese license translated into Turkish through an interpreter accredited by a Chinese Notary Public where you reside in China.
2) Ensure that the translation be approved by the Chinese Notary Public.
3) Ensure that the seal of the Chinese Notary Public be approved by the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) of the province where you are residing.
4) Bring the translation to the Turkish Embassy or the Turkish Consulate for the approval of the Provincial FAO’s stamp.

The above-mentioned steps will make the “translated text” a valid document in Turkey.

Up to date, the Consulate has made similar approvals for those Chinese national who have wished to rent a car in Turkey.
However, yours is the initial case for us since you will be taking (riding) your own vehicle with you.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by modron

I dont think overheating will be a problem at the beginning of the trip, later might be tho.

Its a bummer about the visa to Mongolia, I do need one now too. Called consulate in Shanghai but no one answered so went there only to find out that in February they cant process any visa applications. Im doing my Chinese visa now so I dont have my passport. I reckon I will stop in Beijing to get it on in the consulate at the Mongolian border in Erlianhaote.

How are you translating your DL? Through normal translating company or one that is accredited by Chinese Notary Public? I emailed every country Ill go through and got only one reply from Turkey, here is the email

---

All 3 riders got these ...

http://www.drivenepal.org/

Been told by other Chinese riders these work ok and is better then having F... all


A IDP ( international drivers permit ) must conform to what is laid out in the 1968 convention.

Read pages 61 to 66 from the link here..... http://www.drivenepal.org/UN_Convention_NOTED.pdf


Is there consulate at the Mongolian border in Erlianhaote. ???


Just found this on the internet???? could be outer date

link...http://www.strippedpixel.com/mongolian-visa-erlian/

I will call the consulate there to confirm before I go but it looks like there is one
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/emba...g/mongolia.htm
http://www.mongoliavisa.com/embassies-consulates.html

I have a contact to a guy in the Philippines who can help me transfer my Chinese licence into a genuine Philippine licence and then get the IDP. All can be done in 2 days but I need to be there and the whole process is not cheap. I am still waiting for a confirmation. If it wont work out, Ill get the same one you have. Did you get it on taobao or directly from that website you posted?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by modron

I will call the consulate there to confirm before I go but it looks like there is one
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/emba...g/mongolia.htm
http://www.mongoliavisa.com/embassies-consulates.html

I have a contact to a guy in the Philippines who can help me transfer my Chinese licence into a genuine Philippine licence and then get the IDP. All can be done in 2 days but I need to be there and the whole process is not cheap. I am still waiting for a confirmation. If it wont work out, Ill get the same one you have. Did you get it on taobao or directly from that website you posted?

---

It would be great if you can confirm that a Mongolian Visa can be obtained from Erlianhaote.

I am aware about the Philippine deal 1 of MCM members recently obtained both...

Yes I think my and the other 2 riders got the IDL from Taobao but you can apply direct from the web site.

Now this is how I see it........... "WE" in China with a Chinese DL CAN'T get a real IDP end of story no IF or BUTS FULL STOP ......

So country can't ask for one??? but I do understand each country must be satisfied that we have the correct license to ride a motorbike and we need to show our Chinese DL covers for motorbikes???.

So all we can do is get a IDL with a translation in 8 languages - six United Nations official languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese) plus German & Japanese.


WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE

The International Driver's License (or Permit) issued by our Organization is a translation of a national driver's license which helps the motorist to drive in different territories without experiencing difficulties with various language barriers. This International Driver's License, however, can only be used along with the original driver's license.

The purpose of the International Driver's Permit is described in UN International Conventions on Road Traffic and Safety, which were held in 1923, 1943, 1949 and 1968, and established the standards for International Driver's Permit.

Many countries do not have organizations like, for example, the AAA in the USA, which provide International Driver’s Permit only for those who possess a US driver's license and want to use it outside of USA. Our Organization helps people from those countries that do not offer International Driver’s Permit overcome difficulties driving within foreign countries by providing an International Driver’s License.

The International Driver’s License is a translation/interpretation of a native driver's license and is very straight forward and easy to understand. The International Driver's License issued by our Organization consists of two parts: a plastic card and a passport-like booklet. The plastic card resembles the format of other well recognized Driver’s Licenses for easier comprehension. The passport-like booklet has English data numbered with a foreign language translation adjacent to it for easier comparison and understanding.

A IDP ( international drivers permit ) must conform to what is laid out in the 1968 convention.

Read pages 61 to 66 from the link here..... http://www.drivenepal.org/UN_Convention_NOTED.pdf


As a security feature, to avoid any forgery of International Driver's License, is the Security Shield Hologram that covers each card. It protects the card, prolongs its life and also eliminates any possibility of counterfeiting.

A database of all our members, which is securely located on a special web page, is worldwide accessible, The status of the persons who obtained International Driver’s License from us may checked by entering their name and IDL number in the IDL Verification window.

Possessing an International Driver's License has many advantages

1. The International Driver's License is intended to overcome the difficulties you might have while driving a vehicle in another country that may have different language requirements than your own. It's easy to imagine how this might solve your problems. If a police officer for some reason stops you, or you need identification, you shall present both documents, International Driver’s License and your original native driver's license. This way, obviously, the Police Officers can easily understand the contents of your native driver's license.

2. There is no official test required to obtain the International Driver’s License because it is a translation of your original driver's license. It is printed
in 8 languages - six United Nations official languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese) plus German & Japanese.

3. If you need to rent a car, it will be valuable as well. In fact, in more than 150 countries you can not rent a car unless you have an International Driver's License. In Europe, travel officials say that "the International Driving Document is more necessary in some countries than others, but it's advised for most."

4. Also, an International Driver's License can be used as a secondary non-government type of identification. Please remember that all ID cards issued by our Organization are non-government ID cards and in no way can be used as a primary official valid type of identification.

5. The International Driver's License is recommended by most countries and mandated by many for driving.

Important Note

Your International Driver's License MUST be accompanied at all times by your original valid driver's license. You are not allowed to present International Driver’s License as the main document because it is a translation of your original driver's license. International Driver’s License is not a substitute of an official driver's license, as well as of expired or revoked driver's license.


That's my 10 cent on this matte


Just found out the cost and i have been advise it was 328 RMB and took 14 days to process

Fair enough, point proven and hope you are right. I still have some time before I leave so will try to figure out if that Philippine licence is worth all the extra cash.
Cheers

p.s. Ill let you know about Erlianhaote

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by modron

Fair enough, point proven and hope you are right. I still have some time before I leave so will try to figure out if that Philippine licence is worth all the extra cash.
Cheers

p.s. Ill let you know about Erlianhaote

---

I hope too I am correct if not then I will be "Up shit creek without a paddle" as well but I am 99% sure all will be ok .

P.S. will soon find out lol

I finally had some time so did some wrenching. I put crash bar on and changed steering bar to higher one which proved to be a pain in the arse cos clearly the bars for new bikes are a bit different. There are some welded bits that are in the way and there are no holes in places where there should be (for YBR that is). I had to put clutch and throttle cables outside cos they were too short but it shouldn't be a problem.

Doing all this I encountered a problem. When I turn my ignition to ON too fast it wont turn the bike on. I need to turn the key 1-2mm back and then the lights will come on. When I turn the key slowly and carefully its ok. It seems that there is a problem with the connection. I sprayed oil there generously but its still the same. Hope I wont have to replace my ignition before the trip, I will look into this later this week

HI Modron

Quote:

---

There are some welded bits that are in the way and there are no holes in places where there should be

---

If you are talking about left- and right side switch cluster? then this is normal to drill a hole to locate the switch clusters.

Quote:

---

I need to turn the key 1-2mm back and then the lights will come on. When I turn the key slowly and carefully its ok.

---

Replace it now very cheap to do.....

Quote:

---

Ill let you know about Erlianhaote

---

News ???