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Fallwell I looked at spotme a while back their coverage of China is/was not good.Forget about it helping you in Xinjiang there is no coverage.Probably the place you need it most.Plus the signal gets bounced down to their centre in the states then they ring someone in China who? then the Chinese start doing something I wouldn't hold my breath on that and if you hit the help button you probably are.
Mickael, my 2 cents on this whole thread.
Why do you think you got such a "welcome" for your thread, in a forum of bikers ? No, it's not that people here are jealous of your plan, or afraid to do such thing. You have here in mychinamoto.com the riders who did the most adventurous riding in China, so please listen to them.
Why do you think you got those kind of replies ? Just to annoy you ? Naaah... It's because experienced riders in China fear for you, and try to give advices to you. What you plan to do is feasible, ok, but to clearly express the fact that you want it to be a fast trip on a fast bike, that's the problem for most of us.
Because, as I'm sure you know, speed in China = very high risks of injuries/death. You know it too, you can see it every day here : people crossing the streets without looking, tricycles cutting off the national roads (the GXXX) all the time, without looking, the errant dogs, the debris on the roads, etc. . It is absolutely impossible to avoid all this, even if you are Rossi or Stoner, if you go too fast. (BTW, one Moto2 pro racer got seriously hurt riding in his home country of Thailand a few months ago, and he's a world-class racer...).
If I may, one small example from a recent trip to Moganshan on a bike (YBR250). I was riding at around 110km/h, coming up behind a truck. From the corner of my eyes, I saw something rolling from the top of the truck, and instinctively began to swerve. One second later, a big bag full of heavy clothes fell from the top of the truck onto the road, just where I was supposed to be if I didn't swerve. The bag was not properly attached on the trucks, an usual thing in China.... If I had been up to 150 km/h (impossible anyway with the 250...), nobody can say whether I would have been able to avoid it...
No, members here are not trying to laugh at you or tell you that it is not possible. It is possible, but not with the speed you seem to want to do this at...
We genuinely care about any rider well-being, and to try to do this at more than 150km/h average speed is insane in China, we do hope you can understand that.
Best thread ever...
Beijing to Shanghai in 13 hours --- I totally believe it because Google Maps says it's 1266km, only 14 hours 50 minutes, and it's easy to beat google maps time, especially on a Gixer 600.
China said you can't have a Gixer, but you got one, and probably some shady documents with it that work when necessary. :thumbsup: Wouldn't be my choice for this kind of trip, but can't see why it wouldn't get you there.
China said bikes on the expressay OK, expressway people usually say NO WAY, but you seem to have that under control. :thumbsup: I think we all have success and failure stories when it comes to expressways. Rule of thumb is that you probably won't get a lot of expressway time once you get away from eastern China.
People say you're crazy and unrealistic... well you are.... but that's cool, because crazy people tend to have good adventures. :thumbsup:
I think the pace you're setting is impossible. Even if you could stay on the expressway, things are going to change drastically as you go west. 1 big pothole at 100 km/h and your 17" sportbike rim is going to end up folded.
Your USB port is going to get destroyed from dust and rain. Move it to a point that is well protected. Your cheap plastic GPS mount will fail after a few hours on bad roads. Being that you're using your phone as a GPS, I would find some way to protect it and mount it very securely. Would suck to lose your phone and navigation in one shot.
5 liters of gas is a lot of weight for those crappy saddlebags, better think about that again. Reduce your weight as much as possible.
I would send the oil and filter to Xinjiang and change after crossing China. Good engine oil will be fine for 5000kms. Ride another 5000 after changing, and then you will be in countries with Suzuki dealers.
Anticipate where you are going to need your next set of tires and send a set there.
Buy a really good chain and chain lube, make sure the chain is 6 links too long. Cut the chain to the correct size, put the extra links and master link in with your spare parts. A good chain will last 20,000 kms. If it breaks, you can use the extra links to repair it. Why cary an entire chain.
Spare brake lever, clutch lever, clutch cable, throttle cable, compressor, tubeless tire plugs and decent tools. Why cary "power booster".
FYI... Drilling holes in your frame for your tank bag mounting straps... not a good idea.
Good luck, should be an interesting trip.
Cheers!
ChinaV
I would also send a couple of air filters as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChinaV
You really should be cleaning/changing your air filters at least every 2 weeks here.
In April and May in Xinjiang it is the season for dust storms.You won't be doing 100km/h + then.At least you will see them coming but sometimes they come real quick.
I would take a good quality MTB pump for the tires.I use one back home on my motorcycles tires their small but can punch in air real quick.
Plus a good set of tyre levers.I have had a set of metzler for years work extremely well on a dirt bike don't know how they would go on a road tyres They are 8 and 3/4 inches long (220mm approx) and fit in tool bags nicely.
China V's advice is best yet. The air filter advice from BigDamo, is excellent too. Your bike also looks like it is coming together better than I thought.
If you follow this advice I only worry about how you are going to be able to get your bike across borders.
Opps your running tubeless.Their a bitch to break the bead and yes you probably need a compressor to get the bead to seat properly. Hell I'd be ditching tubeless for tube for that trip.Probably ditch the rims as well as ChinaV said they don't like potholes.
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdamo
Slime has some great products for DIYGOOSS = do it yourself get out of shitty situations.... http://www.slime.com
Got two Slime kits just recently for China cruising and my Aussi long distance ride later in the year, fingers crossed i never have to use them.
http://www.slime.com/shop/moto-spair-50001/
Ducati delivers new bikes with a small TipTop fix-a-flat kit (tubeless tyres) with the tool set, see pic attached.
You get what you pay for......
I bought this kind of tubeless tyres repair kit with plugs and CO2 cartridges, together with RideOn gel (ordered from the US), which is similar to the Slime you mentioned, but better in that it doesn't make a mess of your rim in case you need to change the tyres...
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred
Used Slime before? You can wash it away with water, used Slime many times during extreme 4x4 excursions in PRC / Australia.
PRC Slime importer / distributor sits up in Dalian of all places.
DALIAN JIURONG INTERNATIONAL TRADING CO., LTD
NO.31-9-3 LIANNING NANYUAN,LONGJIANG ROAD,SHAHEKOU DISTRICT
DALIAN, LIAON 116021 CHINA
Phone: 86-411-39791911
Oh yeah, I forgot, you only do that in the night :icon10:Quote:
Originally Posted by Maux
I used a similar product to slime on my tubeless MTB tyres .The CO2 cartridges turned it into little beadlets rendering it next to useless.Maybe slime has improved it.Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdamo
I am not a big fan of this C2 Cartridges myself. Carry a small air compressor that plugs into your bikes power outlet (if you have one) or connect directly to the bikes battery.
A small compressor works great for adjusting tire air pressure for on/off road riding but as the French speed-biker says what do I know after 30+ years biking around the globe.....
Nice to see the change of feeling in this thread; mostly thanks to Fred, ChinaV, ZMC888 (after speaking from his heart), Bigdamo and TB-Racing. I'm a noob and know nothing about the preps needed for this kind of ride but I think I've learned a a lot from this thread.
Good luck to you Fallwew... I'm looking forward to (as are many of us here) getting reports from you about how the trip goes...
Has he gone yet? Hasn't posted anything in over two days.
I think Euphonius would do well to post his 'Beijing to Shanghai 'Gao su lu' experience' in a separate thread. That story was was truly moving and I have a lot of respect for the way he told it to us but I think it kind of got overlooked on this thread.
Sounds like the Chinese truly believe that motorcycles are forbidden from all Chinese Expressways, even though the document provided to us by Fallwew clearly states the opposite (with the exception on the certain areas in Shanghai etc).
Thanks for that link Fallwew and ZMC888 also posted a little thanks message...
ZMC88802-19-2012, 05:55 PM
Thank you for updating us on the law
fallwew02-20-2012, 10:24 AM
No one here said thanks for it
P.s. Although I myself may indulge from time to time I still feel that this motifake holds a morale message.
Attachment 6355
P.s.s. I have nothing against these people. What is the PC name for a retard?
This is the best part of the thread and I would have missed it if not for Soberpete mentioning it. Hoping you take the time to expand on the rest of your story and include the final details. Also: PICTURES. :popcorn::thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by euphonius
Dear Nuhaus,Quote:
Originally Posted by Nuhaus
Thanks for the encouragement; I'll get to it -- only 18 months late! I do have a lot of nice images of the ride up to Beijing on the G104, but only a few from the fast ride back down the lovely expressways. Those are mainly of the Yangtze crossing. A bit swamped this week, but will do my best to get it done.
cheers
The USB port should be IP67 or IP68 rated.
Wouldn't IP69 be even better :rolleyes1:Quote:
Originally Posted by MJH
Yes any higher rating is better ingress protection, having a rating of 69K allows high pressure washing...Quote:
Originally Posted by chinabiker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by fallwew
FYI: tried to enter the G15 on my bike the other day with one of my cars ETC unit in the jacket pocket, what a drama was started at the HuQingPing Highway / G15 entrance (entrance direction Ningbo / Huzhou).......
Before you say a ETC is assigned to one car (vehicle) only, rest assured i use my ETC's in various private and company vehicles.
Any more details? What drama?Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
Took the ETC unit (Electronic Toll Colletction = ETC) out of one of the cars, stuck it into the top jacket pocket and rolled up slow and polite to the gate at the HuQingPing highway entry to the G15 (direction: Ningbo / Huzhou).
Handed over the ETC card as with a car to gain access to the expressway, only blank stares and a red button mounted on the table was pushed, within a few moments three attendants were over next to me and telling me loudly with hand signals that bikes are not allowed to enter the expressway (G15). Showed them the ETC card and the blue ETC unit but they would refuse expressway entry, pointed several times to my fully legal Shanghai "A" license plate, still no go... gave up after 15 minutes.
Will print out the PDF file the French speed-biker posted here and will try again showing the the English / Chinese translation.
Might bring one of our drivers with me to videotape the whole scenario.
Side-note: I know a few expressway entries with auto ETC recognition and shall try that approach with the ETC unit in the top jacket pocket as well in the next few weeks.
Dear TB,
I think the key will definitely be to find an ETC gate with red/green light and no swing gate, and I think I've seen these. Otherwise, the best method is to roll up to the rightmost gate, which is always wider than the rest, and roll through with a truck or even without. You are through before anyone has a chance to react, and in my experience no one calls ahead to the next toll gate. At the next gate, you do the same thing, or stop and they'll ask, how did you get on, and you say, They let me on at the previous gate....
cheers
Hey there TB,
I'm very interested to see how it goes on your next try. I've been thinking of taking a copy of that same PDF document up to an expressway gate and seeing exactly what happens but I've not yet dared. Videotaping the whole thing sounds like a great idea too.
Basically, I really want to use the expressway. My 250 is more than fast enough and it would make my trips down to see the wife and baby much more convenient.
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by euphonius
Tried the direct polite approach first, know all the tricks about getting on the expressway and could have just gunned it past the gate very fast but lets keep this for another day!
Have to get over to Nanjing, Jiangsu province recognises Shanghai ETC transponders but its a long way to get there even on the expressway and don't want to ruin my important meeting schedule.
Now, once on the expressway, might have problems concerning holding back on the speed but thats another story and shall leave that to the experienced high-speed-bikers.
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by soberpete
Rather busy during the week but lets see what the weekend brings, as long there is no rain this coming weekend - tempted to give it another try on the other G15 expressway entrance (G15 direction Nantong, entry just of Beiqing Highway) with printed PDF document in hand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
I have some time on Wednesday evening, after I finish work at 4pm. I think I'm gonna give it try.
I don't have any convenient way of video taping it but if I get it done then I'll post a report on Wednesday evening.
There's one thing that bothers me about trying this... I don't exactly have a Chinese license. I have a document that translates my UK and US licenses, stating that I'm qualified to ride motorcycles in China but I can imagine that getting overlooked by the policemen that will probably surround me at the gate.
I'm ready to take that damned test but I need to book one first.
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by soberpete
Word of advice = don't do it! Get your documents in order and your safe to do your stunts......
Will do.Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
I'm not usually one to take these kind of risks. TIC (I've contacts that could get me out of a pickle here in Zibo) but I really want that license first.
Quick reply:
I'm very busy these days, just back from a business trip to SZ / HK, another one coming soon...
This document i provided has been given to me by a guy who contacted me regarding my trip, he said that his friend in Shanghai, drive a Ducati with a Shanghai plate and that he always use it.
As for the driver license, pass it first, you're not allowed to drive without one and this is worst than riding a bike without plate if you get caught.
He doesn't happen to have the original Chinese document? I've been trying to find it online but haven't been succesfull so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by fallwew
Cheers,
Barry