Hohhot to Chengdu

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The outside of the earthquake museum


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As you can see the level of the roads have changed a little


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A new wooden building

will fill this in later with quality pictures and scything insights

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Photos inside the museum
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Hotpot in Wenchuan

4th

We set off fairly late from Wenchuan to complete the final 100 kms or so to Chengdu. The only difficulty was the Sunday drivers who were out in force and took personal offence to being overtaken by a motorbike. We found a hotel near the shipping agency and had a well earned lie in the next day. Joe shipped his bike back to Shenzhen for 650 rmb, and the yingang went back to factory in Chongqing for 150.



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At the shipping agent, hopefully this wasn't our driver


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Great name for a shop in Chengdu

fantastic stuff.. come on joe pull your finger out and post some pics!

So, to summarise the trip...

It was one of the best, challenging and a lot of fun. The bikes were mainly very good, especially Joe's qingqi. Before we left he dropped about 5 teeth on the rear sprocket which totally changed the bike for the better. It was very low geared before and would be revving out at 100 km/hr. On the trip we were able to cruise at 120 with no problems. Joe mentioned earlier that the thin air posed no major difficulties as his carb runs lean at sea level. The only downside of the bike is the small tank but there was only one day when petrol stations were scarce. So all in all, a great bike trip machine and definitely the best performing bike of the trip.

My yingang was the troublesome teen, things starting with the leaking tank. The yingang doesn't have a petcock and the tank sprung a leak from the welded on stopper on the underside of the tank. It was an intermittent leak and we didn't find it immediately but I suppose it was a fairly minor issue in the grand scheme of things. Far more serious was the smashing of the rear shock bracket in a pothole. I met the yingang guys at the Canton fare to warn them about the design flaw but I needn't have bothered as the new model is totally different and the whole area is protected by the centre stand. Hopefully they can fit one on to mine for the next trip! In fact the frame they gave me was an early prototype and the welding on that particular part of the frame wasn't really up to scratch.

Otherwise the bike rode very well, great fun through the twisties and comfortable cruising at 120 on the dull straight stretches. I think our route was pretty good, Inner Mongolia was pretty dull riding but the landscape was a nice break from the norm. Ningxia was a great all round province, great roads, scenery, food and people. The same could be said for Qinghai although the lake was a slight disappointment as the road didn't offer the views we were hoping for. The Tibetan plateau was fantastic as ever, the last time I was there was in '07 and I was on a 110cc going up the mountains in first gear! That was a fantastic trip, my first bike trip ever, we were totally unprepared and disorganised but it will remain as one of the best ever IMO. I'll try and dig out some photos of that trip some other time.

The next trip is likely to be Chongqing to Urumuqi in June '13, see you on the road!