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I just did this ride from April 30 to May 9. It was awesome! There will be a video coming soon.
If you remember I shipped my beloved yingang from Chengdu to Chongqing after the ride from Hohhot in September/October last year. The bike spent the winter there on its lonesome and the guys fitted a larger carb adding an extra hp.
Here's the route
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29th April
Arrived late in Chongqing at about 9 pm and went straight to the factory with Raymond. We went through the repairs and modifications and then off to the factory dorms. The bike looks great with new tyres and a few other bits and bobs. The bonus was that Raymond had fitted a new swing arm, (for free!) to replace the one broken and welded up in Inner Mongolia. I was so excited about the trip I could hardly sleep!
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Outside the yingang dorm getting ready for the off
30th
Set off at 7.30 having said goodbye to Raymond and the engineer the night before, who I think would've already been on holiday if it wasn't for me! Fairly ordinary roads most of the day, with a few twisties and dirt stretches thrown in to keep you on your toes.
Having ridden for miles on road under construction, which was often covered in plastic, some head construction honcho in LangZhong took umbrage and decided to attempt rugby tackle me off the bike! He managed to hold on to me and I was initially quite confused as to WTF was going on. I continued slowly then gently accelerated until his legs must’ve been a complete roadrunneresque blur. He eventually fell on his arse and I stopped a few hundred metres down the road and had a look back, his mate was picking him up and there were a load of his workers sat on the side of the road with a look of complete bemusement on their faces. Like me I don’t think they could really believe what had just happened. Anyway, I continued on and then realised that my tank bag with all my tools was missing, it must’ve fallen off mid-tackle but I decided discretion was the better part of valour and to buy new tools in the next town. The most annoying thing was that I didn’t have my video camera turned on at the time.
I continued on towards Cangxi in Sichuan province and noticed a line of about a dozen foreign looking bikes parked on the side of the road. I pulled over and saw it was a group of local bikers. I stopped and one of the guys walked over, took one look at me and said “I’m a policeman with the public security bureau and I deal with all foreigners here.” I wish I had replied, “Well you could do with brushing up on your smalltalk mate!” Instead I smiled nervously and said “oh, so where are you guys heading…” It turns out they were all police of some variety and were very nice, although the first dude, who was the only English speaker (my Chinese had completely disappeared!), kept telling me that he was a policeman and was in charge of foreign matters. Weird. They wanted me to ride on with them to GuangYuan but I politely declined and said I may see them later in town. Most agreed but some wouldn’t take no for an answer and were scrambling to put on their riding gear to leave with me! Fortunately I was ready to go and sped off quick smart and quickly arrived in Cangxi at 4.45, I decided not to press on to GuangYuan and field questions from a group of coppers so quickly found a hotel and got the bike parked out of the way!
388 kms today.
Cangxi was a nice little town and I managed to buy a whole new set of tools for next to nothing and get my panniers and raincoat repaired. I found a hairdressers and ended up with a skinhead after an epic mandarin fail.
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friendly coppers
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How uncomfortable do I look!
Left Cangxi at 9 after a very spicy breakfast in the hotel. Had a few hours of decent weather then it pissed down all afternoon. Amazing roads from Guangyuan to Wenxian but much too wet to enjoy them. Decided to go to Wenxian because the direct road to Longnan, maybe 70 kms, looked like dirt hell. The detour around was double the distance but great roads and scenery.
Arrived in Wenxian at about 4.30 having done about 350 kms. 740 total.
The tiny guest house I found was fine but the lady was semi-literate and couldn’t input the characters from my license into her brand new high-tech registration system. I left the license with her and went out for dinner. I was just getting settled into a night’s drinking when a copper walks in and sits down. He’s obviously friends with the boss and he orders food and sits down with them. He looks at me but doesn’t really pay much attention until I stand up to leave, when he asks me where I’m from. I was saying goodbye to the waitress at the time so I pretended not to hear and left, I made it up near to my hotel and looked back to see him outside on the pavement making a phone call. Now don’t call me paranoid but 3 hours later I’m fast asleep in the guest house when 2 different members of Wenxian’s finest bang on my door. ‘Papers please’ they command and then ask if I want to accompany them to the copshop. I decline and tell them to return my passport to the guesthouse after they’ve finished examining it and I go back to sleep.
The next morning the guesthouse bird is falling over herself to help me and obviously feels terrible about the police incident. She even brought down a cloth and cleaned my bike for me! Alls well that ends well!
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Southern Gansu
2nd
Left Wenxian at 8.30 and had the first sunny day of the trip, stunning scenery and fantastic roads all day. The twisties into Huichuanzhen were exceptional.
Arrived at 5.30 475 kms, 1215 total. To say Huichuanzhen is a one horse town would be an understatement. It consists of one small dusty road and I was lucky that it had a hotel. The receptionist was a complete cretin and was unable to check me in using either driving license or passport. I came back from dinner to find yet another local boy in blue struggling to use the hotel computer, he asked me some routine questions and I fed him misinformation just to provide me with a brief moment of amusement. Dinner itself was fun, a group of very pikey kids were staring at me from the dusty road outside. I didn’t really mind but the 8 year old owner’s daughter shooed them away and then came over with an English book from her school. I helped her practise then she disappeared back into the kitchen and returned with a lovely painting she’d painted herself. It made a nice change from sulky 5/o!
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Twisties south of Huichuanzhen
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top of the twisties
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view from the top
I have a load of stitched photos that won't upload. They are large files about 17MB, is that too big for MCM?
3rd
I woke early to find frost covering the dust in Huichuanzhen, there was a crystal clear blue sky but it was more than a bit nippy so I donned the longjohns for the first time. I felt a bit guilty and foolish about lying to the young copper last night just because I didn’t like the cut of his jib. I decided to be honest from now on as I don’t have anything to hide and am road legal, spinning a web of lies is only gonna get me into more trouble.
I continued on north and stopped for petrol just south of Lanzhou. Gansu also has the stupid ‘’Anquan di yi” teapot system for refuelling and this station had leaky teapots! I ended up dripping a trail of petrol all the way to my bike, twice, so I could get a full tank. If I ever meet the genius who came up with that policy I will shove the nearest teapot where the sun doesn’t shine.
I arrived Yongchang at 5pm, 510 kms today, 1725 total. The hotel check in did have to be done twice but for what feels like the first time I didn’t have to deal with the rozzers! I went off to bend the bolt that holds my GPS mount to adjust the angle then had a good dinner served by a deaf waitress. Strangely we managed to communicate more effectively than most of the people so far on the trip. The restaurant was blasting out the techno but they kindly turned it off for me after I complained.
I took the micro SD card out of my video camera and reviewed the footage on the room’s computer. Unfortunately I had a few hours of unwanted footage due to my clumsiness in turning the thing on and off. If the buttons aren’t pressed cleanly, which is tricky with thick gloves, then it goes into a mode where it won’t turn off until you remove the battery. I also discovered that much of the footage was poor as the angle was too low.
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My new best friend and protector from staring urchins!
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Random roadside temple
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Southwest roadside view northern Gansu
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GWoC
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GWoC
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GWoC
4th
Left at 7.30 and followed what looked like the only road west on the map. Unfortunately they have built another non-gaosu road as the one that follows next to the gaosu is knackered. I got nervous because I was away from the security of google’s blue line and ended up doing a large circle through some small villages. I got back on the blue line and rode next to the gaosu on a nasty potholed old road, which was an especially cruel kind of torture.
I stopped for a piss and suddenly realised the Great Wall of China was only a few hundred metres back from the road! I’d been concentrating so much on potholes I’d completely missed it. As luck would have it someone had cut a hole in the fence right there so did a bit of a reccy and decided I could probably ride over. It was a very bumby ride and I had to double back a few times but I found a route through and there I was on the great wall in the middle of nowhere without another soul in sight.
I continued on for a few kilometres then brazenly rode onto the gaosu and the dude in the booth didn’t even raise his hand. I continued on to Jiayuguan where I stopped for an oil change and some spicy duck’s neck from the shop next door. I continued on in my westerly direction hoping to see the fort and take a sneaky photo without actually dealing with the tourists and buying a ticket. Unfortunately I missed it completely but wasn’t too fussed cos the bit of wall I saw was way better!
I rode back on the gaosu after trying the adjacent road for about 500 metres and this time I did get shouted at but hey, whatcha’ gonna do? The gaosu ride was very boring and having dabbled in fencing back in the UK I was amazed at the seemingly endless barbwire fence that followed the road. It was immaculate and must’ve taken years to build, I’d like to marry the daughter of the guy who got that contract! Apart from that there was the construction of the new high speed rail line which also looked first class and endless windfarms.
I continued on til Guazhou and nearly had a crash. I was looking for a hotel and not paying enough attention when a pickup truck pulled right in front of me. I locked up the rear wheel and the bike was squirming everywhere but luckily slowed down just enough to whip round behind him. The guy just sat there in the middle of the road, paralysed with fear, when all he had to do was keep going! Again, I didn’t have the video camera on but did walk back later to take a photo of the skid mark.
730 today, 600 on gaosu, 2455 total.
Guazhou was a fantastic little town and the town square was acting as beer garden with barbecue stalls with built in seating around the outside. I went and had some dinner then returned to what may have been a beer festival only to find that there was no cold beer! I asked one waitress who said of course she could find some but she returned with a bottle that had clearly been in the sun all day, you could’ve brewed a cuppa with it. I sulked off back to the hotel having fallen out of love with Guazhou.
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30,000 clicks up on the yingang, she's been fantastic! The water pump went after 20,000, apart from that fantastic :riding:
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The square in Guazhou decked out for what looked like a beer festival
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Some wannabe goth barbecue dude
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My skidmark
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The barbecue stalls around the square in Guazhou
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I had donkey for dinner!
5th
Left 8.30 and immediately fucked up by not getting back on the gaosu, I wasted 40 minutes on a shitty dirt road then did a Uy. I did 400 very dull kilometres and came off at Kumel to follow some advice from Craig and Milton. The first kilometre of the dirt road they recommended was completetly mental and I thought they may have been messing around with me. It did improve however and the scenery was fantastic. There were a few small water obstacles which I enjoyed and then I bumped into a goatherder who was also riding a yingang. We had a chat and took some photos before I continued up to the top of the mountain where I came face to face with snow for the first time of this trip. There was a weird brand new looking temple at the top and an amazing view over the endless grasslands below. Then I dropped the bike while messing around in a snow drift, and this time I got it on video! I quickly completed the 70 kms to Barkol, found a hotel and was surprised by the quick check in. After a shower I wanted to go out for dinner and beer as it was my birthday (33rd) but the hotel boss had returned and said I couldn’t stay there after all. Apparently they’d had trouble with some motorcyclists before! I managed to sweet talking them into letting me stay if I only used the backdoor and left early in the morning. Deal.
The first couple of restaurants I found were muslim and didn’t serve beer. I did a walk away and was called back, this time I managed to negotiate bringing in 2 bottles of Tsingtao form the shop next door. After some distinctly average mutton chops I went off to find a good old han restaurant. I was about to give up when I found the barbecue street with beer being sold everywhere, all was well.
545 today, 3000 total
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The yingang my goat herding pal was riding
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My pal and my bike, he looked like he wanted to swap!
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He's a goatherder and ace photographer! Note the excellent HD waterproof video camera i'm sporting
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Near the top of the dirt road
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Weird new looking ancient temple
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more odd temple
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view from the temple
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Barbecue street in Barkol
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Proper size barbecues
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View from the hotel roof at 6 am
6th
7.30 departure and a beautiful mountain road for the whole morning. There were lots of camel and sheep herders using the road, all decked out in traditional clothing and riding ass. Great. I stopped for lunch and after chatting to some locals it became clear that I’d missed the road to Turpan that Craig and Milton had recommended. I checked the maps and decided to continue on and try to get to the northernmost point in Xinjiang.
There was a new road under construction and I found myself off the blue line again, in my attempts to get back on it I ended up having some off road fun and games and getting blocked from rejoining the road by a very fast flowing drainage ditch. The roads then became very straight and boring but the occasional pothole meant that you had to be on your toes. A rather portly young officer mustve heard me coming on the deserted road so he pulled me over as I came round a corner. I flipped up my helmet and saw his face fall. Russki? He asked. No, English. I replied. He thought for a moment then gestured me to move along. Result! I got to the most northeastern point in Xinjiang and had to decide whether or not to stay in Qinggil or Fuyun for the night. Both required 40 plus kms round trip detours but Fuyun was further northwest so I decided to head there. I was getting very low on fuel and just made it to the windiest petrol station in the world, the anquan di yi teapots were and absolute joy, spraying the petrol all over the assembled group of motorcyclists!
I arrived in Fuyun at 6.30 and job number 1 was find a new side stand spring. It took ages but I finally found a bustling bike shop then finally found a hotel after being turned away from a few guest houses. Is it because I is white? The hotel was seriously plush and I tentatively asked how much…it was only 120, with breakfast! They tried to tell me to move my bike after I’d double checked that I was parking it in the correct place. Why do hotel staff always wait until your bike is locked away before saying – ‘oh, you can’t park there’. Of course I was very polite but the look in my eyes told her it was best not to persue this one!
700 kms today, 3700 total.
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I rode up a mountain west of Barkol to get a view of the lake
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Big country
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The nice couple who own the restaurant where I realised i'd missed the turning to Turpan
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Outside the restaurant....location, location, location
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And if you are stuck with a shite location at least build one sick ass toilet!
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I don't know they could stack shit that high boy!
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a camel
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This could be somewhere in the US
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Maybe i'll jack it all in and start a camel farm :icon10:
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7th
The breakfast didn’t start until 9.30 which was way too late for me. I was usually getting up at around 6 and leaving as I did today at7.30. Because I was still on Beijing time it meant that effectively I was waking at 4am which suited me fine as you could then ride until 10 pm in daylight if you so wished. The roads were pretty dull and there were a few camels wandering about, the first I’ve seen without shephards. I stopped for lunch in Burqin and made friends with the boss who couldn’t believe I’d ridden from Chongqing. His wife cooked up some awesome spicy beef dish and I was on my way North to Kanasi Lake which is only 15 kilometres as the crow flies from Kazakhstan. With Borat catchphrases making me smile I rode on to Chonghu’erxiang where the friendly restaurant owner had told me there was a petrol station. Unfortunately there was a power cut in the village so they told me to continue up another 70 kms and there’d be another one. The roads and scenery on that 70 kms were probably the best ive seen in China, even better than the Tibetan plateau IMO, albeit far too short! I arrived at the petrol station to find the circuit board in bits and a couple of electricians scratching their heads. The boss was very apologetic and said it should be repaired in an hour. It was 30 more kilometres to the lake, so a 60 km round trip without fuel, it was touch and go if I’d make it so I waited for an hour, then another hour, then another hour….
By this time there was a every larger group of people waiting for fuel and getting more impatient. I went off for a walk and found some lovely countryside very nearby, but the sun was getting low in the sky and I wanted to get a photo of the lake before it got too dark. I’d got chatting to a couple of Kazakh riders who had invited me to stay with them near the lake. I thought maybe but really was just thinking about fuel and sunlight. In the end after 4 hours I decided I had to leave if I wanted any chance of getting an ok photo. I coasted down the hills and took it very steady and just caught the light before it totally went, though if I’d been a couple of hours earlier the photo would’ve been awesome. I was riding back to the village I’d seen on the way when there was a horrible sound of scraping metal, my chain fell off and the bike came to a slow stop. The master link had come loose, slid out slightly and destroyed itself on the engine casing. I found a couple of pieces of it but they were useless, I had bought spare links but stupidly left them in my jialing tool kit, doh! A Kazakh guy stopped to help and tried to link it with wire, of course it didn’t work but full marks for effort. Just then my mate from the gas station called and said he’d be over soon to pick me up. We towed the bike a few kilometres to his family’s log cabin where we had a fantastic meal of beef and potatoes. They also made cottage cheese which they whisked up and mixed with milk to make a delicious yogurt like drink. We ate in his brother/cousin’s cabin kitted out with all modcons then slept in a smaller one across the way. Inside both cabins was one large communal bed, the bedding was stacked around the outside and it served as a bench/sofa during the day. At night the bedding was unrolled and everyone just lied down and went to sleep. Under any other circumstances I’d’ve thought that was pretty weird but it just felt like camping out with your mates as a kid.
In the morning we fixed the chain using an old rusty nail as a punch. Luckily we were able to shorten the chain by one link and put the front wheel right forward. If we hadn’t had that room for adjustment I don’t know what I’d have done.
475 today, 4175 total.
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On the way to Kanasi Lake
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The electricians at work
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The first few arrivals at the gas station
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My Kazakh friends killing time...
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Having a beer with my teetotal friends :naughty:
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These were taken just near the petrol station
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In the end I had to leave and risk running out of fuel to get this poor shot of the lake
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The whole area around the lake has these decked hiking trails
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more lake
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Part of the master link that destroyed itself
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Quite a nice scenic spot for a breakdown
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Dinner at the brother/cousin's cabin
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The smaller log cabin, I slept on the far left, first time I shared a bed with 4 strange men!
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The stove where we slept, it was plenty warm enough
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Milk cooking on the stove....
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Breakfast is served
Oh, you were lucky with the chain...
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The log cabin village
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Fixing the chain - the first time
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The Kazakh hospitality was second to none
8th
Up at 9, 7 local time, had bread, milk tea and yogurt for breakfast. We actually fixed the chain twice, once on the ground using an axe as an anvil before we realised it had to be round the swing arm first! I ended up leaving at midday, capturing the fantastic 100 kms south from the lake on video.
It was actually very lucky that there hadn’t been any power at the petrol station as I wouldn’t have met my Kazakh friends and the chain would likely have broken on the twisties in the middle of nowhere.
I rode until it was dark then found a shitty guesthouse in Sidaohezizhen which is a tiny village 5kms off the road. The street life was great though and I had some great kebabs and a couple of 2% lagers then hit the sack.
740 today, 4815 total
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Breakfast in Sidaohezizhen
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The bread was unbelievable
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This lady bought me some free milk and pickle, and there was some mutual photo taking
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The baker actually parked his bike outside mine to protect it. Ahhh
9th
Just outside the guesthouse was a baker slapping bread on the inside of a tandoori oven, the night before he’d parked his bike on the outside of mine as a kind of shield. I bought some of his fresh bread for breakfast and it was incredible, a worthy exception to the low carb diet! A lady from the guesthouse even came out and gave me some free pickle and a bottle of milk!
I Left at 8.30 and arrived in Urumqi at 11.30 having ridden 210 kms, 5025 total. I found the yingang dealership and left the bike with them, I then proceeded to drink every beer I could find. A local restaurant put 12 in the fridge for me and I sat outside in the sun getting completely sozzled. The mission was successful and after a couple of massages I emerged into the darkness and couldn’t find my hotel for an hour!
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Arrival at the yingang shop in Urumqi
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I liked the look of this yingang 125
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Not a patch on the new version of my bike tho :thumbsup:
yingang will be realeasing a 300 or 350cc version, alongside the 250, which will have essentially the same engine but with different barrel, piston, top end and crank.
Also....a 600cc version which will use the jialing 600 engine! Apparently jialing aren't too pleased about this but there's nothing they can do as they've lost the rights to it. I'm not sure of the details regarding this but anyway it'll be out at the end of the year and will sell for around 24 grand. I think that's an absolute bargain!
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Not sure what i'm playing at here :icon10: