Looking for somewhere warm to ride towards the end of November I opted for Yunnan. Using the transportation mode outlined by euphonius, I put the JH600 on the train in Shanghai on Monday (Nov-22) and flew down to Kunming on Friday night after work. The next day I picked up the bike at the Kunming train station, prepped for the ride, and was on the road Sunday morning.
Ride Overview
Take a 7 day ride south of Kunming towards the borders of Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar- experiencing the warm winter sun, mountains and ethnic minority culture of Yunnan. Up to Dali for some chill relaxing then back to Kunming before training the bike back to Shanghai on Sunday (Dec-5) and catching my flight.
I checked around regarding roads and routes and didn't seen any red flags. What I would later find is the G214 ripped up to shit (between Lancang & Lincang). There wasn't much of a road left. I faced 150 kms of mud, sand, and gravel, including a 6-hour trucker backup on a narrow mud road along a river that the JH600 was too wide to get thru. Oh yeah, and rock slides (see video).
Parts of the ride were rough, especially when you're out there slinging it alone. But the greatest impression that the ride left me with is a deep appreciation for China's Road Workers. At RMB 50/day these guys work their asses off in dangerous conditions, many without aid of machinery - using their bare hands to give us great roads to ride on. 谢谢你们!
Ride Stats
Riding Days: 7 days
Total Distance: 2,086 kms
Average Time Riding Each Day (including stops): 6.8 hrs
Average Speed (including stops): 44 kph
Low Daily Avg Speed: 16kph (trucker backup + rock slide)
High Daily Avg Speed: 104kph (expressway Dali to Kunming)
* And S214 you see on this video (Part II) is expected to be up and running by April and completed by June - "Miracles of China".
12-31-2010, 12:19 PM
ChinaV
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Epic stuff there MotoKai :thumbsup:. Looks like some amazing photography, any chance those photo's are in an album online? Would love to see them in a larger size.
Thanks for sharing with us. :clap:
Cheers!
ChinaV
12-31-2010, 12:28 PM
MotoKai
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Yeah, I'll Flickr some photos after the New Year and post a few pics here - thanks.
And for those who don't have the attention span to get thru both videos, the "epic rock slide" is in Part II (at the 5min mark) - so you can fast forward.
* And I don't have a helmet cam (as you can tell). So the riding videos were taken while riding with my point & shoot camera in video mode and hanging from my neck. So for those of you prone to seizures, you may want to look away from the screen during these moments. My little disclaimer.
12-31-2010, 01:32 PM
andre555
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Thanks :thumbsup:
:eekers: G214, hmm similar situation since 2 years. Good to hear that it soon be finished. :riding:
01-01-2011, 12:52 AM
jape
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Bloody great - my GF was leaning on me looking over my shoulder asking me why I was watching some blokes handlebars bounce up and down and then it changed and she shut up. (Miracle number one). Number two, she asked when we could go to that great looking place. Miracle three, I told her I was going on my own and she just nodded. Miracle four will be if I get away with that.
01-03-2011, 05:08 PM
MotoKai
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Days 1 & 2: Kunming - Yuanyang - Jiangcheng (Photos include S214)
MotoKai,
Excellent ride report.You must do video as a profession?
01-04-2011, 07:02 AM
euphonius
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Damn and double damn, wish I could have made that ride with you. These pix are awesome.
Question: in the self-portrait, are you actually wearing your "No hindrance but conquer" freebie riding jacket from Jialing?? I'll need to drop a few kg (like 10) to fit comfortably into mine...
cheers!
01-04-2011, 02:24 PM
MotoKai
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Thanks barnone - No, just like to keep my photos and video together in video format for my own posterity. Use the free MS software "Movie Maker" to drop them together and lay down some tracks - just for fun. I think one day I'd like to get a helmet cam (hope Ryan is still saving me the Countour!) and some better software that has more features and less bugs.
And by the way, the software is free but that orange "No hindrance but conquer" Jialing MCU (Motor Conquerer Union) jacket was NOT a freebie. That was earned - I'm in the club. And don't think you're not in the club euphonius!
01-04-2011, 02:34 PM
MotoKai
Re: Yunnan Ride 2010
Days 3 & 4: Jiancheng - Jinghong - Shangyuan (Photos include S218, G213, G214)