GingerAdam's TransAsia Adventure!!!

**GingerAdam** · 10-15-2009, 09:48 AM

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!!

**chinabiker** · 10-15-2009, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by GingerAdam

Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!!

**CrazyCarl** · 10-15-2009, 01:36 PM

Pre-ride nerves?

Ginger, where are you right now?

CC

**GingerAdam** · 10-15-2009, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by CrazyCarl

Pre-ride nerves?

CC

I would love to be at the pre-ride nerves stage!!! I'm still trying to work out the registration - they all seem to think that I CAN get a license and register the bike; weird as as far as I know that's not the rules... But I have to sit the driving exam. Maybe. It is a wierd kind of limbo of whether I can go fully 'legal' or just somehow get it registered... This has all only taken 2 days to work out; I think the office is shut Saturday so if I can't get it done tomorrow, then I have to wait till Monday. Time is ticking now... Thanks to tokyokid though, he had some good suggestions. I just have to hope my translation friend is in reception tomorrow. I'm going for the YBR-G, if they'll let me register the damn thing!!

**CrazyCarl** · 10-15-2009, 03:34 PM

Oh man... been in those shoes before!!! If you're in Chengdu, you may want to hook up with LH1953 to

and share some of the woes. you're both in pretty much the same stage right now only you have more pressure to get the bike and go.

Whatever you do, don't start your trip in a hurry... easy to make some costly and greatly inconvenient mistakes that way.

Anyway, keep us posted on how everything is going and wish for the best!

CC

**GingerAdam** · 10-16-2009, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by CrazyCarl

Oh man... been in those shoes before!!! If you're in Chengdu, you may want to hook up with LH1953 to

and share some of the woes.

CC

Well I used your map www.carlparker.com and read your description of the licensing office with trepidation... So I went yesterday, dutifully returned today prompt at 9am to find they'd shut for a meeting, until Monday. Nice! So nothing doing until then. I found a YBR-G on the street but the owner had the expensive city plates, so no go there either. Grrr.

I hear you, I'm not too keen on expensive mistakes either. Oh well, if I can't bike I can drink!! I'll PM LH195, will be good to chat.

**CrazyCarl** · 10-16-2009, 01:05 PM

Right on. If you guys meet up, do us a favor and snap some pics! It can be like a mini MCM-Du meeting!

CC

**GingerAdam** · 10-22-2009, 02:43 PM

Well I've gone quiet for a few days, but I've finally reached the pre-ride nerves stage!! Yes!!!

I gave up on Chengdu as spending 6 hours a day on the bus between offices was driving me insane, and I was getting no answers. The guys at the Yamaha shop didn't seem at all interested and laughed at any attempts I made to ask questions about the rego, pretty rude considering I was ready to spend just under 9k with them. So I got the train to Xining, the shop had the YBR-G there and we agreed (I phoned from Chengdu first) that if I bought it they would help me register it.

This has involved them driving me round the city for 2 days 9-5 SOLID to one or another office, filling in forms, translating my license and passport etc. I don't really know what we did but I was refused annual registration for the bike （would have been RMB500 here, RMB1500 in Chengdu) as obviously as a tourist I have no pemanent address. Also they could not get me a Chinese license as the UK one isn't recognised. But they did get me temporary registration in my name for 30 days (for free!!!

) which is enough to exit, and I'm hoping the bike being in my name will help. The shop here has been really friendly, even taking me their houses for lunch, and they definately earned the sale, I could never have done it myself!!

Finding someone who is prepared to register the bike for you or buying second hand would have avoided a lot of misery now, and potentially later when I am transiting other countries... We'll see... They had internet in the shop so google translate was a lifesaver, and I had a good dictornary so I could point to words to say things like 'clutch plate' or 'registration'. Google is faster though. One of the guy's girl friend's spoke English so we phoned her a lot (I used Sim's hostel Chengdu a lot for this too). I can't emphasise enough how much these guys did.

Now is west to Kashgar - via the G109 and then possibly crossing to Xinjang via some small roads south of the G315. Could be a way to tibet that way according to my atlas, but I couldn't see much on Google earth. I'm meeting a local expat biker tomorrow though so I'll see what he has to say about routes. Buy the way, there's a pretty good spares/hardware market down near the railway station.

Off we go!!

Adam

**CrazyCarl** · 10-22-2009, 02:56 PM

Congrats!

Be more careful than a thousand grandmothers! Take lots of pictures and please keep us updated during your trip.

Also, if you want less traffic and more interesting scenery in XJ, take the southern route along the Takl Desert. Both routes will take you to Kashgar but the southern one has MUCH less traffic. The other option is to take the northen road, then cross the Takl Desert in the middle. The road is perfectly paved and a veyr amazing ride. Stay in TaZong if you can. Then once you reach the southern route, take that to Kgar.

Ride Safe, Have fun!
CC

**GingerAdam** · 10-24-2009, 03:34 PM

Thanks Carl... Although my gandmother was crazy so maybe I shouldn't follow her example. Went couchsurfing in Gonghe yesterday with some cool Germans who helped me find some warmer clothes, so today was comfy. I'm in Chakazhen now, aiming for Golmud tomorrow. Thanks for the tip, I probably will go south. All in all everything is good, the bike struggles a bit on the climbs, and especially starting hot at above 3000m but usually I can get 30-40km/h out of it uphill, I'm not revving it too much until I have broken it in properly.