Zhejiang to Fujian - JH600 home ride

[Pfaelzer]

Hi,

Those of you, following my tread - My New JH600 - know, that I went up to Zhejiang province, a town named Yongkang to ride my JH600 back to Fuzhou.

A quick intro for the other readers: I am a proud owner of a Jialing JH600 motorcycle in China. Not only do I like riding motorcycle, but also I like working and modifying my bikes. I have sent the JH600by truck from Fuzhou - where I keep the bike -to a friend of a friend,who will do some modification work there for me (like adding panniers and luggage rack). The job is done now and I start a 5 hours ride by car to get to Yongkang from Fuzhou.
The plan is to ride mostly on smaller back-roads. Google map and GPS preparations done. distance roughly 600km. Time: 1 (no way) or 2 days.

Here a map of the ride:

[Pfaelzer]

This is a long day, starting early morning from Hong Kong to Fuzhou by plane. As usual, if you want to reach a place early, there is delay. After boarding, the pilot announcement "problems with the water-flushing system on all toilets. aircraft change. Delay: 1.5 hours.
In Fuzhou, drive to my garage in Lienjiang, packing my gear, quick lunch and off by car to Yongkang.

Weather: cold, dark and rainy. Don't take many pictures on the way up, but just to give you an idea:


Arriving at the hotel in Yongkang, I meet up with the guys who bring my bike on a small truck:


The bike looks great. More details can be seen there: My new JH600. Everything is made as discussed. I can't wait to get off and ride.

But...!!! They don't want to give me my bike right now....:


...because first, as always - dinner time:






The night doesn't end at the restaurant. We continue with some beers at a nice little bar and the guys are showing me their tread on moto8.cn. WOW, what a surprise! The whole story of my JH600's ordeal to Yongkang and all details of the make-up discussed in Chinese. By now over 100.000 clicks and the first post just came up in March. I never thought that there is such a big community out there in China, interested in JH600 motorcycles. Too bad I can't read Chinese, really.

(The smaller pictures are borrowed from my friends Chinese tread - I hope you guys don't mind)

[Pfaelzer]

Nice hotel. No pictures, too excited to start the ride. Not even the rainy weather can get my mood down.

View from the room window this morning:



Got off at 6:45am. First stop,gas station:



Fellow riders, professionals are fixing their mode of transportation. Take a look at the chain... I have to re-take that pictures so the guys can get into a better photo - position:



The route takes me west out of Yongkang on the S220, quickling turning south - my main direction.



I am quickly out of the city. Tea plantations, mountains, villages and fields. That's what I am looking for. More luck. No rain - but rather cold.







Doesn't she look sweet now?







Empty roads, but many landslides after the previous rain. Something, which will add some spices later on my trip.









Locals curiously watching me photographing their village:



My cockpit:



Taking a break at the shore of a river:



She fits so well into nature:



But where does that smell come from? A victim of the last flood:



Another cockpit view:



Lovely empty roads... This is the "entrance" of the X009 small and twisty mountain road. I call it "Road of Stones" but more about this later.





No traffic at all:









Look at the winding road...:



Buddies in black:

[Pfaelzer]

In one village I see many shredders, chopping wood into little chips and open roofs, under which people seem to dry these chips. I wonder what is this for?

[Pfaelzer]

ATTENTION - ADVENTURE AHEAD!!!



On the way, when mountains are steeper, I see a lot of stones, rocks and landslides. In general, even not much traffic, there is massive road construction everywhere. Older roads, unpaved, are being replaced by smaller or bigger concrete or even asphalt roads. The speed of construction comes at a price:



I am not sure, how this happened. Based on traces this happened some days before I came there:



More rocks on the street. I do not want to ride here during heavy rain:



The little river below is being blocked by several dams along the road:



And here we go. The end of that road? It looks like riding back those 80km out of that valley:



Closer inspection. Wood and bigger rocks are blocking the little "foot-path"...:



Some locals arriving at one side of the roadblock, and leaving at "my" side on a waiting truck. I'm alone here now:



Look at the natural rain-coat, the guys wears on the leftt:



Still time by time some rocks are coming down from there:



What happens now is about 30 minutes of road improvement work. Moving wood and rocks to make a path for the bike. Protected with helmet and bike jacket. I'm dirty and sweaty now. Taking the panniers off the bike, fire it up and push it in first gear towards the landslide. Heart is pounding. What if I get stuck? Constantly looking for falling rocks I push the bike up. Then I can't move forward. A piece of wood catches the bike at the other side. I climb on the seat to kick the bike free. Break pedal is bent now. I move on - still looking for rocks. after some minutes of pushing its over and done. Two more runs for the panniers. A cigarillo and 2 bottles of water. Cooling off and get relaxed again. No pictures taken during action.



Looking back:









Damage assessment. The bent break pedal is soon back to original shape thanks to soft chinese steel quality. The aluminum engine sump guard is a bit dented. Nothing, which a plastic hammer can't fix later at the garage. Obviously the newly installed protectors had done their job, especially protecting water pump and hoses:



Roadwork is still ongoing here. I wonder how this road looked like 1 year ago:



Can you see the flying bamboo trunks:



A cable car for bamboo:



more slides and rocks:



The road is really carved into the steep mountain sloop:





Workers cleaning off the road:




Here you can see the old road on the right,which is actually under water - river dam project - and track of the new road, not on the map, where I am riding.

[Pfaelzer]

Back on the S 228 - bigger road, I am taking a break and some nutritious food. No time for restaurants. I want to ride on and see how far I still can get on this day.





Playing around with the camera...:



Still nice mountains around - almost no traffic at all on this brand new road.



A waterfall, next to a tunnel:





There are tourist spots around. Hard to identify though... for me at least:

[VTR1000]

hey the chips are for beding to sleep on.......