Around China in 100 days

[Roadrunner]

Hey guys,

On the 9th of March 2011 a friend and I will start our 20,000 kilometer motorcycle journey around China. It’s going to take us 100 days to travel from Chongqing anti-clockwise around the 3rd largest country in the world toChina arrive back in Chonqing in Mid-June. We’ll be driving Chinese-made Lifan motorcycles. I’m on an LF150-3K and Lulu is on an LF100-2V. Both are the kinds of bikes commonly seen on Chinese streets and they’re no exactly specialized for touring, so we’ll see how this goes. I was planning to do it on a Shineray 200GY-7, but recently my friend was adamant that she come along and talked to Lifan who kindly decided to let us borrow two of their new bikes. The Lifan is not nearly as smooth over the roads at the Shineray, but it vibrates a hell of a lot less, so my arms don’t feel like jelly after several hours riding any more. I will have an iron butt after a couple of weeks though.

Us on motos and with the Chongqing motorcycle club


banner.jpg

luluandme.jpg

Trip route





Along the way we hope to raise USD$20,000 for the Half the Sky Foundation, a non-governmental organization that works with orphans all over China. Half the Sky is one of only 6 NGOs registered with the government of the People’s Republic of China, and they’ve been awarded a four star rating, the highest possible, on www.charitynavigator.com.

We will be fundraising for the Infant Nurture Program at the Half the Sky Centre in Urumqi, Xinjiang. They work with government run orphanage to recruit and train unemployed women from the community to become full-time nannies for the 150 young children at the center. Each of these nannies provide 3-5 orphaned babies the stimulation, bonding and affection that are essential to a healthy start.

Right now, we don’t have the registration for the bikes, but we hope to get that tomorrow, otherwise we’ll have to push back the starting date (again!!). After planning this for so many months it seems absurd that the start should be delayed so significantly much, but this is China and anything can happen.


We have a long way to go to reach our goal and it would be great to have some donations coming in from the generous guys and girls on MCM. If you would like to donate (or are just curious) check out www.aroundchina.org, or if you would like find out more about Half the Sky’s other programs their site is www.halfthesky.org

I’ll be doing my best to post here on the forum as often as possible.

Cheers

Jeremy

[moilami]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your trip. You are doing 200km/day on average, which sounds high. Will be tough trip!

[jape]

Yes, welcome to you and thanks for the info. Ride safe.

[euphonius]

Jeremy,

From the looks of your launch in Chongqing, looks like you and Lulu and the club have done a lot of organizing. With a high profile, you'll be riding as an ambassador for safe recreational motorcycling in China, which is awesome. Big responsibility. Hope when the local media who will be greeting you shove microphones in your face you can say a good word or two about how motorcycles, if ridden safely and responsibly, are an advantage to society, not the curse that we are so often painted to be -- especially by city planners and policymakers. Just have two or three sentences that you or Lulu can trot out every time, in addition to your promotion of the excellent Half the Sky charity.

Oh, and also about how motorcycles are not just for guys!!

Good luck, and ride safe. Looking forward to reading your progress reports!

cheers

[td_ref]

I wonder a round trip like this high for local Chinese would be good opportunity to demonstrate different view about the motorcycle ban. Oh, at the edge of off topic. Good luck though.

[jape]

We often go off topic, don't worry. Makes it all human and we learn other stuff. gives us all good ideas. New members soon get used to that I hope!

I would like to see some joint trips, half Chinese, half 'foreign'. Like the Pyle brothers did, how much more relevant if half Chinese crew and riders instead of foreigners 'touring' through other people's homes and making DVD's? Now I don't mean just wife/GF or companion as in this case although that must help!

I mean sponsored or at least arranged rides to show what td-ref and Euphonius say, that bikes can be fun and safe for travel through a wonderful land, not just a tool for poor peasants that cannot afford cars yet. It might stop some of the divide between city and country and area and area as well.

I can imagine a ride with MCM members meeting each other in relays as they are passing through areas, but also meeting Chinese bike clubs for dinner and BBQ and to ride along on some legs, and inviting llocal farmers with bikes to join in on family days once a week as they travel along, or some similar. A slow, friendly trip building up momentum and showing we actually appreciate our Chinabikes and friends? Lots of ideas for media and messages for the good of all.

In fact, I can imagine the 'MCM annual slow tour across China' trip. Need to get that badge designed though.