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  1. #11 +++++ 
    C-Moto Regular Luis Carlos's Avatar
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    Sundown 200cc STX motard
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  2. #12  
    C-Moto Guru Brice's Avatar
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    This morning, I'm leaving Guilin and GuangXi province and I'm heading north to the mountainous GuiZhou.

    As usual every morning, I check the spokes, oil and the chain. QingQi is dirty and will stay like that all the trip but runs fine.


    At the north exit of Guilin, I met these local riders riding japanese and Chinese dirt bikes. They are heading to Guyan, capital of Guizhou. They propose to do the road together. Their idea is to go by the main road. I decline their proposal because I want to take a smaller north road which is in bad condition but cross ethnic minorities areas and nice landscapes.



    I'm in Dong country, a minority group related to the Hmong in south east Asia. They build their house in wood and normally don't use nails.



    Many villages are on the wrong side of the river. Light bridges allow walkers, bikes and animals to cross.





    The road is partly in construction, many sections are flooded by streams and get muddy even in this dry season.


    The mud is everywhere. I start to understand why the local bikers wanted to take the main road. But that's also part of the fun.


    Twice I fall, I sweat like a pig in my rain gear to put the bike back on wheels.


    After few kilometers in this shit, a short stop is welcome. Bike and I were are cover with mud.


    The owner of the shop where I buy some drink and snacks also give me some water to clean up a little bit the mess.


    Few kms, more sweat and mud later, the bike is out. Engine is running fine, I can engage gears but the clutch stalls in neutral. Only one week on the road, and the bike is broken, I feel that my trip is going to an end.

    Few days, before my departure, ChinaV the former owner has changed a broken part in the gearbox. Contrary to me, he is a fine mechanic and perhaps he has already experienced this issue. I'm in the middle of nowhere but China Mobile is working so I call him to get some advice. He told me the only solution is to open up the gearbox and have a look to what's going wrong. Well I'm in the mud, no village in sight, I have no parts for the gearbox or the clutch so no way to open it here. Because of the road condition, I can't push the bike, I need to find a way to transport the bike until the next village.

    Not far from me, two trucks are also battling with the mud. They have hired a group of farmers to clear the road in front of their wheels. I explain to one guy who seems the boss my situation and he kindly agree to load the bike in a truck. Thanks man!


    Bike is loaded and attached on the trunk.


    These trucks are two wheels drive. They have lot of difficulties to progress in the deep mud. The speed is no more than 10km/h.


    After few kms, we arrive at the entrance of a bridge in construction close to a village. The road is narrow and inclined. My truck gets struck once more time.


    The road is too steep for this little truck and we have to wait for another one to trail it.




    The savior is coming.


    But we can move only few tenth of meters. The road ahead the bridge is even worse and a bulldozer has been called.


    While the bulldozer is working, I shot the countryside life around the river.










    The night is coming, a bus in hurry to reach its destination stuck itself deeply in the mud behind the bulldozer. The road is now fully blocked!

    My truckers decide to give up for the night and to let their trucks where they are and come back later to pick them. They propose me to come with them for the night since the place we are has neither hotel nor mechanics to repair the bike.

    As I understand, we have to walk only 500m to reach a section of the road that normal cars and vans can reach. Half a km is ok so I decide to take with me my 30kg bag and carry it on my back. Well once again my poor Chinese has played with me, we will walk in fact more than 5 kms on the same kind of muddy road in the night!

    Before to take a van to reach their place which is 50km westbound, the truckers want a quick dinner. These guys are really nice people, they are from Nanning, the capital of GuangXi, 400km south. They are road workers and spend many months in the area.


    She is hungry too!


    We are 7 guys in a small van. It will take us 2h30 to drive the 50km in the night. That's give you an idea how bad is the road.


    We reach their place after midnight, this is an empty house without comfort or privacy, there are more than 20 guys living here for months or years before going home one or two weeks then back again. Tough life for these workers.





    I got my own room with a nice bed, the wood panel on the right. I was so exhausted, I slept like a baby this night.


    Be to continued...
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  3. #13  
    C-Moto Senior DanKearney's Avatar
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    Brice,

    True adventure man! 1 man, 1 bike, alone, excellent. I'm enjoying your trials and tribulations very much. Can't wait for the next installment.

    Cheers,

    Dan K.
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  4. #14  
    C-Moto Guru Brice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DanKearney View Post
    Brice,

    True adventure man! 1 man, 1 bike, alone, excellent. I'm enjoying your trials and tribulations very much. Can't wait for the next installment.

    Cheers,

    Dan K.
    Thanks Dan. I've seen in your intro that you have some links with GuangZhou. If you come by, I'm sure that we can arrange a ride for you with ChinaV which is not far.

    Cheers

    Brice
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  5. #15  
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brice View Post

    After few kilometers in this shit, a short stop is welcome. Bike and I were are cover with mud.


    The owner of the shop where I buy some drink and snacks also give me some water to clean up a little bit the mess.


    Hey Brice,

    what a cool trip! Seeing it make me want to travel right now.

    The road you took IS the main road. Its a nataional highway G321.
    That says alot about the level of roads in China. Wish there would be a road condition map of China.
    I took the road back in March 2007. At that time the road was crap too but we had no mud. Just lots of dust.
    We stopped exactly at the same shop as you. Check my attached pics.
    Did they showed you the nice temple behing there houses?
    Attached Images
    Riding the horse to death

    http://tuo-ma-si.blogspot.com
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  6. #16  
    C-Moto Guru Brice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tokyokid View Post
    Hey Brice,

    what a cool trip! Seeing it make me want to travel right now.

    The road you took IS the main road. Its a nataional highway G321.
    That says alot about the level of roads in China. Wish there would be a road condition map of China.
    I took the road back in March 2007. At that time the road was crap too but we had no mud. Just lots of dust.
    We stopped exactly at the same shop as you. Check my attached pics.
    Did they showed you the nice temple behing there houses?
    You are right this is the main direct road but there is another one in better condition that goes west from Guilin then join an highway.

    This was the third time I stopped there, once last year while going to QingHai and this July en route to Sichuan. Since last year they have started to rebuilt the road so until they finish it is worst than before.
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  7. #17  
    C-Moto Guru Brice's Avatar
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    In the morning, the boss tells me that they don't go back to their trucks Today. They phoned some guy in the village and the road is still blocked with even more buses and trucks stuck around the bridge.

    So I decided to go back alone and see what I can do to repair the bike. First I take a bus, 2h30 of shaky roads to go close to the road block.



    Once arrive, I'm still 5 km from the bridge and I don't want to walk again this muddy road with my 30kg bag. So I take a boat to reach the village near the bridge. Cool, a nice cruise in perspective far from the mud.


    These boats are also their home.


    Many people are in the same situation.




    Above us, trucks, buses and their passengers are waiting.


    Half an hour later pushed by the strong current we reach the village.


    Bike is waiting for me in the truck, I ask a taxi bike if he knows a mechanic around. The closest is in another village 15km from there in the north. This place can be reach on a cement road, no more mud. We make a deal and he agrees for 60RMB ($8) to help me to unload the bike from the truck then to trail up to this village.


    Once arrived at the mechanic, everything is going fast. The guy tells me that the culprit must be the clutch plates. He opens the right side of the gear box and yes he is right. The case is full of particles of cork that come from the plates. These plates were nearly brand new, changed by ChinaV before the departure, so they must have some default.

    He tells me that he doesn't have this kind of plates here and I have to wait 24 or 48 hours to get some new ones. No problem for me, the village is welcoming, there is an Internet cafe and lot of pics to take...





    I take 2 hours to find an hotel, take a shower and go to the local WangBa (internet cafe) to check my emails. When I come back to the mechanic shop I have the surprised to find him on the bike. He tried some used plates from a 125cc Suzuki and they are the same. The clutch is working nicely. I decide to keep them for now but will wait for the new ones next day to have some spare parts in case of another problem. More 6000km later this is still the same used 125cc plates...

    Nice guy and competent mechanic. Since I'm here for two days, I ask him if he can built a new rack to support my bag. The former one made of a shower tube is twisted by the weight of the bag and the falls.


    It's dinner time, here my 3 stars restaurant, not yet in the Michelin guide but this is just a matter of time.


    My dinner.





    In the morning, the hotel's owners invite me to share their breakfast. The man is a retired policeman.




    Then I go for a little walk in the chilly morning.


    Kids are gathering to their school.



    Some stop by the shops to buy some snacks.


    Village from the back.






    On the market, this is already too late for some.


    Others have still few weeks to enjoy.


    Or only few hours.


    A somewhat used tricycle.


    But with a nice water cooled engine.



    Basketball fields are useful to dry the rice.



    And rice fields make the joy of the ducks.


    It was a peaceful day in the Dong countryside.


    To be continued...
    Last edited by Brice; 12-14-2008 at 02:19 PM.
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  8. #18  
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    This is great Brice. Way to go. Maybe when you leave in July, i'll buy your bike from you? It seems that both you and chinaV, that while getting good use of the bike, also know how to take care of it.

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  9. #19  
    C-Moto Guru Brice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NuJiangAmelliott View Post
    This is great Brice. Way to go. Maybe when you leave in July, i'll buy your bike from you? It seems that both you and chinaV, that while getting good use of the bike, also know how to take care of it.

    I would like to see this bike having more adventures in China and Yunnan is the perfect place for that.

    July is still far from now so you have time to make up your mind. Some new bikes will be launched in the coming months on the Chinese market.
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  10. #20  
    Administrator-tron CrazyCarl's Avatar
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    Brice,

    Great report and pictures! Sorry to hear about the clutch but it could also have something to do with being heavily loaded and run in deep mud.

    That mud looked pretty thick. How many kilometers of mud roads was there?

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