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#1 Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 2017
- Join Date
- Dec 2016
- Location
- Shanghai
- Posts
- 257
07-09-2017, 07:18 AMBeijing- Qingdao- Shanghai
June 21st-29th 2017
My plan was to fly to Beijing, pick up the bike I had purchased and hen ride it to Shanghai by way of coastal Shandong. I took 9 days of leave to achieve this.
Day 1
Crazy day, up at 6am didn’t sleep a lot, off to do a sidecar tour in Shanghai. By 10:30 it seemed I and the CJ750 I was driving was not needed. So I took the bike around with my friend.. first time navigating alone, so got somewhat lost and the heavens opened. Realised it was getting late and I had a 3 o’clock flight to catch, stuck in a one way system, I was able to see the destination but kept zipping past it, so I decided to take the only route in front of me that took me to my destination, a twenty meter section of Yanán road stood between me and the end point. Although I saw the no motorcycles sign, I went for it and was immediately pulled over by a motorcycle policeman and given a ticket in barking orders. Thankfully no points (edit three points- freaking distaster tbh). Got the bike back, in the rain and took a taxi home in heavy traffic then rushed to Hongqiao. Got my flight in the nick of time.
Got to Beijing, tried to avoid taxi touts at the airport but became frustrated with them, eventfully got to the seller’s house in the evening and packed up the back. Thought to myself upon inspection "the petcock is closed" and then did nothing about it. Finally set off and the bike conked out down the road. Pushed it back. Confirmed with previous owner that yes, the petcock was closed. Took off again, dropped the biked a couple of kilometers away. Previous owner came and told me I’d killed the battery. We push started it.. Something learned.
Found a hotel after a fair amount of time and phone running out of battery. Just a back drop to the real journey. More to come..
Failures (learning points)
- Got ticket in Shanghai I need plenty of time for driving in Shanghai and a map with the no-go roads on
- trust your gut (and open the blooming fuel valve)
- My new bike's carburetor is easily flooded when dropped
- The electric start on the new bike will drain the battery quickly if over-used (get a kick starter in future- qingqi gy200? and /or be very careful with the electric start.)
Basic stuff, you might say.. but I'm at stage basic:)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19488[/INSERT]
Packing- everything I took- 30 kgs!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19489[/INSERT]
She's ready (in Beijing)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19490[/INSERT][ATTACH=CONFIG]19491[/INSERT][ATTACH=CONFIG]19492[/INSERT]
The original plan for my route ( to take in Yantai)Last edited by Metalmonkey; 07-09-2017 at 09:37 AM.
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#2 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 2017
- Join Date
- Dec 2016
- Location
- Shanghai
- Posts
- 257
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#3 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 201707-09-2017, 07:55 AM
Neat packing. Please do take your time and take some pictures I am dying to get on the road myself. Take care and travel safe!
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#4 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 201707-09-2017, 08:13 AM
You're on the road is the main thing now?
Ride safe and take an account of how many times you fall off.
Maybe we can open a betting book on MCM? lol
I go for 21 times.
Nice round number."Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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#5 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 2017
- Join Date
- Dec 2016
- Location
- Shanghai
- Posts
- 257
07-09-2017, 09:11 AMFinished this journey the week before last.. just trying to find the time and working computer apparatus to complete a report and upload pictures. I also had a go-pro, so am editing a video of the trip.
]
In fact, as ZMC888 has said before, Shandong is largely flat and densely populated. This made the journey more of a road trip. In future I'm hoping to take the enduro off the road. Any route ideas are welcome... I've travelled to places western and northern Sichuan, and western and southern Gansu, but not by bike... Yunnan- did a bit last year on a motorcycle (see my introduction post on here)
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#6 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 2017
- Join Date
- Dec 2016
- Location
- Shanghai
- Posts
- 257
07-09-2017, 09:15 AMCan close bets cos the journey is finished:) actually, the number was four- once just standing up getting ready for the off on the morning of one of the days- the number of questions from curious bystanders and requests for selfies plus a sleep addled head lead to dropping it in the car park outside a hotel. Result= a busted lip, as the handle bar caught me in the mouth on the way down. Interesting start to the day:))
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#7 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 2017
- Join Date
- Dec 2016
- Location
- Shanghai
- Posts
- 257
07-09-2017, 09:17 AMOh, plus, the tread title has a typo- it's Qingdao, not Qinghai (obviously)
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#8 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 201707-09-2017, 09:24 AM
I am happy to hear it was only 4 times, well-done home safely is the main thing.
Shandong, yes not that interesting riding will leave next week and move down near you around the 1000s island area. (jiandle)"Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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#9 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 2017
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#10 Re: Beijing- Qinghai- Shanghai late June 2017
- Join Date
- Dec 2016
- Location
- Shanghai
- Posts
- 257
07-11-2017, 06:10 AMDay 1 of riding
Woke up early. Found the staff had kindly covered the bike in bin bags as there had been a deluge during the night. In fact, I was warned that Beijing was forecast heavy rains and thunder storms for two days..nice. Set off and the rain started. I hadn’t set up the phone holder on the bike yet for the phone (to use as GPS)., So decided I’d travel south and east by turns, took an excruciatingly long time to exit Beijing this way and , trying to avoid ‘G’ roads, I was constantly changing roads (not necessary, I found out later in the trip). Heavy rain meant I was soaked early in the day.
Ended up going into the countryside with. The road disappeared and I found myself in tree planted farmland with a slick, muddy and rutted path. The inevitable spill happened and I decked it. I was fine, but the bike had fallen on the right handlebar and, after pushing it onto flat road, I found the throttle didn’t turn. I examined the throttle cable and found nicks in it, maybe a problem - I hoped not as I thought I didn’t have spares (in fact later found two spare cable were stashed on the bike ). I got the tools out and took of the hand protector to see if it freed up the throttle.. to no avail. Ended up pushing the bike back up the track to the nearest inhabited place, got directions to a mechanic and pushed the bike up the main road 2-3 kilometers in the rain.
The mechanic fixed it quite easily (taking off the brake lever holder) and I came back from an awesome lunch to find him fannying around with some sort of tippex and a hairdryer, trying to fill in the cosmetic scratches on the hand protectors. (I thought, “he wants to make dome cash”) Fair enough, after him taking the bike round the block (the locals joking that he’d nicked my bike –Lol) – in sandals!! and then I tested the bike. He suggested 200- I offered 100 and he said fine. A lovely lady gave me a plastic wallet for my passport which had become wet in the downpour. Swings and roundabouts.
Finally got free of Beijing. But soaked at the end of an eventful day.
image1.jpg
Where the bike went down
Pushing the bike
lunch
tipping it downLast edited by Metalmonkey; 07-11-2017 at 06:25 AM. Reason: pictures are the wrong way round
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