Sibirsky Extreme 2012 - The Toughest Ride of Them All

[DoctorAbo]

Originally Posted by ROD CURRIE

This has been one of the most formative, informative, life-enhancing, self-examining experiences of my 57 years.
I will truly carry it with me forever and refer to it daily-I'm still overwhelmed by it frankly.

Thanks to everyone who's PM-ed, commented, helped me and to my SibEx 2012 companions Terry B, Bas and Linda, Hassan and Yana, Tony P , and especially to Walter for persuading me to get off my arse and do it.
That's it. X

Geir/Steve...over to you

now...how to bribe GB to delete all the Bongo pics.......

respects Rod

[achesley]

Originally Posted by tee bee

Tony P has regulary rode the Moscow /London route, on the old Warsaw road in less the 3 days
Its his birthday today, Happy birthday Tony.

I'll join in and say the same " Happy Birthday Tony " and thanks for all the insites you have given us on travel and life out there.

[DyrWolf]

I just came from a film "Happy People, a year in the Taiga". Its not a Motorcycle movie but readers of this RR may enjoy it. It follows the life of a trapper for a year. Rod, the dogs have a tough life up there.

[Blader54]

Tony! Happy Birthday!!

[stemic01]

Originally Posted by sonnyboy

I'm impressed with the 800 surviving that, i read somewhere you changed the 800 for the 650 after this trip? Your thoughts on the 800 after learning to ride and then doing this trip with it. Did you have the standard seat? Thanks for sharing and stunning pics

Hi. I guess this was on the edge of what were possible with a stock F800GS reagarding deep water.
I did not change my F800GS, I just bought myself another bike in the US. Shipping from Magadan to US were quite limited and the alternatives would cost me about the same as I paid for the XC in US. So my choice were to ship my F800 in container with the other Norwegians and buy another bike in US. So I still got both bikes now :)

F800 vs XC:
I see that for light offroading, easy dirt roads and mostly staying on asphalt - the F800GS is a more comfortable and powerfull bike which handles that quite well. I feel it is a bit on the heavy side and I dropped my bike from time to time.
Fore more offroading I simply want a bike that are as light as possible. On the paper there is about 50-60 kilos (?) on the XC and F800 which really makes a difference. The XC is also quite narrow and has good ground clearance. Ground clearance is like on a offroad car a good thing. The XC is just much easier to handle in every means.

So if I were to plan the same trip again I would choose XC. I feel that the offroad capabillities in the XC is more important than the better street performance the F800 gives you. I usually don't go much faster than 120km/h over long distances anyway and with some modifications the XC will do that pretty well. Save your bum and replace the seat, add some wind protection and expand the range by adding fuel and you will have more fun when it get rough. Please bare in mind that I am not a very experienced or skilled rider and I have not been riding too many different bikes either. This is simply my opinion regarding the F800GS and G650Xchallenge bikes I currently own and have been using for adventure biking. I guess that Walter and Terry can tell you much more about things you can or should upgrade if you choose BMW a X-model bike.

The stock F800GS seat was a pain in the ass the first weekes - I would replace it.

[TheLorax]

" Please bare in mind that I am not a very experienced or skilled rider and I have not been riding too many different bikes either. This is simply my opinion regarding the F800GS and G650Xchallenge bikes I currently own and have been using for adventure biking. I guess that Walter and Terry can tell you much more about things you can or should upgrade if you choose BMW a X-model bike."

If you got that bike in that deep and out the other side, then you are far more experienced that most of us web surfers. We all start somewhere and we've all tossed our bikes on the ground a few times. Stand tall. You've earned it.

[lipsee]

Originally Posted by TheLorax

" Please bare in mind that I am not a very experienced or skilled rider and I have not been riding too many different bikes either. This is simply my opinion regarding the F800GS and G650Xchallenge bikes I currently own and have been using for adventure biking. I guess that Walter and Terry can tell you much more about things you can or should upgrade if you choose BMW a X-model bike."

If you got that bike in that deep and out the other side, then you are far more experienced that most of us web surfers. We all start somewhere and we've all tossed our bikes on the ground a few times. Stand tall. You've earned it.

Well said Lorax!!!!!

[mrbreeze]

so did you ever hear from Rick again? I suspect he's feeling a bit like the fifth Beatle ???

http://advrider.com/forums/showpost....8&postcount=88

[digger2]

Except mine lasted 9 years!
I was working for a photographer in London and met a guy working at the studio one day. Nice tan and turned out he had been working on cruise ships. Next thing I was in Spain with a bunch of cameras boarding a liner.

Originally Posted by Colebatch

Well I took a "career break" . Decided there were things more important to me than another few years of work.

[Deseret Rider]

In the pictures it looks like their open face helmets have a bubble. Do those bubbles pivot down and keep dust and dirt out of their eyes when they are riding fast----then pivot up and out of the way when they choose? Also, do those helmets include a visor of some sort which could be useful when riding into a low sun?

[Motor 1]

Originally Posted by mrbreeze

so did you ever hear from Rick again? I suspect he's feeling a bit like the fifth Beatle ???

http://advrider.com/forums/showpost....8&postcount=88

I'm here! Reading along and enjoying with everyone else. I posted earlier that I went back to England, bought an R1100s and spent the next few months roaming around Europe, ie....France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, etc..had a great time and no regrets.

[Colebatch]

Originally Posted by Deseret Rider

In the pictures it looks like their open face helmets have a bubble. Do those bubbles pivot down and keep dust and dirt out of their eyes when they are riding fast----then pivot up and out of the way when they choose? Also, do those helmets include a visor of some sort which could be useful when riding into a low sun?

We all had different model helmets - so I can only speak for mine.

I think what you refer to as a bubble is actually called a visor.

I guess what you refer to as a visor is a build in sun visor? or a peak? depending on which part of the helmet you are referring to.

Yes the bubble / visor pivots up

As for sun visor, no we just used the traditional method - sunglasses.

[joatmoa]

The only helmet I could find with a sun visor was the Highway 1 NX2

[Colebatch]

Originally Posted by joatmoa

The only helmet I could find with a sun visor was the Highway 1 NX2

This HJC Multi has everything ... add on what you want, leave off what you want ...

Peak, visor, sunvisor, chinbar. all bits are configurable.

Its probably my next helmet.

[Colebatch]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

... let Walter run this report.

Well I guess its not my report anymore. I bowed out in Yakutsk.

I am sitting and impatiently waiting for the return of EtronX as well, so we can get a few more pics of the road of bones on the ride into Magadan !!!