Treat yourself to some new suspension when you get back..

i'm planning to leave next year as well. but i should start getting things done about importing the bike into china and driving license. how are you guys fixing that?
my plan is going to the chinese embassy in brussels to ask for info. i wonder having relatives in china and hong kong would help...

i bought myself the 30L MM's but reconsidering softluggage now. still in doubt...

(perhaps we could team up riding china? =)

why is a "guide" needed when u want to import and ride your own bike in china? i've been there couple times, altho without my own transport (car/motorcycle) and i could roam around freely with public transport etc...

sorry mr Jenks. (i think the t�n�r� is a good choice for the job=)

more highjacking....
 

At the moment, i'm planning to ride through India & arrange airfreight or a boat from Chennai to Malaysia / Thailand.
This appears to be a cheaper option than the 'guided' China route.
However, as i'm not strapped for time, plans are pretty loose and subject to change depending on the local situation.
What about you AJ ?

Hi,

Thank you all for the input, My first plan was going solo as I like the freedom, and China was a must. I too did a lot of re-search into driving licences and guides but found it a real night mare. I have business interests in Beijing so asked them for assistance but it all started to get horribly expensive and time consuming.

So in the end I have decided to go with these guys Motoexplorer.co.uk. They go every year, seem to know what's what etc.and seem to be like minded sort of people. The thing I really like is that although an organised tour, they encourage you to explore by yourself. You are given way-points and meet them there or can miss out some nights to do your own thing. Nothing is fixed in stone. The last thing I wanted was somebody with an umbrella saying "follow me".

It maybe the "soft" option but it should be fun.

My mind has been made up a "Ten" it is, thank you everyone for there contribution. Now I just have to find one, but there seems plenty around.
So all being well August 2012 I am off. that is if the stock markets do not make me penny-less and the rioters have not destroyed everything they can get there grubby little hands on. Shoot the lot.blowup

Mine was fine, if a little softer...

...as per the rest of my post, it helps if you don't take half a house with you!!!

Jxx

Good idea... x

In all seriousness, obviously any bike is going to feel well worn by the end of such a huge trip... so it is inevitable that parts will need to be replaced - either like for like, or the opportunity to upgrade...


Jx

Mine was fine, if a little soft at 14,000 miles as well, but only about 2,500 of that was with half a house on the back :p and maybe 500 miles of dirt ( sans maison). The rest was just solo riding, mostly to work and back.

It was still in one piece at 25,000 miles (maybe 5-6k 'with house'), but that's about all you could say for it.

I don't think the OP needs to be too worried about it not lasting the trip and leaving him stranded, but I dare say it will deteriorate faster than mine did because of where he's going. I don't think you need to go out and buy a new Tenere and instantly spend �500+ changing the shock. But if I was off on the 'trip of a lifetime' I might at least contemplate the idea of getting the spring (the stock damper isn't that bad IMO, it's the spring that deteriorates) swapped for one that's better quality and a bit stiffer (to allow for carrying luggage *all the time*).

Wise words UbT x

Like you say, a spring upgrade isn't overly expensive, and might be a good precaution if they insist on taking loads of stuff with them x

btw. I sold my 23,000 miles shock on ebay to one messer I'anson (presuambly the very same who rode an XT660R to the 'top of the world' in Bike magazine), and he never came back to me and said it was knackered... mind you, it was probably still in better shape than the one on his XT!

Jx

what about an africa twin