To Mongolia and back on two CRF250L

A 5 month trip to Mongolia from Israel, starting from Greece and passing through Turkey, the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia), Central Asia (the stans: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan) and Russia. 30000 km, on two CRF250Ls.

A google map of the route: https://tinyurl.com/ybx764k7

FAQ and other info:

visas, border crossings, customs, bureaucracy?
- depends on your passport - www.caravanistan.com has the best info for that. for most passports - you'll have to arrange visas for some countries.

bike mods for CRF250L?
- larger fuel tank, sock fuel filter, reusable air filter, custom luggage rack for soft luggage and an external fuel canister (rotopax), spring preload mode (involves welding two spots on the shock), protection mods (hangguards, bashplates, radiator)

how was the CRF250L?
- pros: super reliable, friendly, economic on fuel and tires, suitable for short riders.
- cons: weak, esp. at altitude.

garages and spare parts resources on the way?
- tires - Denis (buy@motorezina.ru) - can ship to most cities in Russia
- garage and tires - Patrik from MuzToo in Osh Kyrgizstan (www.muztoo.ch/en/)

- tires?
Any 50/50 tire would be ok. You take what's available when you need it. We used Continental tkc80 90-90-21 for the fronts, and various different ones for the rears. Mitas e7 are good value and last long.

luggage?
- soft luggage by nelson-rigg + straps
- some photos of the custom luggage rack: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hGb2R0AGPWhcmmns2

gps and navigation?
- garmin 60csx (maps: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/) + phones with offline maps for backup (oruxmaps + lonely planet guides) + plastic-paper maps by Reise Know-How (Turkey, Caucasus, Mongolia, Central Asia)

route preparation?
- talking to other travelers and asking them about their route, reading about the countries in lonely planet and internet
- check our route map (link above)

scary water crossings?
- in Mongolia should be prepared for more difficult ones, otherwise mostly easy (or optional)

trains with bikes in Russia?
- can be arranged at the stations, cost around 100$ per bike from Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg. shipped with luggage on them. bikes go by one train, you go by another and meet them a couple of days after your arrival. everything was fine for us YMMV

costs?
- around 20-30$ per night for motels/guesthouses, can camp anywhere, food is cheap and tasty where it can be found (bring enough of your own for Mongolia from Russia), fuel is cheap (except Turkey), ATMs can be found everywhere except in Uzbekistan (where you have to bring enough cash).

how much fuel range?
- we had 300KM(12L) in tank + 200KM(8L) in external fuel canisters, the extra fuel is mostly needed when going from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan in the west (500km stretch without stations), and is good to have in Pamir. Probably possible to be ok with 300-350K range and a little hussle (buying fuel from locals/drivers at those two-three problematic spots / carrying in bottles..). All other places have enough stations.

favorite places on the way?
- Mongolia, Pamir (Tadjikistan), Georgia, Turkey (eastern + Cappadocia), Song-Kul (Kyrgistan), Altai (Russia)

safety?
- road safety: Russia has actually the safest drivers on the route (but lots of single lane roads with heavy truck traffic), Turkey has great infrastructure so is pretty safe, Georgian drivers are crazy and love overtaking just for sport (and roads are narrow). In Mongolia not much roads so no problems 🙂 Kyrgyz drivers are the most dangerous by far from all drivers I have experienced anywhere (and I have ridden in many places) - some are just trying to scare or bully you, don't know why.
- people: we didn't have any problems camping, but we always made efforts to camp in unseen places. locals were super friendly in Turkey, Geogria and Uzbekistan, in the Stans things vary, in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan we met some jerks, and there locals don't give you much space, but it might be just bad luck. Mongols don't care about you and you can camp within sight of their gers with no worries, Russia is generally very civilized so people are much more law abiding and customs are generally western. Drunks in any country should be avoided as quickly and as friendly as possible.
- officials: corrupt police are to be expected in Stans and Russia (don't worry, if you don't pay and act respectful, within half an hour tops you'll be on your way). Corrupt border officials are to be expected in the Stans - know exactly what to do and expect at each border crossing (caravanistan.com & forums).

-insurance: we only had proper road insurance for Europe (mandatory), which we got by mail from Bulgaria, and regular travel insurance (non bike related) for the rest of it.

-camera: Canon SX700

Видео To Mongolia and back on two CRF250L канала Arthur Dgn