Sibirsky Extreme 2012 - The Toughest Ride of Them All

As pointed out, they are rox risers sitting atop standard KTM bar clamps. Its the KTM bar clamp that has a full horizontal bar to avoid aforementioned twisting.

I still get twisting thru the rox risers in a fall. but never done any bolts.

Expanding on Walter's reply, I had a tipover on a fully loaded 950. The right grip glanced off of one rock as it was sliding between another at a backwards 60 degree angle. Meanwhile, the front wheel was being forced in the opposite direction by another rock. Once picked up, all I had to do was loosen the clamp bolts and everything straightened up. No broken bolts.

A tip: Rox risers come with low-grade, A60-2 stainless screws. The thread forms on those tend to be smaller, so they have less engagement with the female threads, and they are rounder and much softer. As a result, they are likely to wear themselves and the engaging threads faster and make both unserviceable in many fewer adjustment/maintenance cycles. In addition, the stainless can cause bimetallic corrosion with the aluminum. On the non-anodized clamps, you'll start to see the white crust of Al oxide if you take one out after just a few wash cycles.

I replaced them with Metric Zinc-Coated Class 12.9 Alloy Steel screws from McMaster-Carr. It's been a long time since I reviewed the spec charts, but off the top of my head, I believe they are at least twice as strong before yield, and have better thread forms and the best type of anti-corrosion coating there is for hardware.

Great bit of advice. That site is amazing. Could easily geek out on that page and put a hefty order in. What I do like is the stainless metric bolts that wire together.

Which size bolts/pitch are the bolts on the Rox? I was thinking last night that I should order a set, as my bars are quite low while standing up for a long time.

Thx,

JG

Pretty sure the Rox bolts for the size I used on my YZ250 were M8x30. That might add 5mm to the length that came with them just to get 100 percent engagement of the aluminum threads. I wouldn't bet money I didn't get 35 without going out to the garage, though. It's been a couple years.

The only stainless bolts I like for a structural application are from ARP in California. Expensive, but seriously strong, with integrated flanges in their heads. I replaced a lot of stuff on my Husky with them when it became clear that the OE fasteners were made of high-density Play-Do.

Hi

what rope did you use for towing? and how long it was?

Cristian

Finished the Modern World by Weatherford. I would have never read this book if not for Coalbatch and the RR. I must share this:

The noble king was called Genghis Khan,
Who in time was of so great renown
That there was nowhere in no region
So excellent a lord in all things.
He lacked nothing that belonged to a king.
As of the sect of which he was born
He kept his law, to which that he was sworn.
And thereto he was hardy, wise and rich,
And piteous and just, always liked;
Soothe of his word, benign, and honorable,
Of his courage as any center stable;
Young, fresh, and strong, in arms desirous
As any bachelor of all his house.
A fair person he was and fortunate,
And kept always so well royal estate
There was nowhere such another man.
This noble king, this Tartar Genghis Khan.

Source: From the Canterbury Tales (first book written in English)

Hello
Hope Terry or Walter will still answer. On Terry's bike are you not using any type of rack and just letting the bags rest against the tank? If so did you like it and how did it work out? Would you change anything?

Thanks again for giving me something to dream about doing?

A parallel to Siburski Extreme... http://www.endurorally.com/pages/5th-peking-to-paris-rally-2013

Should be fun to track both sets of trip reports.

Two colleges of mine are on this trip as Doctor and Medic

Walter,
Came home from work and found a parcel from England
containing this:






Thoroughly enjoyed the DVD.
Good job mate

I've spent the last three (!!! :eek1) weeks reading bits and pieces of this ride report. Today I finally finished, and it's disappointing that there won't be more of this fantastic journey.

Thank you to everyone who took the time not only to report the Sibirsky ride, but to also tell a kickass story. It's been fun, and I can't wait to see what journeys come in the future.

I do have one question though. All of you were European, would the routes you took be accessible to Americans? Were there any countries along this path that might hassle someone with a US passport or license plate?

Hi fox,yes the bags are straight against the aux.tank .i did put a thick piece if plastic inside the zip pocket as a braise,i am still using that idea at the moment.
On the other side ,i made up a plate and mouted it to that side footrest mounting and rear grab rail.
I,m on the road at the moment,but when i get chance i can take a photo if your interested.
Cheers
Terry

Glad you enjoyed it.

It would all be just as accessible to Americans as Europeans. You are not likely to get hassled any more than Brits are.

For some reason, Americans are pretty worried about venturing into this part of the world ... (at least 90% of the bike travellers in this part of the world are European - with a handful of Aussies and Kiwis and Americans making up the remaining 10%) ... but I can tell you its unjustified. If you talk to some of the few Americans ADV guys that do venture into this part of the world, like:
RTWDoug (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=681994),
or Beta (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652622)
or Sherri Jo Wilkins (http://sherrijosbecauseicanworldtou...-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50),
or the current ride report from RoninMoto (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=781893)
or the very clever and entertainingly philosophical (and soon to be resumed) blog from Genghis9021 (http://www.littletinyplanet.com/wordpress/?page_id=953),
you will find they will probably all tell you they love it and the people are, as a general rule, great, and much better than they had expected - most of those folks were travelling solo too.

Officials, like border guys, will treat you the same as they treat Europeans ... In fact Americans are treated better than Brits technically. Americans can now get 3 year multi entry tourist visas for Russia. Brits can get a maximum of one year - and only for a business visa. (French and Germans can get 5 year business visas). Brits (and other Europeans) need a visa for Mongolia. Americans do not - you can just show up at that border. As for Russia, when you apply for a multi entry visa, you get thoroughly vetted by the FSB (former KGB) before you even get issued an invite to apply for the visa. So to get a multi entry visa it means you have already been "approved" by FSB head office. The small fry at the border are not going to overrule your approval by head office. I actually have never heard of any bike traveller with a visa ever being turned away at the border.

Once inside Russia, there are only two distinctions - Russian or Non-Russian. What type of non-Russian you are doesn't come into it. Restricted areas are the same for Russians and Non-Russians ... the main difference is that Russians can get permits to enter restricted areas much more easily than non Russians. In any case, I have routed the Sibirsky Extreme Trail around any restricted areas - so no permits needed.

Kazakhstan is not going to hassle an American, unless you are a rabid democracy activist. Their traffic cops hassle everyone equally, Locals, Europeans, Americans.

A good mate of mine is an American adv rider living in Moscow ... I will ask him to add his perspective.

I'm the guy Walter referred to, an American living in Moscow. I've traveled on the bike all over Russia, including to Yakutsk, Magadan, etc. and have been to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, although not on the bike. Planning on Mongolia this summer.

I've never had any problem at all; in fact, on the bike especially most Russians--particularly in Siberia--think it is really cool that I've come "all the way from America" (actually Moscow) to their remote part of Russia, and virtually all of the Russians I've met have been incredibly helpful and friendly.

While I've never had the slightest problem, keep three things in mind when travelling in Russia (whether American or not):
1) Russians can be very proud, and there are a few hardline nationalists that don't like Americans very much...that said, even these guys give Americans a grudging respect and are very unlikely to do anything beyond making some snide remark unless you go out of your way to insult them or they fall into Item 2, below. Even these guys are generally pretty easily won over if you engage them in conversation, say some nice things about Russia, etc.; and
2) most important, avoid drunks to the extent possible. This is much easier said than done but Russian drunks can be really nasty and potentially dangerous, especially if you refuse to drink with them. Extricate yourself as politely as possible and get out of dodge; and
3) situational awareness is very important in Russia, just as anywhere else--if something feels wrong, it probably is, and you should leave. Which is why it is good to travel on a bike.

Seconded. My wife is from St Petersburg and while over there I've found myself trapped in situations that basically force me to drink way beyond my comfort zone. Not nice, but you can make a joke out of it and flatter them ("I'm just a weak Englishman, no-where near man enough to keep up with a mighty Russian like you!" has worked for me in the past)

At the same time though, get a Russian girlfriend and they seem to cheer up, it's as though there's great pride taken in their women! I remember one night an aggressive drunk was told off by all his mates for calling me a f***ing tourist, they defended me on the account of my having a lady there :) They were very sweet actually. I suppose it's certainly not a rule that you'll have a hard time, just need to be aware I suppose


oh, and this is my first post on ADV - how appropriate it should be on a thread that I got heavily absorbed in! Absolutely phenomenal, I'm absolutely inspired to do something intrepid on account of this, I am in awe! Thanks very much for providing so much entertainment and intrigue, guys. I think my next bike will be a more adventurous one......!

You are certainly correct, I should have distinguished between "drunk Russians" (ie, an average guy who happens to be drunk at the time) who can be very jolly and a lot of fun and "Russian drunks" (ie, alcoholics hanging about the gas station, store, cafe, etc. in the middle of the day in a drunken stupor) who are generally bad news.

Thank You for the reply. I think I'm following your logic on the way your bags are for my setup. No rush for the photos, I think I got it. Enjoy the road, thanks again.

Awesome RR !!:eek1
I enjoyed every moment of your journey, and hope that will be more in the future !

congrats to all and everyone !!

Thank you for this info. I had mistakenly thought that it would be more difficult for Americans to get visas in some eastern European countries because of the long cold war history, especially Russia, but I guess the U.K. was on the same side of it we were. Thank you again, Walter (and company) for ALL of your excellent RR's. I looking forward to the next one.