Asia roundtrip via Mongolia - GS1100
| Who | Martijn Pater ~ email ~ website |
| Profession | Entrepeneur |
| Born 1974 | Nationality Dutch |
| Previous travel experience | The usual backpacking. When I started this trip I never drove more than 150 kilometer on one day, and never left Holland on my bike. |
| Previous bike travels | None |
| This trip | Asia roundtrip: Holland - Mongolia - India - Holland |
| Departure date | May, 2005 |
| Number in group | 1 (girlfriend and dad joined at two times) |
| Trip duration | 6 months |
| Distance covered | 42.000 km |
| Cost of trip (not incl. bike) | 11.000 euro (not including the gear) |
| Best day | All mornings! Up and riding again. One best day was not on the bike: passing the Tajik border onto the Pamir Highway in a truck with a broken bike in back |
| Worst/ hardest day | Having to leave my bike behind stuck in the mud in the Gobi desert (and found it back the same day and pulled it out with a truck) |
| Favourite place | Siberia, Mongolia, Central Asia, Iran. One place to mention: somewhere South in the Gobi desert, a moonlike landscape and a mountain like a giant tit |
| Biggest headache | Finding proper food in Mongolia |
| Biggest mistake | Not replacing the standard BMW rear shock |
| Most pleasant surprise | All the beautifull people everywhere |
| Any illness | Diarea |
| Other trips planned | Not planned, but that won't last long |
| One travel tip | Prepare for rain and cold (with an integral cover for example) |
| Bike Model | 1998 BMW R1100GS |
| Age/ mileage on departure | 27.000 Km |
| Modifications | Touratech: 40 liter tank (the best modification!), alu boxes, hard parts, extended footrests, Wunderlich seat (super) |
| Mods you wish you'd done | A proper rear shock (I put on a Wilbers at 2 3 of the journey, you need that 2-up!). Bigger windscreen. Cruise control |
| Type of baggage | Aluminum, roll |
| Tyres used | Metzler Tourance, Conti TKS 80 (both great) |
| Number of punctures | 4 |
| Bike's weak point | Weight (in sand) |
| Bike's strong point | Power, handling |
| Bike problems | Rear shock, front shock, frame broke, speedo |
| Number of accidents | 0 (I fell many times in the sand, does that count?) |
| Same bike again? | Yes, if it's gravel or tarmac. Sand: no |
| One biking tip | Trust yourself and other people. Live is much easier and surpising that way, especially on the bike somwhere far from home. Oh: and take off your helmet when talking to people |