Author Topic: Where have you toured? (Read 4056 times)

Mattsplat · « **on:** 28 December 2013, 01:07:37 pm »

On an Fazer or not.

I'll start the ball rolling

adeejaysdelight · « **Reply #1 on:** 28 December 2013, 01:19:46 pm »

All over the Uk and some of Europe. Belgium, France, Germany and Holland.

Mattsplat · « **Reply #2 on:** 28 December 2013, 01:32:04 pm »

The Gobi..

richfzs · « **Reply #3 on:** 28 December 2013, 02:22:55 pm »

Nice, really nice....

I was in the gobi in 2006, travelling in 4WD though, would love to go back by bike...

Hedgetrimmer · « **Reply #4 on:** 28 December 2013, 02:28:27 pm »

Only UK so far.

Mattsplat · « **Reply #5 on:** 28 December 2013, 02:30:04 pm »

Quote from: richfzs on 28 December 2013, 02:22:55 pm

Nice, really nice....

I was in the gobi in 2006, travelling in 4WD though, would love to go back by bike...

It was challenging, if not a bit desolate...

Ive hardly travelled through the UK, everywhere feels like home and I like to feel 'out there'...

Mattsplat · « **Reply #6 on:** 28 December 2013, 02:38:20 pm »

Russia.

Mattsplat · « **Reply #7 on:** 28 December 2013, 02:40:26 pm »

Uzbekistan.

fireblake · « **Reply #8 on:** 28 December 2013, 03:46:15 pm »

I rode through Southampton once, that felt like I imagined Afghanistan to be like. All desolate and hostile locals

Mickey

Hedgetrimmer · « **Reply #9 on:** 28 December 2013, 03:57:50 pm »

Quote from: fireblake on 28 December 2013, 03:46:15 pm

I rode through Southampton once, that felt like I imagined Afghanistan to be like. All desolate and hostile locals

Mickey

Mattsplat · « **Reply #10 on:** 28 December 2013, 04:03:49 pm »

Southampton

A bit too 'out there' for me, English version of red necks

Mattsplat · « **Reply #11 on:** 28 December 2013, 06:37:59 pm »

Iran.

Mattsplat · « **Reply #12 on:** 28 December 2013, 06:40:30 pm »

Himalayas, India.

Mattsplat · « **Reply #13 on:** 28 December 2013, 06:43:28 pm »

Mongolia.

Mattsplat · « **Reply #14 on:** 28 December 2013, 06:45:56 pm »

Bringing guards together on the Tajikistan/Krygystan border.

midden · « **Reply #15 on:** 28 December 2013, 11:33:57 pm »

Do you ever find time for work Matt

Mattsplat · « **Reply #16 on:** 29 December 2013, 08:07:32 am »

Quote from: midden on 28 December 2013, 11:33:57 pm

Do you ever find time for work Matt

Not worked in a while due to medical problems, hence my rush to get my touring bucket list done.

Time is ticking for my riding days so Im getting as much done as soon as possible. It was supposed to be my retirement doing all this but my body had different ideas

flyboy · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 December 2013, 11:13:50 am »

hi Matt You've been to Iran good for you , most all the reading I've done on Iran says you need a carnet de passage to get your bike in but other say not .Did you buy/need one, if so how/were did you did you get it, and and how much did it cost you( if you don't mine me being so nosey )all the research I've done it came out as ridiculously expensive so putting the mockers on the trip . all so any info on insurance would be great cheers paul

Mattsplat · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 December 2013, 12:49:56 pm »

Quote from: flyboy on 29 December 2013, 11:13:50 am

hi Matt You've been to Iran good for you , most all the reading I've done on Iran says you need a carnet de passage to get your bike in but other say not .Did you buy/need one, if so how/were did you did you get it, and and how much did it cost you( if you don't mine me being so nosey )all the research I've done it came out as ridiculously expensive so putting the mockers on the trip . all so any info on insurance would be great cheers paul

Yes, you MUST have a Carnet de Passage for Iran or you wont be getting in with your vehicle. Difficult to say what it will cost you because it depends on the age and value of the vehicle, its basically a passport for your bike that allows temporary import of it into Iran (no other countries in that region need one). You apply via the AA, filling out the forms and then you have three options of paying for it.
1-Cash bond.
2-Banker's letter of indemnity.
3-Insurance policy.
If I remember rightly I paid about £350 for the Carnet but others I know with high value, newer vehicles went for the insurance policy and it came out at a similar price. If you do pay the cash bond, it will be returned to you as soon as you return the Carnet to the AA.

I am assuming that you are wanting to get into Central Asia and crossing Iran seems an expensive option but stack it up against the cost avoiding Iran...
You will have to ride into Azabaijan and catch the notorious ferry from Baku to Turkmenistan (Google the ferrry, you'll read the horror stories). The ferry has no sailing times, no fixed cost and looks like its about to sink at any minute and they will fleece you for as much as they can for you and the bike (similar cost to the carnet or more...!)

Iran is easy, the Carnet is the pain in the arse but needed. Its the next country, Turkmenistan thats the tricky one, despot dictator and a very closed country. Its always 50/50 if they will even issue a visa and with a visa in your passport, the border guards will extract more money out of you once your there for every stamp they make...

P.S...Dont overstay your visa like I did in Iran, they get a bit pissy when you want to leave

Happy to help other people get on the road so if you need any advice, just give me a shout

Mattsplat · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 December 2013, 02:44:37 pm »

I forgot to add the insurance bit...

My Insurance 'green card' was good for all of the European countries and some ex-Soviet countries, after then you should buy insurance on the border of the country your are entering. Be warned though, Insurance is a double edged sword....e.g. - I didnt bother buying insurance for Iran, till my Iranian hosts found out I was riding uninsured and 'made' me get it. That was a $250 mistake that I couldnt afford or justify, it was only 3rd party insurance and if anything had happened cash would have smoothed the way. After Iran, I didnt bother with insurance but was prepared to pay for any damage I may have caused if there was an accident.

You will be stopped ALOT, borders, check posts, dodgy police, military zones etc but I was never asked once to produce my insurance or licence, all they want to see is your passport (is your visa valid) and my bikes logbook (is the bike stolen/in your name).

flyboy · « **Reply #20 on:** 29 December 2013, 03:27:33 pm »

Thanks for the information my plan(now maybe back on due to your info ) is to tour Turkey and Iran in 2015 if all goes to plan, so ferry crossings shouldn't be a problem. My aim if possible would be to get down onto the Persian gulf then a big loop back round the black sea. Wars civil unrest permitting The figure I was quoted for a carnet was 5 or 6 times more than you paid I'll get on to the aa after the hols. Insurance green card I found impossible to get with any of the usual insurance company's in UK for Morocco, so we bought insurance at a rip of price at the border in the end. I think it was bennets that I had a young lass tell me I was covered with their policy for Monaco no Morocco I sez, yes that's right Monaco int it same ? I gave up then lol. nice to know the Iranians take after the Moroccans for stopping you on your travels we had speed trap and check points at just about every town we passed through all very friendly but a pain in the arse every 20 miles

Mattsplat · « **Reply #21 on:** 29 December 2013, 04:05:43 pm »

Here is the latest Carnet info, I was wrong, it doesnt come from the AA but the RAC. I live in Belgium so I had to do it through the Belgian equivalent of the RAC.

Here are the costs of the carnet - http://www.rac.co.uk/pdfs/driving-abroad/carnet-prices.aspx

Flicking through and making a quick calculation it looks like you'll have to pay £190 for the Carnet (non refundable), RAC deposit of £350 (refundable) and now the tricky bit, your bikes value. I would recommend that you value it at £1000, thats the minimum value you can declare. So £1000 x 500% (thats for Iran), then 10% of that figure = £500, you get half of that back.

£190+£350+£500 = £1040 to pay upfront.
£600 refunded on return of the Carnet so the true cost of the Carnet is £440.
Add to that about £90 for the cost of the Iranian visa.

Iran isnt cheap to get into but out of all the countries I have visited, I would go back in a heartbeat!

flyboy · « **Reply #22 on:** 29 December 2013, 04:57:46 pm »

ah ah I was giving the true bike value £7500, that was going to cost me way too much.you think I'd get away with under valuing it ?

Mattsplat · « **Reply #23 on:** 29 December 2013, 06:15:38 pm »

Its got to be worth a shot

I would get on the phone to the RAC and speak to whoever issues the Carnet. Be careful what you tell them on the phone as your dealing with an 'official' document and if they think your telling porkies, they may refuse to issue one. I would be asking what the indemnity insurance is for/does and what happens if something happens to the bike in Iran. Based on what they tell you, you can work out if its worth the risk of undervaluing your bike to £1000.

Bear in mind, Iran on the whole is very safe but riding in the cities is mental, I would put it 'up there' with Delhi for sheer nuttyness!

Good luck, its definatly worth the effort

midden · « **Reply #24 on:** 29 December 2013, 07:08:34 pm »

Quote from: Mattsplat on 29 December 2013, 08:07:32 am

Quote from: midden on 28 December 2013, 11:33:57 pm
Do you ever find time for work Matt

Not worked in a while due to medical problems, hence my rush to get my touring bucket list done.

Time is ticking for my riding days so Im getting as much done as soon as possible. It was supposed to be my retirement doing all this but my body had different ideas

Sorry to hear that. But hey you certainly seem to be filling that bucket with some great adventures