Italy – Beijing
Motorbike journey from Italy to Beijing
For a year and a half we have been waking up with our idea in our heads: to take off from Borgo San Giacomo, in the province of Brescia, and reach Beijing, the capital of China, on our bikes. Finally, on July 1st, 2016, we do it. We’re really excited. The adventure is awaiting us. A trip over 17,875 kilometers of asphalted roads and tracks to be unwound like a ball of yarn, following for a long stretch the ancient Silk Road, the network covering around 8,000 km and along which the trade between the Chinese and Roman Empires took place. A two-month trip through Greece, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pamir, Kyrgyzstan, and China with an exciting stopover at the Everest Base Camp, the structure from which mountain-climbing expeditions start off toward the world’s highest mountain peak.
The Silk Road by Motorcycle
From Brescia, we arrive in Ancona on our bikes, embark for Greece and, from there, we take the superhighway for Turkey, where we visit Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Turkish Kurdistan. After a grueling 650-km-long trip through Iran we arrive in Turkmenistan, where we see Ashgabat and the “Door to Hell”. A rough, bumpy road in the middle of the desert takes us to Uzbekistan, where we visit Bukhara, Samarkand, and the Mausoleum of Tamerlane. In Tajikistan we go through the beautiful, solitary region of Pamir, at an altitude of 4,600 meters we cross over into Kyrgyzstan, and then we arrive at the Chinese border. We go through Xinjiang, and then in Tibet we are enchanted by a spectacular view of Mount Everest, and visit Lhasa City. We go into Yunnan, and then Sichuan, where we see the Giant Buddha and giant pandas. Then we continue on to Shanxi where, in Xi’an, we are stunned by the terracotta army. In Datong we visit the extraordinary Yungang Grottoes, ancient Buddhist temples carved into the rock. Just a few kilometers more, and we finally see the Great Wall: we’ve arrived in Beijing! And inside the Forbidden City we are struck by a thought: no dream involving ourselves and our bikes will ever be off-limits again.
The protagonists
Armando, Domenico and Guido: three friends, two Honda Transalps, and an Africa Twin
The protagonists
Armando, Domenico and Guido: three friends, two Honda Transalps, and an Africa Twin
Armando Cairoli, 48 years old, is Italian and lives in Brussels. Domenico Crotti, 56, is from Borgo San Giacomo (Brescia). Guido Schmidt, 46, is a German citizen who has lived in the province of Milan for 20 years. Only apparently far apart, in reality they are closely connected by a single passion for motorcycles, and they love to travel together. Their motto? On the road again!
Motorcycle equipment
like an adventure
The Africa Twin has a couple of Trekker Dolomiti side cases with E145 reflective stickers, a 40-liter Canyon waterproof cargo bag with roll-top closure mounted on the extensible aluminum rear luggage rack, an 80-liter waterproof bag with heat-sealed seams, 170-cm S350 Trekker Straps, an Outback Elastic Carrying Net for trekkers, jerry can and STF500S thermal flask with their stainless steel holders, a Canyon 20-liter waterproof tank bag, supports for mobile devices and S900A Smart Bar kit, a S957B universal smartphone holder, S322 universal LED projector fog lights, engine guard, and windshield.
The Honda Transalps have Trekker Dolomiti side cases with T506 waterproof inner bags, WP 401 80-liter waterproof bags, expandable cargo bags for aluminium side cases, 170-cm S350 Trekker Straps, and GRT715 tank bags.
All three bikes carry a S450 tubeless tire repair kit and the S301 portable first aid kit.
The drivers wear modular GIVI X.16 Modular helmets.
The Africa Twin has a couple of Trekker Dolomiti side cases with E145 reflective stickers, a 40-liter Canyon waterproof cargo bag with roll-top closure mounted on the extensible aluminum rear luggage rack, an 80-liter waterproof bag with heat-sealed seams, 170-cm S350 Trekker Straps, an Outback Elastic Carrying Net for trekkers, jerry can and STF500S thermal flask with their stainless steel holders, a Canyon 20-liter waterproof tank bag, supports for mobile devices and S900A Smart Bar kit, a S957B universal smartphone holder, S322 universal LED projector fog lights, engine guard, and windshield.
The Honda Transalps have Trekker Dolomiti side cases with T506 waterproof inner bags, WP 401 80-liter waterproof bags, expandable cargo bags for aluminium side cases, 170-cm S350 Trekker Straps, and GRT715 tank bags.
All three bikes carry a S450 tubeless tire repair kit and the S301 portable first aid kit.
The drivers wear modular GIVI X.16 Modular helmets.
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