Motorbike from Thailand-Laos-China-Tibet-India, In 9 months

I want to travel by land on a motorbike, owned or rented that I can hold on to for around 7-12 months. Also if you can just answer one of the questions that is great, as i have many questions haha.

Has anyone done anything like this in the region?

Does anyone know the best place to buy a motorbike in Thailand for around 1,000 USD?

I know people think Myanmar is impossible to go through but it isn't, people don't do enough research online before they post things and it is fairly aggravating. Anyway that being said i am going around it haha, through China and Tibet. By having arranged at least one thing in China Visa extensions are easy to come by, i hear telling them you are on a bike trip though is not smart, other than that, any advice on border crossings?

Is 10,000 USD enough money to accomplish this?

I start in September as the wether corresponds to the regions i pass through nicely, any wether i should know about from September to May-June?

Anyone think it would be easier or better in anyway to go in reverse from India to Thailand?

I know there will be large stretches without gas, any advice on selling, storing, or shipping the bike in stretches like in Yunnan China, or at borders?

What bike do you suggest that would be fixable in India AND SEA? I was thinking an enfield or a honda Win.

I've also heard that going up through Pakistan and crossing the Karakoram Highway into Xinjiang province in China would be easier and cheaper has anyone heard this?

another big question is how if so would you cross through Nepal and Tibet to China? I've heard of a road between Kathmandu and Lhasa but i don't know for sure. And even if it does exist are you permitted to ride on them as a westerner?

I have been doing about 2-3 hours of research a day, but mostly on how to save money, how to assure you don't get kicked out by maintaing a visa, border crossings, and things to do, I have only just scratched the surface of motorbike travel in 2012 in the region;
crossing borders - dangerous roads - and cost, being my biggest concern at this time, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also looking for a partner, kind of, I feel I am planning a great journey that is worthy of song and i'd love to share the research and the subsequent adventure with someone who is willing to take the risk and do something amazing they will never forget,
i don't want to cheat by flying-
i don't want to give up -
i don't want to skip places or have any time constraints pertaining to home or money-
and i want to spend less than 50$ a day, something i learned from my mentor Nomadic Matt-

And I want to prove that with enough research and clever planning that I can leave my mark of love, curiosity, and respectful open-minded opinion upon each place and person i encounter. I plan on starting around September of this year. But am very flexible just in case i need to make more money or wait for someone who is truly interested.

oh my god this sounds amazing, you really have done some research, this post is so inspirational and fun! I got chills from your last paragraph!

But because of school i can't do something like this so soon, even though i read your other post, not to sound creepy, and see you are leaving in your sophomore year, (I'm a junior) to do this, you must really be passionate about this! I wish you good luck and hope you find a travel partner!

haha thank you, ya i'm leavin my degree in International studies behind. I will finish it someday.. haha but thank you again and hope you get to take your trip someday too!

Belafonte hey

I have been planning a trip somewwhat like this for ages, I'm 25 yo male and aircraft engineer
I'm willing to leave my job and everything behind, to do "the trip of a lifetime" I'm from the uk.
I would love to plan and go on a trip like this with you!!

I was originally planning on travelling across america but my budget isn't great enough, I will have around 10,000 uk sterling. Please inbox me with any questions

B

What worries me is your cavalier attitude about biking through Myanmar and China. You say that it's possible to do through Myanmar - yet your research still has you skipping it, which is good - but how are you handling China? That is no small feat and when you say, "... I hear telling them you are on a bike trip though is not smart..." that really makes me roll my eyes.

Honestly, even with your 2 - 3 hours of research per day you appear to be completely ignorant of the bureaucracy involved...

Good luck.

Cheers,
Terry

Terry,
I directed him Simon & Lisa's website in a PM. They have already fought the battle with bringing bikes into these countries. Hopefully they can give him insights into what he is facing riding through SEA. Mike

Good move Mike. I hope their experience helps him...

Cheers,
Terry

First id like to say to Mike thank you very much for the pm I've emailed them but haven't heard anything yet.

And to terry, I think you might misunderstand my thread, i never said it was easy to get through myanmar let alone BIKE through it.
And if what I've read is wrong about telling Chinese border checkpoint's something that isn't true maybe you can back it up with something that has actually happened to someone who has and a better plan instead of rolling your eyes.

I am quite ignorant of these places, yes, but i have been to China and i know how ridged they are in their rules, thats why most of my thread is questions, I'm looking for answers, not people undermining my plans without any advice.

Dear Belafonte,

What made me roll my eyes is your statement regarding how to handle a Chinese border crossing, you said, and I quote: "... I hear telling them you are on a bike trip though is not smart..."

After slyly fooling them into believing that you are not there on a motorbike trip pray tell how are you going to hide your motorbike from Chinese Immigration when you cross the border? How are you going to provide proof of import, license, insurance and permission to travel to the next Chinese cop you run into? How will you exit the country through Chinese Immigration with the bike?

These are all really basic questions that you've ignored in your 2 - 3 hours of daily research yet they're a major part of your plans - one might even say the most important part of your planning because without a motorcycle you have no trip, period.

Lastly, don't take common sense, rational points as "undermining" your plans. My queries are all straightforward.

Good luck.

Cheers,
Terry

CheersT - it's probably your snarky tone that the OP objects to rather than your "common sense". Just sayin' ...