Necessities

Neither Tristan nor I knew how to ride a motorcycle until today. This is obviously a necessary skill if we want to cross China on one. We have intentionally failed to mention this little fact to our sponsor, Feiying Motorcycles. Although they might not care about our lack of skill, we would like them to have plenty of confidence in our ability. To gain experience, our plan is to learn from motorcycle taxi drivers.
Today Tristan, Rodman, and I went to a nearby place where motorcycle taxi drivers congregate and wait around all day, every day. After some negotiation, we found a young driver willing to teach us and allow us to use his bike for practice. We paid 50 yuan for one hour. This is a lot of money for a driver to make in one hour, but considering our inexperience and the possibility of damage, we thought the price was right.
Getting used to the bike didn't take very long. The language barrier didn't matter so much, and within a few minutes we were doing counterclockwise circles around the parking lot like pros.
I do worry a little about the breaking; it is counter intuitive, as my first instinct to stop fast would be to grip the right hand brake. If I did that, it would engage the front break, flipping the bike. The right foot pedal is used for the rear break.
By the time we get the bikes, we should be confident enough to ride away from the dealership like we know what we're doing.

P (edited by T)

The Plan

Harbin, China: 3 American teachers, inspired by opportunity and insanity, plan a road trip that will take them by motorcycle across China: from Harbin in the province of Heilongjiang, through the fertile Northeast and the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, along sections of the Silk Road, to Urumqi in the far West province of Xinjiang.

The People: Patrick Dunlavey, Niskayuna, New York. Taught at East College, now teaches at Harbin Engineering University.
David Andersen, Denver, Colorado. Currently a teacher at Jian Qiao middle school number 3.
Tristan Hanson, Sitka, Alaska. Came to Harbin to teach at East College.

The Route: Beginning from the Northeast capital of Harbin, we plan to ride West into Inner Mongolia to the small town of Ulanhot. Continuing Southwest in a slow arc towards the capital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, we will hit various landmarks including Xanadu. Skipping over to Baotou for a quick stop over, we next turn South toward Yinchuan in the Ningxia Autonomous Region. From Yinchuan, we head toward Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, the first large city on the Yellow River. Taking some time in Lanzhou to see the surrounding area, including the Buddhist sculptures at Bingling Si, we then continue South towards Xining and the salty Qinghai Lake. Sling-shotting around the lake, we will drive North to Babao and back into Gansu province to Jiuquan, stopping to visit the Jiayuguan Fort. Turning West again, we will go through Yumen and Dunhuang past massive dunes, and cross the border into Xinjiang. Passing deserts and mountains, and visiting the cities of Kumul and Turpan, we will, after 4,000+ miles, end in Urumqi.

Logistics: Before leaving Harbin, there are many things to prepare: mapping the route, choosing motorcycles, brainstorming and obtaining necessary supplies, practicing with the bikes, and other smaller items. We will be aided in our preparations by Feiying motorcycles. After careful research and consideration, Feiying’s quality motorcycles and premium service made our choice easy.

T