Update: The unabridged story of this fascinating adventure is available also in English, at mongolia.ro/eng

Today we bring you lot another story about courage, adventure and passion, of course involving a BMW. Mihai Barbu, a Romanian citizen, traveled 26,000 km (approx.16,000 miles) to Mongolia, aboard a BMW F650 GS Dakar 2000, named Doyle.

Mongolia. If the destination doesn't sound challenging plenty, so stick to united states of america to learn what made this trip even more special. Apart from traveling lone by bicycle, through 13 countries and some xvi,000 miles of road, the thought to finance this expedition was a very original i: "selling" miles for stories and pictures.

How did this work? Mihai split his initial 21,000 km (approx. 13,000 miles) trip in segments of 500 km (approx. 310 miles) and decided to advertise on a motorcycling forum that he is selling each segment of the trip for fifty Euro. The buyer of each of the 43 segments would receive in commutation the story and pictures from that trip segment. Most of the buyers were bikers, eager to be role of such a project and live the trip to Mongolia through Mihai'southward eyes.

The expedition took Mihai nearly iv months (July-Nov 2009) and spread beyond thirteen countries in Europe and Asia: Ukraine, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Bulgaria. They fix off, the hero and his bike, with the windscreen decorated with the names of his 43 imaginary friends. The stories are written in a very personal style, and they evoke so many life experiences, some of them quite overwhelming. Mihai published this very month a book, named "I sell kilometers" (Mongolia.ro.), which contains the letters he wrote to each of the 43 buyers, and some of the amazing pictures he took along the way. At the moment the book is available in Romanian only, but the adventurer is seriously because publishing an English version.

Mongolia.ro 29 655x436 We were impressed by his story and wanted to know more through an sectional interview.

Mongolia.ro 05 655x436

BMWBLOG: What were the reasons behind this trip? Why Asia/Mongolia and why did y'all go solitary?

Mihai Barbu: The idea was to go to Ulaan Baatar and back past bike, and it all came to me while I heard the word "Mongolia" while talking to a friend of mine on the phone. This happened a couple of years before the trek began. I don't quite know why I chose Mongolia, information technology was based on impulse. I wasn't supposed to become lonely; in that location were four of us initially. I by one, they gave up on this thought, for various reasons, and I constitute myself alone. But information technology'south non like I wasn't expecting this.

BMWBLOG: How did you come up with the idea to sell kilometer segments?  Apart from the money raised this way, what were your other financing sources? How much did the entire trip cost?

Mihai Barbu: It all came to me ane evening, in May, when I was thinking how to go some actress money. My brother, who by the mode is smarter than me, came upward with this idea. It was already late to look for sponsors or arrive impact with newspapers or magazine, as I was planning initially. When he asked me: "What if you lot sold the kilometers?" I burst into laughter for a couple of seconds. Then everything just fabricated sense, I put together a "selling ad", and I posted it in a motorbike forum. Information technology was "sold out" in two weeks. My trip had initially 21,000 km, and it was split into segments of 500 km each. The buyer received – in exchange for 50 Euros – the story of those 500 km, the pictures, a decal with his/her name on Doyle'southward windscreen, and a rock I picked up on the route, during that 500 km segment. I secured a loan to comprehend the rest of the money. I didn't take any money put aside. I spent $5,200 during the trip. I have no thought how much I spent before leaving, with country visas or getting the bike gear up, but I guess at least another $5,200.

BMWBLOG: What made you choose the bike rather an car?

Mihai Barbu: Because this is how I ride, I don't see myself traveling in any other style.

BMWBLOG: Tell us more about "Doyle".

Mihai Barbu: Doyle is a proud 2000' F650 GS Dakar, and "he" has been in my possession since 2005. I purchased the bicycle from someone that purchased it initially in Germany. Sadly, I must say that Doyle broke the myth of the German bicycle possessor, according to which if you buy a German language bicycle information technology will definitely work well. Nope. I don't know what this guy did to my Doyle, just he was a wreck. In all aspects. When I introduced Doyle to my mechanic, his first words were: "Sell him". I said no, and then I slowly got "him" dorsum to life. I installed on "him" nearly the entire Touratech itemize of products – which is pretty much the virtually respectable visitor in the business organisation of preparing a bike for the show.

BMWBLOG: What equipment did yous carry with yous throughout the journey?

Mihai Barbu: I had a GPS device, named Marcel, who bankrupt more often than the bike's engine, and a laptop named Luther, who passed away in Kazakhstan. 2 photograph cameras and two lenses.

BMWBLOG: 26,000 km in four months, xiii countries crossed. How did your usual solar day await like? On average, how many kilometers did yous cover daily?

Mihai Barbu: Information technology looked quite unproblematic. Every morning I would wake up cursing, because I would accept liked to sleep some more. Adjacent came the nightmare of the daily wrap-upwardly (I would have gladly paid someone else to do this), and then the route, the countless road. I didn't take a sure altitude to encompass daily. One day I rode for 800 km, another day only some 100 km.

BMWBLOG: Technical difficulties, spare parts, challenges?

Mihai Barbu: Problems….not major bug, but a lot of them. My radiator drove me crazy. It bankrupt half-dozen times. Now I can prepare information technology with my eyes closed. Two water pumps replaced, only I knew this would happen. Information technology was the only spare office I was expecting to get damaged, so I had 2 of them with me. Oil-scal rings, low-quality oil, low-quality gas, damaged brake tube. On boilerplate the fuel consumption was virtually 4l/100km, just I also had records of 3,2l/100km, and I like to believe this was due to the ii butterflies I institute in the air filter.

BMWBLOG: If you were to think about one technical element that was essential for the success of this trip, what would that i be?

Mihai Barbu: I don't know, y'all tin't exist ready for everything that is out there. What you can practice – and what I tried myself too – is to leave very little details at the mercy of luck. Half of my luggage was tools and spare parts. I tin strongly say that only something catastrophic could take happened to Doyle for me not to be able to go on.

BMWBLOG: Tell us a funny story involving the bike.

Mihai Barbu: Once I was staying nether a tree and was drinking some juice, and asking questions to Doyle, and the wind was blowing and made the bottle wheezing, and I was thinking that this must be Doyle's fashion of communicating with me. But I won't tell y'all most this one, because you will believe my country of listen was afflicted by the loneliness. But I remember with corking pleasure the time me and Doyle fell down to the footing in Kyrgyzstan, on a deserted plateau somewhere at 3,000m altitude, and when some 60 year erstwhile ladies helped me get him upright.

BMWBLOG: What piece of advice would you requite the people who would desire to follow your steps?

Mihai Barbu: To showtime on their own route, not to follow my steps. And to do this as fast as they can.

BMWBLOG: How virtually the countries you crossed – how difficult was the road for a cycle, the infrastructure?

Mihai Barbu: The roads were Okay, except for Mongolia and Tajikistan, where asphalt is a science-fiction element, significant that people have heard of it, just it doesn't quite exist anywhere. As a paradox, I liked these ii countries most. I don't know if there's a direct relationship betwixt these aspects, but I like to believe at that place is.

BMWBLOG: Future plans aboard the bike?

Mihai Barbu: No. I'1000 not thinking of anything like this for the future. Equally I said, it just came to me and so, then probably adjacent time it volition be the aforementioned.

BMWBLOG: Tell us more near you passion for bikes.

Mihai Barbu: Undoubtedly, the bike is the most beautiful thing that happened to me. I had no involvement whatsoever in these things, they didn't make my head plough on the street, until I saw my kickoff bike in a shop window – a 250 cc Yamaha Virago. I fell in love, I went to the driving schoolhouse, I got my license, then a bank loan, so my bike. Roua (Dew) was her proper name. I still take it and I will keep it, because I don't sell bikes.

BMWBLOG: Why BMW?

Mihai Barbu: Because occasionally I liked its looks. I bought my both bikes because of their looks. I'one thousand a photographer, I brand a living out of my eyes, and therefore I similar to believe they're not wrong when they encounter something beautiful. I'm not into technical details. Showing me a list of operation specs won't aid. Showtime it has to get passed my optics. I would like to congratulate the designer of this specific model. It won me over.

BMWBLOG: Tell u.s. what the BMW make represents for yous.

Mihai Barbu: In short, it represents the name of the maker of one of my bikes. I'm lamentable, but Doyle is first of all Doyle, and only afterwards is a BMW bike.

BMWBLOG: Practise you go meet other BMW owners? Did you lot participate to BMW Motorrad or other similar events?

Mihai Barbu: No. I'm more than of a loner myself. But I never say no to a beer invitation.

BMWBLOG: What BMW bike or car you like almost, and why?

Mihai Barbu: I'thou not into cars. I like Doyle. Because it'southward mine.

BMWBLOG: And one final question: What this trip meant to you lot, as an achievement, as a life experience?

Mihai Barbu: There is a small conclusion, but you lot tin read it on Mongolia.ro, in my terminal alphabetic character.
Our note: the letter is in Romanian, you can use Google translate to read it. We compiled below for you some of the paragraphs we loved most.

How about the existential questions? Have I found who I am and all the stuff? No, non at all. But I don't think I fifty-fifty asked those questions. I was besides busy seeing and feeling. I'm not going dorsum habitation with another Mihai also that one I left with, four months ago. And moreover, I knew pretty much who I was. What I want, I will never find out, and the answer is not fifty-fifty at the end of the world.
[…]
How about some conclusions? A travel tip, a guide to buying a wheel? The guides are on the shelves of the bookstores, the bike tips are to exist constitute in the magazines, and the conclusions…I don't know where they are, merely they're not here. I would exist happy to know that at least i of those who joined me, picked up a map after we came dorsum and stopped for a moment thinking "what if?…". There is no bigger reward for me than to know I'thousand handing on the torch. I don't even need another one.
[…]
And what'south the recipe, if in that location is 1? Oh, that's an easy 1. Once you mustered a scrap of backbone, you're as good every bit gone. Then information technology gets easier. You need to take patience, to make frequent stopovers, to meet people, to wave at them, to let others overtake you, to smile a lot, not to hurry, to run across, to feel, to look back, to accept trust, to know, to discover out, not to be ashamed to cry, not to stop marveling, and nearly of all, to love.
[…]
What take I learned? Well…I learned some things. I learned that whatsoever dream in this world tin can lite up, absolutely anything, and information technology all depends on me, and so I have the world at my finger tips. In that location's no play a joke on, no word of wisdom or quote. I learned that you lot take to stick to your road and to know that you may never become once again to the places you are now, and in the aforementioned time, when you are too tired or too cold, or as well hungry or scared, or yous don't want to become on, to be able to say "and what if I never go hither again?". That no matter how much money, sponsors, cameras, assistance cars, v star hotel rooms or people who speak loftier or low of you there are, you have nobody but yourself when you are on the cycle. That ii is much bigger than one. That it is never likewise early on but tomorrow is already too late. That fifty-fifty if information technology doesn't seem this way, in this earth in that location are much more skilful people than bad people. That at that place is a rest in everything, that it can't exist merely evil or just expert. That in that location is no problem without a solution. And one more matter. A simple lesson, but learned the hard manner. I learned that afterward all, you are never alone.

Mihai Barbu Mongolia

Mihai, give thanks yous for your time!

Allow'south take a look at the gallery of absolutely stunning pictures, that need no discussion of clarification anymore.

[Photo credit: Mihai Barbu]