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 | Vladivostok 04/20 - 05/09/2006 |
 Iron Tigers
XL looks unhappy with build out fork and steering bearing. Mechanics working on it with hammer, chisel and machines.
But it's only for a while until they got the old bearing.
We are at the garage of the Iron Tigers and friendly mechanics helping Carsten to repair the steering bearing. It's broken since about 10.000 km. Way of working is not the same as described inn the manual but after a short while the new bearings fit as they should.
Finally XL handles soft as new - Spassibo Tigers!
Two days we spent with cleaning and inspecting our bikes. After about 10.000 km it's more than necessary! Weather is sunny and we enjoy the work under a blue sky.
By accident Alex discovers a broken screw which fixes the rear frame. It must be broke at the crash in Mongolia. Even this is fixed by a new one quickly and soon our bikes are prepared for new adventures.
Iron Tigers are one of the oldest bike clubs of Vladivostok and owner of 'Vladmoto' which is their company. They sell and repair Japanese motorcycles in the well stuffed shop and garage.
2000 ccm Chopper, sport bikes and Enduros standing in the exposition room. Above the garage is another store for the new bikes and also a place for sleep. Many foreign travelers stayed here and we are also invited to visit them for a while.
At the moment we are guests of Vold and Schustrik in their apartment near center. But after our excursion to Nachotka we will visit the Tigers with pleasure.
City face to the ocean
145 years old, lovely placed in a huge bay and on many hills around. Natural harbor and protected by the island 'Rossia' Vladivostok became famous as a city of harbor.
Unfortunately many ugly high rises build of concrete take much of the beauty. Old and nice buildings also exist but most of them screaming for renovation. Few got it yet, shining between concrete and brick buildings.
Japanese cars, steering right side blocking up streets, Russian vehicles are minority. Jeeps and saloon cars controlling the chaotic traffic. Only busses have steering left - that's law.
Not one day passes without accidents. We don't like to take part in this aggressive traffic with our bikes. They are parked in the garage of Iron Tigers.
So we visit the city by feet. It's not a long walk from the apartment of Vold and Schustrik.
We visit bikers meeting point at the seaside, meet with Valera in the club of 'Russkji Samuraj', take just a walk through the streets, visit Sinus or drive with the Japanese small truck of Vold to Schaschlik (barbecue).
Bikers-action and finally at the ocean
The big submarine at the harbor-road is often meeting point for bikers action. Also at the 29th of April when Sinus called for an action wich will spread over whole Russia during the day.
Sun is shining and about 100 bikers come to the submarine. Leaflets will be given to car drivers, advertising for more respect between each other.
We came without bikes but decide to fetch them and meet again with Sinus. So we do and find Sinus and other bikers at a road crossing. Action has finished with success and we drive to a nice bay outside town.
Salt in the air, ocean sounds lovely, sandy beach and sunshine at blue sky - finally we are at the ocean again!
Eleven months passed since we saw it last. It was the Black Sea next to Krasnodar in the West of Russia.
Season has been opened!
7th of May "Saison Atkrit" (opening season) is celebrated.
Hundreds of motorcycles - Ural and Isch, Super bikes, Enduros, Chopper and Classic bikes! Closed road in front of the huge submarine looks really fantastic!
Found our place in the mass of bikes preparing for the convoy we take part at this impressing ride through Vladivostok. Crossing the city and out to the monument called "Stella" at the entrance of town.
Julia and Slawa, two of our new friends of Khabarovsk, have also come for "Atkrit". Nice to meet them again!
Slawa has come with his loving restored Ural, Julia by train. Now she sits on the MuZ as "ftarojie nomer" which means "second number" as the backseat is called. :-)
We drive in the front part of the convoy, view back is fantastic - like a huge river of lights flowing out of town.
Many people standing at the street, taking pictures and waving.
Only pity thing is that driving in convoy only works until road becomes wide and free of traffic. Speed rises up from one second to the other, snake of lights interrupting.
After recollecting at "Stella" we have some time for talking with other bikers before riding on to a bay outside of Vladi, called "Shamra".
Beginning rain which raises up to a heavy one lets the party end before it could begin. The band plays until one amp bursts because of water!
One hour of talking with the one and other biker and we start also to the way home. Wet to the bones (rukka clothes are really good but if you don't wear the waterproof parts it couldn't protect you...) we arrive at the garage from Iron Tigers.
They invite us to their party in the evening again - great idea we will come!
Andrj has signed us the place where the party will be yesterday in our map. So here we are bur find nothing more than tires and garages! Our stomachs are crying for barbecue and Vodka. After two hours of searching and asking people we give it up. It's very pity - we looked so forward to a good party with the nice bikers!
So we take the bus back to downtown and fill our empty stomachs with tasty Chinese food.
Once we must have visited the celebrations to the 9th of May
Main roads to the square next to the port are closed, hundreds of people on the way to the celebrations. We are also under them; want to see how Russians celebrate the day of victory.
It's like a bad movie:
Solders dressed in old uniforms singing and dancing on the stage as the Second World War was like a dancing show. Veterans creeping around, looking for flowers they get by younger people from time to time. They look like lost, some are in the days of their last walk alone.
A group of conservatives appears, banners of USSR in the wind, showing pics of Stalin. Old people full of decoration, looking like Christmas trees.
One veteran decorated with many metal decorations, signs of USSR obligatory, proudly presents a banner with pics of Stalin and from the war, something about war, victory and 61 years written on it.
In vain we are looking for some hints to the cruel of war, that these should never happen again. It all seems like hiding reality of war and the hard times of Stalin’s regime. We cannot understand it at all and this show becomes too much for us.
After one and a half hours we have enough from it and take the way back.
About the next opening-season party in Nachotka and our trip there you can read in the next report.
So long stay healthy!
Alex & Carsten out of Vladivostok
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