Trips
Krasnaya Polyana I want to tell you about a short trip from Voronezh to Sochi on a small scooter.
Preface
This is my eighth year driving motorcycles.
Before the scooter, I actively rode a liter jixer. I sold the jixer when I realized that power and speed were not as enjoyable as before. I immediately bought a Honda Dio 50cc. Riding around the city on a scooter turned out to be much more fun and convenient than on a jixer. I rode in any weather, even in winter. I decided that I wanted to use the motorcycle only for travel. Last summer I bought a motorcycle again and started riding on the trails. In the end, I realized that a scooter would be enough for me, because even on the highway I want to drive slowly. I believe that this is not a reduction in cubic capacity. This is a growth in which cubic capacity and power do not play a role. Now I wanted a scooter that would not require engine repairs every six months like I did on the Honda Dio 50cc. Dio is a two-stroke engine, periodic repairs are required.
The choice fell on the fuel-injected 4-stroke Suzuki Address v125. I bought it completely new at a showroom in Nizhny Novgorod. In its class of fresh 125 cc scooters, it is the lightest at 97 kg. I started riding, but didn’t go far from the city. The turning point was a 400 km trip to the Eldorado festival. I got there, I didn’t get bored and even liked it. I realized that I could go further. That’s when I started thinking about traveling.
Route
This is my first time riding a scooter this far, so I decided not to burden myself with anything extra. I travel lightly, enjoy the road and am in no hurry.
I covered no more than 400 km a day. I only spent the night in hotels, booking almost everything in advance. Bring a minimum of things with you. I didn’t even take food and ate in cafes. The less luggage, the better the moped behaves. Yes, and loading trunks every time gets boring. Later I realized that I need to take even less things)))
Curb moped
Kamensk-Shakhtinsky
First night.
Ate at a bike cafe and visited the USSR Museum. I advise everyone to see the museum, especially since entrance is only 100 rubles. Bike cafe Museum of the USSR. On the left is a Soviet speedway motorcycle and motorcycle boots.
Gramophone
Muscovites, mopeds and a machine gun
On the street I met Che: Perhaps Valkyrie, the engine is definitely from Golda
While I was sitting in a bike cafe, a friend arrived on a bandit. We were going to meet here, but we are going on different routes. Suzuki Club
Dolzhanskaya Spit
Closer to Rostov, the road began to deteriorate, so I had to drive more slowly.
In the vastness of the Rostov region
Finally, I drove through the Rostov region and turned at Kushchevskaya onto the ideal road to Dolzhanka.
For the first time I saw the sea near Yeisk. I was glad and did not expect from myself that I would ever come here on a scooter. If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would go to the sea on a scooter, I would not have believed it.
I arrived in Dolzhanka, it was already dark, so only the next day I went to look for the scythe. I always wanted to get to the spit itself and for some reason I thought that asphalt would lead to such an interesting place. It turned out that the last 5 km were sand.
I went to the spit along the sea. It was hard, but fun.
In some places it got buried and had to be pushed. I learned to ride on passenger pegs in a standing position.
Got to the surfers
Dolzhanskaya Spit
Me and a moped on the spit
I drove back at a speed of 15 km/h along a sand grader.
An interesting place, worth visiting at least once. After Dolzhanka I drove to Krasnodar, spent the night and moved on to Arkhipo-Osipovka.
Krasnodar - port Kavkaz - Arkhipo-Osipovka
You can get to Arkhipo-Osipovka directly from Krasnodar, but I wanted to travel the entire coast and therefore moved to the port of Kavkaz and only then to Arkhipo-Osipovka.
Not far from the port of Kavkaz
Somewhere near the Taman Peninsula
The road was a pleasure. Beautiful scenery, good weather, hills, turns. Ahead it was even more interesting - mountains and serpentines began. I had already ridden along serpentine roads on a motorcycle and really wanted to ride a scooter.
On the way to Novorossiysk
I got onto the serpentines in the dark, so I had to drive carefully and slowly. As a result, I got to Arkhipo-Osipovka, where my friend from Voronezh was vacationing.
Arkhipo-Osipovka
I hung out in Arkhipka for two days.
I swam in the sea for the first time during the trip, although I could have done it earlier. Start of the day. In a couple of hours there will be even more people on the beach.
In general, I’m not a big fan of swimming in the sea; the main thing for me is to go for a ride and look at interesting places. We got excited, saw local mountain sights, and walked around the city.
Let's go jeep
Arkhipo-Osipovsky illuminated ball
Piglet and Vinny are also vacationing in Arkhipka
On the day of departure I started at 15:00. Vacation is very relaxing))
Lazarevskoe
I wanted to enjoy the serpentine road, drive through it before dark, cheerful and rested, so I spent the night in Lazarevskoye, although there was very little left to Sochi.
Rock and moped
Once at one of the gas stations they asked the traditional question of how much it runs and eats, and then: “Do you drive it for long distances?” When they found out where I came from, they were very surprised, although it was not that far.
People were often surprised that a small moped could cover such a distance. There is nothing surprising for me here; the main thing is to make up your mind. You drive and drive, what’s so difficult about that? Especially if the road is good.
Wherever I went, I was considered a local. I agree, it’s hard to believe that you can even ride a scooter on the highway. In Sochi, when they saw “Voronezh” on one of the stickers on a moped, they even asked: “Have you been to Voronezh?” That is, by default they considered me a local.
Sochi district begins
Sunset
I left the moped at the guest house and went for a walk along Lazarevsky.
Road through the city
Ferris wheel
The next day I went to Adler, where I planned to live for a week.
Adler
This is where the real holiday began.
Mountains, sea and local attractions. Observation deck in front of Dagomys
Adler
I checked into the apartment, rested for a day, then went for a drive around the area.
Riding a scooter here is a real pleasure. Both day and night. Good, clean, dry and well-lit roads, there are always markings, excellent weather, drivers see and yield. During the day there are a lot of scooters, and at night there are motorcycles. Of course, there are some disadvantages: traffic jams are the norm and the almost complete absence of free parking, but this does not apply to motorcycles.
I often rode at night along the Sochi-Adler route just for fun, without any purpose.
The airport is very close
McDonald's by the sea
Olympic Park
I looked at the Olympic venues from the road, left the moped in the parking lot and went to the Olympic Park.
In the distance there is a castle hotel. I went on a tour of the circuit. It was interesting, they talked about Formula 1, showed the garages and the indoor park.
Team garages opposite the main stand
Inland park
After the excursion I went to the autodrome museum. A visit to the museum, as well as an excursion, costs 500 rubles - this is the standard price for Sochi. Overall I liked the museum. Among the numerous sports cars I saw a DeLorean, albeit without a nuclear reactor, but still a worthy exhibit.
Bolide in the air
Capirossi at an angle of 60 degrees
Sports cars from different years
DeLorean. Good base for a time machine
I went to the Sochi Automuseum opposite. Entrance, as always, is 500 rubles, but there is nothing to see there. In Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, the USSR Museum is much more interesting.
In Sochi in a museum, and somewhere in service
View from the castle hotel, its official name is the Bogatyr Hotel
Olympic flame
I found out that a motorcycle gymkhana training was taking place nearby, and decided to watch and participate.
Gymkhana
I had a great ride, the area is super - spacious and no one bothers me. In general, travel in Sochi is better than in Voronezh, there is a lot to learn.
After the gymkhana, I met local motorcyclists and hung out with them until 4 am.
Motorcyclist meeting place
Rosa Khutor
The most interesting part of the trip is the mountains.
On the way to Rosa Khutor
City Hall
City view
You can get even higher by ski lifts, but I decided to take the road and had a lot of fun because there are almost no cars and the scenery around is stunning. Eventually I made it to the observation deck.
In some areas the moped pulled no more than 50 km/h at full throttle
Climbing to the lookout
Observation deck
As I was told, this is the highest observation deck that can be reached on a public road. You can get higher only by ski lifts or on closed roads. If you’re in Rosa Khutor on a motorcycle, be sure to go up to the observation deck, it’s a pleasure to go there.
Mountains
Moped and me
Moped among the mountains
After that, I drove around all the turns from Rosa Khutor, looked at all the Olympic venues that can be seen from the road, then drove to Krasnaya Polyana and climbed up until the asphalt ran out. At some point, the slope was such that the moped was traveling no more than 35 km/h at full throttle. From Krasnaya Polyana there were excellent views of the mountains.
Krasnaya Polyana
I drove back to Adler along a different road and came across Sky Park. It is famous for rope jumping from a height of 207 meters. I was already tired and the entrance fee was 1000 rubles, so I just looked outside and moved on.
Sky Park
The mountains are magnificent, the next day I went to Mount Akhun.
Akhun
There is an observation tower on Mount Akhun, from where you can see Sochi from a height of 682 meters.
A winding road leads up the mountain, a favorite among local motorcyclists. I liked her too. observation tower
View from the tower
Sochi
Adler
In the distance is the Olympic Park
Epilogue
The road back to Voronezh was pretty standard, nothing special to tell.
I stayed a little in Olginka - relatives arrived there, then walked around Krasnodar. On the way back it became cold and rainy, but I was prepared for this and put on all the warm clothes that I had taken with me in advance. I filmed the entire trip with a GoPro and made a short video:
Results
The total mileage was 3600 km.
Traveled for 18 days. We were lucky with the weather - we only got into serious rain on the way back, when we were 400 km away from home. I realized that I needed to take less things, because a lot of things were never useful. During this time, I got even more accustomed to the scooter and realized that I really enjoyed riding it. Thanks to the scooter, I discovered a new facet of traveling and riding on two wheels in general. Many people are surprised, but I really like riding a scooter. I have something to compare with, I had motorcycles, I traveled on them, but now I like to do it on a scooter. Therefore, I don’t understand any bias against scooters, because they are a very convenient and fun technology.
I realized exactly how I want to travel, so that it brings pleasure. If I want a motorcycle, then I will have completely different requirements for it and there will no longer be the pursuit of power that was before. Traveling on a motorcycle is easier than it seems, and if I can cover such distances on a scooter, then on a motorcycle it will not be much of a problem.
“These mopeds are completely unsuitable for long trips”
“We drove without a preliminary inspection,” Tamara tells Lida Gazeta, “these mopeds are completely unsuitable for long trips, their maximum speed is 60 km/h.
It turns out that you can still decide on such a trip when you have an insatiable desire and minimal opportunities.
In general, the route there can be described as follows: Lida - Minsk - Mogilev - Roslav - Bryansk - Orel - Yelets - Voronezh - Kamensk-Shakhtinsky - Rostov-on-Don - Slavyansk-on-Kuban - Feodosia - village. Koktebel (Quiet Bay beach). We drove back the same way.
Ergonomics in everything
When choosing a scooter, you should also consider riding comfort. For tall people it is not very convenient to operate devices such as HondaDio, YamahaJog and similar ones. Usually the steering wheel rests on your knees when turning, and the rider himself looks ridiculous. The solution here would be to choose European, Taiwanese models, as well as Japanese cubicles. As a last resort, you can take a closer look at Chinese analogues.
If you are going to carry out periodic maintenance and repairs yourself, choose popular scooters. There will be no problems finding and replacing spare parts.
If you often plan to ride with a passenger, preference should be given to two-seater scooters with mandatory legs for the passenger. The legs can be retractable or part of a floor with projections. It is very important.
Scooter for the city
For example, two-stroke Japanese scooters (usually with mileage) are perfect for the city. They are compact, feel great in traffic jams, and have an “evil” engine. Moving in city traffic between traffic lights becomes comfortable. Such devices can be easily repaired, and spare parts can always be found on sale. Devices with a lever fork (for example, HondaLead, HondaTact) absorb bumps and unevenness remarkably well.
We drove 350 km per day
The date of the trip was adjusted to coincide with Irina’s vacation. And now it’s done! On June 9, on a warm sunny morning, the team set off. Before Mogilev, two more were captured: scooter driver Dmitry Bogdel and Irina’s husband, Sergei. A column of 5 scooters first drove to Minsk without stopping, and from there rushed along the Mogilev highway. The day turned out to be hot, and the travelers decided to take a break in the forest and spend the night. The next morning the team rushed to Mogilev. Near the entrance to the city, everyone took pictures, said goodbye and left. Five scooter riders headed southeast.
Specially purchased reliable motorcycle equipment, beautiful views around, good weather and company - what else is needed for a good trip on a scooter? After crossing the border, the travelers went towards Roslav, and along the way they made their first “foreign” stop - they set up tents on the lake.
They cooked mainly on a gasoline stove or over a fire. The trouble happened unexpectedly: overnight heavy rain soaked the temporary housing, and the team members became slightly ill. But no one was going to give up, and everyone set off again.
Scooters traveled about 350 km per day.
The required road was not always immediately available, and then we had to get a map. Transport breakdowns became constant companions and, as luck would have it, happened one after another. Tamara’s transport “suffered” especially - it survived all possible and impossible troubles. According to her, “motor assistance is very developed everywhere in Russia,” and that is the only reason why her moped managed to “resurrect” many times again and fly further along the roads, even with the wind. We met all the scooter specialists and bikers along the way; no one took money for repairs, only for the necessary parts. This is such a friendly and responsive motorcycle community in Russia; if there were more people like this on the roads, you see, there would be fewer accidents.
Which scooter to buy, two-stroke or four-stroke
Until recently, almost all fifty-kopeck cars were two-stroke. They are easy to maintain and repair, have good performance in terms of power delivery in terms of dynamics and maximum speed for a certain volume. Simply put, a two-stroke scooter of the same displacement will reach top speed faster (most often).
However, most modern scooters are equipped with a four-stroke engine and the future lies with them. In turn, four-stroke engines are more powerful, have a longer engine life, are environmentally friendly, but are structurally complex.
“Belarusians are in no hurry to go to sea”
Once on the Kerch Peninsula, travelers headed through Feodosia to Koktebel. They spent 9 days on the way to the final point - not everyone can withstand the huge daily distance, but this is only half. Behind us were the accumulated kilometers, which left memories in the speedometer readings. After a long journey, the team finally got the opportunity to relax by the sea - everyone settled in tents on Tikhaya Bukhta beach.
We stayed here for 5 days: we swam, sunbathed, took mud baths - in general, we had a good rest. Tamara visits Crimea for the 15th time and says that in two years it has undergone dramatic changes: “Crimea has changed dramatically compared to 2013. During our several days of stay, we saw only two Belarusian license plates, there was not a single Ukrainian one, they were all entirely Russian.” It follows from this that Belarusians are in no hurry to swim in the warm sea near the peninsula, but in vain.
