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Motorcycle Tours: Russia

Few places on the planet are as unique, intriguing, and mind-blowing as Russia, especially its Siberian regions. Spanning eleven time zones from Moscow to Magadan, Russia is a mammoth of a country boasting so many incredible landscapes, remote wilderness, and rugged mountain terrain you can spend months riding here and only see a fraction of what it has to offer. Motorcycle tours in Russia are filled with raw, unfiltered adventure, jaw-dropping views, fascinating historical and cultural heritage, and the opportunity to ride places so far-flung it feels like you’re traveling towards the edge of the Earth.

Starting in the capital Moscow with its mesmerizing Red Square and the brooding Kremlin Palace, your expedition will turn eastward taking you across the majestic Ural Mountains, past Lake Baikal, and into Siberia – the vast, remote swath of pristine wilderness crossed by few roads and populated so sparsely it feels more isolated than Alaska and Yukon put together. Legendary Russian hospitality all the way from Yekaterinburg to the Golden Bay in Vladivostok, amazing roads, jaw-dropping vistas of the Urals and the Altai Mountains, and the magical draw of Siberia’s Far East regions are all on the menu when you set off on your motorcycle tour of Russia. A country steeped in history, bloody wars, and post-Soviet turmoil boasting the largest territory in the world, Russia is impossible to understand unless you truly immerse yourself in its extraordinary way of life varying and contrasting in wild degrees from Moscow to Magadan and from its Chinese and Mongolian borders to the extreme North.

Whether you’re considering one of the guided motorcycle tours in Russia or going on your own, this country promises an adventure of epic proportions.

Motorcycle Tours in Russia: Highlights

Have we mentioned that Russia is massive, and seeing it all in just one tour is an impossible task? However, if you’re planning to ride motorcycles in Russia, here are some of the key highlights not to be missed along the way:

Ural Mountains
One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, Ural Mountains create a natural barrier between Europe and Asia. The Urals resemble the European Alps in the North and the Rockies in the South with the jagged, rocky peaks and ridges plunging down into deep gorges and dark forested valleys. Unlike the French or Italian Alps, however, the Ural Mountains are sparsely populated, and experiencing their unspoiled wilderness is an unforgettable adventure. Best explored using Yekaterinburg city as a basecamp, the Ural region is also famous for the indestructible Ural motorcycle designed and produced in the nearby town of Irbit. Irbit boasts a motorcycle museum dedicated entirely to the Urals, and you can ask for a test-ride if you feel like trying out the famous Russian machines.

Siberia
Crossing the Ural Mountain range puts you at the doorstep of Siberia, Russia’s most remote and, may we add, thoroughly epic motorcycling destination. Siberia is so vast it covers three time zones, and with an area of over five million square miles, Siberia accounts for 77% of Russia’s land area but only 23% of its population. In other words, this is a place where nature is mostly untouched and undisturbed by civilization and human activity and crossing Siberia on your motorcycle is an experience of a lifetime. Western Siberia is often called the Russian Switzerland because of its stunningly beautiful Altai Mountains, whereas in the deep east, the landscapes resemble the surface of the Moon with the barren, treeless tundra stretching out as far as the eye can see.

Siberia is also known for the infamous Soviet Gulags, or concentration camps where millions were imprisoned and forced to work under inhuman conditions during Stalin’s rule. Starving, tortured, and under-clothed, Gulag prisoners were packed into trains on the Trans-Siberian Railroad and sent to camps in the freezing cold where they had to work outdoors in temperatures reaching below -50 Celsius, and few survived to return home. Skeletons of gulags still litter the Siberian landscape, and some camps such as the Perm-36 in the Ural Mountains can be visited to learn more about the dark side of Siberia’s history.

Lake Baikal
Motorcycle tours in Russia would not be complete without adding Lake Baikal, one of the most iconic destinations in Siberia, on the itinerary. Lake Baikal is the largest, deepest, and oldest clearwater lake in the world spanning an area larger than Belgium. Home to indigenous Buryat tribes raising sheep, horses, and camels on its Eastern shores, Lake Baikal is a must-see on your Russian motorcycle expedition, and we recommend spending a day or two exploring the area if you can spare the time.

Vladivostok
The classical adventure motorcycling destination in Siberia, Vladivostok is a large, sprawling port city on the Pacific Ocean and the economic and cultural center of the Russian Far East. Often called “Europe of Asia” because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere and unique location, Vladivostok is the end point of all motorcycle tours in Russia. The city’s spectacular sites such as the famous Russky Bridge and the view of Golden Bay, especially at night, are sights to behold, and from here, the only way East is the infamous Road of Bones leading to Magadan.

Practical Information for Touring Russia

Most motorcycle tours in Russia tend to focus on the summer months, as the winters in Siberia are too harsh and cold for motorcycling. The best time to go is between May and September, especially if you’re riding all the way from Moscow to Vladivostok.

Russia uses ruble as the official currency, and traveling here, especially east of Moscow, is relatively cheap. Expect to spend around $50-$60 a day for your food, fuel, and accommodation, unless these expenses are included in the tour package. ATMs are plentiful in the big cities, but it’s best to always carry some cash with you, especially when traveling to the more remote regions.

Traveling Russia is safe, but use common sense in places like Moscow, St Petersburg, and other big cities, just like everywhere else in the world. In Siberia, locals are extremely hospitable and friendly towards travelers, even when you don’t speak a word of Russian.

When it comes to motorcycle choices for Russia, adventure bikes like the BMW GS series are the most suitable for the task. While the majority of the main roads in Russia are paved, expect potholes, roadworks, and sections of gravel here and there, especially in Siberia. An adventure motorcycle will be the best choice for riding Siberia.