On a motorcycle tour from his native Vladivostok, Igor 'Sinus' Sokolov planned to ride over 30,000km through Mongolia, China, Tibet, Nepal and the 'Stans.  I met Igor after he arrived in Kathmandu from Russia by air, though sadly he arrived without his motorcycle.

Gentle Giant Igor (alias Sinus as in Sin') was forced to change the itinerary of his planned  tour when he reached the border of China in southern Mongolia.

"You can ride a Chinese motorcycle through China", the men at the customs post told him; but not his trusty Vee Twin 1987 Honda Magna VF750C; The bike would have to go by air via Seoul's International airport before arriving in Kathmandu.

No newcomer to long distance motorcycle tours Igor had in 2002 embarked on a world tour on this same motorcycle, spanning most of the world's continents, his tour covered an amazing 220,000kms. He beamed proudly, that not once did his Honda miss a beat on his "Friendship Without Borders" tour.

Towards the end of his Tour, on passing the American Honda Motorcycle factory - where his ultra-reliable machine had been built, the company Directors were so impressed with his mammoth feat, that they begged him to leave it behind in their company museum. Despite lucrative offers of a new motorcycle of his choice, Igor refused to part with his trusty machine and set off again completing a tour that lasted over 18 months. The last leg of which brought him back home across the vast landmass of Mother Russia.

Apart from long distance touring Igor organises and manages an annual Motorcycle Festival in Vladivostok which attracts over 10,000 motorcyclists from all over the world. He smiled when he told me "Even the BBC sent 4 reporters on motorcycles from England to cover the event!"

Igor is currently touring north India from where he'll begin the '...stans' part of his tour riding through Pakistan. His route then passes through Afganistan, Uzbekistan, Khazakstan and west to St Petersberg.

In St Petersberg he plans to celebrate his mother's 75th birthday, before riding back east through Russia to Vladivostok in time for his next Annual Bikers Festival in August. His warm invitation to meet him in his home town at his "international motorcycle festival" may have to wait a while, but for sure, one day I shall ride to Vladivstok and enjoy his company once again. You can read more about Igor's activities at http://sinus.vl.ru/.