OBJECTIVE & PLAN

My aim is to experience countries and cultures I have not experienced before. The broad plan is to ride in a direct line from Calais to Istanbul; then east across Turkey to Mount Ararat; into Georgia to see where Stalin spent his youth; and across Azerbaijan to Baku on the Caspian Sea. Securing a place on the ferry will be a challenge and I then seek to explore the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to gain first hand knowledge of how they are now and their heritage. I then want to witness the ecological disaster to the Aral Sea, eastern European Russia and the Ukraine, returning via Poland and Western Europe.
Nothing is set in stone, but I plan to ride 4 days a week, an average of 250 miles per day (roads permitting) and have 3 days for sightseeing, as it's a tour not a race.
I haven't decided yet whether partially to camp, or just rely on hotels. The latter option will greatly reduce bulk and weight, at the expense of flexibility. I am having a trial run with my camping gear to the Le Mans motogp in May after which I will make the final choice.