Dave,
  Ok, I am sitting in the thick of things here in Israel.  Skip Russia
if you can.  There is a piracy problem there...or call them bandits.
Remember stagecoach holdups in the wild west?  Well this stuff 
happens today in Russia.  People force a truck over and steal it.  
If this happens to 18 wheeled rigs, then imagine being a lone biker
travelling a long distance between to remote places.  Perfect bait.

  You can easily take a ferry from Turkey or Greece or Italy to
either Israel or Egypt.  Then you can cross into Egypt or if already
there then from Egypt take a boat to India.  Some guy did a trip 
from Sweeden to the Far East I think in 1990.  He went through Syria
and ISrael via Jordan I think!  Anyway, Iran will be a problem with
the visa (I am married to an Iranian) and Saudi Arabia simply won't
let you in.  I'd say best bet is do East Europe then down to Turkey
ferry to Israel then on to Egypt...Africa, boat to india...etc...

David
Jerusalem, Israel
yosi@lrdc5.lrdc.pitt.edu