1400 through Spain and Europe

[GSX1400Convert]

Hi Guys
I'm back! What a fantastic trip .................. 6 weeks and clocked up just under 10,000klms.

The two day run through France from the channel train to Spain was my first face to face meeting with the Police. Seems coming into a 90klm exit at 130klm is frowned upon, and my bike is too loud for France. This happened at The Somme, and I explained that I was pulling in to pay homage to my grandfather that was shot in the arse, and my wifes grandfather that had his leg blown off at The Somme. They said they appreciated the allied forces help and let me off with a warning. Nice.

Based myself for ten days near Jaca in the Pyrenees for the first 10 days. I was out almost every day, and wore out a set of tyres in that time.
OMG, never in my life have I had a smile on my face for such a long time. Some of the best roads were heading towards winter ski fields, making them a summer motorcycle heaven.

The biking culture there is full of waving bikers everywhere I went, like the old days here in Australia. Even people stopping if I was stopped taking a picture or having a smoke on the roadside taking in the views. And locals who would suggest great riding roads in the area. Sheep and cows on some roads were a bit of a problem. As was oncoming traffic, I managed to wipe out a bar end mirror on a car while deeply commited in a fast left-hander that had a surprise double apex.

I soon learnt the trick the sign posters do, they post a corner speed of 70Klms which isn't correct, but that's to slow you down for up coming 30K corners.

I did have a couple of other moments, the worst of which was a left hander hairpin switchback that had a gravel patch almost mid corner, which had the back wheel trying to meet the front wheel, feet off pegs, arse in the air and then it bit back with such force it slammed my left knee into the cam cover, as it tried to buck me off highside style. I limped around for two days after that experience.

Friends of mine were staying at Lomme in the south of France (5 hour ride), so I went over the mountains for a visit ............. 45 degrees that day. I pulled into a car repair shop, pleading for water, when my leather jacket zipper had caught the lining, I was near passing out with two French speaking mechanics with pliers trying to free me from my leathers. They allowed me to rest up in the aircon office and gave me a bottle of water to take with me. I continued on and was hallucinating, slowing down for kangaroos on the road and wallabies on the side of the road. 

Riding up their driveway, I rode straight toward their pool, side stand down and jumped straight into the pool, full leathers and all. They came out and gave me a beer and suggested I might want to take off my helmet ............. The Sena bluetooth sets are actually waterproof!

So a couple of nights on the  and back "home" to Spain.

Met up with my fellow travellers (10) a couple of days later, and we headed of to Andorra, which is where I got a new set of tyres fitted. My "Buddies" left me at that point and I was to meet them in France, but my Garmin had a hissy fit and a few hours later I was on the Mediterranean Coast. That night I met up with them.

From France we did Italy for the Laverda 70th Anniversary, Switzerland, Austria, through Germany to Nurburgring, on to SPA in Belgium, through to Holland and caught the ferry back to Harwich England. Packed up the bikes and dropped them off to the shipper, and the GSX should be back in Australia in September.

Here's the rundown of what Aunty Jack needed on the 10,000 klm trip.
500ml of oil at 4,000ks (could have done without, but.....)
Oil change at 5,000Ks
Tyres at 6,000ks
A good wash at 9,800ks.

When she gets home, she'll need a shim job (just a tad of a rattle), and a set of brake pads.

A few pictures:







 

[Taniwha]

That sounds like an amazing trip. You'll have stories for years.

[Andre]

Glad you enjoyed the cool weather in Europe

[Notty]

Fantastic !! 

[KiwiCol]

Awesome mate!!  Great write up 

[Sweaty]

Nice write up & what a sensational trip 

[grog]

As above. Great write up. Did i miss the hat in pool photo?

[GSX1400Convert]

As above. Great write up. Did i miss the hat in pool photo?

Because my phone isn't waterproof.

I was downloading some footage from Go-Pro to phone the other day, I didn't know it had a speed recorder in the app 
So, I played the speed recorder, over one section I managed to triple the posted speed limit, twice .......... I hope big brother can't access that!

Our "tail end Charlie", always the slowest of us, has racked up two Speed Camera fines, one in Italy, the other Austria in the mail since he got back.
Makes me wonder how that happens, because I was always up the front end the whole trip (apart from when I was by myself), and actually saw a couple of flashes in my mirror, and have nothing in the mail..... yet.

This was a great bit of road, Rounding up a couple of SuperDukes on this road brought a grin to my face.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwixhsP8vu_jAhURfysKHSSAC5YQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftougetour.com%2F2018%2F08%2F13%2Ftimmelsjoch-hochalpenstrase%2F&psig=AOvVaw2MZtmjOGA2yUC_uOEj66TM&ust=1565223735227668

[Andre]

They may not be able to identify the license plate due to the rider's behind you covering the plate. Or they don't bother sending you anything as they don't have an agreement with Oz on that. Or the mail just takes it slow.

[grog]

Mr Convert, watched every second thru Alps, great video. Roads not real wide, cars dont seem to give a hoot about pulling out, pulling in. Brilliant ride.

[BbigMmac]

 

[GSX1400Convert]

Mr Convert, watched every second thru Alps, great video. Roads not real wide, cars dont seem to give a hoot about pulling out, pulling in. Brilliant ride.

Grog, that video was actually cut in half and rejoined, but the worst part is it didn't show any of the good parts, I took off from my mates when I saw this coming up on the Sat Nav: https://tougetour.com/2018/08/13/timmelsjoch-hochalpenstrase/  Bugger, that did't work ...... open the picture on the bottom left of the gallery below the video (with the bus and semi).

When I got to the top of that section of the pass, I pulled up, had a piss and a smoke, and waited about 5 minutes more for them to round the last sweeper, the road went downhill from that point.

[Rynglieder]

Sounds good - 6 weeks, eh?  I'm guessing you are either retired, a lottery winner, or have a very understanding boss 

Thanks for sharing.

Would it be rude to ask what it costs to ship a bike across the world? It's something I've often wondered about although it would be a few years yet before I could follow through with it.

[GSX1400Convert]

Sounds good - 6 weeks, eh?  I'm guessing you are either retired, a lottery winner, or have a very understanding boss 

Thanks for sharing.

Would it be rude to ask what it costs to ship a bike across the world? It's something I've often wondered about although it would be a few years yet before I could follow through with it.

Long service leave, good boss and a cranky wife. AU$4,000 to England and back, Via Get Routed. Brisbane to Felixstowe England, return Felixstowe to Sydney.

Cheaper than hiring a bike there, the insurance cost's for that period of time were ridiculous.