I'm setting off on my 4 day trip to the French alps tomorrow on the 18.30 sailing from Hull to Zeebrugge, I know there are a few hitting Europe around now My route takes us through Belgium into Germany and then into Italy, over Stelvio Pass down lake Como , across Switzerland to our destination close to Geneva, bring it on! Dave
Have a great time Aztec. We just come back from a similar trip. Stayed at Como for three days. If a more beautiful place exists on the planet I've yet to see it. Watch that Stelvio though. Glad I can say I did it but its a pig going from east to west!!
Have a great time Dave.... the route sounds fantastic...envious! Four days in Derbyshire wef Friday is the best I can manage for now.....still be great though .....yes PHOTOS! ;-)
Agreed, Photos, lots. And on your return an order for some screen fittings awaits! . Have a great time.
Got back yesterday from an 18 day, near enough 4,000 mile round trip, visited 9 countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic and Poland) and went as far South as 1,500 miles (Split - Croatia) and as far East as 1,200 miles (Krakow - Poland). Wasn't quite the trip we had planned as one member had to come back early, but we agreed to visit Prague with him, so skewed the overall plan, meaning a lot more motorway miles had to be endured. As it was, the weather (apart from Croatia) was pretty dire, so the relatively few twisties were quite a challenge anyway! Had a fantastic run down the Adriatic coast from Rijeka to Split via Karlobag - like your own private sun baked race track - but avoid weekends (traffic)! Just a couple of shots showing the extremities of travel and weather conditions - it was difficult to get the clothing levels right most days? Highlight "non-biking" visits were the Porsche museum, Auschwitz and Vimy Ridge memorial, not to mention Split and Prague of course! The Multistrada was pretty much faultless, considering the trip was started with the D-ES warning light on, so no adjustable rear suspension and returned over 50mpg when travelling East or South, dropping to low 40's when travelling West, due to the substantial headwind. Just totted up and it cost me £2,350 not including the new, but now "squared off" rear tyre (but with surprisingly a decent amount of tread left) and also the imminent Desmo belt change. Only thing I would change on the bike if possible would be to have a shaft drive as oiling the chain on a side stand (Sport model) is a right royal PITA! Oh and note the 44 mile discrepancy between odometer and satnav, only just over 1%.
nsm3 ..... interesting to note your fuel consumption observation with regard to direction. I cut across Germany to Colditz Castle back in May then on to Auschwitz and noticed the very same thing and similar figures 51 traveling east then 42/43 west. Stayed in Krakow and Wroclaw then cut through Czech Republic to Plzen. Found a good Biker Bar in Plzen if you like drinking in dodgy smokey bars with beer less than £1 a pint I got hijacked in Poland on the E40 traveling to Auschwitz just after the toll station at Worclaw. Guy and two kids in a car were waving and pointing to the bike slowed down to check out my luggage etc and he cut me into the hard shoulder, jumped out of his car and gave me a load of b/s regarding money. Managed to drop the clutch and get away ..... dodgy b'stard. Apparently its a common trick even in the UK. I suppose traveling on your own your a bit of a soft target. I wont let it put me of going there again ... just wont be so naive next time!
Topher - I guess the prevailing wind is generally mostly West-East across central Europe, but surprised to see a 20% rise in fuel consumption though, albeit a Mutley with an Ortlieb isn't the most aerodynamic? I had heard that robberies from bikes were common in Croatia, but perhaps being 3 of us helped and we never had any problems. As an aside, my vote for worst (non bike savvy) European drivers - Top slot shared by Poland and Belgium, with the UK in hot pursuit.
We did it east to west, and it was absolutely horrible. Not that we had that many problems doing it, because we're seasoned riders, but all the rest on the mountain stunk at it. The smell of burned clutch was infront of us all the way up, it was horrible. So many bikes, cars, caravans, etc, they all made the trip a nightmare.
