EUROPE TRIP - PICTURES NOW POSTED.

Originally Posted by getyerkneedown

We've decided to ride over to Germany and the Nurburg Ring - always wanted to see it and have a (very) gentle ride around.

Is this possible? Got the impression that anything other than flat out you'd be splattered by mad Beamer drivers...

Have fun.

Only me again. Writing from Aachen in West Germany now. Was very heavy going today, my front tyre was getting a little low on tread, and with the severe rain, there was lots of standing water, so the front was beginning to skip around. We stopped in the town of Liege and tried to locate a bike shop/garage.

We ended up asking some guy on a Bandit 6 at the lights if he knew any, he said "Yes yes, follow!". So we followed this fella for about 20Km thru the streets and he took us to a place that had did all tyres, managed to negotiate a price of Eur 100 for a front BT012 and they fitted it within 10 mins. Steve, my mate wanted some proper water proofs as his were cheap and leaking, so Bandit man led us right across town again to a Hein Gerick shop. I couldnt thank the guy enough, offered him Eur 20 for the trouble and petrol etc, but he said "no no, all i ask is that if you see any one needed help, help them". What a top guy. I already help out where possible, but this chap who could hardly speak any english, went well out of his way to help us. He's certainly confirmed my beleif that riding a bike means you have a friend in every country.

So, we're here in a IBIS Hotel in Aachen, and its still chucking it down, cold, misty. Steve is trying to dry his leathers, which are as wet as a used chamaios, with a small hair dryer, so i thought id use the chance to keep you informed with our (slow) progress.

Tomorrow we are making Nurburg, the forcast is slightly better. Cloudy, but not too much rain (thank god!) Steve is heading back to the UK tomorrow afternoon, and with that i am going to complete my plan. Back to Belgium, visit the Ardennes, then Luxembourg, before heading steadily back to the UK for Sunday.

I hope you are enjoying reading these posts, it gives me chance to share my adventure with other people who may have an interest in these kinds of things (steve is proving less adventurous), and i would like to think that if anyone reading is thinking of exploring europe, this is the motivation to get them there.

Yes its been cold, wet, and at times miserable, but its been a truely fantastic experience so far. Speaking to people when they dont speak your language, you dont speak theirs... meeting people who you dont know, have never met, and may not do so again who are prepared to go out of their way by a long way to help you... the feeling i have right now is indescribable. Here i am, about 1000miles (by the roads, not crows fly) from home, just my bike, a set of evening clothes, the road and my credit card. Im not lonely, im not bored, and im not missing home. All i can think of is "what will tomorrow bring?"

When i find out the answer to the above, ill let you know as soon as possible.

Next stop, Nurburg Ring via the N67 and A258.

GYKD

cool hope you have a great journey with no mishaps

One suggestion, next time invite us instead of making me jealous by reading this

This seems like a good idea, giving updates while you're on tour... I was thinking of compiling a journal for the Eurotour this year, along with photos....

GYKD, I'll go through "Jelsters book of must ride roads" tonight and come back with some ideas...

Touring on a supersport is great fun, you just ache a bit at the end of the day, that's all.

Have fun, and keep it rubber side down.

.

Sounds like a good trip mate, hope everything goes smoothly. Oh and you def. have to tell us how the nurburg is

Are you updating using laptop or internet cafes?

Yer was thinking a similiar thing Jelster, thanks to the wizardry of phones i can now upload pictures i take with it to a website for people to view, might have to give it ago with the nurburgring trip

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Sounds like you are having a great time!

Did a similar trip last summer in with a mate in his Porsche 928, we got from Norwich to Marseille in 18 hours and came back via Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany (visited the 'ring for 1 lap each, what an experience! You will be amazed how many bikes go very slowly round it!) - into Holland and to Amsterdam for 3 days! Then back through Belgium, France and home, 2750 miles in 12 days!

http://www.grd.be/motorhotel/eng/frame.htm

Great place to stay in Belgium - Bikers only hotel

When we stayed there in September last year we met loads of Dutch bikers - had a great night
if you look at photos for Sept 2004 Bikesterbabes and Sahabat you can see pictures
we appear on there too !

Knee man!!
Turn right and head south mate! Sun and roads that render the question posed pointless!Enjoy your hoon matey!

What a day! The sun came out and it was clear blue skies all the
way. The roads were dry and lots of bikers out - German, Netherlands,
Belgium, Austria - everywhere, but we were the only two british bikers
around.

The road to Nurburg is FANTASTIC, nothing like in England. Smooth,
proper tarmac, not the gritty stuff we have. No over banding, obviously
designed with bikers in mind. The pace was fast, but not rushed, about
90-100, which sounds a lot, but the roads are so good, and the view so
clear, you can see right around the bend. On the road to the Nurburg
Ring we came up behind a Lambogini Diablo GT... what a car! He was driving like a girl though, so we downed a cog and over took him. Got to the Ring and it was heaving... never seen so many bikes, super cars, souped up trucks, busses etc in one place. What an atmosphere. We had something to eat and drink, then enquired about getting the bikes onto the track.

Unfortunately there was a race on for the day so we couldnt actually
ride around ourselves, which is what we came here for, but it was a good
day nonetheless. I've aways wanted to come here, so now i can say i
have. And the A258 road is just to die for.. has to be seen to be !
beleived!
>
> We had a nice steady drive back the way we came - probably the best
bit of riding ive done in my life. I just left bike in 4th gear, not too
high, not too low, and for 30Km i didnt touch my brakes, just rolling
on and off the throttle to adjust the speed.. perfect. The sun was
setting behind the mountains, long shadows and the sky was a deep red
colour. Sheer bliss - moments like that you remember why you ride a bike. Just smooth and flowing, disposing of cars as you catch them up, almost euphoric.

We arrived back in a town called Schlieden where we enquired at a
hotel about rooms. Owner didnt speak a word of english so i used my German from school to enquire about rooms, costs, breakfast etc - amazing how it all comes flooding back when you need to. She asked me what time we wanted breakfast, i said i want mine about 8am, steve is stayting overnight too but leaving at 7am as he wants to be back in calais by 8pm... 11 hours!? If he didnt spend so much time filling up he could do it in 4. Still, thats steve i guess.

Steve has gone for one last ride to the next village along, but my
rear tyre is looking a bit shredded, so i decided against it - and
preserving it for the next few days, if i accelerate gently i can make it
last a few hundred kilometers. If not ill go to leige and get a new one.
Cheaper out here than in UK so may as well.

The hotel we're in is cheap and basic, typical german village hotel,
rooms havent been decorated since moses came down from mountains, but its quaint and has a certain charm to it. Single rooms, on suite
showers, communal toilets, breakfast and central location... Eur 30 per
person per night. Cant complain.

So tomorrow ill probably go to Leige and get that rear tyre fitted,
then ill go down the E25 south bound and come off at Junction 48, take
the N66 to Trois-Ponts. Then the N68 into Luxembourg where it becomes
the N7 and this leads me all the way into Luxembourg City where i will
explore and probably stay overnight. Saturday ill head out of Luxembourg
on the A31 down into France and a city called Metz, take the A4 E50
West towards Chalons-en-Champagne where ill then head north on the A4 E17-50 to Reims, before picking up the A26 E17 North, this takes me
directly back to Calais, its a toll road so i can make up some time on it.

Thats the plan, not set in stone, things happen plans change. But if
possible im going to stick to it.

These are the day that must happen to us?... Absolutely baby!"