Yes, the little road was one of the highlights of the trip and we nearly missed it. The tarmac was just suffering a bit from not being used nor maintained, just enough loose stuff to make you concentrate on the corners. And as you can see from the photos the views were stunning. We were on this road for about an hour and saw a couple of cars and a couple of bikes, so really quiet.
THE UNDERWATER BIKE TOUR OF SOUTH NORWAY
- Thread starter Drumacoon Lad.
- Start date
: enjoying yer ride report 
GeorgeH
Registered user
Enjoying this...
Please Sir...can I have some more
Please Sir...can I have some more
3rd and last part.
OK, this part took a while to get loaded, a trip to Germany, buying a new bike and of course Christmas intervened.... So back to Norway:-
Back on the bikes the little road continued to be fun to ride. It had a good grippy surface and was pretty quiet so we could ride briskly exploring the good handling, brakes and acceleration of the bikes. The fact we had rocks on one side of the road and on the other a long drop just added to challenge.
Here's a couple of raw videos which show this road and the scenery around it.
This one has Eddie leading:-
http://youtu.be/2nBILt1OENM
In this one Eddie is following me:-
http://youtu.be/1Cmg4GohbHQ
Of course like all good things the road came to an end and soon we were sitting in a ferry queue again. It was getting late and the campsite books and GPS did not show any campsites nearby, so once the ferry had docked we went to the tourist office and the lady told us there was a medium sized campsite just outside town. Our view when we rolled up at the campsite was it was "small", but we had had a good day were ready to stop for the evening and reported to reception. We of course asked for a hut but sadly none were free so it was camping this evening. The ground was mostly sodden and we told the receptionist we would search for a place dry enough to put the tent and if we found one we'd stay. We found a place where you had to press pretty hard with your foot before the water came up, which was the least wet part of the site, so we opted for this. I went back to reception and asked how much it was for 2 bikes and a tent. The old lady said 60Kr(about £6.50) and I looked surprised and she showed me the price list, and it was correct, a bargain. Who said Norway is expensive!
The tourist office had also mentioned a pizzeria on the way out of town and once the tent was up and beds arranged we walked into town in the dry, had a pizza and coke for about £12 each(we do live it up on these trips). It rained on the way back of course and during the night. In the morning we did not have to press hard on the ground to make the water come up but the Tenttipi tent kept us dry. The bikes of course were sodden and by this time I'd given up on attempts to keep my sheepskin seat cover dry so it was waterproof trousers on again.
The next morning we were continuing on our way to a particular fjord which the guide book said was very beautiful, the Lysefjorden (lightfjord) close to Stavanger. The lightness apparently coming from the granite on the rocky sides. When we got there we were not disappointed.
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It was truly amazing and we found a single track road which ran along the edge of the fjord and marveled as the beauty of the scene.
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Leaving the little road along the Lysefjorden we crossed this spectacular bridge and short tunnel and headed for another ferry.
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After catching the ferry, our 2nd of the day(why do they always seem to cost 46Kr) we took the coast road south of Stavanger. The land either side of the road was littered with round boulders like large cannonballs which had sometimes been gathered together in piles and some others used to make open stone walls as can be seen in the area around the Mountains of Mourne in County Down, Northern Ireland.
We opted for a campsite along this stretch of road and used the Garmin GPS list as before. The site led down to the shore and had a good tenting area. The sun was shining the the campsite seemed well drained and was quite dry.
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The guy in the tent next to us was English but lived in Norway and was touring on an Africa Twin with his Norwegian grandson. We chatted a bit as we put up the tent and got unloaded. The English guy directed me to the nearest supermarket for some food and beer and I headed off, without jacket and boots.
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This felt great after days of being loaded down with waterproofs and heavy biking gear. We cooked on site and a very good pasta and pesto it was. A glass of Chianti and some Parmesan cheese would have been a bonus, but we had a super appetite and were out in the fresh air, so it tasted great.
We took the advantage of the dry weather to look again at Eddie’s radio setup and see why it was not transmitting. We first verified that the radio unit was transmitting and then focused on the remote push-to-talk switch on the handlebars. The PTT lead had clearly been repaired in the past, before Eddie had owned it, and on checking we found was a break in the wires at this repair. We repaired the wires again and for the first time on the trip we had 2-way communication, bike-to-bike.
Later we got chatting with a Danish guy in the tent on the other side, who was here with his family and had been walking in the mountains the last few days. We swapped torrential rain stories and the subject of whiskey came up. I offered him some of my remaining stock which I believed was Scottish single malt. He tasted it is, looked skeptical and asked if I was sure. I then remembered I had filled two flasks with a whisky, one a malt and the other a blend, and he was right this was the blend one. I had to stand corrected. I had not expected to meet a whisky connoisseur on a campsite in Norway. I’ll have to label my whisky for future trips.
Later I wandered down to the shore and saw more of the rounded boulders.
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There were a few turnstones(birds) at the edge of the sea and just 100 meters out some divers which I believe may have been northern divers.
What do you think?
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Some other people were sitting on the rocks and I realised they were waiting for sunset. I was envious of the couple sharing the experience together and with a bottle of wine. I climbed the rocks, waited and watched the sun descend very slowly.
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It felt a very still and calm moment after the busy week of riding in the rain. Returning to the campsite I left the shore to the divers, waders and the couple with the wine as I marveled at this wonderful sky.
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The next day began dry and quite soon the sun was out. It had not been the best night’s sleep though, as the seagulls had decided to buzz the site from about 3 in the morning, with their raucous calls. We assumed they were after food from the campsite rubbish.
The plan for the day was to follow the road south skirting the coast, calling into Kristiansund, and camping inland to the north. My Garmin started playing up and I planned to have a look at it that evening . The road was a delight however and at times we were scraping our feet and occasionally the pegs as we rounded one sweet corner after another.
For big bikes, and even fully loaded, the 1200GS can handle twisties just as fast as the rider dares. The scenery was great to look at, small and large lakes, with the road snaking between them.
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Excuse the Monet moment...
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Not so many tunnels on this road and therefore more interesting and more fun to ride.
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As we approached Kristiansund I got an alarm on the bike which suggested my rear tyre was deflating. I stopped, checked the tyre in the tried and tested way, I kicked it and my foot bounced off, therefore a fully inflated tyre. Although it seemed OK I thought I’d check with a tyre pressure gauge and this too indicated it was the right pressure and that the bike computer or the tyre pressure sensor had got it wrong. I switched off the bike, the computer reset itself and afterwards it declared all was in fact OK. I know there are differing views on tyre pressure monitors in general, and on the 1200, but I for one am glad to have the system. This was the only false alarm in 25,000miles, and all worked well for the rest of the trip.
Kristiansund was a bit of a shock to the system as it was a city, not a large one, but a city. Having spent 10 days away from large towns the traffic took a bit of getting used to. This was complicated by my Garmin GPS troubles. Anyway we found our way in to the centre and were guided to the bike parking bay by a young lady on a scooter. We parked up and had a coffee and watched the locals admiring the bikes.
Spot the GSs...
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Our well travelled bikes loaded with luggage looked, quite out of place next to the scooters of the locals. We had parked in the main shopping street and wandered along later doing a bit of shopping, returning to the café for an ice cream before heading out. This is not a large city and has more the feel of a large town but the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. I could have stayed longer. On the way out we rode through the old part of town marveling at the famous wooden houses.
The road north was the 9 and had some good riding before we ended up at a campsite just short of Evje, called Homnes Camping, with a rather special reception building.
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This site gets the prize the having the most expensive, but best showers on the trip. Just over £2 for access to the shower block seemed a bit expensive. However when we found the facilities consisted of a heated large individual shower-room with a toilet, sink and shower, tiled floor to ceiling, we felt maybe it was reasonable value. In fact the overall price of the campsite was not expensive and it was in a wonderful setting by a lake and had an free intermittent WiFi.
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On the down side mozzies pestered us and they were not put off by my Avon Skin-so-Soft.
As it was a dry evening I took a bit of time to diagnose my Garmin GPS problem and it had in fact been damaged by water getting into the contacts between the unit and the holder. I managed a repair with kitchen foil(more details in the technical section) and was relieved to have GPS working again for the rest of the trip.
Eddie was up in the morning at 8 O’clock but as no one else was around believed it may have been much earlier and had to check is watch. Even when I crawled out at 8:30 it was still very quiet. We broke camp heading north up the road 9 again but then turned north east up a small road, the 413, this road proved a delight. It was quite twisty and had a great surface. Soon once the tyres warmed up, our feet and pegs were scraping as we carved our way along this forest road. The countryside was changing now and Eddie described it as Canadian, trees and lakes. Later as we got further north east up the 41 the scenery changed again and there was more farmland and even some fields of cereal crops.
The weather was dry and as it warmed up we even took out Goretex liners from our riding suit, the first time on the trip. The road was pleasant with straights and curves and we made good time. Arriving at the town of Bo and selected a quiet campsite, just past the town. The campsite was excellent and there was no restriction on where we pitched the tent. Eddie picked out a site with grass which looked like it had been imported from Harrods. It was so lush we wondered about whether we needed air beds or could just sleep on the ground. We cooked on the site that evening and caught up in some correspondence with the free wifi.
After a pleasant evening we planned to pack up early and head off back to Sweden, stop overnight and ride down past Malmo and over the bridges to Denmark and on to Esbjerg. However, nature intervened and it started raining again in the early morning. We waited in the tent for it to ease but in fact it got heavier. I checked the Nordic rain radar website:-
http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/precipitation-nordic-countries
and we could see the rain was likely to continue for most of the day and maybe tomorrow. We were now faced with packing up in the pouring rain and still riding about 500kms to our stopover in Sweden, still allowing for 500Km to be ridden the next day back to the ferry. We didn’t fancy that distance in the rain with a late start and began to consider other options. Having access to the internet, we eventually found a ferry leaving Olso for Friedrichshafen in Denmark that evening, with cabin space. It seemed expensive but when we offset the cost of fuel for riding the 1000km, an overnight stay in Sweden and the cost of the Denmark bridges there was not so much in it, so we booked the ferry on line. Although it continued to rain we now only had a 140Km ride to Olso that day, so we took our time in packing up all our gear inside the tent before putting the tent away. With all the practice we had developed a good technique for packing up in the rain while keeping the most things dry except the outside of the tent.
Once the bikes were loaded we were quite wet including our hands. We headed to the toilet block to dry our hands because putting on gloves with wet hands is almost impossible. The first 100k of the road to Oslo was rainy, busy, slow and twisty and it probably took us nearly 2 hours. The traffic chugged along slowly and overtaking was difficult so we kept patience in the downpour and did not rake risks in overtaking. When we got about 40Kms from Olso we joined a motorway and progressed much better. The motorway approached a tunnel and we got a glimpse of a warning about the risk of mist in the tunnel. As we entered the tunnel we were hit by a blast of warm air and our visors immediately misted up. I was mightily relieved that my glasses did not fog up as I'd have been blind. The heat was so intense it dried the rain off our visors in a minute or so and we almost forgot about the rain. It was therefore quite a shock to leave the tunnel to return to the pouring rain. The GPS took us directly to the ferry port but as we were early we were not allowed to park unless we paid about £20. We headed into Oslo centre and parked up. It was another of those times when the big M sign was a welcome spot and like 2 drowned rats we headed off for a coffee and a Big Mac, We took over a table for about 6 and scattered around wet riding gear and helmets, sharing the area with the teenagers of Oslo.
We mooched around Oslo in the rain and in the end returned to the ferry and joined the queue for the boat. The queue this time was full of Harleys as the Trondheim Hog Club had come down to spend a long weekend in Denmark and Germany. We also met a guy on a BMW K100 from Holland who had been on a big circular tour. He’d set off through Germany, the Baltic states and into Finland, up to North Cape and down through Norway. He’d suffered a failure of his rear shock absorber about a week before and had been riding a very bouncy K100 for many kilometres and still had 2 days of riding to go. On the ferry the bikes were put into a front wheel chock by the ferry staff but we had to tie them down with ratchet straps. How is it that almost every ferry has a different way of handling motorbikes, and no one tells you what you need to do. It was great to get on board, take the wet clothes off and get some food and coffee. We raided the duty free to use up the last of the Norwegian money and buy a few remaining presents.
The ride through Denmark next morning was uneventful and on motorway. We probably had time to stop and visit some places along the way but we were suffering from that ferry seeking syndrome where you keep your head down and just want to get to the next ferry. We therefore arrived early in Esjberg and went into the centre and found a relaxed outdoor café which featured an ‘English Breakfast’ which Eddie savoured. We sat in the sunshine and reflected on the trip.
SUMMARY
It had been a great trip and we saw wonderful sights in southern Norway, despite the weather. However we were visiting Scandinavia and not the Mediterranean and should not have been surprised that it rained a bit and was cold at times. The roads were wonderful and we enjoyed the riding. There were times when speed cameras were a pain but it was a small portion of the time and we were mostly able to ride at as we liked. In fact we only saw one police car parked at the side of the road and they were not checking speed. From our experience with the ferry from Oslo to Friedrichshaven we would probably use that ferry to get to Norway if traveling again instead of the route over the bridges and into Sweden. In summary Norway is a great country to visit, excellent for camping, good roads to ride, stunning views along the west coast and a great place to go to test your wet weather gear.
TECHNICAL SECTION
The section below will probably only be of interest if you are a biker who goes on long distance trips.
The bikes we used: –
Drumacoon Lad(Me) - BMW R1200GS 2008, factory and lowered suspension.
- Khelin headers, Remus can, Hilltop ECU Remap , Yacugar suspension, Sergent seat and Sheepskin buttpad. Tourance tyres.
- TT Zega Panniers with Inner bags, Givi topbox, BMW waterproof Zip Bag, Small BMW tankbag, TT handlebar bag, under carrier bag and tool tube.
- Garmin Zumo 400, Autocom, Kenwood TK3207 Radio with external arial, Amplirider Amp
GSEddie - BMW R1200GS 2005.
- Standard headers, Remus Can, GSA wire wheels with Tourance tyres, TT lower seat with ‘dead sheep’cover
- GSA Panniers and topbox. Under Carrier bag and ally tool box.
- Garmin Zumo 550, Autocom, Kenwood bike-to-bike Radio.
Spares
- Fuel Pump Controller, Antenna ring, spare(used) alternator belt, plugs, Autocom headset, tubeless tyre plugger, bulbs, spare bike keys
Tools
- Halfords ¼ and 3/8 professional sockets, Torx set, front wheel removal tool, plug removal tool. Slime tyre pump, petrol syphon hose. GS 911 diagnostic tool. BMW dealer phone number and of course Steptoe’s number.
What worked.
Using BMW R1200GSs, which were 100% reliable, carried luggage well and a joy to ride.
Tentipi tent, waterproof, roomy and practical for 2.
Helinox camping chair, less than a Kg, and fits in a pannier, and comfortable.
Taking the ferry to Denmark instead of long drive through France, Belgium, Holland etc. arrived relaxed in Denmark.
For monitoring the unpredictable weather this website was handy:-
http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/precipitation-nordic-countries
Using the Oslo – Friedrichshaven ferry for the return, and would recommend it’s use for the outward leg.
Using the GPS to find campsites, and for some routes Eddie had created and for “just get us to this place via the quickest route cos it’s pouring”
A combination of camping and using Hytte(huts).
Metzeler Tourance tyres, which gave good road grip and wet or dry.
Having bike-to-bike radio using Kenwood radios via Autocom audio systems, with helmet speakers and mikes(once we got it all working)
Touratech Zega Panniers, Givi topbox, BMW waterproof zip bag.
Touratech handlebar bag is great for small things, allen/torx set, sweets to eat as you ride, etc. and was waterproof.
Having a spare waterproof bag and keeping plastic bags for extra rain protection.
Keeping a stock of Cereal snack bars, bread and cheese and small Lifeventure coffee flasks(Blacks) for a snack for those stops where there are no cafes.
Hein Gericke 2 piece waterproof suit, over my BMW Ralley 2 suit with Goretex, kept me dry.
Lumix compact digital camera for stills.
Using Eddie’s bike mounted video camera sparingly. Waiting till we found a special piece of road and not recording every part of the trip as we did once in Morocco.
Swapping spare keys and a credit card at the start of the trip.
DID NOT WORK
Zumo 400 failure was the biggest issue for me. After removing my Zumo from the bike one evening and it raining all night. My Zumo bike holder had water trapped around the connections that mate with the Zumo. I then reinstalled the Zumo next morning without drying the connectors. In hindsight I wish I had left the Zumo in the bike holder all night, as this seems to help to keep the connections pretty dry, but it is not a 100% solution. With the pins on the holder wet, the power contact on the Zumo(3rd pin from left in back row) was then worn away by a chemical reaction as power passed through the pins/connectors. I believe this is similar to the process which operates in batteries, but in reverse. The result was the Zumo would not power up on the bike. To make a temporary repair I bought some cooking foil and fabricated a tiny toadstool cap to place on the mount connector pin. This allowed the pin to touch the part of the Zumo contact which was still present and the Zumo powered up.
On returning to UK I contacted Garmin and they told me they do not repair Zumo 400s so I had to buy a Zumo 550 as replacement. The 400 is still working with the temporary fix and will now be a backup in the car.
Taking too much stuff “in case you I need it” but less of an issue on this trip than previous trips, improving! However I do not remember using my packed swimming trunks
Not always stopping to eat during the day and getting tired and hungry. We were better this time than other trips, but we still did not stop often enough and risked riding too long in one stint and getting tired.
The BMW 1200GS Small tank Bag is not waterproof and I would use a transparent cover in future.
Hanging my green camouflage water drinking bag(ex army) in a leafy tree and expect to spot it before leaving the campsite.
Eddie is reviewing his waterproof gear and has already bought some replacements
OK, this part took a while to get loaded, a trip to Germany, buying a new bike and of course Christmas intervened.... So back to Norway:-
Back on the bikes the little road continued to be fun to ride. It had a good grippy surface and was pretty quiet so we could ride briskly exploring the good handling, brakes and acceleration of the bikes. The fact we had rocks on one side of the road and on the other a long drop just added to challenge.
Here's a couple of raw videos which show this road and the scenery around it.
This one has Eddie leading:-
http://youtu.be/2nBILt1OENM
In this one Eddie is following me:-
http://youtu.be/1Cmg4GohbHQ
Of course like all good things the road came to an end and soon we were sitting in a ferry queue again. It was getting late and the campsite books and GPS did not show any campsites nearby, so once the ferry had docked we went to the tourist office and the lady told us there was a medium sized campsite just outside town. Our view when we rolled up at the campsite was it was "small", but we had had a good day were ready to stop for the evening and reported to reception. We of course asked for a hut but sadly none were free so it was camping this evening. The ground was mostly sodden and we told the receptionist we would search for a place dry enough to put the tent and if we found one we'd stay. We found a place where you had to press pretty hard with your foot before the water came up, which was the least wet part of the site, so we opted for this. I went back to reception and asked how much it was for 2 bikes and a tent. The old lady said 60Kr(about £6.50) and I looked surprised and she showed me the price list, and it was correct, a bargain. Who said Norway is expensive!
The tourist office had also mentioned a pizzeria on the way out of town and once the tent was up and beds arranged we walked into town in the dry, had a pizza and coke for about £12 each(we do live it up on these trips). It rained on the way back of course and during the night. In the morning we did not have to press hard on the ground to make the water come up but the Tenttipi tent kept us dry. The bikes of course were sodden and by this time I'd given up on attempts to keep my sheepskin seat cover dry so it was waterproof trousers on again.
The next morning we were continuing on our way to a particular fjord which the guide book said was very beautiful, the Lysefjorden (lightfjord) close to Stavanger. The lightness apparently coming from the granite on the rocky sides. When we got there we were not disappointed.
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It was truly amazing and we found a single track road which ran along the edge of the fjord and marveled as the beauty of the scene.
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Leaving the little road along the Lysefjorden we crossed this spectacular bridge and short tunnel and headed for another ferry.
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After catching the ferry, our 2nd of the day(why do they always seem to cost 46Kr) we took the coast road south of Stavanger. The land either side of the road was littered with round boulders like large cannonballs which had sometimes been gathered together in piles and some others used to make open stone walls as can be seen in the area around the Mountains of Mourne in County Down, Northern Ireland.
We opted for a campsite along this stretch of road and used the Garmin GPS list as before. The site led down to the shore and had a good tenting area. The sun was shining the the campsite seemed well drained and was quite dry.
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The guy in the tent next to us was English but lived in Norway and was touring on an Africa Twin with his Norwegian grandson. We chatted a bit as we put up the tent and got unloaded. The English guy directed me to the nearest supermarket for some food and beer and I headed off, without jacket and boots.
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This felt great after days of being loaded down with waterproofs and heavy biking gear. We cooked on site and a very good pasta and pesto it was. A glass of Chianti and some Parmesan cheese would have been a bonus, but we had a super appetite and were out in the fresh air, so it tasted great.
We took the advantage of the dry weather to look again at Eddie’s radio setup and see why it was not transmitting. We first verified that the radio unit was transmitting and then focused on the remote push-to-talk switch on the handlebars. The PTT lead had clearly been repaired in the past, before Eddie had owned it, and on checking we found was a break in the wires at this repair. We repaired the wires again and for the first time on the trip we had 2-way communication, bike-to-bike.
Later we got chatting with a Danish guy in the tent on the other side, who was here with his family and had been walking in the mountains the last few days. We swapped torrential rain stories and the subject of whiskey came up. I offered him some of my remaining stock which I believed was Scottish single malt. He tasted it is, looked skeptical and asked if I was sure. I then remembered I had filled two flasks with a whisky, one a malt and the other a blend, and he was right this was the blend one. I had to stand corrected. I had not expected to meet a whisky connoisseur on a campsite in Norway. I’ll have to label my whisky for future trips.
Later I wandered down to the shore and saw more of the rounded boulders.
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There were a few turnstones(birds) at the edge of the sea and just 100 meters out some divers which I believe may have been northern divers.
What do you think?
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Some other people were sitting on the rocks and I realised they were waiting for sunset. I was envious of the couple sharing the experience together and with a bottle of wine. I climbed the rocks, waited and watched the sun descend very slowly.
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It felt a very still and calm moment after the busy week of riding in the rain. Returning to the campsite I left the shore to the divers, waders and the couple with the wine as I marveled at this wonderful sky.
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The next day began dry and quite soon the sun was out. It had not been the best night’s sleep though, as the seagulls had decided to buzz the site from about 3 in the morning, with their raucous calls. We assumed they were after food from the campsite rubbish.
The plan for the day was to follow the road south skirting the coast, calling into Kristiansund, and camping inland to the north. My Garmin started playing up and I planned to have a look at it that evening . The road was a delight however and at times we were scraping our feet and occasionally the pegs as we rounded one sweet corner after another.
For big bikes, and even fully loaded, the 1200GS can handle twisties just as fast as the rider dares. The scenery was great to look at, small and large lakes, with the road snaking between them.
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Excuse the Monet moment...
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Not so many tunnels on this road and therefore more interesting and more fun to ride.
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As we approached Kristiansund I got an alarm on the bike which suggested my rear tyre was deflating. I stopped, checked the tyre in the tried and tested way, I kicked it and my foot bounced off, therefore a fully inflated tyre. Although it seemed OK I thought I’d check with a tyre pressure gauge and this too indicated it was the right pressure and that the bike computer or the tyre pressure sensor had got it wrong. I switched off the bike, the computer reset itself and afterwards it declared all was in fact OK. I know there are differing views on tyre pressure monitors in general, and on the 1200, but I for one am glad to have the system. This was the only false alarm in 25,000miles, and all worked well for the rest of the trip.
Kristiansund was a bit of a shock to the system as it was a city, not a large one, but a city. Having spent 10 days away from large towns the traffic took a bit of getting used to. This was complicated by my Garmin GPS troubles. Anyway we found our way in to the centre and were guided to the bike parking bay by a young lady on a scooter. We parked up and had a coffee and watched the locals admiring the bikes.
Spot the GSs...
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Our well travelled bikes loaded with luggage looked, quite out of place next to the scooters of the locals. We had parked in the main shopping street and wandered along later doing a bit of shopping, returning to the café for an ice cream before heading out. This is not a large city and has more the feel of a large town but the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. I could have stayed longer. On the way out we rode through the old part of town marveling at the famous wooden houses.
The road north was the 9 and had some good riding before we ended up at a campsite just short of Evje, called Homnes Camping, with a rather special reception building.
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This site gets the prize the having the most expensive, but best showers on the trip. Just over £2 for access to the shower block seemed a bit expensive. However when we found the facilities consisted of a heated large individual shower-room with a toilet, sink and shower, tiled floor to ceiling, we felt maybe it was reasonable value. In fact the overall price of the campsite was not expensive and it was in a wonderful setting by a lake and had an free intermittent WiFi.
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On the down side mozzies pestered us and they were not put off by my Avon Skin-so-Soft.
As it was a dry evening I took a bit of time to diagnose my Garmin GPS problem and it had in fact been damaged by water getting into the contacts between the unit and the holder. I managed a repair with kitchen foil(more details in the technical section) and was relieved to have GPS working again for the rest of the trip.
Eddie was up in the morning at 8 O’clock but as no one else was around believed it may have been much earlier and had to check is watch. Even when I crawled out at 8:30 it was still very quiet. We broke camp heading north up the road 9 again but then turned north east up a small road, the 413, this road proved a delight. It was quite twisty and had a great surface. Soon once the tyres warmed up, our feet and pegs were scraping as we carved our way along this forest road. The countryside was changing now and Eddie described it as Canadian, trees and lakes. Later as we got further north east up the 41 the scenery changed again and there was more farmland and even some fields of cereal crops.
The weather was dry and as it warmed up we even took out Goretex liners from our riding suit, the first time on the trip. The road was pleasant with straights and curves and we made good time. Arriving at the town of Bo and selected a quiet campsite, just past the town. The campsite was excellent and there was no restriction on where we pitched the tent. Eddie picked out a site with grass which looked like it had been imported from Harrods. It was so lush we wondered about whether we needed air beds or could just sleep on the ground. We cooked on the site that evening and caught up in some correspondence with the free wifi.
After a pleasant evening we planned to pack up early and head off back to Sweden, stop overnight and ride down past Malmo and over the bridges to Denmark and on to Esbjerg. However, nature intervened and it started raining again in the early morning. We waited in the tent for it to ease but in fact it got heavier. I checked the Nordic rain radar website:-
http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/precipitation-nordic-countries
and we could see the rain was likely to continue for most of the day and maybe tomorrow. We were now faced with packing up in the pouring rain and still riding about 500kms to our stopover in Sweden, still allowing for 500Km to be ridden the next day back to the ferry. We didn’t fancy that distance in the rain with a late start and began to consider other options. Having access to the internet, we eventually found a ferry leaving Olso for Friedrichshafen in Denmark that evening, with cabin space. It seemed expensive but when we offset the cost of fuel for riding the 1000km, an overnight stay in Sweden and the cost of the Denmark bridges there was not so much in it, so we booked the ferry on line. Although it continued to rain we now only had a 140Km ride to Olso that day, so we took our time in packing up all our gear inside the tent before putting the tent away. With all the practice we had developed a good technique for packing up in the rain while keeping the most things dry except the outside of the tent.
Once the bikes were loaded we were quite wet including our hands. We headed to the toilet block to dry our hands because putting on gloves with wet hands is almost impossible. The first 100k of the road to Oslo was rainy, busy, slow and twisty and it probably took us nearly 2 hours. The traffic chugged along slowly and overtaking was difficult so we kept patience in the downpour and did not rake risks in overtaking. When we got about 40Kms from Olso we joined a motorway and progressed much better. The motorway approached a tunnel and we got a glimpse of a warning about the risk of mist in the tunnel. As we entered the tunnel we were hit by a blast of warm air and our visors immediately misted up. I was mightily relieved that my glasses did not fog up as I'd have been blind. The heat was so intense it dried the rain off our visors in a minute or so and we almost forgot about the rain. It was therefore quite a shock to leave the tunnel to return to the pouring rain. The GPS took us directly to the ferry port but as we were early we were not allowed to park unless we paid about £20. We headed into Oslo centre and parked up. It was another of those times when the big M sign was a welcome spot and like 2 drowned rats we headed off for a coffee and a Big Mac, We took over a table for about 6 and scattered around wet riding gear and helmets, sharing the area with the teenagers of Oslo.
We mooched around Oslo in the rain and in the end returned to the ferry and joined the queue for the boat. The queue this time was full of Harleys as the Trondheim Hog Club had come down to spend a long weekend in Denmark and Germany. We also met a guy on a BMW K100 from Holland who had been on a big circular tour. He’d set off through Germany, the Baltic states and into Finland, up to North Cape and down through Norway. He’d suffered a failure of his rear shock absorber about a week before and had been riding a very bouncy K100 for many kilometres and still had 2 days of riding to go. On the ferry the bikes were put into a front wheel chock by the ferry staff but we had to tie them down with ratchet straps. How is it that almost every ferry has a different way of handling motorbikes, and no one tells you what you need to do. It was great to get on board, take the wet clothes off and get some food and coffee. We raided the duty free to use up the last of the Norwegian money and buy a few remaining presents.
The ride through Denmark next morning was uneventful and on motorway. We probably had time to stop and visit some places along the way but we were suffering from that ferry seeking syndrome where you keep your head down and just want to get to the next ferry. We therefore arrived early in Esjberg and went into the centre and found a relaxed outdoor café which featured an ‘English Breakfast’ which Eddie savoured. We sat in the sunshine and reflected on the trip.
SUMMARY
It had been a great trip and we saw wonderful sights in southern Norway, despite the weather. However we were visiting Scandinavia and not the Mediterranean and should not have been surprised that it rained a bit and was cold at times. The roads were wonderful and we enjoyed the riding. There were times when speed cameras were a pain but it was a small portion of the time and we were mostly able to ride at as we liked. In fact we only saw one police car parked at the side of the road and they were not checking speed. From our experience with the ferry from Oslo to Friedrichshaven we would probably use that ferry to get to Norway if traveling again instead of the route over the bridges and into Sweden. In summary Norway is a great country to visit, excellent for camping, good roads to ride, stunning views along the west coast and a great place to go to test your wet weather gear.
TECHNICAL SECTION
The section below will probably only be of interest if you are a biker who goes on long distance trips.
The bikes we used: –
Drumacoon Lad(Me) - BMW R1200GS 2008, factory and lowered suspension.
- Khelin headers, Remus can, Hilltop ECU Remap , Yacugar suspension, Sergent seat and Sheepskin buttpad. Tourance tyres.
- TT Zega Panniers with Inner bags, Givi topbox, BMW waterproof Zip Bag, Small BMW tankbag, TT handlebar bag, under carrier bag and tool tube.
- Garmin Zumo 400, Autocom, Kenwood TK3207 Radio with external arial, Amplirider Amp
GSEddie - BMW R1200GS 2005.
- Standard headers, Remus Can, GSA wire wheels with Tourance tyres, TT lower seat with ‘dead sheep’cover
- GSA Panniers and topbox. Under Carrier bag and ally tool box.
- Garmin Zumo 550, Autocom, Kenwood bike-to-bike Radio.
Spares
- Fuel Pump Controller, Antenna ring, spare(used) alternator belt, plugs, Autocom headset, tubeless tyre plugger, bulbs, spare bike keys
Tools
- Halfords ¼ and 3/8 professional sockets, Torx set, front wheel removal tool, plug removal tool. Slime tyre pump, petrol syphon hose. GS 911 diagnostic tool. BMW dealer phone number and of course Steptoe’s number.
What worked.
Using BMW R1200GSs, which were 100% reliable, carried luggage well and a joy to ride.
Tentipi tent, waterproof, roomy and practical for 2.
Helinox camping chair, less than a Kg, and fits in a pannier, and comfortable.
Taking the ferry to Denmark instead of long drive through France, Belgium, Holland etc. arrived relaxed in Denmark.
For monitoring the unpredictable weather this website was handy:-
http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/precipitation-nordic-countries
Using the Oslo – Friedrichshaven ferry for the return, and would recommend it’s use for the outward leg.
Using the GPS to find campsites, and for some routes Eddie had created and for “just get us to this place via the quickest route cos it’s pouring”
A combination of camping and using Hytte(huts).
Metzeler Tourance tyres, which gave good road grip and wet or dry.
Having bike-to-bike radio using Kenwood radios via Autocom audio systems, with helmet speakers and mikes(once we got it all working)
Touratech Zega Panniers, Givi topbox, BMW waterproof zip bag.
Touratech handlebar bag is great for small things, allen/torx set, sweets to eat as you ride, etc. and was waterproof.
Having a spare waterproof bag and keeping plastic bags for extra rain protection.
Keeping a stock of Cereal snack bars, bread and cheese and small Lifeventure coffee flasks(Blacks) for a snack for those stops where there are no cafes.
Hein Gericke 2 piece waterproof suit, over my BMW Ralley 2 suit with Goretex, kept me dry.
Lumix compact digital camera for stills.
Using Eddie’s bike mounted video camera sparingly. Waiting till we found a special piece of road and not recording every part of the trip as we did once in Morocco.
Swapping spare keys and a credit card at the start of the trip.
DID NOT WORK
Zumo 400 failure was the biggest issue for me. After removing my Zumo from the bike one evening and it raining all night. My Zumo bike holder had water trapped around the connections that mate with the Zumo. I then reinstalled the Zumo next morning without drying the connectors. In hindsight I wish I had left the Zumo in the bike holder all night, as this seems to help to keep the connections pretty dry, but it is not a 100% solution. With the pins on the holder wet, the power contact on the Zumo(3rd pin from left in back row) was then worn away by a chemical reaction as power passed through the pins/connectors. I believe this is similar to the process which operates in batteries, but in reverse. The result was the Zumo would not power up on the bike. To make a temporary repair I bought some cooking foil and fabricated a tiny toadstool cap to place on the mount connector pin. This allowed the pin to touch the part of the Zumo contact which was still present and the Zumo powered up.
On returning to UK I contacted Garmin and they told me they do not repair Zumo 400s so I had to buy a Zumo 550 as replacement. The 400 is still working with the temporary fix and will now be a backup in the car.
Taking too much stuff “in case you I need it” but less of an issue on this trip than previous trips, improving! However I do not remember using my packed swimming trunks
Not always stopping to eat during the day and getting tired and hungry. We were better this time than other trips, but we still did not stop often enough and risked riding too long in one stint and getting tired.
The BMW 1200GS Small tank Bag is not waterproof and I would use a transparent cover in future.
Hanging my green camouflage water drinking bag(ex army) in a leafy tree and expect to spot it before leaving the campsite.
Eddie is reviewing his waterproof gear and has already bought some replacements
Right Eddie, just shows the value of writing a report, gives us pleasure in the winter reliving it all. Thanks for organising and sharing the trip.
Should have done a report for the 2011 trip to the Balkans....
Where next year? Well somewhere where we can test our hot weather bike gear, like my new Camelback drinking bag, we've done the rain gear testing!
Should have done a report for the 2011 trip to the Balkans....
Where next year? Well somewhere where we can test our hot weather bike gear, like my new Camelback drinking bag, we've done the rain gear testing!
STUBBS
undead
have reread this from start to finish 
got me looking at maps and planing for the future
got me looking at maps and planing for the future
Knew I shouldn't have read this because now that's another trip I've got to try and find time to do!
Great read all the same!
Great read all the same!
Great write up Jim. Looking forward to reading about your African adventure later this year though I do think riding CAR and the Democratic Republic of Congo is a ballsy move, especially solo!
Thanks for the good wishes Ed, but as we said central Africa is the next logical step after Norway, and I won't need much rain gear and get a chance to use my Camelback. The only decision is between the 1200GS or the xCountry. 
Really enjoyed looking through this as I'm off late June next year, starting from Kristiansand and trying now to decide on a anticlockwise route up as far as Andalsnes, then meandering south,( past that red house north of Roldal!!)
I'm camping in the main, but is there a rough ideal miles in a day comfortably covered, allowing stops/ photos and generally taking it all in - I know there's loads of ifs and buts, it's a solo trip so no set plans.
Any advice appreciated
I'm camping in the main, but is there a rough ideal miles in a day comfortably covered, allowing stops/ photos and generally taking it all in - I know there's loads of ifs and buts, it's a solo trip so no set plans.
Any advice appreciated
Thanks for the positive comments, always good to get feedback.
Firstly I think Kristiansund is a good place to arrive in Norway. I would go west as that is the way we came into Kristiansund and it sets you up for a great trip up the fjords. We discussed going inland over the mountains but we were limited in time so focused on the coastal route down from Trondheim. As for timing, we left Flakk, just south of Trondheim on July 21 and arrived in Kristiansund on July 26. You will probably gather we were not doing big milages, apart from the Bergen day, but the roads are narrow and we had rain most of the time. But 4-5 days up to Andalsnes seems reasonable. I'll leave others to comment on the inland route.
As for camping there is nothing special to say. I would make sure you have food with you to cook on arrival as many of the sites did not have a shop on site or nearby, particularly along the coast. Always worth asking if they have a hut(hytte) free, particularly if it's raining, however the cost from £35 upward may be a bit steep for a single person, but if you have been riding all day in a downpour it may seem like a bargain.
Just make sure your camera has a charged battery and maybe a spare.
Firstly I think Kristiansund is a good place to arrive in Norway. I would go west as that is the way we came into Kristiansund and it sets you up for a great trip up the fjords. We discussed going inland over the mountains but we were limited in time so focused on the coastal route down from Trondheim. As for timing, we left Flakk, just south of Trondheim on July 21 and arrived in Kristiansund on July 26. You will probably gather we were not doing big milages, apart from the Bergen day, but the roads are narrow and we had rain most of the time. But 4-5 days up to Andalsnes seems reasonable. I'll leave others to comment on the inland route.
As for camping there is nothing special to say. I would make sure you have food with you to cook on arrival as many of the sites did not have a shop on site or nearby, particularly along the coast. Always worth asking if they have a hut(hytte) free, particularly if it's raining, however the cost from £35 upward may be a bit steep for a single person, but if you have been riding all day in a downpour it may seem like a bargain.
Just make sure your camera has a charged battery and maybe a spare.
Cheers, I'll be aiming to stop for the night when and wherever , just want to keep a balance on trying to see as much as I can without it being based on a timetable.
Thanks for the info
MarkN
Registered user
Thanks for a great ride report. How did you get on with your Tentipi? What size were you using, it looks like a 7 to me? I've only used mine over a long weekend so I'm interested in how you got on touring with it.
MarkN, I'll leave GSEddie to comment on the exact model as it was his tent... However, for me the tent was great. It weighed around 7Kg(dry) about the same as our previous tents the Khyam Biker tent. For other tours we each took our own Biker tent but managed fine in the one Tentipi tent this time. Particularly with all the rain it was more social to be in the same tent as opposed to shouting back and forward from individual tents.
Mike, you will know this but for others:- As for the tent itself, it was quick to put up, 10 mins typically. The standard method is to first measure out the peg locations from a central point(which will be the bottom of the pole) and hammer in the pegs. Then place the groundsheet down, centred. Then erect the main tent by first hooking it up to the pegs, loosely, then installing the pole. Then you hook up the groundsheet to the inside of the tent, effectively raising the edge of the groundsheet a few inches stopping any water running in, then you tighten the guy ropes and you are done. We changed this procedure a little due to the rain, by erecting the tent loosely first, then rolling out the groundsheet in the tent, keeping it dry. We reversed this process when taking it down in the rain.
I think it is fair to say that the tent is a couple of Kgs heavier when wet as it is a canvas like material, but it sure is totally dry. The other big advantage is to be able to stand up while dressing. I would suggest the tent because of it's size and construction may not be as warm as smaller 2 skin tents.
Mike, you will know this but for others:- As for the tent itself, it was quick to put up, 10 mins typically. The standard method is to first measure out the peg locations from a central point(which will be the bottom of the pole) and hammer in the pegs. Then place the groundsheet down, centred. Then erect the main tent by first hooking it up to the pegs, loosely, then installing the pole. Then you hook up the groundsheet to the inside of the tent, effectively raising the edge of the groundsheet a few inches stopping any water running in, then you tighten the guy ropes and you are done. We changed this procedure a little due to the rain, by erecting the tent loosely first, then rolling out the groundsheet in the tent, keeping it dry. We reversed this process when taking it down in the rain.
I think it is fair to say that the tent is a couple of Kgs heavier when wet as it is a canvas like material, but it sure is totally dry. The other big advantage is to be able to stand up while dressing. I would suggest the tent because of it's size and construction may not be as warm as smaller 2 skin tents.
I think I could have ridden your route quicker than type your memoirs out, and I applaud the time it must have taken you! 
I am going in May ... for sure!
Have a plan to ride up the West coast from Kristansund to Bergen, then hop accross to Shetland, and on to Scrabster. Will have to cost up the one way ferry costs first to see if it's viable.
Or if by luck the Newcastle ferry is back on I may go to Trondheim or even Lofoten if everything is on my side?
Anyone know how far Lofoten is in miles & days from Bergen?
Planning trips are what dark January nights were invented for.
I am going in May ... for sure!
Have a plan to ride up the West coast from Kristansund to Bergen, then hop accross to Shetland, and on to Scrabster. Will have to cost up the one way ferry costs first to see if it's viable.
Or if by luck the Newcastle ferry is back on I may go to Trondheim or even Lofoten if everything is on my side?
Anyone know how far Lofoten is in miles & days from Bergen?
Planning trips are what dark January nights were invented for.
Yes Bod, am giving a bit of thought to a trip this year but thinking of somewhere warmer this time. Mind you your trip and out to the islands sounds great.
You are right about the writing up, it takes a while, but again a good thing to be doing in the winter evenings and helps you re-experience the trip. In fact if I do a trip now and not write it up, something seems missing. I don't take a lot of notes at the time but with these notes and the photos, the trip comes back once I start to write it up.
Good luck with the trip and I look forward to the report.
You are right about the writing up, it takes a while, but again a good thing to be doing in the winter evenings and helps you re-experience the trip. In fact if I do a trip now and not write it up, something seems missing. I don't take a lot of notes at the time but with these notes and the photos, the trip comes back once I start to write it up.
Good luck with the trip and I look forward to the report.
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