A plea from a newbie

BILKS!

Where have you been?

Mike
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Snap !

I too shall be riding around the Normandy Beaches on the 4/5/6th, keep a look out for a Black 1100 and a Pan Eurostar in trail.
In addition to all the places mentioned above, don't overlook Bayeaux, a very nice town it is too.
 
Hi Mike.......

:D

some forgotten corner of a foreign land !

(without a GPS!)

Bonjour

Bilks :dance

P.s. have u seen Miss January in the calender ? - (the wife!)
 
Don't forget...

You can change the direction of your dipped beam, so as not to dazzle oncoming cars. Easy to do (instructions in the manual). I find it's easier to do this at home and then just stick a bit of tape over the offending bit of the lens until I get to the ferry/tunnel. Take it off for use in France, back on again when you return. Why? Easier to find the screw you're bound to drop in your garage than in a layby in France....

In case you haven't ben following any of the other threads - watch your speed. Very stiff new penalties in France - would really spoil your day! Locals (e.g. Mike Werner) can give you more info, but it seems that outskirts of towns are a favourite. Might as well heed the advice above about unpredictable traffic in towns and knock your speed RIGHT down as you approach the RAPPEL sign.
Checked your insurance and breakdown assistance? E111? Honest to god, you need more paperwork than you do clothes...
The area is great fun, Caen Museum is amazing, but there are several little museums dotted around - some privately owned. Got a few photos here.
 
Take your GPS EURO instruction book with you -

so when you get lost in france, you can show the local your Euro instruction book, and he can show you how to use your GPS.
 
just remember TO TALK LOUDLY - its all johnny foreigner can do to listen properley and you need to get his attention quickly - and hold it - before it wanders off to siesta land.... :)
 
That way your head will be up looking at the scenery and road signs rather than concentrating on a small screen all the time.

I'm sorry Noddy but I've got to disagree on that one.

If I plan a route I produce a route plan from maps. I do this because I find using maps on the move just about impossible.

The route plan goes on top of my tank bag. When I refer to my plan I'm not looking at the road. I've nearly come unstuck several times with this flawed strategy.

Sometimes my plan isn't good enough and doesn't help me with the reality of the road laid out before me, causing me to stop (normally after getting lost) and swear and remove gloves and get the map out after trying to sort out where I am from the plan. It's normally either pissing down or 28 degrees in the shade at this time too.

GPS on the other hand is in my line of sight. Approaching a juction my chick tells me exactly where to go while my GPS shows just the junction involved enlarged to fill the screen with a purple route illuminating the way to go.

There is IMHO no comparison.

I like maps, I enjoy navigating the fells although I do carry a hand held GPS just in case.

On the road, when it's working it's a breeze. It's a computer however and it won't always do what's obvious to us humans. It a grand tool to be used in conjunction with your head.

Peter
 
DOES IT REALLY MATTER SOME PEOPLE PREFER MAPS AND SOME PREFER GPS
 


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