LBL
Registered user
Hi,
Just got back from a four day trip to the Ardennes, this was suggested by Wapping as a good trip into France, it was my first time leading a ride abroad and although there was only two of us in the end it was a great introduction for my mate whose this was the first time abroad.
It was more or less Wappings trip and i know you all would have had all the reports before on this trip before so i wont bore you with the details but a brief report would be:
Day One
Ride to the tunnel for a 10.30 departure, the basic route i plotted was no motorways at all and a mixture of fast B and scenic D roads through Cambrai to Charleville-Mezieres and twisty roads to Bouillon, the 300 mile day included a mad sat nav moment seeing me lap the chunnel 3 times due to a closed road
a small hold up due to a french car on its roof, and a wee breakdown.....steady you 1150 guys, it was my mates speed triple that decided to spin its starter motor for ten minutes before firing into life.
Bouillon is such a great base and offers everything needed
Day Two
Used Bouillon as a base and used Wappings Tracks to Givet for lunch and back, i dont think my bike was upright for more than a minute at a time
Day Three
Headed to Le Touquet again only using B and D roads, cutting through farm tracks and cow pat laden roads my mate wasnt to happy but i was. This also included going through a town at 50kph ish following a horsebox whilst knelling on my seat to give my rear end some relief, only to be given the thumbs up by the police sitting at the side of the road 
. We stayed just outside Le Touquet for secure parking and this was the only time i wished i could speak French, from the indicated 30 minute walk into town by the girl at our hotel took us an hour and a half 
the first few beers did not touch the sides even at 7 euros a pint. Needless to say we slept well.
Today was up earlyish for the coast road D940 to the chunnel introduced to me by Wapping on our one day jaunt in April and at least this time i wasnt running the GSA in.. Home at 1pm after the speedtriple cut out on the M25 whilst doing 70mph officer.
Overall a great four days away, just over 800 miles, met lots of bikers and met a fellow UKGSER on the train home. Roads were ace, routes alike and how nice once again for other road users to just move out the way and not one biker past without a wave. My mate now has the bug so job done.
Big Thanks to Wapping for all the tips, routes and tracks he sent me and advice on my new purchase of my Zumo 550, i think i may still have been there without it, cheers Richard
Also thanks to Whatton, for his great tutorials on the site for how to get my sat nav up and running
and finally thanks to Tom for convincing me i needed a Sargeant seat, priceless.
Just got back from a four day trip to the Ardennes, this was suggested by Wapping as a good trip into France, it was my first time leading a ride abroad and although there was only two of us in the end it was a great introduction for my mate whose this was the first time abroad.
It was more or less Wappings trip and i know you all would have had all the reports before on this trip before so i wont bore you with the details but a brief report would be:
Day One
Ride to the tunnel for a 10.30 departure, the basic route i plotted was no motorways at all and a mixture of fast B and scenic D roads through Cambrai to Charleville-Mezieres and twisty roads to Bouillon, the 300 mile day included a mad sat nav moment seeing me lap the chunnel 3 times due to a closed road
a small hold up due to a french car on its roof, and a wee breakdown.....steady you 1150 guys, it was my mates speed triple that decided to spin its starter motor for ten minutes before firing into life.Bouillon is such a great base and offers everything needed
Day Two
Used Bouillon as a base and used Wappings Tracks to Givet for lunch and back, i dont think my bike was upright for more than a minute at a time
Day Three
Headed to Le Touquet again only using B and D roads, cutting through farm tracks and cow pat laden roads
my mate wasnt to happy but i was. This also included going through a town at 50kph ish following a horsebox whilst knelling on my seat to give my rear end some relief, only to be given the thumbs up by the police sitting at the side of the road . We stayed just outside Le Touquet for secure parking and this was the only time i wished i could speak French, from the indicated 30 minute walk into town by the girl at our hotel took us an hour and a half the first few beers did not touch the sides even at 7 euros a pint. Needless to say we slept well.Today was up earlyish for the coast road D940 to the chunnel introduced to me by Wapping on our one day jaunt in April and at least this time i wasnt running the GSA in.. Home at 1pm after the speedtriple cut out on the M25 whilst doing 70mph officer.
Overall a great four days away, just over 800 miles, met lots of bikers and met a fellow UKGSER on the train home. Roads were ace, routes alike and how nice once again for other road users to just move out the way and not one biker past without a wave. My mate now has the bug so job done.
Big Thanks to Wapping for all the tips, routes and tracks he sent me and advice on my new purchase of my Zumo 550, i think i may still have been there without it, cheers Richard
Also thanks to Whatton, for his great tutorials on the site for how to get my sat nav up and running
and finally thanks to Tom for convincing me i needed a Sargeant seat, priceless.
