Boom Boom...... Shake Shake The Katoom

[Guru Gora]

Recently back from a 2 x KTM trip to Picos and Pyranees via Dunkirk, Schwarzwald etc on the way.

I shall post it as if live, with permission of Von Stolberg for using pics of him, as I was the one usually jumping off bike to take the photos

I'd only just got my 790 Adv R off this very forum, I know its not EBay, but if it were John your feedback would be excellent. What a top guy to deal with in all respects.

Bike picked up, it was a frantic run from Northumberland to Derbyshire to drop bike, grab work kit and drive...........back through Northumberland to pick up all the spare bike kit, (thanks again John), and head to Scotland for 4 days work, turn round again, drive 7 hours home, have a wee, fit lomo bags, pack in 5 mins for 2 week trip, jump on 790 and head to a secret RV point where Von Stolberg was waiting with coffee ready...........

Anyway................ Ready To Race...........

 

[Guru Gora]

A walk round the beautiful city of Newcastle, en route to pick up bike.

Headed home, initial impressions.

1. John the bike is a credit to you, it’s immaculate so thanks again.

2. Best quick shifter I’ve ever used.

3. She’s very pretty.

She goes to bed now for a week, next outing is on tour, not ideal but the ride home has convinced me I'll love it.

 

[Tinytim]

Recently back from a 2 x KTM trip to Picos and Pyranees via Dunkirk, Schwarzwald etc on the way.

I shall post it as if live, with permission of Von Stolberg for using pics of him, as I was the one usually jumping off bike to take the photos

I'd only just got my 790 Adv R off this very forum, I know its not EBay, but if it were John your feedback would be excellent. What a top guy to deal with in all respects.

Bike picked up, it was a frantic run from Northumberland to Derbyshire to drop bike, grab work kit and drive...........back through Northumberland to pick up all the spare bike kit, (thanks again John), and head to Scotland for 4 days work, turn round again, drive 7 hours home, have a wee, fit lomo bags, pack in 5 mins for 2 week trip, jump on 790 and head to a secret RV point where Von Stolberg was waiting with coffee ready...........

Anyway................ Ready To Race...........

About time too. Will have a read later with some tea and cake.

 

[Guru Gora]

Day 1

Derbyshire and Eastleigh to Dover.

212 Miles.

So arranged an RV 50 miles from hotel, worked perfectly and settled down to a bit of food and an early night.

0800 ferry so need to be on it in the morning.

Safari........... Sagoodie.

 

[Guru Gora]

Lomo”d up.

Straps and tie wraps. That’ll hold …

Romantic RV on the M20

Fuelled, pointing the right way and locked.

Blue skies……

Boom

 

[Von Stolberg]

An easy run for me, up to Guildford, M25, and M2 to meet prior to Dover. For this trip my 1090 is wearing my home-adapted Pelicases, clipped onto Hepco Bekker frames, and crucially an inch narrower than my handlebars (Tells you what my filtering style is like )

BMW Enduroguard suit for Germanic leg, and a Revit Mesh jacket stashed in one case for the anticipated Spanish ‘Scorchio’s’ weather later in the trip.

I’m wearing a brandnew visor. Late last year i had bit of a rough time of it and was in hospital for a while. I was determined to pull through as I’d only just bought this visor, and was no way gonna pop my clogs having never worn it!!! (I’m not famous for spending money!! LOL)

 

[Guru Gora]

That was a vicious looking splinter you had to be fair.

Well worth pulling through in order to use your new visor

 

[Von Stolberg]

That was a vicious looking splinter you had to be fair.

Well worth pulling through in order to use your new visor

I gained scars!!! Bring on the Chicks!!

anyway, lets see if I'm up for more scars, lets see what happens when I attempt to post a photo here...

Here ya go, we're on the boat, White Cliffs of Dover receding, who knows when we'll see them again...
tricky, cos we're coming back by Santander/Portsmouth route instead!

 

[Von Stolberg]

DFDS Ferries, Dover-Dunkirk, early morning start, all goes well. a quick flash of my passport and booking ref number at check-in, a rubber stamp in the passport from Ze Gendarmarie, and we're off to lane 51 to join the boat. only a few minutes wait and we are riding up the ramp and into the bike area and cheerful crew strap the bikes down for us.

Before you know it Dunkirk hove's into view. (I'm looking out for Hawker Hurricanes and Harry Styles, but none to be seen)

 

[Guru Gora]

Day 2

Dover to Saarbrucken

370 Miles

Bit of a beast of a burn day. (I'm not in the I did a brazillian miles in one day club).

Main target of the day is to eat and drink at least 12 quid in the posh lounge, we both manage this I think.

Dual carriageway until about 50 miles short of Bastogne, then in for a mandatory Tank and Tank up stop.

Last 80 miles or so is lovely through Lux and Germany to a nice hotel right in the city centre.

Bit of food, and the positioning day is over, we shall head towards the Schwarzwald tomorrow on a shopping mission to the Mummelsee..........

 

[Guru Gora]

This is a mandatory photo when in Bastogne...........

 

[Guru Gora]

Some of the sights.......

 

[Guru Gora]

Ive ordered the white kit with D3O armour for Spain.

Long may the weather hold too.

Looking forward to The Scharz tomorrow, probably end up exiting near Swiss border and hook into France for digs........

The 790 is lovely and with a decent screen is fine for a long day, v happy with it.....

 

[Von Stolberg]

By a curious coincidence I have my own mandatory photo stop at Bastogne, Belgium too. Many of you will know the Q8 fuel station , South, down the hill from the main square.
over the years I've kept up a daft tradition of fuel & a photo here, so now have a Bastogne Q8 photo of every bike I've owned since - KTM 950, KTM990, KTM1090

 

[Guru Gora]

You have to post them now ……

 

[Von Stolberg]

really?



Note how my Peli-cases have made an annual euro trip now on three different bikes, and at least four or more years, matched only by my collection of used Austrian Vignettes

 

[Guru Gora]

Nice timeline……


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Von Stolberg]

Luxembourg is brilliant biking territory. I highly recommend
National Museum of Military History (MNHM) Asbl' 10 Bamertal, 9209 Diekerch, Luxembourg
https://goo.gl/maps/YbjcxU8dxJWEb8yq5

Be aware however, there are many many speed camera's, and firm but fair Police bikers. They are especially keen to check you have a dayglo waistcoat available on your vehicle. I think mostly they get a bit fed up with German bikes hooning around their parish and making a mess. (Admittedly three years ago they very kindly sent me a NIP for 70 Euros, i chose to pay it, I DO want to be able to ride Luxembourg without sweating about antique un-paid fines. )

 

[Von Stolberg]

So.... onwards to Saarbrucken... my top tip on how to travel light, is to only take 4 x pants/tshirts. The one's your wearing join you in the shower tonight, and assuming you purchased microfibre ones, not cotton, they should be ready in the morning, or, maybe dried on your top-box lid during the day, or even given the 'combat laundry' treatment in the hotel room
(fine with mates, frowned on by SWMBO)

Using the above tactics you could just run with 2 x pants/tshirts, but.... there is always the odd rogue currywurst that threatens your plans ..

 

[Von Stolberg]

Talking of SWMBO... my lovely partner permits me Euro trips as long as I stop by the Mummelsee, Schwartzwald, to bag her a bottle or three of their lovely Cherry Kirsch liqueur.
Ive handed over all Flight Planning/Navigation authority to Guru Gora, with the stipulation we must stop at the top of the B500 to 'do the necessary'



I buy the whole barrow, obviously... quality sedatives are so hard to find!