First European adventure on two wheels..
- Thread starter Sly
- Start date
Have a great trip, I'll be doing that for the first time at some point!
Have a great trip....! 
We´re Dooomed......Crazy fool .
Did you not contact The Oracle Of London for route advice first ?
Enjoy your trip
FFS man i just spat my tea all over the carpet and wife is fuming...........
You even remembered the infamous little black book ........
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AyeIs that Richard in the picture?
I'll be honest, don't know who that is so don't get it. Apologies.
Second day was a blast. I set my alarm for 6AM sharp to get up, pack, load the bike, polish a breakfast and hit the road. Except a small problem, I slept straight through the alarm. 2 hours late. Oh well, it's an adventure.
Collect my things, or so I thought, waddle over to the bike, still there so that's good, load her up and, oh wait...missing something. Go back to the room, get my balaclava (which I hung on the back of the door to air) - rookie mistake but a lesson learnt.
Next stop 2 stops are dream goals for me to visit. Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps and, the Nordschleife!
I pull out the car park, remembering to ride on the right, and slowly make my way down the road and back onto the A16 heading East.
We peel off the motorway and happen to come along some beautiful windy roads, taking us gently through Belgium forest until I see the sign..
Got a small glimpse at Eau Rodge, happened to be a biking event of some sorts on, it's a lot steeper in real life then on the telly!
Take a short break, have a drink and a bit of grub and work out our way to "The Green Hell"..
I know why they call it that, everywhere is so green around here. Incredible. We manage to find ourself at the Nurburgring, going past the very sign a lot of people park under and snap a photo, except me. They're doing construction to the outside of the building and no where to really stop, so we pull into a side road and find out a viewing point.
Could be worse, could be in the office!
Found one of the spots, but because there was (another) event on, I had to pay for parking and a ticket. I noticed all the bikers parked on the road but I found a nice shady parking so asked the man to let me buy just an entrance ticket as I only had a "little" motorcycle, thankfully, he agreed. €25 lighter, we're in.
The realisation that you're at a place you've seen on the screen and played countless hours of video games on is quite something. They had the ADAC series on with some proper weapons, Porsche, Aston and Mercedes GT3 cars. The speed they attack Brunnchen at is unbelievable.
I sit for a little bit longer and just enjoy the show. The smell of rubber being used up, the irony about this place being called "the Green hell" and how everyone wants to be green yet these cars are burning fossil fuel at a rate of knots filling the air with burning rubber, I love it!
Anyway, back to the trusty steed. Kit up and off we go. I decide to do a lap of the Nurburgring, on the road that is, and drive around the roads a little bit.
A few stills from the first twisty road of the journey. My first proper taste at switch back roads too.
We munch the miles forward (about 20 minutes worth) until we fill up, and arrive at our little hotel. With probably the best parking I could have hoped for. Off the road, through a little tunnel to the back of the hotel and park it here
Another good day on the bike, time for an early night. Tomorrow is an early one, and a fast one (legally)
Collect my things, or so I thought, waddle over to the bike, still there so that's good, load her up and, oh wait...missing something. Go back to the room, get my balaclava (which I hung on the back of the door to air) - rookie mistake but a lesson learnt.
Next stop 2 stops are dream goals for me to visit. Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps and, the Nordschleife!
I pull out the car park, remembering to ride on the right, and slowly make my way down the road and back onto the A16 heading East.
We peel off the motorway and happen to come along some beautiful windy roads, taking us gently through Belgium forest until I see the sign..
Got a small glimpse at Eau Rodge, happened to be a biking event of some sorts on, it's a lot steeper in real life then on the telly!
Take a short break, have a drink and a bit of grub and work out our way to "The Green Hell"..
I know why they call it that, everywhere is so green around here. Incredible. We manage to find ourself at the Nurburgring, going past the very sign a lot of people park under and snap a photo, except me. They're doing construction to the outside of the building and no where to really stop, so we pull into a side road and find out a viewing point.
Could be worse, could be in the office!
Found one of the spots, but because there was (another) event on, I had to pay for parking and a ticket. I noticed all the bikers parked on the road but I found a nice shady parking so asked the man to let me buy just an entrance ticket as I only had a "little" motorcycle, thankfully, he agreed. €25 lighter, we're in.
The realisation that you're at a place you've seen on the screen and played countless hours of video games on is quite something. They had the ADAC series on with some proper weapons, Porsche, Aston and Mercedes GT3 cars. The speed they attack Brunnchen at is unbelievable.
I sit for a little bit longer and just enjoy the show. The smell of rubber being used up, the irony about this place being called "the Green hell" and how everyone wants to be green yet these cars are burning fossil fuel at a rate of knots filling the air with burning rubber, I love it!
Anyway, back to the trusty steed. Kit up and off we go. I decide to do a lap of the Nurburgring, on the road that is, and drive around the roads a little bit.
A few stills from the first twisty road of the journey. My first proper taste at switch back roads too.
We munch the miles forward (about 20 minutes worth) until we fill up, and arrive at our little hotel. With probably the best parking I could have hoped for. Off the road, through a little tunnel to the back of the hotel and park it here
Another good day on the bike, time for an early night. Tomorrow is an early one, and a fast one (legally)
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No point winging it and forgetting the basics. A lot of useful information on here!Being your first trip to Europe 10/10 for the clothes peg. You've clearly done your research.
Enjoy your trip.
You never forget your first time ey!Good man Sly! My first solo trip was last Summer and I loved it. Looking forward to reading the trip posts - keep 'em coming!
Thanks for the comments all. And thanks to those who chipped in and helped with advice/recommendations.
Hi
Have a good trip, You are braver than me. My first one post op adventure will be next month, to Scotland, cos I'm scared of being away from the NHS.
George
Have a good trip, You are braver than me. My first one post op adventure will be next month, to Scotland, cos I'm scared of being away from the NHS.
George
Why you have good travel insurance
enjoy Scotland, wonderful place!
Good one Sly .... don't forget, there's nothing out there that can't be fixed 
"Don't hurry, don't worry, and take time to smell the flowers"
"Don't hurry, don't worry, and take time to smell the flowers"
Nurburgring is a scary place, I plucked up the courage to do a few laps on my Multistrada when passing a few years back, GT3's everywhere and very unnerving when closing in behind you will headlights flashing!
Have a great trip.
Have a great trip.
Thanks for the PM in the run-up to your trip.
Looks like it’s all working out.
Looks like it’s all working out.
Wouldn't dare take my tank on the ring. I'd just ride on the grass
Day 3 was a "place to be" day. Slight change of "plans". Alarm set for 3:30AM sharp. This time I heard it. Mostly because I was already awake at 3AM.
Out the hotel room, down to the bike, loaded up and...wait, where are those custom molded earplugs, oh please tell me I haven't lost them, they cost...oh wait, what's that in my pocket. Anywho, business as normal.
The reason for my early departure was to get to some family down in Switzerland, so I decided to get a move on to get there in time for the kids to be awake so we could enjoy a day by the pool and just chilling about. Bit of "work" (riding at 4AM) before holiday mode..
Now, the benefit of leaving 2 hours before sunrise is, less traffic and, I get to test my Lone Rider lights out in the dark.
Low beams
High beams
Camera doesn't do it justice but they do light up the road very well (flood lights) and quite some distance down the road (throw/spot lights).
Anyway, plodding along until I noticed the Waze was showing no speed limit..and there were cars coming flying past me. Could this be, the Autobahn? Well, when you're sitting at 150KM/H and a Mercedes E class AMG comes past you as if you had suddenly installed a reverse gear in the bike, yes. Yes it is.
It was great fun stretching the legs on the bike, legally. Decided 220 was enough for me. The end result of Autobahn results?
Lots of these...
Anyway, pit stop over and back on the road. Managed to get to the family at a reasonable hour in the morning, just in time for breakfast/lunch/tea/brunch (whatever the youths call it these days)
Great to see the wider family who reside in Switzerland. Enjoyed an afternoon nap, lounging by the pool, snacks and laughter. Could get used to this...at 32 years of age
We decided to head back to the accommodation where the mother in law, grandmother in law, wife and 2 daughters were staying at.
Now I might be a bit biased here but, this photo I really love. Might get it printed. Just sums up how good this damn bike is. It's carried me and everything I need from the UK, over 1500km, at 124+MPH, with comfort and enough poke for me. Might not be the newest or fanciest bike around but, it has something no other bike has....it's mine. (Well, ours if you ask my 2 year old)
Now, good nights kip ahead of tomorrows plans. Stelvio pass
Out the hotel room, down to the bike, loaded up and...wait, where are those custom molded earplugs, oh please tell me I haven't lost them, they cost...oh wait, what's that in my pocket. Anywho, business as normal.
The reason for my early departure was to get to some family down in Switzerland, so I decided to get a move on to get there in time for the kids to be awake so we could enjoy a day by the pool and just chilling about. Bit of "work" (riding at 4AM) before holiday mode..
Now, the benefit of leaving 2 hours before sunrise is, less traffic and, I get to test my Lone Rider lights out in the dark.
Low beams
High beams
Camera doesn't do it justice but they do light up the road very well (flood lights) and quite some distance down the road (throw/spot lights).
Anyway, plodding along until I noticed the Waze was showing no speed limit..and there were cars coming flying past me. Could this be, the Autobahn? Well, when you're sitting at 150KM/H and a Mercedes E class AMG comes past you as if you had suddenly installed a reverse gear in the bike, yes. Yes it is.
It was great fun stretching the legs on the bike, legally. Decided 220 was enough for me. The end result of Autobahn results?
Lots of these...
Anyway, pit stop over and back on the road. Managed to get to the family at a reasonable hour in the morning, just in time for breakfast/lunch/tea/brunch (whatever the youths call it these days)
Great to see the wider family who reside in Switzerland. Enjoyed an afternoon nap, lounging by the pool, snacks and laughter. Could get used to this...at 32 years of age
We decided to head back to the accommodation where the mother in law, grandmother in law, wife and 2 daughters were staying at.
Now I might be a bit biased here but, this photo I really love. Might get it printed. Just sums up how good this damn bike is. It's carried me and everything I need from the UK, over 1500km, at 124+MPH, with comfort and enough poke for me. Might not be the newest or fanciest bike around but, it has something no other bike has....it's mine. (Well, ours if you ask my 2 year old)
Now, good nights kip ahead of tomorrows plans. Stelvio pass
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