First trip to Europe on a bike!

[Surrey Yeoman]

http://www.quotelinedirect.co.uk/breakdown/ has a good value breakdown product - annual European policy for £59, provided by Europ Assistance

Thanks for this tip wessie. This bunch come in cheaper for an annual recovery policy, with up to 90 days worth of european cover, than it would've cost to add 21 days of european cover to my existing Green Flag policy!

..............and again, thanks to all for the hints and tips!

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

A wise man once said to me... When preparing for a bike trip, Make a pile of all the kit you think you will need and make another pile of all the money you think you will need.


Half the kit pile and double the money pile !



Enjoy the ride

Btw I will be on the road at the same time in the same area if you fancy meeting for a java/beer lie telling session ...

Top Tip!!

As for meeting up, I don't have a plan or even a hard & fast route in mind. Planning to just go with the flow. Keep an eye out for me - I'll generally be on the coast roads. Silver 1150GSA - as per my avatar - BMW OE panniers, with a bright red Ortlieb Rack Pack strapped over the pillion seat. Union Flag sticker on the front and "Long Way Round" decals (sad I know ). Ohh, and an RAF Ensign sticker on the back of the offside pannier (offside in the UK that is!).

 

[<<Mark_C>>]

Is it worth taking a spare hall sensor and rear wheel bearing / seal on a trip like this? Both items available in Spain and Portugal, but taking your own could mean being off the road for only a couple of hours rather than a couple of days. If you don't ever use them, they'll soon find a new home in the FS&W section.

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Hall sensor runs in at about £150.00+ going from a quick search on the internet, so it's a bit dear to have as a "just in case" item I reckon.

Bike's going in for a main dealer service about two weeks before I set off, so I'll ask them to pay particular attention to the rear wheel bearing and seal, along with everything else!

Cheers,

 

[realboss7669]

Yeah, I would agree with this wholeheartedly. I have done a number of these trips France Spain Portugal touring as my parents live in Portugal. I would also advise you plan enough time that you arent pushing yourself each day (unless you like that sort of riding). Personally, I like plodding along at 50-60mph on A or even better on B roads. I like to be able to stop when I want without giving stuff about a schedule. That allows me to meet people which is all part of the adventure.

On my first trip I made a mistake of planning each day and ending up having to ride for 6-7 hrs at 70-80mph; something easily within the capabilities of an1150GSA (I have one too!), but the danger there is that you end up passing the real adventure by.

I am planning to do a trip to Portugal via France next year where we avoid all motorways and A-roads except where absolutely necessary. It will take us a long time but on the GS it will be fab.

From living in Portugal I would also recommend central Portugal. Get off the beaten track a bit as the food in local Portuguese restaurants is fabulous. Aim for restaurants where there are plenty of cars outside at lunch time as the Portuguese love good food, and will gather in the good eateries. Their cafe's are generally very good as they are fussy about what coffee they drink.

Finally, if you are going in the summer, make sure you have the right gear to stay cool as central Spain and Portugal are extremely hot. We were so hot between Caceres and Seville that at every stop we dunked our t-shirts in cold water and put them on again under our jackets!!

However bear in mind evenings and the possibility of cold or wet weather.

Am sure you will have fab time, and if you want any additional recommendations on Portugal or Spain that I can help with, feel free to drop me a PM.

Cheers mate

try to remember that your trip is about the "riding and roads" rather than trying to get somewhere. ~Enjoy the moment.
You might want to adjust your main beam so it points the correct way so as to avoid being flashed regularly at night.
Oh and fill up before you get on the ferry.

 

[Riders Rest]

No one has mentioned the "EHIC" so I will remind you get a European Health Insurance Card "EHIC" you can d it easy enough on-line here https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do Don't leave the UK without one

Other tips http://ridersrest.eu/tips.aspx

 

[Melly Senior]

Thanks for looking out for me Richard,

I 'phoned Forces Financial and checked with them direct about the engine size thing and they assure me that there's no such restriction on the policy we have, just an overall 30 day time limit on the trip.

Cheers again

Hi Surrey Yeoman: just picked up on your planning - sound like wonderful trip.

To be on the safe side double check with insurance as i have the same insurance and had to write a letter to them explaining larger cc bike and then got confirmation from them to say that was okay - wasn't any problem but i would get it in writing (although could be it's slightly different for me as retired??)

Enjoy anyhow

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Tolls?

Thanks again to all who have offered hints and tips.

This time next month I'll be on the road in France!

Can anyone give me a head's up with regard to tolls on the roads in France, Spain, Portugal?

I plan to stay off the big roads as much as possible, but I'm bound to end up on some of them and I'd like to know what a typical toll fee amounts to?

Do they have auto-booths like Dartford, where you can just lob your coins in the tub and are the tolls usually nice round figures like 3, 5, 7, 10 euros etc?

I generally have a tub of £1.00 coins in my tankkbag for UK toll bridges, so would a tub of 1 euro / 2 euro coins be the best plan?

Cheers,

 

[Wapping]

The via Michelin website is 100% accurate on tolls. Their maps also show the toll roads marked in a different colour. See sticky.

You can pay by credit card (very often not a bank debit card) or cash. Card is often easiest.

The TT tankbag has a handy rip out pouch that can take a credit card and the ticket. Just hand it to the bod in the kiosk and away you go (after getting it back).

Keep an eye on the lanes that EXCLUDE motorcycles; there is a big sign. Several posts moan about being ripped off when they use the NO MOTORCYCLE lanes

 

[z900guy]

I did my first Austria trip last year and 2 of the Gs,s and a Triumph both used up new back pads ...........pain in the ass ......... put new pads in before the trip .........apart from that have fun

Chris

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Cheers for the tip. Funnily enough I put new front & rear pads in last week. The ones I took out still have a reasonable amount of friction material left on them, so I'll sling them in the bottom of a pannier just in case - although I'm not heavy on the brakes.

Cheers again,

 

[twizzle]

Tolls= Credit Cards, much easier, look out for the Motorcycle + Car booths if you go in a "car only" lane (well signposted) expect to get tooted for putting your gloves back on! use the card even for the small charges.... no Tolls on RN roads unless you are using a large bridge etc.... Motorway tolls can add up....

Also watch out for the automatic toll booth collection lanes on major motorways...... ...treat these like the devil with a bag of crack cocaine

Credit Cards= Tell em where you are going and what countries
Photocopy your cards both sides and hide in your paperwork... if your wallet gets lifted/lost much easier to phone and cancel if you have paper copy...can also be used over telephone etc to book emergency stuff like ferries!

Petrol = ELAN in France is very expensive.... + 30 cents per litre more then all over stations watch out for Sundays when everything closes! Petrol stations use automatic pumps which do not always like Brit cards. carry cash and ask a local to fill up on his card then pay him.... i have done this a few times with no problems.

On the Right... just remember.....

LIGHTS ON ARE A LEGAL REQUIREMENT WITH ON THE SPOT FINES......easy to forget this one..... although he ( Nice Spanish Police motorcyclist) did let me off when i explained i turn my lights off to start zee big twin.....he was on an RT so understood.........

French drivers are VERY aware of motorcycles...... Spanish drivers hate you and want to kill you then reverse back over you whilst laughing manically.

European bikers are vfriendly regardless of genre/machine/type..... Adventure, Sports, Custom will all wave and if overtaking will drop a foot off the pegs to say hi.... also the French love street fighters and will ride very fast....... last year i took my Triumph Daytona over for a log weekend..... on a fast bend where i was "progressing smoothly and with out hesitation" i was undertaken by a SF Fireblade with the guy wearing Jeans and a black Jacket and he waved............respect...

Food: Well plenty of choice here.... try at least one "le routiers" for a fixed price lunch in rural areas you may not even get a menu, just served as if you are at a friends house....fantastic and around 9-11 euros for three courses and Wine.... they will swop this for water/coke if requested

Mcdonalds in France.... great for a quick "i know what i like meal"...... remember to start all orders with "le Menu best of" Bag Mac Avec Fries un Coka.... en Grande ! sorted

Enjoy... i'm to Spain on the 25th May can't wait...

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Almost time to go!

This time next week I should be in "La Belle France".

All packed and ready to stick on the panniers and go!

Just realised that pretty much the first thing I'll encounter after coming off the ferry will be that whopping great bridge, Le Pont de Normandie.

YeeeeeHaaaahh!!

 

[stolzy]

Have a great time - France is a paradise for biking, it'll be a blast

Just watch out for the priorite a droite - still catches me out.

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Just watch out for the priorite a droite - still catches me out.

I thought that had died a death??

So if I'm driving along a main road and "Pierre" wants to join from a junction on the right I have to give way????????

 

[Wapping]

I thought that had died a death??

So if I'm driving along a main road and "Pierre" wants to join from a junction on the right I have to give way????????

It is now incredibly rare.

Don't worry about it at all.

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

It is now incredibly rare.

Don't worry about it at all.

Bit like Smallpox then?

 

[stolzy]

It is now incredibly rare.

Don't worry about it at all.

Very poor advice.

I could take you to a dozen within 5 km of where I live.

They are being reintroduced as traffic calming in many villages and suburbs, often associated with a 30kph limit and raised section of road.

A French friend en route to chez nous had a car killing accident here only last year. Drove 12 km of the D486 not realising that every junction was a priorite a droite. Eventually got caught out when someone pulled out without looking onto what was apparently the main road.

3 points on her licence too.

Thinking priorite a droite has gone away could be a big mistake.

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

Cheers Stolzy,

I shall bear it in mind!

 

[Wapping]

Thinking priorite a droite has gone away could be a big mistake.

OK we saw one example this weekendnd through, say, 100 villages and small towns. A brand new sign, quite large in a very rural location, saying that the next two nearside roads had priority.

Don't let it spoil your holiday.