Gordo's Croatia 09 Trip Report

[casperfelix]

Gordo, excellent write up, and was great riding with you, and you proved it was worth taking the time to get the photos. Once I am back in UK and get all my photos I may do something too....

A couple of observations – you did not convey how hard it was to follow you up and down the Timmelsjosh, I could only keep up when you had the camera out – You convinced me that fingerless gloves can be a really handy on a trip like this in the heat where there is a GPS to control, MP3 music to select, the next corner comes up before you get your normal glove back on, and there were other less savoury uses for un-gloved hands you mentioned. - How well the 20 riders of mixed abilities performed on difficult roads, keeping up a good pace, as we galloped across a fair bit of Eastern Europe – The faultless reliability of the bikes, mostly 1200s, either GS or GSA, despite all the comments about unreliability(I’m sure the FPCs and tools we were carrying enjoyed the ride anyway) – You covered it well, but it is impossible to write down what it feels like to ride along the winding coast road to Split, in the sunshine, with mates riding fast, and a bike up to the challenge. It is one riding experience you should try to have before you hang your riding boots up!

Gordo, reading your report is great, particularly having shared much of it with you, and the memory will live with me for a very long time.

Absolutely agree Jim: will show Gordo's write up to all those who want to know what I did and where I went - saves doing my own.
As my weary muscles slowly relax I am already thinking about next year. Lots of lessons were learnt from doing the Croatia trip though it will take some beating. However, hopefully some of us will ride together again next year in pastures new ............................

 

[Deleted Account 180923001]

Great report Gordon, I appreciate the time it takes to resize and organise the photo's and type the text.Also appreciate the lead you took on some of the roads you had mapped out. As you seem to have more than enough photo's of my Tarp collapsing I thought you might like to see one I took of you dressed as you always were at the campsites.



T Shirt and Sort of Boxers.

All the Best Ken.

Hi Ken,

Thanks for that photo.....I never intended to flash me boxers to everyone. Great to meet you.....absolute star mate. Shame I didn't get to see you after
we all left Vienna.........I just 'knew' your passport would turn up.

later mate............


gordo

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

The pace across the Timmelsjoch, infact the pace that was set that day, was basically because I knew there were miles to do and even then we all got in late. I should have conveyed that better.....lesson learnt.

Gordo, no need for you to learn a lesson. It was me that had the lesson that day following you and learning how fast these bikes could go up those twisty passes, and then found I rode mine similar to you it would do the same. And you always waited when I dropped off a little.

It was also reassuring to meet someone else who was, how shall I put it.... not overally tall, and still riding a 1200. As we said, once you are doing 5 miles an hour the weight just disappears. The good thing about having the bike fully loaded is it brought my feet closer to the ground, and allowed me sometimes to even touch it!

 

[sijohnston]

great report gordo. i remember snapping that photo of you at the top of the timmelsjoch last year at around the same time. glad there were no snapped off clutch levers or skirmishes with buses on this ascent

the new look is great by the way!!!! you surely are able to put up that tent quicker by now too.

anyway, loved the read and it made for a more exciting thurs night at work...well done!

 

[fuddy]

Great report gordo, it was a brill 10 days.

Thanks for sorting out the routes through bosnia etc,they were great roads.

 

[Deleted Account 180923001]

great report gordo. i remember snapping that photo of you at the top of the timmelsjoch last year at around the same time. glad there were no snapped off clutch levers or skirmishes with buses on this ascent

the new look is great by the way!!!! you surely are able to put up that tent quicker by now too.

anyway, loved the read and it made for a more exciting thurs night at work...well done!

Si, you were there in spirit on the Timmels. I was having a good chuckle
to myself taking that hairpin. It wasn't your clutch lever mate (I'd have been even more impressed
if it had been).....it was your
gear lever........oh, how I laughed. Pleased you enjoyed the read.

g

 

[sijohnston]

my bad, momentary slip of concentration Gordo...thanks for correction. yeah, the hairpin was a beautiful faux-pas.

we must visit that spectacular beer festival again next summer

enjoy the weekend.

Si, you were there in spirit on the Timmels. I was having a good chuckle
to myself taking that hairpin. It wasn't your clutch lever mate (I'd have been even more impressed
if it had been).....it was your
gear lever........oh, how I laughed. Pleased you enjoyed the read.

g

 

[seamus1504]

Great ride report Gordo !! Sue and I really enjoyed the ride and meeting up with new people.
Both bikes =, Sue's Rockers 1150 and my 1150GS needn't miss a beat !!

Hope to see you again at some other UKGSERS meet.

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Folks, Just to report that the last bike from the Croatia '09 tour is safely home and in my garage, after my week working in Germany. About 5 1/4 hours riding time from Mainz to Calais on the autobahn, no twisties but a blustery wind, which was a little worse than the wind we had approaching Mainz from Colditz on Sunday last.

Gordo, my new fingerless gloves worked a treat and I was able to pop a sweet into my mouth at will.

Now that I’m back home the tour feels really over and I can reflect on what a great time we had, and what great people I met. I may even put something up here over the next few days as a newbie to this 'racing across Europoe in 10 days' lark.

 

[OceanGoing]

Courtesy of Chubs.......thanks mate.

This is the Croatian chap who kindly made his presence known.
For some reason he mistook me for a scouser and thought I was
going to have his helmet away.....cheek !!! Cant find his UKGSER name
as the note he left some months ago within the 'open invite' section has been removed.

So left to right:
Fuddy, Gordo', Mrs Stevo, Our Croatian friend, Stevo, Our Croatian friends SWMBO, Major Gadget

Hi Gordo and others
I am glad that your rest of ride was great as well, and that you made it safe. It is really pity that your stop in Split was too short to, but at least you made it , some others did not at all...
Best regards for all of you from my wife ( SWMBO? ) and me.

Oceangoing

 

[AndyT]

Very nice report - thanks for sharing. Its certainly wetted my appetite for a trip further afield than normal, I've never fancied camping on such a big trip but I guess with alot of you its nice and easy to find space and saves a lot of money for refreshments

AndyT

 

[Deleted Account 180923001]

Hi Gordo and others
I am glad that your rest of ride was great as well, and that you made it safe. It is really pity that your stop in Split was too short to, but at least you made it , some others did not at all...
Best regards for all of you from my wife ( SWMBO? ) and me.

Oceangoing

Oceangoing,
Thanks for your help when we all met up As you probably
know, we managed to buy the insurance on the border....10EU for 7 days, but like I say, thanks for making the call and offering to take us down town
that evening.
SWMBO......it is a term of respect to your good lady. It means
'She Who Must Be Obeyed'. When you tell her this you must keep a
straight face, no matter how difficult it is, and only make the knowing
smile once you are riding your GS

Nice one, mate

gordo'

 

[GSEddie]

Gordo
Great ride report I loved every minute of the trip can't wait for the next one

Eddie
Here is a pic from the top off the pass

 

[L'Escargot]

Corrections !

Ah just a little word so that Chubs doesnt wanna punch me lights out !
I didnt 'steal' his Peage ticket,it popped out at me as we approached the correct side of the machine !! Chubs had gone to the 'English ' side of the machine,sod all comes out of a blank piece of metal does it ! Yo ho ho,I said to the good woman, 'grab that,we cant turn round two up as easily as he can' And it wasnt till we moved off to wait on t'other side that we realised what trouble it had caused !
Sorry Chubs, (he was a perfect Gent and never mentioned it,didnt try to kick us off either ! )

Other than this and a little escapade with an Audi,we had a brilliant time,thanks to all who went and the organisers for their hard work.

We have video and pics which we will post (if we can ) just have to break into next door to get the video back !!

ATB,Charlie and Ruth.

 

[Deleted Account 180923001]

Ah just a little word so that Chubs doesnt wanna punch me lights out !
I didnt 'steal' his Peage ticket,it popped out at me as we approached the correct side of the machine !! Chubs had gone to the 'English ' side of the machine,sod all comes out of a blank piece of metal does it ! Yo ho ho,I said to the good woman, 'grab that,we cant turn round two up as easily as he can' And it wasnt till we moved off to wait on t'other side that we realised what trouble it had caused !
Sorry Chubs, (he was a perfect Gent and never mentioned it,didnt try to kick us off either ! )

Other than this and a little escapade with an Audi,we had a brilliant time,thanks to all who went and the organisers for their hard work.

We have video and pics which we will post (if we can ) just have to break into next door to get the video back !!

ATB,Charlie and Ruth.

I would have done the same, Charlie. From what I saw I think you stopped Chubs going through the barrier with no ticket......think Fuddy did this last year on his Italian trip and he said it all got a bit interesting at the other end !!

Love to see the pics and video.

later...........

gordo'

 

[chubs]

I would have done the same, Charlie. From what I saw I think you stopped Chubs going through the barrier with no ticket......think Fuddy did this last year on his Italian trip and he said it all got a bit interesting at the other end !!

Love to see the pics and video.

later...........

gordo'

Nope, fuddy had also told me the problems he'd had the previous year, and form filling he had to do. It was more of a case of trying to find which orafice the ticket came out, not knowing that it wouldn't arrive as 2 bikes had pulled up to the barrier!!(didn't do that again!!!!) Though it was quite funny looking back seeing gordo laughing but all the locals behind him not looking quite so amused and gesticulating in that way Italians do best.
Nearly a couple of weeks now since our return, hope everyones ok, and all various parts of the anatomy have recovered, bikes cleaned, camping equipment dried out and ready to go again!!
Really was a great trip

 

[casperfelix]

It's quite surprising how tiring the trip was was. Well for an old man like me anyway!
Having said that and having now recovered: It was a brilliant experience and I would love to do something similar next year.
I hadn't camped for years but am currently planning to buy the gear I should have taken on the Croatia trip - a better tent, sleeping bag and mattress.
As to the bike: my little 1150gs is chomping at the bit - seems to have really enjoyed being given a bit of a 'thrash' for 3k miles?
PS The thumb over the lens is unfortunate.......

 

[Deleted Account 180923001]

Courtesy of Chubs.......thanks mate.

This is the Croatian chap who kindly made his presence known.
For some reason he mistook me for a scouser and thought I was
going to have his helmet away.....cheek !!! Cant find his UKGSER name
as the note he left some months ago within the 'open invite' section has been removed.

So left to right:
Fuddy, Gordo', Mrs Stevo, Our Croatian friend, Stevo, Our Croatian friends SWMBO, Major Gadget

I laugh everytime I look at this photo. It's only because the
camber falls away really steeply that everyone, except Fuddy,
on the left of the GS 'appears' small............eh, me and Haych.
If it wasn't for the road, we'd be the same height as Stevo
and Oceangoing..............bloody Croatian roads !!!

 

[Invicta Moto]

gotta do that one day

Great report and pics.... defo food for thought.

I had a similar route planned for last year in August and then Mrs Moto went and did her foot in and we had to back out all the plans.

On again for 2010 with a stop in Brno for MotoGP on the way back.

No problems with insurance to get across Bosnia? Only €10? I was quoted €21 by the Bosnian equiv. of RAC/AA.

 

[Deleted Account 180923001]

Great report and pics.... defo food for thought.

I had a similar route planned for last year in August and then Mrs Moto went and did her foot in and we had to back out all the plans.

On again for 2010 with a stop in Brno for MotoGP on the way back.

No problems with insurance to get across Bosnia? Only €10? I was quoted €21 by the Bosnian equiv. of RAC/AA.

The green card was the first thing they wanted when we got
to the border. EU10 for 7 days.....that was no 1 day rate.
We fortunatley didn't have to find out the quality of the cover
but I'd say for the extra EU10 you'll pay with RAC/AA, it might
be worth it.

cheers for now


gordo'