R1150GSA Alps to London in 12 hours....

[HTB]

I'd always wondered whether a run to or from the Alps in a day was really a practical proposition or just a little but too much. I know people do it, but its not really something I've ever wanted to do. My trip down 10 days ago, which ws the first really decent trip on the 1150 saw me break the 550 (or so) miles down into two days with an overnight stop just outside and to the southwest of Reims in a Maison d'hôte. I visted Gueux for a couple of wheelies down the old straight which led me to the direction of a place about 30 minutes further on. Obviously the photo here is post wheelies, as I was on my own and couldn't, ahem, wheelie and photo at the same time (now there's a thread we need - 'show us your selfies whilst doing a wheelie').




I purposley kept away from staying in town centres and found a place tucked away in the vinyards. TBH, I don't think France is really any more of a risk than the UK when it comes to theft. You need to be careful where-ever you park. My R1200GSA got nicked in Kingston-Upon-Thames in broad daylight under video cameras, so....

The trip down was all on A and B roads which even at this time of year were empty. And fast. There was time to stand up and stretch the legs going through villages at the required 50 and 30kph limits. There were more speed cameras around but they are pretty obvious (so I await the photo from one that I probably didn't see). Riding between Troyes and Dijon, where the mustard comes from, and in the Parc national de forêts, I didn't see anyone else on the road for at least 30 minutes (but it was about 08:30 so any self respecting local was still nursing a Pernod hangover). The GSA hadn't done more than a couple of hundred miles over the past few years so I was a bit anxious about the trip, but changed all of the fluids and went over the bike to make sure it was all ok beforehand. On the way down, it used a little oil.

I saw alot of this - Angry French Farmers

Yesterday I did the run from Portes de Soleil back to SW London in 12 hours on my R1150GSA, door to door, leaving a cold, rainy mountain village and arriving back in the U.K. to warm, dry, sunny weather. It wasn't raining in Northern France, or Kent, so maybe it was all just a dream.... Feeling a little beaten up today - stiff shoulders more than anything, but reflecting that:-

1. It is entirely 'doable' if you just need to get home
2. Splitting the journey up to roughly 50% off the péage and 50% on the route nationales (A and B roads as far as I'm concerned) was OK, but I could probably have stayed off the péage for more of the journey and still made the time.
3. Saturday in peak holiday season is the busiest I've ever seen the motorways in France, so you know, avoid it
4. The Beligians remain absolutely loony drivers and should be avoided at all costs. This is probably also true when their car is stationary
5. Should have taken the Telepéage tag from the car rather than worrying about tickets and payments when I did use the autoroutes
6. My BMW GS helmet is not quiet, despite ultimate earplugs, and there is considerable wind noise of the BMW communicator controls that I no longer use - I'm going back to Arai
7. A Hydropack/ bladder (Kreiga Hydro 3 in this case) really helped keep me hydrated
8. There's a fine line between hydrating and having to stop becaue you've drunk too much and need to dehydrate
9. Peach Tea is my drink of choice for the hydropack now
10. The bike is on knobblies. I bought some Conti attac3s but didn't get round to swapping them (BMW wanted £150 to do this) and actually don't regret it
11. Flexiplus on Le Shuttle on the way back was well worth it for giving me the flexibility to not worry about meeting a defined time slot on this occasion
12. It is entirely possible to fit two chocolate eclairs in your mouth at the same time in the Flexiplus lounge, but don't try putting your helmet back on at the same time

So, yes, 550miles is possible in one day without it being horrific, but it requires a bit of commitment.



Interestingly, despite loosing a bit of oil from the filler plug (new o-rings, insert and cap sitting in front of me having read this post... Oil Filler ), she used none of the way back. I'm assuming some decent use freed-up and cleaned the oil control rings, or just clogged up the old filler neck fitting....

 

[Bryn]

I managed Garmish to St.Quentin a while back on an 1150GS two up in one hit…..550miles or thereabouts…. It helps if the weather’s good

 

[simondippenhall]

Great report, great (atmospheric) photos and most importantly thank you for the eclair research which will be vital information for most Tossers

 

[glenn2926]

I’ve ridden Chamonix to Calais numerous times in one day. A middling to long day but not ridiculous. A mate did Denmark back to Sheffield in a day, 1100 miles. That’s a long day. He was on a Kawasaki GTR 1400.

 

[Neil W]

Pre speed cameras on every street corner I drove overnight from Interlaken to Zeebrugge in 8 hours , mind you it was a VR6 Golf with only one fuel stop, doubt I could do it on a bike (especially nowadays)

 

[HTB]

I’ve ridden Chamonix to Calais numerous times in one day. A middling to long day but not ridiculous. A mate did Denmark back to Sheffield in a day, 1100 miles. That’s a long day. He was on a Kawasaki GTR 1400.

Do you mean, you've done it in one day, numerous times, or you've done it numerous times in one day? If its the latter, I am impressed!

 

[glenn2926]

Do you mean, you've done it in one day, numerous times, or you've done it numerous times in one day? If its the latter, I am impressed!

I’ve done the trip in one day numerous times. There and back in a day would be some ride though. .

 

[er-minio]

Nice report!
Beautiful 1150 Adv.

Not exactly all the way to the Alps, but I've once done from my place in NW London to a ~100km shy of Gap to meet some friends and then go up and down the alps staying near Ventimiglia.

I would not do it again.

Splitting the journey up to roughly 50% off the péage and 50% on the route nationales (A and B roads as far as I'm concerned) was OK, but I could probably have stayed off the péage for more of the journey and still made the time.

I do agree. One good thing France has is fairly fast B roads where you can keep decent progress.
I'm going to Italy next week and the route is pretty much 70/30 B roads and motorway (mostly the northen bit).

Saturday in peak holiday season is the busiest I've ever seen the motorways in France, so you know, avoid it

Ya. Next week is gonna be carnage.
I normally do not book hotels, but I have everything booked up this time. Made that error (on the bike) a few years ago.

The Beligians remain absolutely loony drivers and should be avoided at all costs. This is probably also true when their car is stationary

Strong agree.

A Hydropack/ bladder (Kreiga Hydro 3 in this case) really helped keep me hydrated

I also find that when I get a bit "sleepy", especially on the motorbike bits, drink some water and back to new.
I never used the hydropacks until recent years.

Agree on the return flexiplus. Even though, over the years, I became extremely good with the return's timing

 

[er-minio]

Pre speed cameras on every street corner I drove overnight from Interlaken to Zeebrugge in 8 hours

I do the London/Rome drive (car) quite often. There is something like 50 speed cameras from London to Folkestone.
Probably 10 in the entire route from Calais to the Italian border.

 

[Udders]

The best I ever managed was packing the tent away in Andermatt in the morning and getting back home in Norfolk in the late evening. I had planned on staying somewhere overnight short of Calais but the weather for that night and next day looked atrocious so I just carried on!
I still have that good old 1150 GS and it never missed a beat.

 

[Bryn]

I’ve ridden Chamonix to Calais numerous times in one day. A middling to long day but not ridiculous. A mate did Denmark back to Sheffield in a day, 1100 miles. That’s a long day. He was on a Kawasaki GTR 1400.

I miss my GTR 1400 …. That would be the bike to do it on

 

[Arsey]

I'd always wondered whether a run to or from the Alps in a day was really a practical proposition or just a little but too much. I know people do it, but its not really something I've ever wanted to do. My trip down 10 days ago, which ws the first really decent trip on the 1150 saw me break the 550 (or so) miles down into two days with an overnight stop just outside and to the southwest of Reims in a Maison d'hôte. I visted Gueux for a couple of wheelies down the old straight which led me to the direction of a place about 30 minutes further on. Obviously the photo here is post wheelies, as I was on my own and couldn't, ahem, wheelie and photo at the same time (now there's a thread we need - 'show us your selfies whilst doing a wheelie').


View attachment 432503

I purposley kept away from staying in town centres and found a place tucked away in the vinyards. TBH, I don't think France is really any more of a risk than the UK when it comes to theft. You need to be careful where-ever you park. My R1200GSA got nicked in Kingston-Upon-Thames in broad daylight under video cameras, so....

The trip down was all on A and B roads which even at this time of year were empty. And fast. There was time to stand up and stretch the legs going through villages at the required 50 and 30kph limits. There were more speed cameras around but they are pretty obvious (so I await the photo from one that I probably didn't see). Riding between Troyes and Dijon, where the mustard comes from, and in the Parc national de forêts, I didn't see anyone else on the road for at least 30 minutes (but it was about 08:30 so any self respecting local was still nursing a Pernod hangover). The GSA hadn't done more than a couple of hundred miles over the past few years so I was a bit anxious about the trip, but changed all of the fluids and went over the bike to make sure it was all ok beforehand. On the way down, it used a little oil.

I saw alot of this - Angry French Farmers

Yesterday I did the run from Portes de Soleil back to SW London in 12 hours on my R1150GSA, door to door, leaving a cold, rainy mountain village and arriving back in the U.K. to warm, dry, sunny weather. It wasn't raining in Northern France, or Kent, so maybe it was all just a dream.... Feeling a little beaten up today - stiff shoulders more than anything, but reflecting that:-

1. It is entirely 'doable' if you just need to get home
2. Splitting the journey up to roughly 50% off the péage and 50% on the route nationales (A and B roads as far as I'm concerned) was OK, but I could probably have stayed off the péage for more of the journey and still made the time.
3. Saturday in peak holiday season is the busiest I've ever seen the motorways in France, so you know, avoid it
4. The Beligians remain absolutely loony drivers and should be avoided at all costs. This is probably also true when their car is stationary
5. Should have taken the Telepéage tag from the car rather than worrying about tickets and payments when I did use the autoroutes
6. My BMW GS helmet is not quiet, despite ultimate earplugs, and there is considerable wind noise of the BMW communicator controls that I no longer use - I'm going back to Arai
7. A Hydropack/ bladder (Kreiga Hydro 3 in this case) really helped keep me hydrated
8. There's a fine line between hydrating and having to stop becaue you've drunk too much and need to dehydrate
9. Peach Tea is my drink of choice for the hydropack now
10. The bike is on knobblies. I bought some Conti attac3s but didn't get round to swapping them (BMW wanted £150 to do this) and actually don't regret it
11. Flexiplus on Le Shuttle on the way back was well worth it for giving me the flexibility to not worry about meeting a defined time slot on this occasion
12. It is entirely possible to fit two chocolate eclairs in your mouth at the same time in the Flexiplus lounge, but don't try putting your helmet back on at the same time

So, yes, 550miles is possible in one day without it being horrific, but it requires a bit of commitment.

View attachment 432506

Interestingly, despite loosing a bit of oil from the filler plug (new o-rings, insert and cap sitting in front of me having read this post... Oil Filler ), she used none of the way back. I'm assuming some decent use freed-up and cleaned the oil control rings, or just clogged up the old filler neck fitting....

Pah
Did 680 miles in a day on my Husky 701 from Asturias to Brittany

 

[theoneandonly]

Peage , that's " cheating " , but a very impressive time including tunnel.

 

[simondippenhall]

I’ve ridden Chamonix to Calais numerous times in one day. A middling to long day but not ridiculous. A mate did Denmark back to Sheffield in a day, 1100 miles. That’s a long day. He was on a Kawasaki GTR 1400.

Did something similar (ish) when I rode from a bit west of Copenhagen to Farnham, Surrey in a day despite monster congestion in Germany (cue massive filtering cosplaying an emergency vehicle) and a prolonged queue and delay in boarding the Tunnel Shuttle (thanks Brexiteers!).

 

[glenn2926]

Did something similar (ish) when I riode from a bit west of Copenhagen to Farnham, Surrey in a day despite monster congestion in Germany (cue massive filtering cosplaying an emergency vehicle) and a prolonged queue and delay in boarding the Tunnel Shuttle (thanks Brexiteers!).

Did a south coast to Calais pre EU days in a van. Passports control etc were just like now. It’s not a new thing. I didn’t vote either way as I didn’t have enough information to make decision.
Blaming Brexit for queues at borders is a strange one. We’ve queued many times over the years both when we were in the EU and when we weren’t/aren’t. Sometimes there’s just a lot of people wanting to travel at the same time. The south coast ports and tunnel are the busiest crossing points both to and from this island. No delays boarding the North Sea ferry from or to Hull. It always sails at the same time.

 

[simondippenhall]

Did a south coast to Calais pre EU days in a van. Passports control etc were just like now. It’s not a new thing. I didn’t vote either way as I didn’t have enough information to make decision.
Blaming Brexit for queues at borders is a strange one. We’ve queued many times over the years both when we were in the EU and when we weren’t/aren’t. Sometimes there’s just a lot of people wanting to travel at the same time. The south coast ports and tunnel are the busiest crossing points both to and from this island. No delays boarding the North Sea ferry from or to Hull. It always sails at the same time.

I understand what you are saying but the UK border officer attributed the delays to new checks post Brexit…make of that what you will

 

[Pukmeister]

Great report, thanks for that.

I can recall the feeling of taking two days from leaving home to hitting the South of France and being knackered and massively dehydrated on arrival.

Much respect.

 

[twizzle]

Back in June I left my hotel in Ouistreham at 0630 arriving at my accommodation near Biarritz at 1530 just over 515 miles a very easy day on a Harley……

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Been out on mine this afternoon

Great bikes


Done a few 5-600 mile days in her, over the years

Easy bike to cover distance

 

[jefformston]

I’l join, Lyon to Tyneside 870 miles on a CX500 back in 1983. Left Lyon at 12:00 in a heavy rain storm and just kept riding as we didn’t fancy pitching the tent. Arrived in Calais around midnight, short wait then on the ferry, no tunnel in those days, then up the A2 got lost in London, found our way to the A1 then for me north home. What’s more impressive is my travelling companion was on an RD400, we split north of London somewhere and he went onto Blackburn. I arrived home around 9:00am, 22 hours after setting off.