The plan was a solo ride of La Route Des Grandes Alpes, but as my planning evolved, by best friend (wife) said, "can I come?". The plan needed to change; girls and boys have different ideas of what makes a good holiday and a motorcycle road blast of challenging twists was no longer on the cards. Comfortable evenings are a high priority.
The Route
2,500 miles and the challenge of crossing La Manche twice. Maximising my wife's comfort meant flying her into Geneva
I only had the beginning of June available and was very aware that Le Col D'Iseran was closed, but alternative routes were pre loaded.
The Gear
GSAWC TE, BMW boxes, BMW straps, Rok Straps, Lomo bag,Rucksack, BMW riding suits,waterproofs, High Viz,High Viz stickers on helmets,FR approved breathalysers,(Yes I know some of that not legally required but I am not fluent enough to argue points) First aid kit,Insurance certificates,driving licence, Vehicle registration document,Passports, EH1-11, Helmet locks, USB adaptor to charge devices,Puncture repair kit, Travel insurance. NavV pre programmed with routes and waypoints, France map, ,Scala Rider comms,Fuji X100, Drift GhostS,iPhones and iPads Several different bank cards
Two airhawks for max saddle comfort and proved completely unnecessary (ill try and review the suspension and the bike later)
One box for my wife, one for me (the narrower exhaust one), top box for accessories, Lomo and rucksack for waterproofs and less important stuff
Bike VERY heavy incl the kitchen sink:
Note Wunderlich extenders because awful weather was forecast , HOW WRONG WAS THAT
Day 1 (of 17)
3 hr ride at the end of he day, to a familiar Folkestone b&b, simple, no fuss and 2 minutes from Le Shuttle
Very basic room and the owner supplies breakfast the evening before departure, so that shuttlers can depart in the early hours:
Day 2 to Calais and on to Beaune
A very simple breakfast and then I was off:
By 08.30am I was on Le Shuttle, after chatting to a member in the waiting area, from this site called Worthing (I believe)
Everything going according to plan so far, then there was a delay exiting Le Shuttle and I was overheating, so off came my helmet and sunglasses. Suddenly we were off again and as we all departed, I was hit by very bright sunlight and realised that I had lost my sunglasses and it was impossible to turn around. (The bike was so heavy that I couldn't have turned it around anyway).AArgh, how can I ride for 5 hrs without my sunglasses, my mind was cogitating. Everyone went through customs and I heard a loud Stebel type horn on my throttle side and a Newcastle couple on a trike were coming alongside, the wife holding out my sunglasses. Quick thinking, cruise control ON, right throttle hand out and we exchanged sunglasses like ships refuelling at sea.
Very happy again and NavV set for BEAUNE (Nr Dijon)
130kph as much as possible and I was very comfortably at Le Hotel De La Cloche by 5pm
Secure parking in the private rear car park, superb location right in the centre. Negative would be that I was up in the roof, forgetting which floor, but there was no lift and carrying my luggage
wasn't fun and it was very warm.
A lovely evening meal followed together with a local Rhone wine to quench my thirst
Every town in this Rhone area has a bottle of wine named after it and it is a very pleasant area
I slept very well that night ready for my next day's task, which would be to stay in France, so as to avoid the need to purchase a Swiss carnet and collect my wife from a Swiss airport
The Route
2,500 miles and the challenge of crossing La Manche twice. Maximising my wife's comfort meant flying her into Geneva
I only had the beginning of June available and was very aware that Le Col D'Iseran was closed, but alternative routes were pre loaded.
The Gear
GSAWC TE, BMW boxes, BMW straps, Rok Straps, Lomo bag,Rucksack, BMW riding suits,waterproofs, High Viz,High Viz stickers on helmets,FR approved breathalysers,(Yes I know some of that not legally required but I am not fluent enough to argue points) First aid kit,Insurance certificates,driving licence, Vehicle registration document,Passports, EH1-11, Helmet locks, USB adaptor to charge devices,Puncture repair kit, Travel insurance. NavV pre programmed with routes and waypoints, France map, ,Scala Rider comms,Fuji X100, Drift GhostS,iPhones and iPads Several different bank cards
Two airhawks for max saddle comfort and proved completely unnecessary (ill try and review the suspension and the bike later)
One box for my wife, one for me (the narrower exhaust one), top box for accessories, Lomo and rucksack for waterproofs and less important stuff
Bike VERY heavy incl the kitchen sink:
Note Wunderlich extenders because awful weather was forecast , HOW WRONG WAS THAT
Day 1 (of 17)
3 hr ride at the end of he day, to a familiar Folkestone b&b, simple, no fuss and 2 minutes from Le Shuttle
Very basic room and the owner supplies breakfast the evening before departure, so that shuttlers can depart in the early hours:
Day 2 to Calais and on to Beaune
A very simple breakfast and then I was off:
By 08.30am I was on Le Shuttle, after chatting to a member in the waiting area, from this site called Worthing (I believe)
Everything going according to plan so far, then there was a delay exiting Le Shuttle and I was overheating, so off came my helmet and sunglasses. Suddenly we were off again and as we all departed, I was hit by very bright sunlight and realised that I had lost my sunglasses and it was impossible to turn around. (The bike was so heavy that I couldn't have turned it around anyway
).AArgh, how can I ride for 5 hrs without my sunglasses, my mind was cogitating. Everyone went through customs and I heard a loud Stebel type horn on my throttle side and a Newcastle couple on a trike were coming alongside, the wife holding out my sunglasses. Quick thinking, cruise control ON, right throttle hand out and we exchanged sunglasses like ships refuelling at sea.Very happy again and NavV set for BEAUNE (Nr Dijon)
130kph as much as possible and I was very comfortably at Le Hotel De La Cloche by 5pm
Secure parking in the private rear car park, superb location right in the centre. Negative would be that I was up in the roof, forgetting which floor, but there was no lift and carrying my luggage
wasn't fun and it was very warm.
A lovely evening meal followed together with a local Rhone wine to quench my thirst
Every town in this Rhone area has a bottle of wine named after it and it is a very pleasant area
I slept very well that night ready for my next day's task, which would be to stay in France, so as to avoid the need to purchase a Swiss carnet and collect my wife from a Swiss airport
