[Previous entry: "Croft Crash 2"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Not a lot happening"]

06/24/2005 Archived Entry: "tour update"

Well we're back from 17 days around Europe, we covered 3300 miles, and took in Belgium, France, Andorra, Spain (for the motogp), France again, Germany and back to Belgium.

Thanks to John and Tonia from MCNNINJAS for the info for accomodation at Les Cabannes in France, Marie France was spot on and I think the pubs takings doubled for the time we were there, also thanks to John again for the excellent rideouts, I can see why you are ll going back there this year.

The journey started by taking the ferry from Hull to Zebrugge (overnight) the spending the first day mach1-ing through France to Clermont Ferrand, after that we headed down to Les Cabannes for 4 days in some of the best roads in France (if not europe).

The Second day we were doing the ride through Andorra, Spain and back into France route, We had just got to the bottom of the mountain past Mont Louis when Scotty realised that he no longer had his 'bum' bag on, which was carrying both his and Billys, passports, V5's Insurance, MOT, All credit cards, digi camera...etc etc, so a slow ride up and down the mountain and we still couldnt find it, I even had the helmet cam mounted on the back of the bike facing backwards and you can see the bag fly off him (ill put the vid up when I get a sec), but we still couldnt find it :( after visiting 5 police stations (the first 4 were shut!!!!!!) we reported it and were on our way to Spain

The motogp in Spain was excellent, the Spanish do like there fireworks and another cracking win for Rossi, 3 days of 34 degrees was a bit tough :)

So then off to Cannes for 2 days in the sun. So we chain the bikes up, also with disk locks to the bike posts, in the busy street and off for some food and beer, head down in hotel and up the next day to find Stu's GSXR750 (11 months old) was literally just gone, they left the other 3 (hard to believe they passed up the chance of my ZX6R, but they did), they must have cut the chain and 'vanned' away.

The biker cop we spoke to said that it would probably turn up in the next couple of weeks in the west side of cannes and that bike theft, particularly bigish foreign bikes was a problem in Cannes. The biker cop also mentioned that if your caught doing 35KPH over the limit now in France they impound your bike on the spot for 30 days, so be carefull.

Fortunatley we had all taken AA 5star cover (£69 for 17 days) and they gave him a hire car and taxis for the last 4 days of the hols, then another hire car from Hull to Newcastle to get him home.

The last 2-3 days was spent at the Nurburgring in Germany (loads of police speed traps set up around this area and they are fond of impounding your bike) where you think your going quick until a local passes you who knows the track a lot better than you do. All in all a good 17 days away with some excellent roads, food & beer, shame about the passports and GSXR

Moral of the story, get AA 5Star cover if your going to Europe, and if your in Cannes and see a bike thief on a Blue and White GSXR 750, shoot them in the face for me :D

//Bod