R1200RS + R1250RS Forum
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Fri Oct 08, 2021 2:53 pm (Last edited: Fri Oct 08, 2021 2:59 pm)
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Hi All |
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reply
Fri Oct 08, 2021 3:43 pm (Last edited: Fri Oct 08, 2021 3:45 pm)
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I travelled Hull-Rotterdam and then Germany, Switzerland and Italian lakes last month. A couple of thoughts: 19 Plate R1250RS Exclusive with "bells & whistles" & full colour matched luggage |
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Fri Oct 08, 2021 4:05 pm (Last edited: Fri Oct 08, 2021 4:06 pm)
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Aosta: only passed through, twice, after doing the Petit St Bernard pass on the way somewhere else to avoid the Mont Blanc tunnel. It has never appeared to be the best location as a base for circular tours. Most of the roads seem to be up into the mountains to a dead end in a ski resort. You may wish to review your base if you want to do some circular routes. Spam goes here |
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Cheers Chris |
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Cheers wessie. |
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Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:47 pm (Last edited: Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:12 pm)
Zitat von Woz955 im Beitrag #4 I like a mix of dual carriageway for progress and then some country roads for variety. My first time out in 2012 on my FJR I managed Zeebrugge to t'other side of Zurich in a day. Having got lost a few times total mileage was 550 and it was 23:00 before I made it!! Going back I reduced that to circa 500 and again made it in the day and in time for the 17:30 last call for the ferry. Since then I have tried to limit my daily mileage to circa 350 but e.g. I did something like 450 miles in the day coming back from Skye. I am getting fed up with long days on boring motorways. Pre-Covid I was looking at shipping out my bike to somewhere sunny and warm and flying out to join it. There were various outfits offering that service to destinations like Malaga, Lisbon and Florence. When I looked costs were something like £350 per bike one way and then you get a cheap flight out to join it. So maybe £400 in total if you were lucky. Given that Hull-Rotterdam cost me something like £200 each way and on top of that you have wear and tear plus fuel for 700+ miles plus hotel cost(s) etc I begin to think that makes sense (Although I suspect the total cost will be £500+ by next year). I had hoped to make Corsica this year. As it was I was likely the first UK biker over the border into Italy after the Covid rules changed and Corsica was a stage too far by the time that the rules changed. Shipping the bike out to Florence would make a good start to making that happen next year. If anybody has got knowledge of companies known still to be trading offering such a service I would appreciate input. I thought I might start looking seriously around Christmas when websites should be up-to-date distinguishing those that have not survived the financial storm from those still trading. P.S. Meantime I am off to Morocco early March without the bike for a bit of sun and recreation. I paid £56 return for those flights. Fingers crossed I can find a September 2022 flight Manchester- Florence for a similar bargain basement price! Chris 19 Plate R1250RS Exclusive with "bells & whistles" & full colour matched luggage |
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Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:36 pm (Last edited: Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:37 pm)
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Regarding shipping services, which I have also seriously considered in the past, from what I have read it will not be Covid causing problems with this but Brexit. It seems that the UK no longer being in the EU causes considerable complication and extra costs for companies shipping bikes, who as things stand are apparently treated as importers/exporters with all the complexity that entails - to the point that these services may no longer be viable. I read that there are some negotiations ongoing to try to get this modified so that it is treated in the same way as if the owners were riding the bikes across and into EU countries themselves, but haven't heard any more about this. Fred |
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Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:44 pm (Last edited: Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:44 pm)
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Thanks for that Fred. 19 Plate R1250RS Exclusive with "bells & whistles" & full colour matched luggage |
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Zitat von PlacidoD im Beitrag #8 Hi Chris. Good to hear that you are back to planning and making European trips. My back is currently OK thanks, but recently had me immobilised for nearly three weeks which is not something I could risk happening abroad on a bike and getting stranded, especially if two-up. However after selling the RS I just bought a small bike (Kawasaki 650) for using locally and a campervan for foreign trips! We have had one trip to France in the van last month which has whetted the appetite for more European travel, and after reading this thread it has occurred to me that I could have the bike shipped out somewhere in Europe, then drive there in the campervan and use it as a base for bike rides. Must look into this in more detail!
Fred
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Interesting article here, and it seems that as well as transport companies, this is now causing customs complications even for individuals taking a bike in a van or on a trailer.
Fred
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Sat Oct 09, 2021 5:15 pm (Last edited: Sat Oct 09, 2021 5:40 pm)
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Tony Barker from EuroBikeTrans has very promptly just replied to me. The situation is as you describe. He has sent me a link: 19 Plate R1250RS Exclusive with "bells & whistles" & full colour matched luggage |
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I’m an Ijmuiden regular. Apart from 2020 and 2021. Have just re-booked for May 2022 using my credit voucher.
Carpe Diem!
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Thanks all. |
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Zitat von Woz955 im Beitrag #13 I am very definitely with you on that ambition. I like 3-4 nights then move on to another location. I tried taking 3 days to get to Switzerland from Rotterdam this last holiday - One night in the Eifel Region then Karlsruhe then Zurich via the B500. I did the same coming back but stayed elsewhere in the Eifel (Monschau on the way out, Simmerath on the way back). That really did not work. Shame that the ferry Hull to Zeebrugge no longer runs. That was a much better route for me. Fast roads Zeebrugge to Mons then the N40 Mons to Wellin skirting the border before joining the E411 into Luxembourg then eventually the A8 to Zweibrucken then country roads again through the Voges du Nord to Haguenau. With luck I can ship to Florence next year but if not I am tempted to spend two successive nights in the Eifel on the way out and skip the B500 giving myself a long day in the saddle from Eifel to Zurich and maybe something completely different on the way back. Chris
19 Plate R1250RS Exclusive with "bells & whistles" & full colour matched luggage
13 Plate F800GT with full luggage Past loves: Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX, Yamaha FJR1300 |
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Wed Oct 13, 2021 4:49 pm (Last edited: Wed Oct 13, 2021 4:50 pm)
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Yes, for group trips the "base for 3 nights" is what I tend to use. In normal years I arrange a trip for up to 12 people in June. Usually the last two weekends with the 5 days in between. In that time we will have 3 nights in 2 locations and use the other days for travelling. Individuals can then choose what to do on the spare days, taking a day off if wanted or a mix of riding and museums, castles etc. Spam goes here |
