nomad

I wouldnt agree as you will be doing the ring on tyres that have just done 2,000 or so miles and possibly may need replacing making the risk of having an off more. Good point Riff lots to consider. I guess you just have to do what fits at the time.

If you are planning to do the Nurburgring I would try and do this towards the end of the trip, if you have an off here this could be the end of your holiday and a problem getting your bike home, just a thought.

Not sure why the link was removed as it wasn't an Add nor was it spam ? it is simply my personal blog with trips me and the Mrs have done all round europe, Turkey, etc. it is relevant to the question asked... here is the link again http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk it isn't a business site Mods?

You are fine to ride abroad as long as you have a full license a bike, passport and insurance. I have done similar tours and have posted my tips on the foum (which you can read) pics, routes of the ride I completed are at (link removed) I think it is great that you not only want to tour but you will be touring this year. Riding abroad is no different really than the UK except for the obvious of course. I will be interested to read your report and see the route you ride/plan

Top lnk many thanks

Scotland great place to tour, here is a tour report of a Scotland trip Wendy and I did some time ago before coming over here to France, might give you some ideas

I have PM'd you

Yeah sorry about the link if an attendant fills you up they will stop short of full and if they can to the nearest 10centimes as they do not like the copper coins at all they will be pleased if you were to do the same, I usually aim for the nearet whole euro I have posted some tips here *removed*Ride safe

Lee if you are riding down consider leaving from Portsmouth to Le-Havre LD-Lines are probably the cheapest currently for the crossing and do a night crossing, gets you away from the industrial Calais, and if you are winging down past Limoges look us up http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... f=3&t=9514

Yeah I did get some funny looks when I parked up and through the town as I approached, but the roads were clear all the way, bit white with salt though.

What a better way to start the new year off than a 160 mile ride on the 1st Jan it was a round trip from *link removed as it contravenes TMBF advertising policy* and back http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan001.jpg This is overlooking Lac Viam on the D979 Just before Bugeat you cannot really see from the picture that the lake is frozen http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan002.jpg Chateau de Val on the river Dordogne in the Cantal region http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan003.jpg le Sancey Piste Ski slope on Mt Dore http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan004.jpg on the Piste in Puy de Dom - This area is the source of the River Dordogne http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan005.jpg Looking down into Mt Dore with Super Besse in the distance http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan006.jpg on the decent to the town of Mt Dore http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan007.jpg As the sign says Pays de Besse Cezallier Sancy des Lacs et des Volcans Facing East http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan008.jpg Pays de Besse Cezallier Sancy des Lacs et des Volcans Facing West http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k11/jan009.jpg above Bort les Orgues on the opposite side of the Dordogne to Chateau de Val, centre of the picture is the Dam or Barrage

If you want to avoid Paris, head for Rouen, then Evreux Chatre Orleans then pick up The D940 south nice.

Went for a ride today, the window was 11:00 - 15:30 ish, Sunny so vision impaired due to low sun, but what a really nice day to get out, not too cold but plenty of places the sun didn't rach so some arse clenching moments... http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k10/dec001.jpg http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k10/dec002.jpg http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k10/dec004.jpg http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k10/dec003.jpg http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k10/dec005.jpg Came across loads of combinations headed in the same direction as I was for a while, must have seen 40 or 50 of them none were local... Turned out to be this lot... http://tll.kewego.com/t/0/0708/154x114_iLyROoafIqnZ_2.jpg LES MILLEVACHES - kewego

located under the right hand side panel there is a fuse box, There is a ten amp fuse which is for the fan, check this it is probably your problem, Had the same problem with the wifes CB500S. - Hope it works

It is but it is worth slowing down when approaching a toll booth and conforming with the seed limit on the approach as the Police (Gendarme) see this as an easy target to use their Radar guns to good effect.

No you won't look a wally do it I wear Leather trousers and a textile jacket quite frequently

If it is in the centre of the tyre it is fine to repair, but if it is in the wall of the tyre you should replace it. You can either take the bike to a bike place which does tyres who can vulcanise it or put some "Slime" in it http://www.slime.com/ I have run bikes with punctures on this with no real issues. This one I plugged with those kits you can buy, and then slimed it once I got home ran it for a fuirther 4,000 miles without a problem. http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k9/rm007.jpg http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k9/rm010.jpg

I didn't think they were doing a Prologue 2011 in the Vendee ? rumour mill http://paris.thover.com/article/341/en/ ... ages-.html Looks like they will also do Puy Mary in the Cantal for 2011 in July some time, Have enjoyed this region of France so will make a note to watch for info and get up there for the race if possible... It is only an hour and a half from us. This is Puy Mary Taken in August http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k10/puymary001.jpg and again in June http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/2k10/me028.jpg

Okay the weather is closing in Autum is on us and the winter will soon be here and for some (not all) the bikes will be tucked up safe until next year when the weather springs into warm life... So what do you do for the winter months to get your fix of biking, Plan your next tour of Europe, Farkle with your bike putting on some bling or souping it up with a power mod maybe an exhaust or Power commander, or just a project which gets you out and into the garage... I wouldn't mind buying a spare bike another FJR1300 but mainly For me in 2011 I would like to plan a tour to Morrocco spend a couple of weeks doing it... maybe have the Mrs come along on her bike or as pillion and my eldest Son who should have his license by as early as the 20th October 2010 (just the MOD2 to do) Who's planning that trip the next tour? where are you going?

SOME TRAVEL HINTS Always Pack light... Stop Press * The French Road Safety Department has confirmed that: A law concerning the compulsory carrying of a reflective jacket (EN471) and a warning triangle (ECE R27) in France came into force on 1st July 2008. This regulation will be enforceable with on-the-spot fines, the fine will be between 90 and 135 Euros. This does not apply to Riders of two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles. 1. Bike preparation. You could be riding 2,000+ miles, make sure a service is carried out prior to going. Check tyres - are they up to the mileage and at the right pressure, also settings of bike and maximum loadings, don’t overload the bike as it will affect the handling or could cause fatigue in the frame and upset the balance/handling. Try your bike out with its loading before setting off; see if you need to ditch anything. Remember your headlamp dip direction adjusters and a GB sticker. 2. Luggage. Choose between hard and soft. Don’t just bungee down a carrier bag. Remember it may rain so if you have soft luggage it will need to be waterproofed – a plastic bin bag is cheap and ideal. If you take hard uggage is it easy to remove? If not, take an insert (carrier bag?) to make it easy to unload. Don’t take too much, you will be wearing most of your kit, and you can easily wash or buy anything you need. Remember to take waterproofs. A tank bag or bum bag is very useful for cash, passport etc, and is easily removed for security, at lunch time or for sightseeing. 3. Documentation. Essential. Passport. Driving licence – if the new photo type, you need to take the translation too. Insurance, remember to activate your green card with your insurer. You will need a bail bond still for Spain (usually part of your insurance) . Registration document – photocopy will suffice. If you have borrowed a bike, you will need copy of the Registration document and a letter of authority from the owner. Remember in Europe new licence holders are restricted to 90 KPH for the first 2 years. Riding age is 18 yrs. 4. Recommended. European breakdown cover (AA 0800 444500 or 0870 2401456. MCN/NCI 0870 9012999 RAC 0800 550055) remember some insurance companies e.g. Carole Nash give free breakdown cover but check. EHIC reciprocal health care (available on-line). European accident statement form (from insurers, comes with green card) Download a copy here. This is a multi language document which is ideal if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident. You might also consider travel insurance if you do ensure it covers you for riding a large capacity bike and if you are carrying a pillion make sure that is included. 5. Spares etc. Tool kit. Torch. Aerosol tyre repair kit. Spare bulbs (compulsory in most of Europe). Spare fuses, Chain lube. Bike lock. You will aslo need to carry a Hi-Vis vest in some European countries so check with the AA if you intend to travel onwards from France. 6. Personal. Sunglasses or tinted visor (not illegal in Europe where they are deemed a safety item!). Sun block. Map (pocket type) even if you have SatNav. Mobile phone – ensure it has Roaming for Europe enabled, if riding in a group pass all numbers between yourselves on the ferry. Have an emergency telephone number in UK that messages can be left at for relaying/passing. Ear plugs. Tie downs/protection for tie downs. On British ferries, your bike will be secured by good tie downs, on French ferries (LD-Lines, eurotunnel), you may have to tie down the bike yourself, the tie downs may be dirty/oily. Protection stops damage to your bike – it can be your riding gloves. Destinations address and phone number. Translator or language dictionary. 7. Riding in Europe. Auto routes in France have service areas every 20 KMS, called ‘AIRES’ they have everything from rest areas and toilets to petrol stations and quality restaurants. The sign on the motorway will tell you what services are available – do not run out of fuel on the auto route, it is an automatic fine. Emergency numbers – yellow box or dial 112 the European-Wide Emergency Number or in France 15 Ambulance, 17 for Police, 18 for Fire. It is COMPULSORY to ride in the daytime with headlights illuminated. Europe take lunch seriousely so ensure that you fill up before noon if you are off the beaten track as they are closed from 12h00 - 14h00. Most things are closed on Sundays except on major routes. 8. Advice. KPH are quickly covered. If you want to know the actual mileage, divide by 8 and multiply by 5. Distances to travel – you will average about 50 MPH if you stop for breaks, 65 MPH if you don’t. That means if you plan to travel 450-500 miles in a day you will be riding for some 10 hours, so set off accordingly. When you go to your bike, it is useful to have a ‘KEEP RIGHT’ reminder on the tank or somewhere visible which you will see when inserting your keys. Also let your credit card company know you are going abroad - nothing more annoying than them cancelling your card because they think it has been stolen and being used abroad. Further information can be found at http://english.controleradar.org/driving-in-france.php which also has highways information and speed camera locations... French road signs and what they mean: Some road signs are very similar to those found in the UK - but others you might not have seen - and which might have a completely different meaning than you might think - Here are some worth noting before you ride down to the Ferry... Also remember the French police will be waiting speed gun in hand along the routes to and from the Ferry ports waiting for speeding holiday makers racing to catch the ferry... http://ridersrest.eu/images/stop.jpg The same as the UK however In France ensure you put your foot down and stop. It could be an on the spot fine from a gendarme if you don't stop correctly. http://ridersrest.eu/images/s50infrance.jpg National speed limits are: 50 kph (31 mph) in built-up areas, 70 kph (44 mph) in villages, 90 kph (56 mph) on the open road, 110 kph (69 mph) on dual carriageways, and 130 kph (80 mph) on motorways. http://ridersrest.eu/images/spriorityno.jpg This means you are on the road with priority and you will be passing a junction http://ridersrest.eu/images/sxroad.jpg This sign means that the next road to your right has right-of-way- this sign indicates you are approaching a side road or crossroad you should give way to vehicles approaching from your right approach with caution. http://ridersrest.eu/images/spriority.jpg This sign indicates you are entering a zone where you have priority over any vehicles approaching from junctions on the right (found on main roads and entering a town). . http://ridersrest.eu/images/sendpriority.jpg This sign ends that zone and you no longer have priority over vehicles joining your road from the right. http://ridersrest.eu/images/ControleAutomatique.jpg This sign indicates you are aproaching a speed camera - where you see one of these there will bea speed camera. The camera will be approx 500m from where you see the sign. They look like this... http://ridersrest.eu/images/speed_camera_france%5B2%5D.JPG Enjoy your trip...

If you want to ride the UK you will have to learn how to filter through traffic here are some personal pics of my rides in the UK will give you an Idea of England, Scotland & Wales... http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk follow the menu "Riding in the UK"

Hi to you too Sarah how is Pete? the rider of the other R1 in the picture you mention 8) Wendy says Hiya too how is the wrist.

£155 sounds a bit expensive on the ferry must be Brittany Ferrys expensive. Speed ferrys are doing a £60 return for bikes but that is Dover to Boulogne - the Chunnel is cheaper too but you have to drive accross Northern France to get to your destination so I guess it is swings and roundabouts. Ridersrest is much Further South down towards the Midi-Pyrenees in the Correze. about 375 miles ride south of Le-Havre. http://www.ridersrest.net

Thought I would bump this thread again just to show some pictures of last weekend we had 16 bikes over for the may bank holiday cracking time... http://www.whereistonynow.co.uk/sem08.htm

we should just aboout break even with that price but as Drewster will know we are about the bikes, riding and the company