Ali in Austria

It all depends on your budget. My Rukka gear is still doing its job 10 years down the line. 10 years of many thousands of miles, extremes of weather and temperatures and much abuse. But it is not cheap. Where in Europe are you going? Don't assume it is always hot or you may have a grim time. You can hit a Blizzard in The Alps or sudden cold weather at any time. European Thunderstorms are something else. Make sure you have kit that can cope with both extremes. Even with Textiles, it is good to have an over-suit, preferably 2 piece as they are easier to get on in a hurry. It will keep your textiles clean and drier. Budget textiles tend to be about a 500 weave. Rukka and the likes are 1500 and far more abrasion resistant. I have tested mine thoroughly. Modern textile materials such as Rukka CoolMax can deal with heat and cold. Modern textiles also breathe. In order to do so they need to be clean. Wash them periodically with a proprietary wash such as NikWax Tech Wash and every 3 washes top up with NikWax TC Wash In. On materials where water beads, if it starts to soak in then it is usually because they need cleaning. I ride in The Alps from March to November and usually only have a T Shirt under my Rukka Suit, swapping the thermal liner as I need to. A Pair of Summer and Winter gloves make all the difference. Even in winter on the Quad I usually only have a EDZ Yetti Fleece in addition to my normal gear. Like most things, you get what you pay for but even a budget suit used in conjunction with an over-suit will keep you cosy. In order to remain cosy, waterproof boots and gloves are a must. Nothing worse than putting on wet gear in the morning when there is no chance of the weather improving. It is not always easy to dry your gear overnight unless you are staying somewhere with drying facilities for bikers. The central heating is usually unnecessary and off in the summer. Sorry I can't recommend cheaper gear as over the years I have accumulated a loft full of bargains that don't work but hopefully the tips will be of use

It was a lovely warm sunny day but masked a strong biting wind higher up. Cr*p music (Otherwise it gets blocked in Germany and Austria) but nice scenery and it is on my door step ">

It appears the Spanish & Greeks are refusing to honour the EHIC's illegally. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/travel/2013/03/warning-ehics-illegally-declined-spain-greece EHIC's were never intended to replace Travel Insurance and this emphasises the importance of having some.

Make sure the Hire Company allow it to be taken to Europe. Breath Test Kit x 2 is still required to be carried in France but as of March 1st 2013 The French government have repealed any fine for not having it (Bizzare or what). Bulb kit, Hi Vis 1 per person, Warning Triangle and First Aid kit all or some of which is required in various countries on your route. No problem sleeping in Services or Rest Areas just don't go pitching a tent and keep your doors locked.

I didn't see the original but I guess he took the Gif down on his own hosting site and replaced it with the Text keeping the link the same.

People using the shops to try before they buy elsewhere are a pain but it won't last forever. Soon the shops will be gone. When trying a helmet and it feels comfortable, keep it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Any little discomfort during that time should ring alarm bells as it will be very painful after an hour or so. If you decide that is the helmet for you, make sure you also try on the one they give you in the box as a demo can be well broken in.

Used to stay at the same B&B as the M&P guys when doing the NEC Bike Show. Good bunch of lads and lass.

We have to have them by law. End of October to end of March. Life carries on as normal throughout the winter. Occasionaly have to put chains on our Mini Bus due to the amount of snow we get up here but our little Dihatsu Sirion has never needed them. They wear down quickly when the weather warms up though.

HMV's trading was at its lowest since records began

A lot of motorways in Europe are only 2 lanes. Switzerland has motorways and a years Vignette is around 40 quid from memory. The Austrian scanners rely on registration numbers and send the fine to the owner. I don't think they bother with foreigners yet. It is rare but they do checks at the bottom of "Off" slip roads. If you see a sign warning of queues on a slip road it is often because of the checks. It isn't worth taking a chance for the sake of €4,80 for 10 days. If you get out our way look us up.

Switzerland is no different to any other Alpine Region mate. The downside is the Police do not like motorists full stop. 80kph (50mph) limit on normal roads and very expensive on the spot fines. I know a German who got clocked at 120 kph (75mph) just trying to get back with his group and he got 600 euro on the spot, instant ban and the promise of a further 600 euro fine in the post which if it wasn't paid, the advice was not to return. I've seen them do multi stops on bikes and a defective tyre attracted 500 euro on the spot. They don't discriminate against bikers and everyone is fair game. A Ferrari driver is still appealing his 16000 euro fine. They appear to means test when applying fines. Full years Vignette required for their motorways. Fantastic roads and spectacular high passes but be aware of the consequences of getting carried away. Don't worry if you haven't got the cash on you. They very kindly give you a lift to a Cash Point.

Good luck in your new life. As someone who has done similar, albeit not so far, It is an experience not to miss.

Have a look here http://www.actioncameras.co.uk/sale-special-offers 50 Quid off the Drift HD (1080p) and very, very good. 30 Quid off the Drift HD720 (720p) and comes in under 100GBP.

http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd406/PensionHausMaria/file-47.jpg Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Seasons Greetings from Ramsau Am Dachstein Have a good one Ali & Denise

I have an OKI CS650. Had it about 3 years now so I suspect it may have been superseded. I get my supplies from Ink Club and the refill kits work well. Do a lot of printing on to Vinyl with it.

How do you prove they were there? They have film, photographs, samples, data and the people that actually went but that isn't enough for some. Special effects used must have taken a long time to filter through to the film and TV industry as even 20 years later major film companies still couldn't make movement in space look realistic. Next time Zod pops home, get him to drop by and check out the landing sites

I disagree. You Tube etc is littered with similar material, most of which isn't put there to get a message home, it is put there to generate viewing figures and revenue. This is a compilation of hard hitting adverts and real incident footage put together to gain viewings. If it was done as a safety film (which I doubt) it was ill conceived and far to long. The various staged scenarios are enough in their own right as a stand alone and were almost certainly created as such. The first real incident doesn't appear in the first 30 seconds. IMHO if you want to view this type of stuff you can search for it in the traditional places. If you do insist on putting it on a forum a warning of its content should be included and there certainly shouldn't be encouragement to view it to the end. Many Bikers have lost friends or loved ones in unpleasant accidents and probably don't want to be reminded let alone see this stuff. But then I'm getting a bit long in the tooth and having dealt with many similar incidents and their aftereffects in the real world perhaps I'm not tolerant enough. I'll shut up.

While many clips in the video are staged some are actual footage of people being killed. Not everyone wants to watch that kind of thing. May be a warning would have been a good idea.

Certain tinted visors are legal in the UK if they only restrict a certain amount of light as defined in the Regs. You can get a fine for using an illegal one. Similar to the Regs for tinted windows in cars. There were two main reasons for the regulations. Dark visors blur the peripheral vision and, at the time of the regulations, tinted visors didn't pass the ballistic test. For some reason they were more brittle but I'm sure materials have moved on since then though. Secondary internal visors aren't regulated and can be as dark as you like and no different in principle to wearing sunglasses. You would be unlucky to get a fine unless you wear an illegal one at night.

Anyone interested in this, the next attempt is scheduled for a little over 3 hours time. http://www.redbullstratos.com/live/

Anyone who has a GoProHD2 and the WiFi BacPac can now get the long awaited App to connect to a smart phone or tablet. http://gopro.com/software-app/gopro-app/ I've been playing with it today and it certainly makes setting up a helmet cam so easy. A few seconds lag live streaming which hopefully will be addressed in the future but it certainly makes accessing the settings much simpler and a one touch selection to revert to the remote control.

Power sliding my Road going GSXR1000 round Cadwell Park thinking I was a Racing God only to discover my Scottoiler had thrown a wobbler and was liberally coating my back tyre.

No sooner than the question is asked, a victim comes along! Taken from the TRC Forums http://www.therevcounter.com/motorbike-touring-forum/81390-banned-in-france.html I got back from a trip a few days ago. To cut a long story short, I was caught speeding down on the N85 between Barreme and Castellane. Yes, yes....poor obs....I think I was 'got' by a hiding Police motorcyclist. The limit was 90KMH, my speed was measured at 152KMH, 94MPH. Ironically, my police bike escorted ride to Digne les Bans (with blue flashing lights and sirens) was conducted at that exact speed. I was pretty worried and thought for a time they were going to lock me up. Due to me doing more than 40KMH over the limit, I was fined 750 Euros, banned immediately (driving licence taken) and had to park the bike up at the cop shop. I have since received confirmation that I am banned from driving in France for six months. A very kind chap on our campsite rode the bike to the Italian border for me so I could get home. All my own fault, and I'm kicking myself but there you go. Be careful out there chaps, they mean business.

Due to the nature of an Airtex type jacket, it is likely to be trashed in an off but the armour should do its job. I only ever where textile or kevlar these days. Over the years I have spent a fortune on gear that doesn't work and when I got in to serious regular touring I invested in a Rukka suit. Not cheap but it is now 7 years old with many thousands of miles behind it and still does its job. Surprisingly it still fits but that may be because I was already a Lard Arse when I bought it. Two low speed offs on ice with initial impact in the same shoulder area have resulted in a barely visible bobbling of the outer material. Textile suits such as Rukka have a much denser weave than most and will put up with much abuse, even low to mid speed offs. They don't come cheap though. The Kevlar in denim style jackets and jeans will keep their integrity but won:t protect you from friction burns and as for an impact with the tarmac or an object, without some form of armour, they offer no protection. The latter applies to any material including leather of course. The Denim style material will shred very easily destroying the garment in question. I have tested them in anger and they did a good job but chest armour might have prevented the 6 broken ribs and punctured lung. If I had secured the cuffs I probably wouldn't have had a bad case of Road Rash on my forearm, but it was a hot day, I've seen even expensive leather suits fail under duress, seems splitting etc.... and in my view they aren't the be all and end all. The most important thing is that whatever you wear it must fit well, securing properly around the wrists so it doesn't ride up, the same around the back and ankles and that the armour sits naturally in the correct position when on a bike. Be wary of jackets with zip off arms. I have seen some ugly injuries caused by the zips.

Most motorways are tolls where you either take a ticket at the first Toll Booth you come to and pay when you exit or the Toll Zone changes, or if a short stretch you pay as you enter. Some stretches have no Tolls such as the one from Calais in to Belgium. Have easy access to money and somewhere to put the ticket. Most Toll Booths have a rest area immediately the other side, pull in to stow your money or ticket and replace your gloves. Don't hold the traffic up doing it at the booth. Speeding fines are on the spot and they will take you to a Cash Point. The inability to pay can result in arrest. Never heard of anyone from the UK being pursued for a Camera Offence though. In serious cases it can be a hefty fine, an instant ban and your bike seized. Some idiots I know regularly had this happen to them. Fines of around €700,-, a ban and the bike seized with the threat of destruction if it is not collected within 4 weeks by someone with a valid licence. They were the extreme though and the Police do tend to be more lenient away from the channel ports and Paris. The failure to carry a breatherlyser will become enforceable with a small fine from November 2012. You need a reflective jacket in the event you break down on a motorway when you and any pillion must wear one. Carry spare bulbs and fuses because if you get stopped for a lighting defect and can't replace or fix it immediately you can be fined. Carry a small First Aid kit as their is a duty of care for all drivers & riders to render assistance in the event of an accident. You are meant to wear a certain amount of reflective clothing. Speed limits are displayed at entry points to the country. France has lower limits in wet weather but these are also displayed. Towns and villages are usually 50kph and this is often enforced by way of Radar Traps. A Town or Village name will signify the start of the limit and a similar sign with a line through it as you leave will signify the end. It is their country, observe these limits and you won't go far wrong. In some rural areas their is a bizarre system where you give way to traffic merging from the right, even if they are emerging from a side road. There are signs that indicate these zones. They are quite rare though. Carry original Driving Licence, Insurance and Reg Doc. It is handy to have written notification from your Insurance Company that you are covered in France as the French Police don't have easy access to The MIB. Some will post that they never bother with the above and have never had a problem. Good for them but they have been lucky. Now you have the basic information you can relax and enjoy your trip.