"European vacation...breakdowns, crashes, what a trip! (pic heavy)" thread in "Motorbike Chat"
*copied and pasted from another forum cos I aint typing it again!* The Guinea Pig is the Performance Bikes forum's little friend, more here; The ...

*copied and pasted from another forum cos I aint typing it again!* The Guinea Pig is the Performance Bikes forum's little friend, more here; The PB Forum Round The World Guinea Pig

We started out in Nottingham on Friday. The 848 and SuperDuke R (with custom comfy seat, care of a butchered RS250 pillion pad!) loaded up with luggage, we rode down to Maidstone services to meet a couple of the other guys, Weeksy and Stumpy. They were late..good start! Quick cuppa, and off to Dover to a horrible B&B. I kinda thought Dover would be nice, by the sea, lots of tourist traffic to and fro from the ferries and stuff, but it was a bit of a dump. Anyway, few drinks, off to bed ready for the ferry on Saturday morning. It was supposed to be the tunnel, but somebody ruined that one by having a bonfire with some chemicals in there or something




The bikes -
GSXR1000 x2
Ducati 749R
Ducati 848
Honda NC30
KTM SuperDuke R x2
KTM SuperDuke
KTM Supermoto R
MV Augusta F312R

We landed in Dunkerque and Danno on one of the SDR's offered to try and lead us out and to Ypres to find a relative of Couch's grave, but alas, the GPS failed, we went round in circles a lot, through some enduro sections of sand and gravel where a road had been dug up and just left for people to drive/ride over and into some tiny country roads before we started to have sense of humour failures. Luckily one of the guys has been over there a few times and managed to drag us out onto the right roads so we could actually get going.

By now we'd passed through France, Belgium and Luxembourg all on rubbish, straight and generally badly surfaced roads. People were getting grumpy, but a stop at a Fritterie next to a Yamaha quad dealership soon cheered everyone up again I wasn't that taken with Belgium, but they sure know how to make good chips! Same can't be said of the Burgers, we're not even sure what animal they were made from, but anyway

A bit further down the road and the MV decides it's had enough. It starts chucking it's coolant out, all down the side of the bike and over Stumpy's GSXR.



We all give it a good dose of looking at and agree to carry on and check it again in a few miles. To start with, it looks OK, but down into Germany and the side of the fairing is coolant blue again. We stop in the forest after, finally, some decent twisty roads and chance has it, there's some guys working on a car across the road. The boys take the MV over and they decide the only quick fix is some rad weld. Seems to do the trick, no more leakies for the rest of the trip to Sliders Guest House, however it was far from the last of the troubles for the MV...

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

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At some point, the oil light had come on, on Danno's SDR. Couch's bike has had the same problem, so it was largely ignored and the oil topped up. Not looking good for the European bikes so far We eventually made it to Bren's at about 8pm, after upsetting half the village with the noisy bikes trying to find the place, whoops! Some guy was shouting out a window at us, but it was all lost in translation. A very long day, with a welcome shower and lots of meat from the BBQ to finish up with.



After such a rubbish day's riding, we were glad to ditch the luggage and get out for a proper spin. Bren gave us a route round the Eifel region, with instructions to stop off at Cochem and check out the scenery. Before we'd got going somebody noticed that the KTM SMR had popped a fork seal...it's second one on less than 1000 miles! Guinea Pig had been travelling in the luggage, but without it, he had to take up residence under the 848's seat He stayed there for the entire ride, round the 'Ring and all day at Spa.



Anyway, the roads were absolutely stunning, I've never had the pleasure of riding anything like them before We started off in the forests with hairpin bend after hairpin bend...really hardwork, but bloody fantastic!




We had a stop to gather everyone together and have a breather, so Couch couldn't resist doing some wheelies up and down the hill...

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

Then Guinea Pig came out for a picture on the MV, but Stumpy made him roadkill



The route ended up at the Nurburgring, so those of us that wanted to do a lap could get out for one. The roads towards there were much bigger, really, really fast, open sweepers. All we'd encountered bike wise so far were very sensible Germans on touring bikes or cruisers. They are so well behaved on the roads it's untrue! If there's a solid line, they will not overtake on it. No speeding, no funny business of any kind. Then we found some Dutch guys on sportsbikes They're flipping mental, the lot of them! On new Fireblades, pulling big wheelies and absolutely flying round the roads towards the 'Ring...we had a right giggle trying to keep pace amongst the traffic You know you're getting close to the place as you suddenly start seeing loads of track cars and sportsbikes. Anyway, we stopped just short and turned back to check out Cochem and I'm glad we did. It was beautiful, a really old town with a big Castle looking down on it. There were hundreds of people there, shopping and eating and loads of bikes parked up. Well worth a visit if you go out that way.




From Cochem, we headed back up to the Nurburgring. Before we got there, it was time for a re-fuel and all the KTMs needed oil! Bloody off road bikes just can't hack the pace



Bren had warned us that the 'Ring would be busy on a Sunday and probably closed most of the day for accidents, so when we arrived and it was shut, nobody was surprised. We hung around for a bit and just as we were about to leave, they re-opened it. Well, we'd best get out and do a lap then I suppose!

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

I have to say, it's probably the most dangerous riding experience I've ever had. Obviously we had no idea where we were going, so bimbling round, looking in our mirrors made us sitting ducks for the cars to take advantage of. We tried to keep out the way for the most part, but now and again a car would just stuff it up the inside into a corner, making you sit up or headbutt a side panel, your call I would imagine that with a few laps practice you'd not get passed very much at all as the bike's can out accelerate most stuff there. I did enjoy it, in a 'shit, that was terrifying!' kinda way If we go back, it needs to be mid-week so we can find our way round without being duffed up by family saloon cars and the like

While we were there we bumped in to Bren again and I grabbed Sabine for a quick picture...





Then we had to get back to Slider's to collect our luggage and ride to Spa Francorchamps. More rubbish, Belgian roads, but at least we'd be on probably the best track in the world the following day

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

great stuff-love the guinea pig
The roads in the Eifel are fantastic.

The B&B at Spa was a strange, Motel kind of thing and the bikes had to live outside for the night. When we pulled up there was a white RC8 outside belonging to a Danish guy that posts on the SuperDuke forums. He was nice and joined us for the couple of days we were there, not quite understanding everything....how do you explain the word 'comfortable'?

It was cold, it had been most of the trip, rarely getting above 13 degrees C, so in the night it was misty and dewey. Not usually a problem for a bike, unless you own a Ducati 848 Did it want to start in the morning? Did it buggery. *click..whirr..click*, nothing. After lots of fiddling around, turning it on and off, it started and we rode to the track nice and early. The paddock was packed, mostly with Ducati's, which was strange as they seem to be in a minority on trackday's here. We eventually parked up, but decided buying a garage was the best bet. It was chaos really and we ended up late for the briefing, being locked out of the briefing room and having to walk to the end of pit lane just to be told not to crash basically. We missed our Novice session and got chucked out with the next group up, which was fine really, despite not knowing the track, it was still easy enough to pass plenty of people. We all had transponders and you could pay 10 Euros for your lap times at the end of the day. Out of curiosity, we got ours and I'd knocked 10 seconds off from the first to the last sessions, so that was cool Taking it nice and easy, on our road bikes, on our road tyres was order of the day...apart from Paul on the MV, who decided taking Eau Rouge flat, first time there, in the cold, on road tyres, would be a good idea




Luckily the footpeg could be replaced with a couple of bolts and it was still rideable, but it's going to be a write-off when the insurance see it...poor thing. He wore through his gloves, cutting his hand and through the front of his leathers, leaving a little cut on his belly How he rode so far yesterday after such a fast crash I don't know...tough guy.

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

Is that Weeksy's bike on the right.....whovers it is, his number plate spells out NOBW(I)ND....shame that W wasn't an E!!

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TAAS No.2

Aren't KTMs great, my Husqvarna made it to the Ardennes and back no problems

That MVs no write off....apart from maybe the Radweld in the cooling system the rest'll buff out!

How much would the insurance Co wnat for it?

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If I ever get this boring shoot me:

Next door to us was Ducati Brussels, who had three 'Sedici's with their group. Two of them survived the day, the other chucked oil everywhere and fetched the rider off I was going to ask them about the 848's starting troubles, but decided to keep out the way after that one packed up, they didn't look best pleased!



On the way out, there was a memorial stone to the great Ayrton Senna, so we had to stop to pay respect



Then we had to come home The 848 started in the morning after I stuck a carrier bag over the ignition to keep the water out, but on the E40 through Belgium, it threw a right fit and cut out in the fast lane The clocks went nuts and reset, again and the engine was stuttering badly. The rest of the group were pulling away and I couldn't signal them, but luckily a couple of them had seen it happen and stopped them a bit further up. I stopped on the side of the road, fiddling around under the igntion again, turning it on and off, pleading with it to start. Eventually she fired up and I rode a bit further to find Couch stopped at the side and the rest of them a bit further on. Luckily it carried on back, but didn't want to start everytime. It's going into the dealer's ASAP.

The ride back was rubbish, all motorways and rain and roadworks. The drivers in Europe had been, largely, bike friendly, letting us by where possible, but the Belgian commuters were having none of it! If they wanted to change lanes, you better give way or get rammed! At least you got a warning first though and they're still a thousand times better than English drivers. We arrived in Dunkerque early, so had a Maccy D's (how common!) and tried to find the beach with the memorial for the landings and stuff. Well, we found a beach, but no memorial, then got horribly lost in town trying to find the ferry port. Much swearing and U-turns later and we got it. I've done more U'eys on this trip than I did learning to pass my test

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

Then that was it...on the ferry, homeward bound. Got pulled into Customs on the other side, by a very bored man that couldn't have cared less what I was actually carrying in the huge pack on the back of my bike. We hit the M2, then M25 and M1 home. It was hell. The bike had been comfy for the trip, no probs except my wonky knees, but once on the M1 my neck was getting so sore and I'd caught a cold, so breathing and holding my head up was taking all my energy! Horrible, horrible...with the worst, most angry drivers we'd encountered. What is their problem anyway! We'd been spoilt with the kindness and patience of the French, Belgians and Germans...the English are a bunch of arses when placed behind the wheel of anything with four wheels We left the M1 a junction early due to the traffic and some idiot in a van took offence. Swerved at Couch as he overtook, then he started overtaking everything on blind corners to get behind him! We buggered off round some traffic...what the hell



Last stop on the way back and the bike's are a shade of brown. A long, 420 mile day in the saddle, with a Ferry trip in the middle. Hard work after so many days on the bikes.

We had an amazing time, Germany was stunning, we'll definitely be going back round there at some point and Spa really is the best circuit I've ever ridden, just beautiful

And who says Ducati's are never used properly, have you seen the state of it

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

Nice write up. Sounds a good trip.

I thought Couch had sent his KTbooM back to its cack handed cellar dweller makers with its tail between its legs never to return type thing?

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In the Bible, God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. That's a pretty good summer for us in Wales. That's a hosepipe ban waiting to happen. I was eight before I realised you could take a kagoule off.(Rhod Gilbert)

They were just beautiful. Little traffic, well surfaced, the twistiest twisties I've ever ridden


Urr yeah, it's his (edited the pic now, whoops!), it was noted, LOL

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog

They fixed it, sent it back and the oil light came on again within 40 miles He saw a fix on the SuperDuke forums for it, something to do with a trapped wire or something and it seems alright. It did use a whole litre of oil while we were away though!

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PB Round The World Guinea Pig Blog