Motobiker

In the high alps June isn't really summer. The winter lag means its about a month behind the valleys. The sun may be very warm but the air is still quite cold. Ive warned Rob that he will almost certainly need his thermals while we are in the Austrian Alps and above 2000m. whereas down in the valleys it can quite easily be very warm if not hot. The further south we go the warmer the air. Though it will still be cold on the tops. cold air I mean.

Its a Holiday, not an exercise in masochism. It really has to be a matter of chasing the sun in the Alps, to my mind there's little point in riding the mountains if the view is obscured by low cloud. or the ride is ruined by rain. Another month and the snow ploughs will be clearing the Grossglockner. its pretty bad up there right now.. but should be fine when we arrive. below are photos of the conditions today and mid June last year. Obviously at that height... low cloud would make it a total waste of time, but.. there's no need to take a risk. we can simple look at the web cam and make a decision whether to go or not. I imagine we will be staying close by for about 5 days and the Glockner will be on one of those, otherwise we will be riding to the south in the Dolomites. And as I previously mentioned we can always drop south and east into Slovenia if necessary to escape any adverse weather. Though hopefully that won't be necessary and we can stay in Austria, there is more than enough there to keep us occupied for the time we have, in fact the worst of it is, a fortnight just isn't long enough. but hey ho. Below Ive marked our base with an arrow... The Dolomites are not shown as they are south and west of that. But, if weather forces us further east as you can see there is plenty.

If the weather is less than perfect in the central and western Tyrol, then we’ll relocate south east into Slovenia for a few days and see if it improves. France is only a plan B if there is forecast days of rain heading south and over bavaria and Austria. A bit of rain on the way south is ok. Just so long as it’s not incessant and relentless. once we’re down there it’ll be a case of taking each day as it comes and watching the forecasts. June is always a bit dodgy as the weather hasn’t fully settled down. It’s not really worth worrying about - we have plenty of options.

The pre trip costs have already been spent. Overnight at a premier inn, tunnel return, travel insurance and roadside assistance. I will be taking €600 in cash and using my card for all fuel purchases. Austria has cheaper fuel than Germany, Italy and France. Which is why we will be based there and eating mostly out of a Lidl or Aldi shared between the two of us. And eating out on the cheap where appropriate. If the cash runs out I’ll pop to a cash point for a top/up. My bike is quite frugal. Here a full tank costs me £40 right now but I don’t expect to be filling up from empty every day. But if I did then that would mean £600+ on fuel costs at UK prices. It’s going to be a lot more expensive than usual. But the times we are living in make that expected. I’m not too worried, it’s better than staying at home filled with regret. I’ve not been defeated by the pandemic so far and won’t be this time either.

I’m Irish by birth though not by upbringing.

There is another possible route, but it’s a bit longer and I’m not sure doable without an overnight in Italy and that’s over the Umbrail (so a quick diversion into Switzerland) then the much more pleasant south side of the Stelvio and finally the Gavia. Which is fairly infamous. We might try it on our way back, as south to north is a lot less dangerous. And that’s the problem once you’re in that part of the world, there is so much on the doorstep. June is a bit dodgy weather-wise so that will dictate. We’ll just have to see what happens and take it one day at a time, chasing the Sun. But hopefully we will have a few good days in the Dolomites and a blue sky day for the Grossglockner and an excursion to the Mangart in Slovenia. I’ve never had the chance to go up that road due to late snow.

The French are demanding a sworn statement where you declare you are symptom free plus fully vaccinated. And they are happy to view the nhs app for proof. We are using the tunnel so these checks are done by French officials on the UK side of the channel. And that’s it. We are passing through France, Belgium and Luxembourg and stopping for an overnight in Germany on the Saturday. Then down to Austria on the Sunday. There are no restrictions in force for campsites in Germany, Austria and France. I haven’t checked Italy or Slovenia yet.. but it’s unlikely and we probably won’t camp there anyway. This is likely to be my last year touring as a UK citizen as I’m getting a new EU passport for next year.

No tests required. there's a form to fill in on-line and from there on just show them the NHS App that has vaccination proofs. Obviously we are both fully vaccinated. currently.. and as an aside, Im now PCR testing weekly for work. and a LF test before each shift. unbelievably tedious. but.. vulnerable adults and that.

Today I booked the Tunnel and also bought travel insurance with Navigator. With everything that's going on. (off) People have dropped out, understandable to an extent but, I'm not deterred. So the plan is just the same only I will have company as @Rob M is coming along and has also made his bookings today. As he has some commitments we have moved the dates back by one week. Booked a premier Inn for the night before the crossing and pushed the boat out somewhat by buying a full breakfast too!! First day is going to be a bit of a slog, we want to get down to Austria in two days and that's a little over 630 miles, so will take a big bite out of that on the Saturday and then a fairly relaxed start on the Sunday. Then on the Monday over the Timmelsjoch Pass and wend our way through the Italian Alps to our base in southern Austria. This is the Plan. But.. I have a Plan B if the weather decides not to play ball. We'll head for the Vercors again and explore that region as we enjoyed it so much last time. Moolies on the beach. But... if all goes to plan, we'll be based in Austria for the most part and explore the Dolomites and east towards Carinthia and Slovenia.

Just preordered this magazine subscription- just to keep ahead of the curve as far as computer/tech goes. Bit of a wait but hey ho… something to look forward to.

bull. if it was Covid he wouldn't have died with his wife at his side and friends visiting him during his final day. Though I see speculation is rife in the tabloid press. my guess is it was some form of cancer or some other disease that was terminal. heart, lungs.. etc.

Not sure if this can be classed as 'humour' but this thread is as good as any. An epic rant on the state of the UK now while Bodge Johnson and Dominic Cummings have a tiff over parties. One for you @XTreme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzwufOxle0E

I had to laugh when the finished bike was put on the centre stand and the RHS indicator fell off!!! That was hysterical.

A life less complicated….

My towel, had a shower that same morning and when I packed up the bike I placed the damp towel across the bag and then the straps over it. So the towel dried and aired in the sun and air. Can’t always do that if the weathers damp, in that case I usually pop it in a drier while packing up, a euro is normally enough to dry a damp towel. This is easier and free.

Like this: I use it specifically for my camping equipment, keeps it all in one place so there is never any need to go digging in the panniers for bits and pieces. Also have a bag in there for dirty clothes so they are always separate from the clean stuff.

No problem with my bike, but.. better safe than sorry and Im not going to turn down a new filter and pump. The issue was first seen in 2018 and it wasn't acted upon until after the 2020 1100's arrived on the scene.

I already have a very old Garmin 660 from 2009, which itself was a Christmas gift. so getting used too the new one shouldn't be too problematic. plenty of time before we head south in June. The recall is as follows. Debris from the welds may block the fuel filter and so cause fuel starvation leading to sudden loss of power. I've checked my tank myself and no debris is visible, but they insist on doing the work. tank emptied and flushed. new fuel filter and pump assembly fitted. This applies to the Adventure sport only. all bikes produced in 2018/19 and up to certain VIN in 2020. Its a rare problem. but has happened.

Normal Wednesday to Sunday this week and next. Bah Humbug. But, I do have a nice shiny Garmin Zumo XT arriving on Thursday and will have that wired into the bike when I book it in for its overdue recall work in January.

You know it’s nearly Christmas when you see a robin in a tree.

Oh... I get a 'mention' message and its something to do with the resident bore. I won't bother unblocking him to see what he has to say as I already know it won't be original or even slightly interesting. it never is. I guess that the thread title just gives it away. Can I make a suggestion... if he wins. ban him. if anyone else wins.. don't ban them. seems fair.

Ive always had a thing about 1950s Matchless. like this G80 from 1950. I think it’s mostly about bikes I remember from my childhood in the late 60s when I first became aware of bikes aside from my dads Triumph fetish.