And France... Across Europe to Portugal by 20-year-old Pan European, dodging the weather
Is this a road trip, what is one of those anyway, and can you do one on a Honda? These thoughts flashed through my head while the Spanish sun was at last warming our bodies. Six days earlier we had faced the challenge of tying our bike down on the Newcastle-IJmuiden ferry, as all the staff had done a runner. Not being a complete stranger to ratchet straps, the Pan was securely (fingers crossed) parked and I looked up to see other riders in various states of distress, looking at the straps in complete bemusement. In an act of camaraderie Sue and I went to the bar.
After a decent night’s sleep we rode off the ferry to be greeted by a warm, sunny morning in Holland. We knew we were in a different country immediately when a Dutch woman, complete with two blonde sticky-out pig tails, rode by on a bike.
We rode south through Holland and Belgium, but after lunch and approaching Lille we hit the mother of all thunderstorms. I still don’t know why I didn’t stop, besides the fact that I’m obviously stupid. I convinced myself that thunderstorms only last 10 minutes so I would just press on. An hour later I had confirmed my stupidity and lack of any meteorological knowledge, and we were glad to reach Martinpuich for our overnight stop.
The next few days saw us ride down western France towards Capbreton before crossing into Green Spain. We soon found out why they call it Green Spain – it’s because it never stops blummin' raining.
MOTORWAYSWITH ATTITUDE
Denne historien er fra September 2019-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra September 2019-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
