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- Thread starter Kreeeee
- Start date
Soldato
I'm wondering if renting one for the trip might be an idea also.
From previous questions (which I'm sorry I didn't reply to) I haven't ridden in ice or over winter before, the January we had this year was quite mild.
I guess I should ride the winter on my 125 so it's cheap to fix if I do have a spill, but would like to get a bigger bike as soon as I get my mod 2. I plan to sell my YBR 125 straight after I pass as it tops out at 55-60mph anyway which is no good for motorways.
From previous questions (which I'm sorry I didn't reply to) I haven't ridden in ice or over winter before, the January we had this year was quite mild.
I guess I should ride the winter on my 125 so it's cheap to fix if I do have a spill, but would like to get a bigger bike as soon as I get my mod 2. I plan to sell my YBR 125 straight after I pass as it tops out at 55-60mph anyway which is no good for motorways.
Soldato
Riding through winter doesn't mean riding on ice or snow, you should be avoiding that! But year round riders are better than summer weekend warriors, purely because riding in the rain/cold and battling traffic every day means you get better instincts, you have more miles on the road which = more experience, and so on.
Pretty much any 600cc or bigger the bike will be fine for the trip, you'd be better off using your own bike as you'll know how it handles etc. You don't really want to be riding a completely strange bike on tight mountain roads with 400ft drops!
Pretty much any 600cc or bigger the bike will be fine for the trip, you'd be better off using your own bike as you'll know how it handles etc. You don't really want to be riding a completely strange bike on tight mountain roads with 400ft drops!
Soldato
Just been doing some of my routes on Tyre, **** me the Swiss don't half love a tunnel!! 
6km, 16km...
6km, 16km... 
Soldato
Tunnel are just concert halls for your exhaust
Just been doing some of my routes on Tyre, **** me the Swiss don't half love a tunnel!!
Soldato
Those ones I'd ride through, but the arrow straight long as hell ones under the mountains I'll be avoiding, like the San Bernardino tunnel and the 17km long gotthard tunnel.
Soldato
Yeah I can imagine the traffic would hideous otherwise. They're quite a feat of engineering, I suppose that's where all the Vignette money goes!
Soldato
Passed my Mod 2 test yesterday with 5 minors
Shame I've had a few large unexpected bills
but I'm going to be selling my YBR 125 to help with those and should be in the market for a bigger bike for my birthday in February or January just before
Shame I've had a few large unexpected bills
but I'm going to be selling my YBR 125 to help with those and should be in the market for a bigger bike for my birthday in February or January just before
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Soldato
Awesome, congrats!
Well done, by skin of your teeth but it's not surprising in this weather.
Can you guys PM/Trust me your mobile number if you are not in the Whatsapp group please. You are missing out on every picking on Luke.
Ehat bike are you going for?
Can you guys PM/Trust me your mobile number if you are not in the Whatsapp group please. You are missing out on every picking on Luke.
Ehat bike are you going for?
Passed my Mod 2 test yesterday with 5 minors
Shame I've had a few large unexpected bills
Drop me a trust, I'm in the market for a 125
And congrats, I look forward to doing mine hopefully next year.
Soldato
It was silly stuff - undue hesitance, slow control/balance but probably a hangup from going from my 125 to a 650 in the same morning.
I'm looking to get a Kawasaki ER6F, a Honda CBR/CBF of some sort, or perhaps a Suzuki Bandit or a Yamaha MT07.
I'm planning to look around properly next Tuesday or this coming weekend
I'm looking to get a Kawasaki ER6F, a Honda CBR/CBF of some sort, or perhaps a Suzuki Bandit or a Yamaha MT07.
I'm planning to look around properly next Tuesday or this coming weekend
It was silly stuff - undue hesitance, slow control/balance but probably a hangup from going from my 125 to a 650 in the same morning.
I'm looking to get a Kawasaki ER6F, a Honda CBR/CBF of some sort, or perhaps a Suzuki Bandit or a Yamaha MT07.
I'm planning to look around properly next Tuesday or this coming weekend
All great bikes except the ER6.
Soldato
So as there might be one or more people joining me on my route down to the Alps I thought I'd better share what I've planned so far - this may change but as I'll be booking my days off work in a few days I'm certain it's pretty set.
If anyone uses Myroute App, my routes are on there, links below.
Alps Plan
Day 1, Saturday 19th August: Calais to B500. I'll be leaving the UK on an early(ish!) channel tunnel train, probably around 7-8am, then taking the following route down to the Black Forest in Germany https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/242993?mode=share:
This will be via the French Autoroutes which does mean tolls, €30 according to Michelin maps. There is a route that goes through Belgium that only costs €8 in tolls and is about 40 minutes longer, but the french autoroutes are meant to be smooth and empty, whereas my experience of the belgium motorways are of potholes the size of small planets!!
The day 1 stopover will be the Hotel Pension Williams in Seebach, just down the road from Baden-Baden http://www.pension-williams.com/ - prices are €35 per person for a single night.
Day 2, Sunday 20th: B500 to Silvretta Pass. https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/242998?mode=share
Hotel for the night, there's a lot of very expensive hotels but i found one more reasonable - http://www.ferwall-galtuer.at/EN/ €34 for a single room, but that includes the Silvretta card if you pre-book, which includes use of the Silvretta pass, which would be €12 otherwise.
Day 3, Monday 21st: Silvretta pass to Dolomites. https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/242999?mode=share
This won't route correctly at the moment as the timmelsjoch is closed, but it's around 300km. Destination will be Camping Sass Dlacia, the highest campsite in the Dolomites at 1,670m http://www.campingsassdlacia.it/en/camping-alta-badia
Prices look to be around €19 a night without electric, with wifi. I'm planning on staying here for 3 nights (Mon 21st, Tues 22nd, Wed 23rd) before moving on again on Thursday 24th. This gives some time to explore the roads and the Dolomites, the Grossglockner is a days ride away.
Day 6, Thursday 24th: Dolomites to Lake Como. https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/243003?mode=share
Again, because the Stelvio pass is closed at the moment, it won't route properly until it's open. This day is around 400km and there's a split off point at Tirano (number 13 on the map) where if time is running out we can go via a boring but quick route, or if there's time to spare we can do another 2 mountain passes
Camping again at the end of the day, there seems to be 5+ campsites on the banks of the lake at the northen end near a town called Domaso, I picked this one just for the name http://www.campinggoldensheep.it/en/ €16 a night without electric here. I don't think there'll be any need to book. I'll plan to stay here Thursday night and Friday night, having a day off the bike (swimming/touristy stuff etc).
Day 8, Saturday 26th: Lake Como to Kreee's house! https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/243004?mode=share
Again, this won't route correctly due to closed passes, but it's 250 miles/400km.
Some motorway but several mountain passes to break up the trip.
If anyone wants to join me on the first couple of days, or all of it - let me know! With the miles that Kreee has planned and getting back to the UK (I'll probably do it in a day from Kreee's to a late Eurotunnel crossing as I only live 30 minutes from the tunnel) it works out around 3,700 miles in total!
If anyone uses Myroute App, my routes are on there, links below.
Alps Plan
Day 1, Saturday 19th August: Calais to B500. I'll be leaving the UK on an early(ish!) channel tunnel train, probably around 7-8am, then taking the following route down to the Black Forest in Germany https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/242993?mode=share:
This will be via the French Autoroutes which does mean tolls, €30 according to Michelin maps. There is a route that goes through Belgium that only costs €8 in tolls and is about 40 minutes longer, but the french autoroutes are meant to be smooth and empty, whereas my experience of the belgium motorways are of potholes the size of small planets!!
The day 1 stopover will be the Hotel Pension Williams in Seebach, just down the road from Baden-Baden http://www.pension-williams.com/ - prices are €35 per person for a single night.
Day 2, Sunday 20th: B500 to Silvretta Pass. https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/242998?mode=share
Hotel for the night, there's a lot of very expensive hotels but i found one more reasonable - http://www.ferwall-galtuer.at/EN/ €34 for a single room, but that includes the Silvretta card if you pre-book, which includes use of the Silvretta pass, which would be €12 otherwise.
Day 3, Monday 21st: Silvretta pass to Dolomites. https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/242999?mode=share
This won't route correctly at the moment as the timmelsjoch is closed, but it's around 300km. Destination will be Camping Sass Dlacia, the highest campsite in the Dolomites at 1,670m
http://www.campingsassdlacia.it/en/camping-alta-badiaPrices look to be around €19 a night without electric, with wifi. I'm planning on staying here for 3 nights (Mon 21st, Tues 22nd, Wed 23rd) before moving on again on Thursday 24th. This gives some time to explore the roads and the Dolomites, the Grossglockner is a days ride away.
Day 6, Thursday 24th: Dolomites to Lake Como. https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/243003?mode=share
Again, because the Stelvio pass is closed at the moment, it won't route properly until it's open. This day is around 400km and there's a split off point at Tirano (number 13 on the map) where if time is running out we can go via a boring but quick route, or if there's time to spare we can do another 2 mountain passes
Camping again at the end of the day, there seems to be 5+ campsites on the banks of the lake at the northen end near a town called Domaso, I picked this one just for the name
http://www.campinggoldensheep.it/en/ €16 a night without electric here. I don't think there'll be any need to book. I'll plan to stay here Thursday night and Friday night, having a day off the bike (swimming/touristy stuff etc).Day 8, Saturday 26th: Lake Como to Kreee's house! https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/243004?mode=share
Again, this won't route correctly due to closed passes, but it's 250 miles/400km.
Some motorway but several mountain passes to break up the trip.
If anyone wants to join me on the first couple of days, or all of it - let me know! With the miles that Kreee has planned and getting back to the UK (I'll probably do it in a day from Kreee's to a late Eurotunnel crossing as I only live 30 minutes from the tunnel) it works out around 3,700 miles in total!
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Soldato
You really should take 15 minutes and ride through the centre of Reims to see all the champagne houses. It'd be a shame to miss it and doesn't really add on much time, plus it is a good place for a quick coffee break.
Soldato
Cheers, might do that - it's a good place to stop for a break as you say