Motorcycle tours

Link to German trip 2008

Link to trip to Slovakia 2009

Link to trip from Spain to the Netherlands 2010

Link to Norway trip May 2011

Link to Scotland trip 2011

Background

The summer of 2007 was the summer of getting a motorcycle licence via a course at Camrider in Sawston and buying a Suzuki Bandit 600 just at the end of the summer. First here's some good biking links and then the inevitable photographs.

On the day I passed the test (I failed it first time round) I visited a friend who lent me the Long Way Round documentary. Love 'Ewan and Charlie' or hate them, its hard to ignore them and harder still not to be jealous.
Then there is BMW Motorrad:
The interesting International Journal of Motorcycle Studies
The lovable Ted Simon rode around the world when he was a journalist in his 40s on a Triumph and, amazingly, a second time at the age of 69 - on a BMW of course. There's an interesting book of the first trip called Jupiter's Travels. He also has an interesting website.
The useful Motorcycle News site, nearly as nice as the newspaper you can drop into your supermarket basket:
Reviews of motorcycle travel books
Here are the photographs

My son, Dante and I.
In May 2008 I bought a Triumph Sprint ST to move me one step closer to my intrepid journey to Europe later in the Summer. Here it is parked next to my nice Bandit which I sold earlier this week. It was sad to see it being ridden off but the Sprint is a real bike - it makes a whirring sound when you turn the ignition on.

For the log and pictures of my trip to Germany click here

In August 2009 I found myself buying the bike I had imagined that I would have to wait for an inheritance before affording. Luckily a cheque from a publisher coincided with the appearance on ebay of a locally placed 1200gs Adventure - with, crucially, a low seat and at an affordable price. Here it is just after I arrived home with the other seat strapped to the back. It needed a new clutch which BMW paid for even though it was out of warranty. I've decided not to appear in any more photographs dressed in biking gear as I look so dreadful.