First bike you took onto the Continent
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Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
Myself 1973 ,a Norton commando interstate ,a birthday present from my dad , my mum went off her head, transported the bike on the over night train ,Glasgow London ,the bike was housed in the guards van . Arrived 7am Euston ,down to Dover ,and then a months tour of France Belgium ,Germany Italy .no bad for a boy of 18 , ps the blke cost my dad £735.00 .at the time .great memories ,il have too did out those old pics (thumbs) Al
moto al
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Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
BMW 650GS DAKAR Portuguese trade route 10 days non stop rain & came off 13 times ( I bounce well) happy days !!!
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Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
BMW 650 Funduro ... never let me down and comfortable. Rode the Alps, Picos, Pyrenees, in all weathers and sometimes rough camped using it as a tie point for the tent.
Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
Mine was a cb750 sohc honda...xt550 a few years later.alps, pyranees, and generally getting lost in the haze of youth...
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Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
As I said earlier, my first bike trip was on the Dnepr - still running-in as I crossed France so I did a service at a friend's place half way down - still a ruined farmhouse at that time! I know we all look back at the 'kit' with amazement - I was well clad with a second hand Trailmaster suit - aren't I handsome! :whistle:
... and I actually had sort of waterproof boots form the Army and Navy - only threw them out last year, I thin they've been more use to families of mice in our basement over the last twenty years or so!
Waiting outside the old, unlit, Vielha Tunnel for a truck slow enough for me to ride in its wake as my headlights were 'eating' bulbs - having only ever driven through the tunnel in powerful cars before I didn't know it went up a slight gradient for about the the first four miles, leaving me thinking that I hadn't fully released the handbrake, what a nightmare prospect of stalling or seizing the brake in that cold dark place with drunken Spanish truckers Bearing down at my stricken outfit ...
'Home' at last, if not exactly dry. I spent a month there carting various bits of building materials and patching the house up, a bit of wiring, carpentering, etc. and wondering why I ever thought Spain was hot!
IMHO the two best post war inventions were the Olympus Trip camera and the cheap £30 printer/scanner - so more photos please boys and girls. (thumbs)
Regs
Simon
PS Mrs S hadn't made the grade at the time ... :whistle:
PPS and before anyone else says it - Mrs S has far better taste in bikes than me - sadly that was borrowed from a neighbour's son who wouldn't sell it - it's still his garage now!
... and I actually had sort of waterproof boots form the Army and Navy - only threw them out last year, I thin they've been more use to families of mice in our basement over the last twenty years or so!
Waiting outside the old, unlit, Vielha Tunnel for a truck slow enough for me to ride in its wake as my headlights were 'eating' bulbs - having only ever driven through the tunnel in powerful cars before I didn't know it went up a slight gradient for about the the first four miles, leaving me thinking that I hadn't fully released the handbrake, what a nightmare prospect of stalling or seizing the brake in that cold dark place with drunken Spanish truckers Bearing down at my stricken outfit ...
'Home' at last, if not exactly dry. I spent a month there carting various bits of building materials and patching the house up, a bit of wiring, carpentering, etc. and wondering why I ever thought Spain was hot!
IMHO the two best post war inventions were the Olympus Trip camera and the cheap £30 printer/scanner - so more photos please boys and girls. (thumbs)
Regs
Simon
PS Mrs S hadn't made the grade at the time ... :whistle:
PPS and before anyone else says it - Mrs S has far better taste in bikes than me - sadly that was borrowed from a neighbour's son who wouldn't sell it - it's still his garage now!
Be sure to visit www.thespanishbiker.com the invaluable guide to motorcycling in Spain - plus guided rides, HISS Events* and off road touring support service
*Highly Informal Sojourns in Spain
*Highly Informal Sojourns in Spain
Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
First trip over the water for me was on my Royal Enfield 700 Constellation in 1969. Ferry from Southampton to Le Havre. I bet half of you on here didn't even know that the ferries used to run from So'ton!
Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
Townsend Thoreson?Twistgrip wrote:First trip over the water for me was on my Royal Enfield 700 Constellation in 1969. Ferry from Southampton to Le Havre. I bet half of you on here didn't even know that the ferries used to run from So'ton!
The secret of a long life is knowing when its time to go.
Re: First bike you took onto the Continent
Yep,I think the ferry was called The Vikingherman wrote:Townsend Thoreson?Twistgrip wrote:First trip over the water for me was on my Royal Enfield 700 Constellation in 1969. Ferry from Southampton to Le Havre. I bet half of you on here didn't even know that the ferries used to run from So'ton!