Hi everyone!

I don't want to sound lame but I'm a rookie in terms of motorcycling and big miles covering. I'm starting preparation for first big run across some of European capitals on my KLE 500. Starting at south of Republic of Ireland (ferry) thru London,(ferry or Euro-channel) Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Warsaw, (ferry) Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, (ferry) Edinburgh, (ferry) Belfast and Dublin (7500km - roughly 14 days/500km+ a day). I'll need all advice I can get but for the start few questions:
- Will I be able (1 year and only 4500 miles experience [commuting] on two wheels) to travel 500km+ a day? Any tips?
- I can't find ferry between Norway and Scotland - if anyone can help me with it or confirm that there is no connection (I would change trip to ferry from Danmark)?
- I know I wont be able to make a proper see-sighting at those cities but what's better - get accommodation in the city and spend few hours in, or get bed 20-40km away from it and drive in to make some pictures, or maybe make my see-sighting straight from road and go sleep straight after?
- Norway is not an EU country. What paperwork I have to get to go there?

That's all I got at the moment.

__________________
'05 Kawasaki KLE500
'08 Honda XR125

I'm half animal - half machine...

I think your mileage is a bit of an ask, you're on holiday remeber. You could physically do the miles, both man and machine are up to it, but you wont actually see a lot of the places you visit, so is it worth doing so much in one go? I would suggest cutting your schedule in half, splitting your trip over two years, to get more from the places you stop at.
With large cities I prefer to stop on the outskirts and make my way into the city on public transport. Successfully catching a bus or local train is part of your exposure to the culture of the place you're at, you also don't have to worry about parking, security and sight-seeing in heavy, hot bike gear.
Norway is no problem for an EEC citizen, just turn up an show your passport. I think there are other threads on the HUBB that deal with the lack of ferries from the UK to Norway and possible alternatives.
Enjoy your trip.

I'll second that.

One year ago I set off to cover 24 mainland European countries, I did it in 19 days, but it was very hard indeed (it was a charity thing so the shortest time was the aim) and you see nothing of the places.

However, that in itself is a story, and you do remember the hard times, and there will be! on this exact day last year I left lake Balaton and headed to Romania, I'd had bugger all sleep and it was wet and cold. The weather was also heading the same place I was - I was so pi$$ed off I nearly called it a day and headed west rather than East!

Even rushing it you will still have momories. The downer comes when you get home and read/listen/hear about others who've done this or the other in places you were at - then you kinda wish you'd slowed down and experienced a bit more of the 'life' of these places.

I'd change the route a little and make it a bit more focused.

Poland - they are mad drivers here, if you are in any way doubtfull about your abilities, then leave this country for another year. It's a wonderfull place and the erm, roadside ladies are something you have to see!

If you are coming up through the Tunnel and heading North, why not ride all the way up to Norway ? The Orsund Bridge is a sight to see, and ride! Denmark, Sweden and Norway are great places when you break free of the main highways. Maybe take an easterly route through Sweden to Stockholm then turn west to Norway, Oslo and then head south back through Sweden, Denmark and the ferrie/Chunnel home ?

First time out on the road can be a bit daunting so don't make it harder by building in a tight schedule.

In fact my advice would be to just go, don't worry about where you are going, don't book anything (cept the ferry!) and see where you end up.



PS - the KLE will be fine, just mae sure it's in good order before you go.

+1 on all the above (except Polish ladies of negotiable virtue of whom I will make no comment in case my wife reads this!)

I'd suggest you do the following:

Google hotels at a level you can afford in all the cities, looking for ones with parking. In the summer for example I found an IBIS with parking 15 minutes from the Hoffbrauhaus in Munich for €40 a night. If you can't find those, then I'd go the out of town and public transport route. In London for example there are travel lodge type places right on the end of the dockland light railway near New Billingsgate.

Don't book anything unless you are happy with riding 300 miles, doing the Eifel tower and Arc Du Triomphe while stuffing 18-inches of bagette du jambon down, having un re, going to bed and getting up to another 300 miler. To see half of Paris you need 4 days, Berlin 3, London 4 and so on. Instead, just programme into a GPS or write direction cards.

As you ride you'll speed up. Not on the road, but you get quicker at loading, filling up and so on. The idea is that you stay flexible and if you can get somewhere early you can stay an extra day and actually do more than buy post cards.

This costs more. If your budget makes more sense when you get the best deals on the rooms (booked months ahead, no refund), I'd split this trip in two or three.

Don't forget places on route, the best bit of bike travel. If you are going Berlin to Warsaw for example Colditz castle and Dresden are right on your route. It seems a shame to use the petrol and not call in, another reason to maybe split the trip up.

Enjoy

Andy

Some more thoughts - I still can change trip plan:
While Poland is a place to go 100% (I'm Polish citizen and have family there - and both roadside entertainment and crazy traffic won't bother me) I might cut some of the cities.
Other route (btw. my first idea before I felt greedy for more cities in roadbook) is to go directly to France from ROI (Rosslare-Cherbourg), visit Paris, cut thru Netherlands and Belgium, stop at Berlin, then directly to Gdansk (home city) and than Sweden/Denmark/Norway (all or some of - depends of ferry line)- Edinburgh and back to Republic. That can save me nice few days for visiting Paris and other cities. I wont spend much time in Dublin/Belfast because they basically in few hours distance and Belfast will be my preparation/checking equipment - route destination.
Google maps shows 6640km with Copenhagen/Stockholm/Oslo on route, which is 1000km shorter an at least three day less (Paris-Berlin on motorway should be quick).
Q: Soft or hard luggage? I'm not expecting off-road but my gf insist on hard one (it looks better [wow!] and its more waterproof (important in Ireland))
Q: Handguards and taller windscreen(I'm 6ft4') seems obvious - what about heated grips? (Anything else?)

__________________
'05 Kawasaki KLE500
'08 Honda XR125

I'm half animal - half machine...

Hi BAMF,

If you're going two up with your girlfriend, 500+km a day is pushing your luck. You may be able to manage it but remember the novelty might just wear off for your lady perched on the back of a KLE. All you need are a couple of wet days to get a major ear-bashing.

Personally, I'd simplify the route and leave some things for another time. If you come through the UK, what about going from Harwich to Hook of Holland, then up through Germany to Poland? You can get the overnight sailing, comfortable cabin, and be in Amsterdam by early the next morning.

Unless someone wants to correct me, I'm pretty sure there is no ferry from Norway to Scotland or even Newcastle now. You'll have to come back either from Bergen or Stavanger to Harwich or head from Norway or Sweden by ferry or road to Denmark, then Esbjerg - Harwich or go all the way back to Hook of Holland which would be the cheapest option.

Indoors.

Well... my gf is not eager to get her leg over a bike seat (and I'm happy about it - she should go for bike for herself) so it's gonna be only one up
I do have to sort way back from Poland and maybe I'll just left Scandinavia for next run. Route Cherbourg-Paris-Berlin-Gdansk seems to be easy motorway cruise. 3 days in Paris an 2 days in Berlin plus 5-6 days of travel and I'm home.
Good that its plans stage not preparations stage.

Bergen or Stavanger in Norway or Denmark's Esbjerg... definitely worth to think about that choice.

Thanks for advice (I'll keep posting 'till I clarify my route and then I'll go to preparation stage)

__________________
'05 Kawasaki KLE500
'08 Honda XR125

I'm half animal - half machine...

A couple of thoughts:

1) wasn't clear from your post if you mean 500km a day sometimes, or every day? At least on the right bike, 500km shouldn't be a problem, but you wouldn't want to do it every day because you won't be able to see much. In other words if you ride 500km to a city, take a day off for sight-seeing, then 500km to another city, I think that would work fine.

2) Sounds like you're pretty young and want to see the big cities of Europe, but I suggest taking a different approach--the cities are all kind the same, and all not very pleasant to ride in--while you're young, why not stay out of the big cities, and check out a lot of the smaller towns, national parks, etc. which typically have more character and more to do in terms of physical activities (some hiking, rafting, whatever). Also, the roads to these places are generally smaller and more interesting and enjoyable than the big expressways which run into the major cities. After coming into a couple of major cities at rush hour at the end of a day's ride you might see what I mean.

I don't mean to criticize your intended travel plan at all, I totally understand your desire to see the big cities, but I did want to offer a different perspective: at the end of the day the big cities will be there when you are old and gray and moreover are easily accessible by train, plane, or any other form of transpo so you can visit them on a different trip, and are a pain to deal with on a moto. If you're on a moto, it may be more fun to go places that are harder to get to otherwise.

EDIT:
Just saw your other questions: if you will be in cities I recommend hard luggage which is more secure, and heated grips are always nice, even in Northern European summers, but not really necessary.

Sounds like a good trip, but i wonder if you might have a better time of it if as previously mentioned you gave yourself a bit more time and went for a more leisurely route. I'm not entirely sure you want to be spending to much time on motorways with that KL500.

Sprint Rider

It'll be fine. 6 hours mostly at 56 mph/95 kph (truck speed limiter setting) with fuel and good signposting is less fun than the back roads, but it's the only practical way to cover the distance in Holland and Germany. The small roads will drop your moving average to well below 30 mph and they run town to town, so 500 miles towards your target is a really long day especially when you guess wrong at a junction where the only signposts are Uberthingamagig and Unterthingmagig (no mention of anywhere with a population not directly related to each other). Now in France the N roads would be as quick as the autoroute, just as easy to navigate, free and have first class scenery and places to stop.

That, or buy a 1200cc bike and pay thousands to average 15 mph faster and then have a ton of metal to shift when you drop it . Touring medium capacity bikes is just a rather easily aquired skill, but that's

Andy

Hi Bamf, i was exactly the same passed my test in june within 2weeks had purchased bike 14 countries 4,000 miles an three weeks later,i soon learnt ,the only advice from one green horn to another is be flexible dont put yourselve under any unessecery pressure,just think of it as a learning curve an above all have fun,I found that the journey itself was my holiday i camped most of the way an stayed in hotels in the major cities, found that to be the best value, in fact since finishing the trip its enspired me to start planning nepal overland for 2011,so good luck an happy travels. carl .

[quote=BAMF;256215]Hi everyone!

Starting at south of Republic of Ireland (ferry) thru London,(ferry or Euro-channel) Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Warsaw, (ferry) Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, (ferry) Edinburgh, (ferry) Belfast and Dublin

You've forgotten Cardiff!
First - easy stage - Rosslaire to either Fishguard or Milford Haven then onto Cardiff

BAMF

I have had a licence for over 30 years, have toured most of Europe and run a Pan European mile eater, and I wouldn't want to do 500km/day every day. Solo I aim for about 250miles and if Mrs MarkE is with me about 200 (400/320km) and plan to have at least one, prefrably two days out of the saddle each week. I am perfectly capable of piling on the miles, and will always do so on at least one day, because I get distracted and even lost, leaving myself a long way from the ferry or whatever so I use up the slack I've given myself. I'm not a city boy so I prefer to get out of the cities and see what the small towns and wild areas have to offer, but that is matter of taste, you do what suits you, but leave time for distractions.

I'll mention my last two delays as illustrations of what you might want to happen. In Germany a couple of years ago I stopped to ask for directions and the guy I asked was having trouble moving a very large quantity of his own wine onto a truck to take it to the distributor. Being a nice bloke I leant him some muscle and decided not to decline his offer of a night in the B&B he and his wife ran (plus some samples of the wine he hadn't sold). The next day I did 450 miles to Calais and another 150 home (back to work on Monday) but if my schedule was more demanding I would have had to press on and miss a great night with good company. Three weeks ago I was on my way back to work in Dublin and saw a brown tourist sign to somewhere I'd never heard of. I followed the sign for a good distance (to misquote something I saw elsewhere, Irish road miles are like dog years) and found myself at Clonmacnoise. I enjoyed visiting somewhere I might otherwise have missed (my colleagues here are more used to contractors who are interested in nothing outside Temple bar). In this case I wouldn't have suffered, but I like to have enough slack for such discoveries on any trip.

Leaving your bike on the outskirts is one thing but nothing beats riding through town

500km a day, every day is a big task. Have you allowed for breakdowns, delays etc.

My main question is why would you bother spending all that money on ferries when you can ride round and round in the UK and see nothing, because that is just about what you will see on your intended trip.

There are no ferries from Norway to the UK as far as I know. If you go from Ireland to Scotland by ferry and then ride down to london. You can finish your trip from Copenhagen to Esjberg to Harwich.

In my opinion motorcycling is for meeting people and seeing things and not just putting miles on the bike riding motorways. But it is only my opinion.

Steve