Hi Scythian

Not tried lutefisk. Had to Google that and was amused by some of the entries in Wikipedia:

'Most lutefisk is not edible by normal people. It is reminiscent of the afterbirth of a dog or the world's largest chunk of phlegm'.

I am normally willing to give the local food a try (at least once) in the interests of cultural immersion :-) .

Did you ever try Rakfisk? Sounds like dicing with a nasty botulism related death if not prepared correctly!

I don't know how you plan to go to Norway. I don't think there are any direct ferries from UK to Norway now, so maybe DFDS Harwich to Esberg Denmark and then Hirtshals to Larvik or Christiansand (depending where your friends are in Norway). Alternatively Immingham to Rotterdam/Hook of Holland and then via Germany to Denmark. Best book early as the UK ferries seem expensive when booked later - not for the bike, but for the cabin.

I did a quick & dirty route plan from Hamburg to Denmark/Norway (Christiansand), west along coast to most southern point of Norway, then through the western fjords (including Lysefjord and of course Geiranger Fjord), Trollsteigen, Atlantic Coast Road to Trondheim, Bodo to Lofoten Islands, Arctic Highway to Nordkap and to Mehamn, plus a short detour to Reisa National Park and then to Kirkenes (Russian Border). From Hamburg that is 4854km alone, one way. I was then planning a return via Sweden, Finland (Helsinki) to Tallinn Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Would want to go to south of Poland to Auschwitz/Birkenau so my trip would probably run to something like 9500km minimum.

You will need to think if you will need to change the back tyre or need a bike service if much longer. I would try to avoid doing that in Norway given the cost of living.

I want to see some scenery (not just tarmac) so would need about 4 weeks at least (probably another week as I want 5-6 days solo walking & maybe have a go fishing once). You can drive the boring autobahn sections in Holland, Germany and Denmark quickly, but you should go slowly in the fjords until you get to say Trondheim. The fjords are the best biking roads and best scenery as I understand it. The Lofoten Islands are even better scenery, although the average tourist en route to the Nordkapp probably gives them a body swerve. Although the speed limit is only 80km/h (50mph) on the E6 Arctic Highway, you would have long hours of daylight (Midnight sun if you are there mid June/July) so could drive 12 hours/day. I guess the scenery although good, is more Arctic Tundra. Watch out for moose/elk and reindeer on the roads.

It is possible for UK bikers to do UK to Norkapp return in two weeks, but I don't think that would be relaxing, or so much fun, compared to if you had more time.

The other issue is that you probably want to build in some flexibility to your trip. If you go all the way to the Nordkapp, you want to see the midnight sun, etc. i.e. if when you get there, the weather is bad, you will probably want to stay a couple of days until it improves, etc. I met a Greek couple who said they spent 3 days at the Nordkapp, as it was thick fog when they got there at first (summer 2010).

Sorry, but I think you have zero chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the summer, as it is always light :-(. You would have to be there from late September through the winter. I would like to see them also - have seen then in September in the Scottish Outer Hebrides once, years ago.

I think it is generally NOT advised to go to Norway earlier than 1st June, as the higher mountain passes may not be open (including the best hairpin roads). It's getting cool in the mountains in September and of course the further north you travel, the cooler it will be. You will be constrained by school holidays anyway. Mosquitoes may be a problem late June, July, early August, especially where there are trees and lakes, so take DEET and possibly a hat with a mesh cover for your face, etc.

You probably don't want to do more than 250miles/day to enjoy Norway and if you stop to walk up to Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) or Kerajbolten (Chockstone) in Lysefjord, that will take some hours walking, plus your normal sight seeing. Oslo, Bergen, Alesund and Trondheim are worth seeing, though I am not a great fan of cities.

You probably want to have a few days off biking to relax and enjoy Norway. Of course you plan on seeing friends also.

Sorry I don't know much about the Russian visa/carnet situation. That is interesting about the French Nationality being easier/cheaper to obtain a visa.

You shouldn't, as far as I am aware, need a carnet within the EU and Norway as it is in EFTA, etc. You probably will need a carnet for Russia, however. I don't know if the special 3 day Russian visa allows you to take the bike in - it's a special cruise IIRC - you will need to enquire via your friends/Russian Consulate/Russian/Tourist Office.

Insurance companies are always a bit cagey when you mention visiting Russia. Certainly the motor home hire company we used this summer, mentioned "so long as you are not entering Russia", etc. You probably want to give extra time to checking that out. Also travel insurance/medical insurance/bike recovery in the event of an accident or mechanical problems. On the positive side, the local Touratech shop in Hamburg told me that Russia was OK as regards security, contrary to public opinion. I would be tempted to put the bike in secure storage in Helsinki for three days.

It will be interesting to compare travel plans as they develop. Have a good one.

EDIT: Have a look at this link from this HU Forum. Gives the basics on Norwegian Travel, so should be of interest:

http://www.mc-addict.com/budgettravelinnorway.htm

EDIT 2
Re the Russian Carnet, sounds like it is not required for EU Registered Vehicles. You will be issued with a Temporary Import Certificate (TIC) valid for say 3 months. Vehicle must be re-exported within that time. Make sure you get a multiple entry visa for Russia. You need to get Russian Motor Insurance (the basic legal minimum) at the border. Keep the TIC with the vehicle as you will be asked for it at the many check points.

Here is a thread from HU dealing with this question:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mongolia-33936


Grey Beard

Hi Grey Beard,
Reason why I did not do wild camping was to meet other people. I met really nice fellow bikers and other nice people. Also, camping was quite cheap.

I do not carry too much spare parts, mainly: clutch-, front brake- and gear lever. On a really long trip I carry also throttle cables. Then of course spark plugs, some oil, oil for airfilter, extra bulbs etc. So nothing special. I have 180 000km on my bike at the moment and no big issues. One special tool I am carrying now all the time is GS911 tool for reading fault codes.
I think most important thing is to know your bike completely. If something breaks, you should be able to check if it can be fixed or if you need to find a way to get your bike to the nearest town.

Iceland is absolutely amazing place. I totally fell in love with that place. If I should recommend one place to visit, it would be most deffinetily Iceland. It is not expensive if you camp and cook your own food.

Br,
Marko

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Thanks Marko

You have put the idea of Iceland into my head for the trip after Norway!! Sounds interesting, but my wife will certainly not be interested, as she doesn't like cold or cool places.

I would also like to go to N Africa sometime with the bike, but probably not solo.

I was a bit surprised you carrying a spare clutch. No FP controller? I guess the trick is to have good insurance/breakdown recovery and a mobile phone if you are solo and in a remote area. Maybe I should ask the garage if I can watch them doing the next service, as a start to getting to know my bike. I used to take cars apart, but have never done anything much with the bike (don't want to void the warranty anyway).

The BMW diagnostic tool is quite pricey, but with modern electronic bikes, it is a bit of a nightmare fault finding without one.

Cheers

Grey Beard

No clutch, just a lever.
I have changed standard BMW clutch to ceramic clutch from Touratech.

GS911 I purchased also from TT (home — Hex code).

Iceland is amazing, highly recommended

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Ah, that makes sense and the ceramic clutch also, given your km driven on the bike. Are you off-roading with the bike (clutch and lever spares)?

Grey Beard