Im a new boy

[Forfar Loon]

I have just discovered this site - fantastic. I am a fan of KTM's and traded my Duke 640 in for an Adventure 950 just because I thought it would be the Duke's big brother (and it looked nice) However after trawling through this site and associated links I feel my youth returning rapidly and the need for a long(ish) ride appeals to me. I have never been overseas on a bike before and fancy riding from Scotland to Austria to see the KTM factory. I need some advice from you guys to point me in the right direction, no pun intended. Whats the best route for nice twisties and scenery etc. Thanking you in advance.
Rgds
Hugh

[Steve Pickford]

Anywhere that takes you through the Vosges, the Alps, the Jura etc - you can't really go wrong. The Vosges are en-route, located in eastern France next to the German border.

If you take this route: from Calais head for Nancy, St. Die & Freiburg. You can then head straight through the Black Forest towards Munich. Mattighoffen is 110 miles east of Munich.

Lake Constance is not too far out of your way, worth looking at IMO.

Steve

[Forfar Loon]

Thanks Steve - very useful info. I want to start with easily managed trips within Europe then perhaps get more adventurous. What sort of trips do you normally do?

[Steve Pickford]

First trip abroad by bike was the Bol d'Or in 1992, then Le Mans five times.

In 2000 I caught a ferry to Spain & met up with a spanish friend, touring through the Pyrenees, staying in Zaragoza.

It was on this trip that I met my girlfriend, she's German & was on a 6 week tour of northern Spain on her R80GS.

2001 we met up in Holland, continued through to Hamburg, Berlin, s/e Poland, Slovakia & Czech before returning through Germany etc to the UK.

2002 Cherbourg to northern Portugal via the Pyrenees, Picos de Europa, returning via Asturias, Galicia & the Basque country for a bit of surfing.

2003 Calais to Vosges, Black Forest, Basle, Geneva, Lake Como, Austria, Heilbronn (Germany) & home again.

This year - who know? In addition to the above bike trips, I've also driven vans, helping friends move home, to Milan, Hamburg & Geneva.

None of the above are anything special but are well within the reach of someone going abroad for the first time.

Good Luck

Steve

[harvey]

Hugh,

As Steve says, you're best bet is to blast down the autoroute into the French Alps and then enjoy the twisty bits to Austria. It's also worth coming back via the Nurburgring, near Bitburg/Aachen - not as scarey as everyone seems to think if you take it easy and it's a truly fantastic bit of road.
As for riding abroad, there's nothing to worry about. There's plenty of people on here who have set off round the world without having ridden abroad before and most of them do okay. On the whole people are far more biker friendly in Continental Europe than in the UK and there will always be someone around to help you if you have any trouble.
It might be worth getting yourself some European accident/break down cover to put your mind at ease. Take a handful of Euros and a credit card and you're away.
Oh.. and remember to ride on the right..
Hope your trip goes well.
Harvey


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no pipe, no slippers
www.chasingthesun.org

[garyfzs1000]

Hi Forfar
If you route through Vosges try Gerardmer in the winter it's a ski resort, there you can have a swim in the lake or have a go down the tobogan run great fun, I can e-mail you some photo's to wet your appetite
If you route through Freiburg call in at Colmar ( petite Venice ) very nice city
Regards
Gaz

[Vaufi]

Hugh,

what time d'you intend to go? If I'm at home I could offer you accomodation just 20 k's south east of Munich. Just a hop to Mattighofen.

I could also give you quite a few tour tips around here.

Hans