Norway in July & August

[Beej]

We are currently planning our summer travels as we have 5 1/2 weeks and will be travelling on a XT250 and a DRZ400 in July & August.

Looking for some more information on Norway...

1 - What temperatures should we expect to work out what bike kit to wear!?!
2 - How bad will the Mozi's be? Do we need Mozi hats?
3 - Any must see places / areas / roads etc...
4 - Distance between petrol stations? Will we need to carry spare fuel?

Thanks in advance! Beej

[GSPeter]

Search for "motorcycleaddict" Hans P. He made a touring guide for Norway - the most comprehensive I have read.

Temperatures will vary with elevation and wind. Some mountain passes might still be snowbound, though unlikely. Cold wind and rain is more likely. The best gear you have, and keep an eye on the weather. Riders get cold and make bad mistakes.

Mosquitos in some areas drive you mad. Wide brim hats with netting, bug coils, and repellant and whatever else you can think of. The ultra-sonic sound apparatus don't work on our bugs.

Fjords, mountains and lakes, Lofoten, old farms and some towns. I reckon Nordkapp (North Cape) to be overrated. Your choice.

If you have a 200 km range you should be ok - I never let the tank go below half, and crossing mountainpasses does increase consumption.

Remember speed limits are enforced with hefty fines. There are stories!

In some areas you can use the old roads - get good maps. Do you like gravel roads? We have many. Less traffic and more scenary. Please don't make the mistake of rushing through.

Bikes don't pay tolls usually, and drive to the front of ferry queues, the crew fill up small spaces with bikes. Usually its enough to put the bike in gear on sidestand, with a small strap on the front brake, if you're not too topheavy with luggage. Try to park so the bike doesn't scratch other vehicles if it topples.

Norway is a fantastic motorbike touring, but painfully expensive.

Safe travels

Peter, in Oslo

[Beej]

Thanks GSPeter! We now have a list started with suggested places... sounds like we're in for a treat!

Sounds like we will want to travel in our waterproof jacket n trousers that we were away in last weekend in Scotland! Just need to decide if we should take the liners out or leave them in!?! Last weekend it was wet, windy and temp was about 5-10C. It's unusually cold here at the moment!

Also need to think about petrol! The DRZ400 did 110 miles last weekend before needing the reserve. Meanwhile the XT250 made it to the petrol station without changing!

We would like to do some gravel roads... how are these marked on maps? We will be travelling with mainly road tyres (Avon Distanzia), but that can cope with a bit of off road so they would be fun to do.

Do we need to carry our own straps for using on the ferry's?

[GSPeter]

Hei Beej, glad to help. Definately bring your liners for your waterproofs. Our weather can change as quick as yours. Also I advise wool underwear (long sleeve and legs) and good wool socks. If you don't use them - great. It can be cold in the evenings too.

Usually gravel roads are marked as minor roads, look for the road going over mountains rather than the main roads along the valley with tunnels and ringroads. Some gravelroads are privately owned and maintained with a toll charge, marked on maps as a barrier, I usually pay, holiday season there are often controls. Might be wise to avoid gravel if the weather is wet, they can be very slippery, and quite easy to slide off if you get the corner wrong.

I use a c. 20 cm long strap which is meant to hold a pair of skiis together, anything will do. The local ferries have no straps, if you are worried bring your own, the crew are there to help you if its a choppy crossing, but their gear is dimentioned for trailers/heavygoods.

Hope this helps,

Safe travels

Peter, in Oslo

[GSPeter]

Hei Beej, I got a little confused. This is the link, and you will probably be interested in the "Norway on a Shoestring" section.

Ride Norway | All you need to know for your motorcycle trip to Norway



Safe travels

Peter

[pebble35]

Originally Posted by GSPeter

Norway is a fantastic motorbike touring, but painfully expensive.

Safe travels

Peter, in Oslo

Just to make sure people aren't put off riding in a great country by possible costs ..................

Norway can be expensive - if you stay in hotels, eat out, and enjoy a few s or a bottle of wine each night.

On the other hand it can actually be pretty cheap if you wild camp (free), buy and cook your own food and give up drinking for a few weeks !

Personally, I am happy to 'rough' it in a tent and enjoy the amazing natural beauty of the country - hopefully heading back there later this summer

But of course the most important thing about travelling in Norway is

[Beej]

Hi Pebble35,

Fantastic point!

Norway (as with any other country), will be as expensive to travel in as you make it! We usually camp, have picnic lunches and cook our own food...partly because it is cheaper but also as I am veggie it is often easier! The odd hotel / airbnb or hostel can be nice but our budget doesn't allow this to be frequent! Other than that it is nice to try a local or wine / chocolate / cake etc but this doesn't need to break the bank as long as you don't go mad!

We will travel with a bottle of whiskey and will do our best to remember not to feed the trolls!

[ROYMACNIC]

Hi Beej, Great choice, Norway is absolutely spectacular , a great place to tour, we were there in 2006 which was their best summer for 30 years or so, we had sunshine every day bar one, when it poured down, so probably best to be prepared for anything, just like Scotland, we never had any problems with mozzies,though again like home ,stay away from forests and preferably camp near the coast to get a breeze to keep them away.
As far as where to go, the Aursjoveggen , a gravel toll road was a highlight, along with the Trollstiggen ,but again, most of the roads are great in Fjiordland, superb country for a motorcycle!

[Beej]

Thanks Roymacnic... The more we hear, the more we know we are going to have a great trip. Just trying to work out what bike kit to wear! Sounds like we could experience anything!

[OTRA]

In June 2013 I went for 3 weeks trip in Scandinavia and that ride is still in my mind as one of the best i ever made, i went solo with a GSA (big tank one) and a spare 3l jerrican on the back of one of my panniers which i never used and came back with the same petrol to Dieppe , but i remember been surprise to find so many petrol stations , even in the middle of nowhere like a Bagdad cafe and selling everything, petrol, clothes, food , restaurant/snack, fishing gears ...and more.
I ve seen mosquitos only in finland (lapland) i bought a repellent in a sweden fishing shop ,Wilma Nordic Summer it's in a small round tin box and it's smell like old boat ropes and it's work .
The weather wasn't too hard , a shower everyday and the temperature was minus 2 or 3 at the mini in the northern part at night (well , what should be night normally ) .but when it's cold it's dry cold and very supportable .But take summer and winter gloves. I was wearing winter underwear and a sweatshirt under my combi and a rain suit over when it was too pissy .
Camping is easy , no rules , except the normal human being policy . If you are feed up camping you can rent a Hytter , it 's a wooden bungalow around 300 and 550 Nok , but as the Hytter is for 3 or 4 pers (i even rent one for 8)
you can share it with other travellers and reduce the fees .
Food is easy to find , there re Coop in every village , don't forget to taste their delicious brown cheese (yummy) .As everywhere in scandinavia , booth
is overtaxed (i had 1 L of Whisky and 1 of Calvados , very helpfull for making new friends and to warm up in the evening). Fishing is allowed and free in sea water including Fjords ,so don't forget to bring a small fishing gear or you can buy one in a petrol station or Coop .
Road are quite good , in june there was a lot of roadworks so everything is cleared for july and august , small roads are sometime damaged and gravelled . Take really care about Reindeers Mooses and Sheeps , when you see your first ones you take them in pictures but after a while you think they are too many. In Westland take care of the cattle gates on the road ( we call them canadian cattle gates here) they are made of steel pipes across the road and are positioned sometime in the bents (!).
In my all trip (11000 km) i ve seen only 2 or 3 police cars and one bike , mainly in sweden , but they are loads of statics cameras ,even in very small villages , but the landscape is so beautiful you don't want to speed.

Norway is a wonderful country and i'm sure you will enjoy it as i did , you are so close from nature and it's so clean and pure sometime i was feeling like National Geographic Reporter , i remenber camping along the shoreline in the north of Lofotens and watching whales hunting in the sea , fabulous

I which you a safe trip and give us some news when you're back, take pictures or movies (drift helmet cam is superb) and show them in the next HU meeting you will attend.

Roger

[OTRA]

To prepare my journey i went on "najionaleturistveger.no" it s perfect and detailed , you can also go to "visitnorway"
During my trip i traveled one day with a guy named Samuel Longiaru, riding a R60/6 from British Columbia (CA) and HU member (that's why i'm here now) . Sam got a website "thetwilightproject.net" where you will find pictures and comment of his trip.
BFN , Roger

[omar mansour]

hello Roger , can you please share your route as im sure it will be useful for me and many others ,thanks mate

Originally Posted by OTRA

In June 2013 I went for 3 weeks trip in Scandinavia and that ride is still in my mind as one of the best i ever made, i went solo with a GSA (big tank one) and a spare 3l jerrican on the back of one of my panniers which i never used and came back with the same petrol to Dieppe , but i remember been surprise to find so many petrol stations , even in the middle of nowhere like a Bagdad cafe and selling everything, petrol, clothes, food , restaurant/snack, fishing gears ...and more.
I ve seen mosquitos only in finland (lapland) i bought a repellent in a sweden fishing shop ,Wilma Nordic Summer it's in a small round tin box and it's smell like old boat ropes and it's work .
The weather wasn't too hard , a shower everyday and the temperature was minus 2 or 3 at the mini in the northern part at night (well , what should be night normally ) .but when it's cold it's dry cold and very supportable .But take summer and winter gloves. I was wearing winter underwear and a sweatshirt under my combi and a rain suit over when it was too pissy .
Camping is easy , no rules , except the normal human being policy . If you are feed up camping you can rent a Hytter , it 's a wooden bungalow around 300 and 550 Nok , but as the Hytter is for 3 or 4 pers (i even rent one for 8)
you can share it with other travellers and reduce the fees .
Food is easy to find , there re Coop in every village , don't forget to taste their delicious brown cheese (yummy) .As everywhere in scandinavia , booth
is overtaxed (i had 1 L of Whisky and 1 of Calvados , very helpfull for making new friends and to warm up in the evening). Fishing is allowed and free in sea water including Fjords ,so don't forget to bring a small fishing gear or you can buy one in a petrol station or Coop .
Road are quite good , in june there was a lot of roadworks so everything is cleared for july and august , small roads are sometime damaged and gravelled . Take really care about Reindeers Mooses and Sheeps , when you see your first ones you take them in pictures but after a while you think they are too many. In Westland take care of the cattle gates on the road ( we call them canadian cattle gates here) they are made of steel pipes across the road and are positioned sometime in the bents (!).
In my all trip (11000 km) i ve seen only 2 or 3 police cars and one bike , mainly in sweden , but they are loads of statics cameras ,even in very small villages , but the landscape is so beautiful you don't want to speed.

Norway is a wonderful country and i'm sure you will enjoy it as i did , you are so close from nature and it's so clean and pure sometime i was feeling like National Geographic Reporter , i remenber camping along the shoreline in the north of Lofotens and watching whales hunting in the sea , fabulous

I which you a safe trip and give us some news when you're back, take pictures or movies (drift helmet cam is superb) and show them in the next HU meeting you will attend.

Roger

[OTRA]

Firstly, i made a mistake on the Norwegian public road admin. website ,you should read "nasjonaleturistveger.no" .You can also visit "zac&olive" one year trip through Europe with a Ural sidecar including Scandinavia .
I made a movie of my trip with a Drift Ghost HD camera on my helmet and realized a 1h26mn movie which i 'll present on next HU France meeting next September. I'll try to make a quick report of that trip as soon as possible and post it .
Next trip should be Extremadura (SP) and back via Portugal next summer
(going to be hot i think)
If i can help on your trip let me know ,
have a nice day and ride safe
Roger

[ddartt]

Norway is an amazing country, probably the best I've been to so far.

I was travelling last July and the weather was very hot all 9 days I was in Norway, so yes, its super unpredictable. It is expensive but only some items - in particular, eating out and drinking out too. The food and in supermarkets were reasonable, camping was fine, hotels were actually fine too. I traveled all the way to Nordkapp but enjoyed western fjords the most. I still think Nordkapp is worth it - not the destination but the journey, midnight sun, reindeers e.t.c.
Mosquitos were not too bad - I've used the repellent (especially in the northern part when wild camping), but they were vegetarians compared to mosquitos in Finland.

You also might want to check out my trip report for the route and some practical tips, Norway starts from Day 3:
http://www.rideinwild.com/dublin-to-...rip-july-2014/

Enjoy your trip and good luck with the weather!

[omar mansour]

Originally Posted by OTRA

Firstly, i made a mistake on the Norwegian public road admin. website ,you should read "nasjonaleturistveger.no" .You can also visit "zac&olive" one year trip through Europe with a Ural sidecar including Scandinavia .
I made a movie of my trip with a Drift Ghost HD camera on my helmet and realized a 1h26mn movie which i 'll present on next HU France meeting next September. I'll try to make a quick report of that trip as soon as possible and post it .
Next trip should be Extremadura (SP) and back via Portugal next summer
(going to be hot i think)
If i can help on your trip let me know ,
have a nice day and ride safe
Roger

thanks Roger for all the info