This trip has been along time coming for me but I have only just been able to fit it in.

I am missing my life in Thailand and my partner, Ohmmy, but I can not go back to BKK yet due to one thing and another so what better way to spend my time than to ride into Europe for a few weeks or so before flying back out to Thailand for Christmas and New Year.
For those of you who have read my other ride report you will know that I rode around Northern Thailand and Laos for 30 plus days starting the middle of December last year. Well I fell in love with the place and the people. Apart from about 5 weeks in the UK I have been there since I did my trip.

So while Ohmmy is working at the Restaurant I will be galavanting around on Arrunya in Europe. Hope she is up to the task! (the bike that is). Mind you saying that, it will be damn sight warmer in BKK than the Balkans at this moment in time!

I was going to start doing the ride report from the Hull to Zeebrugge Ferry just in case!?……..but whilst I am sat just waiting to go now (tomorrow) I thought I would start it now.
My return is not due till the 05 Dec 2015 so no great rush. Just under 8 weeks of travelling, awesome. This was booked direct through the P&O site
Hull To Zeebrugge | Overnight Crossing With Cabins | P&O Ferries - UK

Wayne

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The rough plan is to ride to Dusseldorf from Zeebrugge and take the overnight Motorail from Dusseldorf to Vienna.
Booked through,
ÖBB travel portal
I am a bit disappointed with them as I messaged them 4 days ago now with reference to booking on the day in case my plans changed...as of yet I still have not had a reply. So I will be turning up on speck and hopefully getting on.

Once there I am intending on riding south through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia (so I can visit some places which I saw in 1993/1997) then if I have time and weather permitting I will go into Macedonia ( I was there in the late 90’s also)


I have sorted out some cold/wet weather gear so I am hoping that all will be good. An old saying from my military days….Any fool can get cold and wet, the art is to stay warm and dry. We will see and time will tell!

I will be hoping to keep this report live as I did with the last one but the wifi might be lacking some days as I could be in the middle of nowhere in my tent doing a good impression of Scott of the Antarctic,

I have logged on to the Camp in my Garden site but the further South you get the less there is, so wild camping may be in order
Quiet, friendly and affordable garden campsites - Campinmygarden.com

Some of the kit I will be taking along which I have bought for the trip

Vango 3 man tent, I like the room and only a few grams more
https://www.outdooraction.co.uk/tent...nt-pd-7206.php

Treat Lite2 Motorcycle comfort seat from a pressure care specialist.
New Treat Lite2 Motorcycle Comfort Seating Range

Dragonfly Multifuel Stove
MSR Stoves


The above 3 I have placed on the Equipment review Board and will update as and when

Ortlieb Rack Pack, bright yellow, size XL, 89ltr
Ortlieb Rack Pack Travel Bag - X Large | Evans Cycles

Heidenau K60 tyres, taking them along and will change in Ljubljana, not much tread left on my Enduro 3 Sahara tyres
Heidenau K60 & K60 Scout

I was going to buy a Therma Rest mat to sleep on but I don’t have an endless stream of cash now I am networking so I am taking my Army Roll Mat, used them for years so another 8 week won’t make much difference!

My sleeping bag is a Softie 12, had it a few years now but I know its a good bag.

I am also taking Softie Cold weather top and bottoms, again Military issue, but I know they work. They weigh nothing and compress in stuff sacks so don’t take up room. Thermal top and bottoms are packed too. Ummm, more layers than an onion springs to mind

I have the RST Pro Series Adventure suit and a Shoei Hornet helmet. On my feet I am wearing the Forma Adventure Waterproof Boot, But taking a pair of Sealskinz just in case. haha

Electronics carried :-

GoPro Hero 4 Black
Apple 5s, which I will be using for photos also
Samsung Duel Sim phone (which is my Thai phone) so I can use local Sim Cards
Mac Air 13" (which I had on my last trip)
Garmin Montana 600 with the OSM maps on the SD card

I also bought this so I can change my Montana on the go and also charge my phone via the USB slots, tried it and it works a treat.
Buy GARMIN High Speed Universal USB GPS Sat Nav Charger – with In-Car Connection | Free Delivery | Currys

I have mounted my Go-Pro on the side of the bike as it will not go on my helmet due to the venting ridge in the middle top. The upside to having it where it is is that I can see when its turned on/off and recording. I just hope the pad with remain stuck on the Acerbis, it was my last one.


The bike is now packed and good to go, less the Mac Air which I will pack in the morning


Roll on tomorrow

Wayne

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Hi Wayne - good to see youre alive and kicking. Your bike looks all good and ready to go...

I wish you a interesting and safe journey down to the Balkans although it sounds cold down there.

Thailand is much hotter you know.... ;-)

I am in Thailand right now waiting for my bike being shipped over from Dili - East Timor to Darwin - Australia. Will fly down to pick it up next week. Had more than 3 months around in Indonesia and wow what a country! The traffic is absolutely horrible though.

Didnt really like the Heidenaus, very stiff, not very grippy, little if any feedback and in the end they rear had huge cracks around the knobbies after 12-13 k kms and I had to replace them. But I see that many ither likes them however...

Good luck mate!

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Hi Kurt

Thanks
I bet that was an adventure and glad to hear you are ok my friend. You go steady in Oz and have a great time. I am looking forward to it. Also looking forward to the warmer climate in BKK when I get there for Christmas.
Hope the bike is going ok?
It seems a life time away since our ride out in Laos earlier this year.

You take care and enjoy it

Wayne

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G'day Wayne,
I'm in Georgia until the end of October and then heading west so keep an eye out for an old bloke on a DRZ400S coming towards you in Greece Croatia etc.

Sounds good mate, I am going to try and keep the report live so you will know where i am, or PM me when you get in the area, would be good to meet for a coffee//ride

ride safe

Wayne

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Sat in Mostar now, relaxing and watching the world go by. I have an hour to kill before I can check in to my Airbnb

Wayne

Sent from my tapatalk with a nice cold in my hand

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its a hard life

Plenty to see in Mosie Wayne but the price goes up !! when i left i passed through




cant tell you where the road(track !!! ) was just crossed an old iron bridge and found this in the middle



Thanks again for making me go back through my pics

Wayne.... check out Blagaj 10km south of Mostar and source off the river Buna...
then you can take old road to Trebinje,nice little town, then Dubrovnik is just 36km or Herceg Novi about 42km vich will be on your way to Kotor.Once in Kotor a MUST is serpentine road to Negrose and Cetinje.

Safe ride Kawazoki

Thanks for the information I will have a look

Wayne

Sent from my tapatalk with a nice cold in my hand

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Day 19 Balkans Trip

Just a sort trip of about 10 mile this morning to get into Mostar.

Had a steady ride in and went to find where I will be staying. As I was early I went for a bit of a ride around the town before finding a Cafe for some fruit tea.

Got settled into the room. It is not as good as the last place I stayed in but its clean and for £7 a night you can not complain. Most importantly Arrunya is in a garage out of the way.
I am going to try and get the left pannier of tomorrow. The biggest worry is that it won’t go back on. But I need to check the pannier frame in more detail, just to make sure its not cracked and also try and straighten the top of the case out as the lid doesn’t fit properly now so its not waterproof and the last think I need is a wet Mac Air.

Some views from on the way into Mostar











The Room

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Well the day is turning out good. Followed my route to the caves and it brought me down the side of a mountain...literally. The track was boulders. Had another off. No photo as the bike was sliding away from me down hill. Handle bars twisted. Couldn't bash in to shape. So I rode to the nearest big town. Despotovac. Found a garage with a bike parked outside so i stopped. The guy rang a bike mechanic who is coming to look at it. It looks like the bolts in to the head are bent? Time will tell. Sat drinking coffee and local home brew while I wait. Great hospitality



Sent from Tapatalk with a cold in the other hand

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Winter is coming: Ljubljana Weekend Weather - AccuWeather Forecast for Ljubljana Slovenia

Hope you get the bike fixed asap. I'm looking forward to getting down to Montenegro etc next year.

Cheers John
You will love it in the Balkans

Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk while having a cold

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