The Euro Trip....

[micpec]

That unknown lime green car is a Weissman I believe. Very cool car.

[Variablevalves suck]

Bloody good write up you got here Mark.
Gets better and better, just as i thought you were about to wind it up and head home you turn up at the Nurburgring ring and put the race face on.
One to remember me thinks.

[mruehl34]

No idea what this is…but it got a lot of attention

….

This is a wiesmann car.





Here you can see more.

http://www.wiesmann.com/de/modelle/gt_mf5


Michael

[CMSMJ1]

@ Matty - hair had to go as my sister got Non Hodgkn Lymphoma...I told her if she had chemo and had to go bald then I'd come and she could shave my hair off. She got bald...I got a skinhead!

Ref the ring - you are close enough to get there in a day, have a blast and then drive home


Day 12 – Wednesday. Homeward bound.. Nurburgring to Dunkirk and Calais

Well…it was pissing down when we woke up and our spirits were crushed. The forecast was for more rain. We sat in the porch of Grandad’s tent and had some breakfast. This was salami, cheese and bread…which was pretty much brekkie for most days! Got the camping stove out for the second time in the whole trip and made a brew..but with half cream as I stupidly bought this instead of milk..lol.. I had my eyes on the beer.

The rain was minging down..we were both thinking the same thing..but not wanting to say it. Our return ferry was booked for Friday but we had both chucked in the towel. We were not going to get to ride the Nurburgring, we were being charged by the day for the camping and we were both pretty skint. I also needed my pit and to see my wife as she was going to America for 3 weeks on the Sunday when I got back so that would be a whole 5 weeks break from the charms of my other half.

I made the first move – we would ride to Dunkirk and try and get a ferry…I had used Norfolk line before and it was £40 for a van. I expected we would get a bargain and get home 2 days early.

So…we packed up. It was just gone 10 AM.



I was writing my report for Bridgestone and had noted 33150KM on the clocks on day 1. Now, leaving the ‘ring we were on 39499km. So, 6349KM down….which is just under 4000 miles.



And we rode…out of Germany on the B258 which is a kick ass road. Swoopy, slimy and littered with a few leaves… Grandad’s rear tyre was bald by now. We had covered a lot of distance!

Leaving we stopped at an Aral garage to get some fuel. I swiped and found I was actually denied..oh shit. I was worried now as I had no other cash on any other cards or credit cards… I called my bank and they kept me on hold for ages. This was making me worry about the phone balance (work phone!) and also the power..one bar an flashing low battery. Must have been on about 15 minutes before they told me it was a security thing. I saw my arse. I had already told them I was going abroad between the 2 weeks I had been abroad for. Wankers. Apart from that we made decent progress

We escaped Germany and headed for Malmedy. Back into the WW1 and WW2 areas that I am so very interested in. It was a good session but I remember vividly that as soon as we crossed the border the roads turned to shit. Potted, rough surfaces and random coloured signs. We were immediately so much slower than in Germany.

I wanted to ride the original Spa race track – home of the 150mph average lap and the fearsome Masta Kink.. I had been before and this time we missed it..lol. My crappy map skills tok us past the Malmedy end and we bypassed the old roads to come out onto the Belgian motorways past the town of Spa itself.

We went via Charleroi rather than Brussels as this, IMO, is an easier and less stressful route. We blasted by Mons (scene of one of the most famous British WW1 actions in the war. I doffed my virtual cap to these great people as we tore up the roads faster than those old boys would ever have imagined.

We stopped at a Belgian petrol station, got a sandwich, some coke and were eaten alive by piddling little flying munching machines. Fuck me! This was like a horror film death by little black flying dots. We threw the food down and splatted and swatted the little bastards and escaped at a large rate of knots.

The weather had dried out now as well and I had stashed my waterproof under my cargo net. In my mirror I saw it was catching some air and I reached behind me to put it back. Did this a few times and finally thought I had sorted it. Next petrol stop and Grandad tld me it caught the air and felw off, into his path and he ran over it at 100mph..lol Oops.

We got into France after a long session in the saddle. We were still pretty motivated but Grandad’s arse was not taking the riding too well. He was moaning and wanted to get off the bike and have a fag every 100 miles. At this rate we would not be at Dunkirk or Calais before 6…then a 2hr ferry would get us over for 8 and we’d have a 4hr ride home. Ballache.

As it happens we made it to Dunkirk for 4 ish and I went to go and see if we could get a cheap ferry over the water.



I was optimistic and queued up like a good lad waiting to see if I could get a ferry. Was thinking it would be about EUR40..not more. The lovely lady told me that the next ferry I could get was in a couple of hours and would be EUR95…with added bike money and so on. Each! Not cool. Was sick of riding and wanted to go home. Our original ferry tickets were under £50 each..

I came out and told Grandad…


(Grandad’s sad face)

Took us only about 20 seconds to decide to ride to Calais. We could always ride back if we could not find one in Calais.

An hour later we were at the Ferry terminal for Sea France…and for EUR30 for the pair of us we were booked on the 1800 ferry! Wooohooo.

Sea France is a quality operation. I am normally a little bit Francophobic as they are a bunch of lazy gits on the whole with a poor attitude to everything but sinking hippy ships… However, I would recommend Sea France every time.

We were starving and went to find something to eat…This was it..



The only place to get some refreshments on the whole complex – classy!

No more piccies…we were tired. The ferry came on time and we were first bikes on. Managed to stay awake (just about) on the crossing and got off the boat in Dover, straight out and happy to be home. I had not told the wife I was coming back 2 days early.

The homeward UK section

It was nearly 8 and we filled up on the M20. Talking to a guy and he was telling us the M25 was backed up 20 miles. That was a kick in the nuts and as we flew north, trying to make as much progress as possible, we were finding it strange to be riding on the proper side of the road.

M25 was blocked and stationary…but not the way we were going so it was through the tunnel and round to the M1. It started to get dark but I could not be arsed unpacking my clear visor as I could see just lovely on the lit sections of the motorway. Another fuel stop and a double can break of Relentless and a pee stop. It was really surreal, riding faster than was sensible, on the limit of my concentration and endurance and to top it all, my arse was getting sore. Grandad felt like he had spent 2 weeks on the Rohypnol at George Michael’s place rather than riding a motorbike. I found it funny…he didn’t.

Off the M1 at J29 for the final few miles to my house. We stopped at the layby just off the roundabout and had a final stretch. Anyone that knows this road understands that it is actually a top speed testing location. It was 2340. We had been on the road since 1000 that morning at the Nurburgring. What a trip.

So..got home, did 160 leptons on the bypass in the pitch black with a black visor – dumb..but entirely sane feeling at the time.

Home…the wife was up. She heard the bikes and thought it might be us. She knew it was us when me and Grandad opened the gates, whipped open the door and got some beer out the fridge.

So..there you have it, how to hit Europe and cover mondo miles in one go.

The final clock reading (took next morning)


Reading of 40418 KM.

We expected to cover 2000 miles. The final leg was 919 KM. 575 miles.

Overall the trip was 7248 KM or 4542 miles.

Thanks to Steve (aka vfrman) for giving us a focal point to aim for. Great host, lovely wife and home and certainly high up in my list of people I would do love to have over to ride my bikes, eat my food and I’ll teach to drink beer.

Finally thanks to you lot..a greater bunch of internet bike nerds does not exist anywhere else.

400GB session at the Nurburgring needs to be sorted out. I have room for a bike on my trailer and kit in my boot. Let’s make it happen!

THE END!

[Drunkn Munky]

Mega millage mate, well done

Next time take the A20 instead of the M20 on the way home, fast fast road.

And the Nurburgring on 400's, couldnt think of anything better.

[zYgoat]

What an awesome post! Well welcome home guys

[vfrman]

Thanks to Steve (aka vfrman) for giving us a focal point to aim for. Great host, lovely wife and home and certainly high up in my list of people I would do love to have over to ride my bikes, eat my food and I’ll teach to drink beer.

Aww, shucks! Thanks mate. I will have to take you up on that! I will pass along to Traci how lovely you think she is. I am sure she would love to see England as well.

[chrisja2]

Junction 29 of the M1, jeeze youre closer than i thought. How did the tires hold up by the way?

Chris

[Martin]

Great write up Mark. I've resisted saying anything until now because i wanted to see that you had a happy ending......and you did Makes me want to thinking about planning a little jaunt for next year.

[CMSMJ1]

Cheers all.

@ Steve - get your ass over...
@ Tony - 400s on the ring..oh yes
@ Chris - Aye, am 400yards from Derbyshire and less than 45 mins to Notts..
@ Martin - always a happy ending.....like when I go for a Thai massage

Tyres wise..they are alright..a bit fecked but I've still got them fitted and the Bridgestone guys are amazed they did the mileage. I prob done 6.5 thou on them in total with commuting to work and the 500 miles I did when I got them.. BT016 = good tyres.

I will probably get some 023 next..but I am thinking about swapping the ZX for a sport touring bke...something that does not encourage 140mph M1 sessions..as that is bad and stupid.