A few pictures from European Bike week Austria

[88b]

A group of us go every other year, more for the ride than the event. we left England on Sept 6th at 5:30 am rode 70 miles to the Channel tunnel and get on the train the crossing takes 30 minutes.

pretty uneventful 350 plus miles across France to our hotel for the first night. Next morning it's raining and foggy




just some French back roads then into Switzerland, then autobahn past Zurich and into the alps to Klosters . next morning it's dry but we know the rains coming

To get into Italy we rode through a narrow tunnel about 5 miles long


into Italy and headed for the Stelvio pass



Then the rain started as we climbed up to around 8000 feet



The low cloud really set in and visibility was down to about 20 foot , doesn't inspire confidence when there's no guard rail and a 300 foot drop.

[88b]

Rain and cloud cleared as we dropped down but it really slowed us up


About 20 miles from that nights hotel I hit a patch of cow **it slowing down going into cortina locked the front wheel and dropped my RG    The next mornings repair job.



pretty uneventful ride for the last 150 miles to Villach Austria for the event, just aswel it wasn't too far as my right knee was about twice the size of the left 
Some of the sights at the rally

[Dennis The Menace]

Very Cool!  Thanks for posting.

Sorry about the mishap...are you okay?

Dennis

[88b]

On the Saturday we go for a ride so this year we went to Slovinia, it's come a long way since it's comunist days, but there are a lot of road hazzards.




We stopped for some pictures before lunch, one not so perfect RG 


The had bear on the menu so Russ had to try it ,I had a small piece tasted like steak


Another road hazzard on the way back


Sunday and it's time to head home or Italy for the first night. 2 miles and two of us lost the other 5. several thousand bikes leaving town so we decided to meet up on the way. Austria's beautiful

[88b]

Into Italy and start climbing the Dolomites, narrow roads switch backs and Italians on BMW's 



we all got to the hotel Ok but the next morning it was raining again, and we had to follow a gas tanker over the mountains

down the side of lake Como and into Switzerland



Swiss autobahn until the Gottard tunnel then up onto the Gottard pass then the Furker pass to our hotel.

[88b]

It's cold up there with snow on the sides of the road






From there it was into luxembourg ,Germany Belgium and France to catch the train home, ten days nine countries and 2372 miles

[88b]

On the mend thanks Dennis, the Road glide's going to take some fixing but it's an insurance job and winters coming.
A couple of you tube clips Bunmonsta and Russ did

Essex Chapter Hog at Faaker See 2010

Faaker See 2010

European Bike Rally, Faaker See 2010

[kik]

Very Cool, Thanks for posting. Makes me want to save up for a couple of years and do something like that with the wife. Matbe take about a month off of work.

[Bruno-Katz Fokkerpilot]

Outstanding photos old son, thanks for sharing. Sure looks like interesting riding. So sorry you had to drop the bike though. Isn`t the Euro tunnel great? i went through for the second time in two months this week. Did another tobbacco run into Belgium then a quick tour around the Ypres battlefields and back home in a day. 363 miles round trip. Question for you; how fast do you think that train goes through the tunnel?? Regardz, Bruno.

[hotroadking]

Great ride, cow crap, like open range out west here...

if it wasn't the drop and your knee those gals could
have caused some swelling too! LOL

Guess you'll have to order the new HD super screaming beagle RG paint!

Might as well get the inner faring painted too! Nice sticker, you have good friends...

[02roadcling]

  nice riding

[Emptypockets]

 That looks like some great riding roads. Excellent photos. Makes me feel like I'm missing out when I see stuff like that. You guys have to love the easy access to the mainland. Alot different than it was I hear.

[preacher son]

Great pictures, Nice switch back roads, never had to worry about cow crap before even thoughi live in the country.  Hope your knee is okay.   Thanks for pics. 

                                                                           Preacher Son

[bericuda]

 yeah, that"s one awesome post....thanks for sharing. get better quick!

[Deye76]

Wonderful pictures
Shoot that damn cow, (road hazzards) carve it up for steaks. Glad your OK.
Well, good excuse for custom paint now. 

[Dennis The Menace]

Deye, not a bad idea.  One of THE BEST steaks I ever had was in Solden, Austria.  That free range beef is spectacular over there.  Solden is about my favorite spot on earth, by the way.  Spent a lot of time there.

Dennis

[codyshop]

Beautiful pix, and not one toyhauler to be seen anywhere!

[Panzer]

Outstanding post.
Had to call the wife to watch Italy pixs & video of lake Como.
Great pixs, great camera, great vids and music.
On a scale of one to ten.....12, it's a keeper!!
Big thanks 
Panzer

[Velocity1]

Great post and pictures! Thanks for sharing. Looks as though a good time was had by all! Absolutely love Europe and hope to enjoy the country side there one day!

[Baggerlady]

Thanks for the great post and pictures & videos! I was over there Easter of 1997, only in a car, and I got to see quite a bit of Switzerland, and part of Italy, and took the train to Vienna from Zurich. My friend I was visiting lives in Zurich. Its a beautiful country, lots of bikes everywhere, and yes, some of those roads are nothing but paved over logging roads. That trip was before I started riding, but I can imagine what fun it would be to ride there. Other than the bike going down and a sore knee, it looks like a great time. Too bad you had to put up with some rain though. Thanks again!

[psychel]

Great pictures!!  Great views!!  Thanks!
Evo1 almost had a coronary (heart attack) when he saw the girl with no pants!!

[88b]

Steve ( HRK ) the insurance co are being real azzholes and difficult, as much as I want to colour change I'll just be happy for them to pay for the repairs and get it back as it was, current estimate is around $7000. I'm insured for my clothing but Thursday they said I'm only covered for that in the UK My ins expires next week and I've lined up a new company.

Bruno I'd guess the train gets up to around 80 mph in the tunnel.

I'll post some more pics later

[Admiral Akbar]

Cool pics.. I would expect to see a beemer or 2.. Max

[Bruno-Katz Fokkerpilot]

Steve ( HRK ) the insurance co are being real azzholes and difficult, as much as I want to colour change I'll just be happy for them to pay for the repairs and get it back as it was, current estimate is around $7000. I'm insured for my clothing but Thursday they said I'm only covered for that in the UK My ins expires next week and I've lined up a new company.

Bruno I'd guess the train gets up to around 80 mph in the tunnel.

I'll post some more pics later

The train gets up to 95 mph on the downhill stretch, i asked the guy who does the loading on Tuesday. Sorry to hear about the insurance assholes. They always find a way not to pay up. Dunno who you`ve been using up till now but i`ve been with Footman James for eight years now and never a problem or arguement with them. Hope you get it sorted to your advantage. Regards,Bruno.

[bouncingVman]

WOW !!