Storm Abroad

[Steve6088]

I arrived back from my european trip on Thursday. It was eventful to say the least

I arrived off the ferry in Santander in true storm style i.e I had to push it off the ferry as the thing had run out of fuel in my dash to catch the ferry at Plymouth. Pushing a bike in 38oC heat is bloody hard work. Luckily I had a small inclination that the storm would run out of fuel and brought a tube for syphoning fuel out of my mates Black bird (26ltre tank !) I got fed up of the taste of petrol by the end of the holiday.

Headed from Spain to Pyrenees and then across to the Alps. The best roads I have ever been on in my life. My favourite stretch was the twisting roads down from Andorra to the South of France.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Sa ... ,7&t=m&z=8


Was all going good until my mates immobiliser stopped working in the alps followed by has alternator going. Had to keep switching batteries all the way back hope from Genava. This was followed by my chain snapping in the Alps, luckily at the top of a mountain so I could coast all the way back down to a bike garage. If you ever pass Gap motorcycle I cant recommend them enough . Let my use their tools to fit a new chain.

Had problems with my camera so I don't have many photos to share unfortunately. The grand total of four I would highly recommend a similar route to anybody thinking about it !









I would highly recommend a similar route to anybody thinking about it ! Will defiantly be doing something similar again next year. Other than chain snapping the Storm didn't skip a beat over the 2700 miles

[Jazzscot]

Im not jealous at all mate honest

I would love to do something like that someday.

[AMCQ46]

Hope your mates took some more photos....I hate it when your camera fails and everywhere you go you are thinking, "I wish I could take a photo of that"

Sounds like a fun trip, I always take a length of hose for syphoning fel as well. Never needed to use it, but it gives me peace of mind

[VTRDark]

Sounds like an eventful journey. Glad you allright, having a chain snap on you is not good. Your lucky it didn't throw you off the bike. If you ever go again, fill a flask up with fuel for emergency's.

(:-})

[Steve6088]

Hope your mates took some more photos....I hate it when your camera fails and everywhere you go you are thinking, "I wish I could take a photo of that"

Sounds like a fun trip, I always take a length of hose for syphoning fel as well. Never needed to use it, but it gives me peace of mind

He has fortunately, I'd be pretty gutted otherwise as some of the sights were breath taking. Ill share them when I get them. I only had to use the tube four times

Sounds like an eventful journey. Glad you allright, having a chain snap on you is not good. Your lucky it didn't throw you off the bike. If you ever go again, fill a flask up with fuel for emergency's.

(:-})

Chain came straight off the bike apparently, when I was overtaking a line of cars at speed up an Alpine Hill so not the safest place for it to have gone

[aces-high]

Good to hear you had a great time Steve, chains and suckin fuel apart.
The mountain descent from Andora is ace, glad you made in part of your trip.

[agentpineapple]

i've driven thru the pyrenees many times, the roads are superb and the scenery is out of this world, one day i hope to take the bike there, sounds like you had great fun steve, that hose is a good idea unless your riding with other storms
i also like carls idea of a large drinking flash filled with petrol
looking at your pictures i think you've found the best use for a silver firestorm.....A CLOTHES HORSE.....

[Steve6088]

i think you've found the best use for a silver firestorm.....A CLOTHES HORSE.....

very good.

I cant speak highly enough of your fellow country men. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. When we were completely lost in Burgos one guy even followed us for a while before pulling alongside us and asking us if we needed help. We then followed him for a good 20mins as he showed us the correct road to be on. I cant imagine somebody here doing that.

I found the French and Spanish drivers had a lot more respect for motorcyclists, even pulling over to give you space to filter and overtake. In comparison, on my way in to work this morning I had somebody give me a V sign and pull in to stop my filtering past

[Stratman]

I just did 10 days France/Pyrenees on the TDM (60mpg and 21 litre tank = )

Am going back to The Pyrenees next year as IMHO the roads knock The Alps into a cocked hat. If anyone goes - try to fine the A1065 west of Andorra - more twists and turns than you can shake a stick at, perfect surface, stunning scenery and I saw 3 cars in 3 miles all coming the other way. Breathtaking bit of riding.

Camping was around 7-10 euros a night, including swimming pools!

[firestorm1997]

Pictures look good mate, I am doing a similar route down next month. Stopping at a place just outside San Sabastian for two nights before heading south to Beziers to stay with a mate for a week.

[AMCQ46]

the Spaniards love motorcyclists.........even the king of spain is a patron for their version of the ACU who develop young riders into racing, and he attends most of the GP's.

and when I have been in the south on dirtbikes and riding through all the little towns and villages, even the old ladies sitting at their front door want you to pop a wheelie as you pass through..........they think you re being rude if you dont

I think it is the Bull fighter mentality that they see in motorcyclists which makes us so acceptable

so lets recap:
1) great roads [and off roads]
2) great weather
3) current world chapmions for MotoGP, 125, WSB and Trials, and a development program to bring riders through from grass roots to world level
4) and they love motorbikes in their towns and villages and the noiser the better [they corden off a whole small town and turn it into a petrol head carnival with a hint of mad max thrown in when the GP comes to valencia (I assume it is the same in Jerez and catalunyia)]

so lets all go to Spain

[VTRDark]

so lets recap:
1) great roads [and off roads]
2) great weather
3) current world chapmions for MotoGP, 125, WSB and Trials, and a development program to bring riders through from grass roots to world level
4) and they love motorbikes in their towns and villages and the noiser the better [they corden off a whole small town and turn it into a petrol head carnival with a hint of mad max thrown in when the GP comes to valencia (I assume it is the same in Jerez and catalunyia)]

So what the wombles are we all living here for.

Oh and ad to the list
cheap booz and cheap fags.

(:-})

[marravtr]

nice pics! started sorting out next yrs ride all ready! giving the TT a miss in 2013 and heading for the french moto gp my mates got inlaws living over there so NO TENTS!! home cooked food and a proper bed

[Boubepo]

so lets all go to Spain

Well if any of you end up in Southern Spain give me a shout.

Anything on two wheels [both motorcycling and cycling] are promoted and well catered for over here.

Mind you manual speed traps are on the rise as the economy slumps and the authorities look to bring in some money! The automatic cameras are only good for catching Spanish reg vehicles, so the use of a Guadia Civil Officer parked up in an unmarked car, 1km before a roundabout with a manual camera, is the way they catch Jonny Foreigner and Johnny gets pulled over as he enters the roundabout. Usually with a €50 on the spot fine.

Apart from that, and it doesn't happen that often, [in 25 years of riding and living over here I have been pulled 3 times] the roads, climate, scenery, life, etc etc are made for motorcycling, best to avoid August though as it's way too hot to wear full protective clobber for any length of time or even lightweight clobber for that matter

[agentpineapple]

don't forget cheaper fuel and hairyer women.....