Day 1, Friday, April 22
547km in 5h · 71km/h
- Traveled 8km in 12min
- 16:13 46min Gathering the group. Except for the 4 strong main group, 2 friends of us would escort us to the city of Nis in Serbia.
- Traveled 24km in 14min
- 17:14 20min Kalotina border crossing to Serbia. One customs officer was so kind, that he opened a separate desk for our motorcycle group.
- Traveled 46m in 8s
- 17:35 11min Going into Serbia
- Traveled 87km in 1h 00min
- 18:47 11min Note the extra star. Serbian strive to do better than the rest of Europe. Here we parted ways with our friends that travelled 150 km to say "Goodbye and have fun",.
- Traveled 95km in 48min
- 19:47 Stop for 32min
- Traveled 138km in 1h 09min
- 21:29 45min Going from Serbia to Croatia with little to no worries.
- Traveled 117m in 17s
- 22:15 Stop for 10min
- Traveled 104km in 59min
- 23:24 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 422m in 44s
- 23:31 Stop for 9min
- Traveled 84km in 46min
- 00:27 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 6km in 10min
- 00:42 7h 11min Hostel MonVie. Quite an OK place for the dead tired motorcyclist. The owner is one of us, too. And also allowed us to print the missing ferry reservations. And then there's the morning dew on my seat.
Day 2, Saturday, April 23
819km in 7h · 76km/h
- Traveled 13km in 12min
- 08:06 24min So, was the Hornet going to stall before the station. Thankfully, not.
- Traveled 99km in 46min
- 09:17 21min The joys of motorcycling in the rain - now put your rain proofs on!
- Traveled 52km in 25min
- 10:04 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 15m in 3s
- 10:06 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 586m in 45s
- 10:09 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 71m in 11s
- 10:12 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 25km in 12min
- 10:31 16min Vignette sticker for motorcycles. What a pity. But everything's done for the greater good - rocket ourselves to Spain in no time.
- Traveled 120km in 58min
- 11:46 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 23km in 12min
- 12:04 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 34km in 21min
- 12:29 16min Another refuel stop. How could Honda fit such a small tank on that Hornet?
- Traveled 177km in 1h 30min
- 14:15 Stop for 8min
- Traveled 18m in 5s
- 14:24 36min How do you repair a rain proof pants? With duct tape, of course!
- Traveled 113km in 1h 01min
- 16:02 Stop for 10min
- Traveled 29km in 16min
- 16:29 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 6km in 3min
- 16:35 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 106km in 1h 02min
- 17:42 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 21km in 12min
- 17:57 Stop for 7min
- Traveled 20m in 10s
- 18:05 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 10m in 2s
- 18:08 23min So, where the hell is the check-in for that damn ferry - on the other side of the harbour, of course.
- Traveled 1km in 1min
- 18:32 1h 28min The sort of thing that will throw you out of the harbour
- Traveled 182m in 1min
- 20:01 23h 27min 22 hours in a ferry boat full of morrocans and pakistans. Proper food (for a ferry), friendly staff, inclined to being a little crazy and Greek and some Bulgarian lorry drivers.
Day 3, Sunday, April 24
12km in 0h · 23km/h
- Traveled 176m in 37s
- 19:30 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 1km in 4min
- 19:37 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 5km in 8min
- 19:51 12min As well as filling up, we temporarily solved the punctured tire issue by inflating it
- Traveled 5km in 15min
- 20:19 22h 13min Barcelona day and night sightseeing session - a gesture to motorcyclists with the separate space for them on street lights; anti-child molesting translations gone awry; some photo-ception with a moustached road sign; saxophone playing hippie, etc.
Day 4, Monday, April 25
13km in 1h · 16km/h
- Traveled 1km in 6min
- 18:40 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 855m in 3min
- 18:47 30min Tire issues being eliminated - removing a bolt from a tire and changing a tire after the end of a faithful service.
- Traveled 5km in 15min
- 19:32 1h 13min Castell Montjuic. Nice place, nice sights, short working hours - they tend to close at about 7 pm :)
- Traveled 6km in 20min
- 21:07 12h 56min Implementing the tire service guy's recommendations for our trip.
Day 5, Tuesday, April 26
433km in 7h · 56km/h
- Traveled 19km in 29min
- 10:33 15min So, where the hell are we going now?!
- Traveled 19km in 15min
- 11:04 Stop for 13min
- Traveled 11km in 14min
- 11:32 23min Spanish gas stations at their best. You can only fill up to full tank if you ask.
- Traveled 33km in 30min
- 12:25 Stop for 20min
- Traveled 28km in 26min
- 13:12 Stop for 12min
- Traveled 12km in 11min
- 13:36 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 7km in 10min
- 13:54 1h 47min Refreshment stop in La Molina ski resort. A nice chat with a ski teacher led to an offer for a winter visit.
- Traveled 55km in 43min
- 16:25 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 13km in 11min
- 16:40 15min Fuel stop in Andorra, enjoy the A-98 at 1.08 EUR and the 95 at 0.85 EUR for a liter of the joy-inducing liquid.
- Traveled 36km in 50min
- 17:46 11min Probably a working ski resort. And we are with our bikes there.
- Traveled 8km in 10min
- 18:08 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 8km in 10min
- 18:22 18min Strategy meeting in a small French village. Decision - from France to Spain...with twisties.
- Traveled 49km in 45min
- 19:26 Stop for 7min
- Traveled 14km in 15min
- 19:49 Stop for 12min
- Traveled 4km in 5min
- 20:07 Stop for 13min
- Traveled 62km in 1h 02min
- 21:23 Stop for 5min
- Traveled 55km in 57min
- 22:25 11h 40min Finally reached the place for the night. The apartment was on the nice side, the guys there were too good to let us have a burger and a couple of beers after working hours.
Day 6, Wednesday, April 27
437km in 6h · 63km/h
- Traveled 22km in 14min
- 10:20 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 20m in 5s
- 10:23 18min The usual place for breakfast - the first gas station for the day. This time accompanied by a chill group of silent killers
- Traveled 24km in 20min
- 11:02 12min A rollercoaster for breakfast - priceless!
- Traveled 27km in 27min
- 11:42 Stop for 7min
- Traveled 43km in 30min
- 12:20 Stop for 15min
- Traveled 16km in 11min
- 12:46 1h 09min A lunch with the obligatory encounter with a random Bulgarian
- Traveled 2km in 2min
- 13:58 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 65km in 49min
- 14:49 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 21km in 18min
- 15:13 11min Bracing ourselves for the upcoming highway riding. With a fuel stop.
- Traveled 47km in 29min
- 15:54 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 34km in 27min
- 16:26 19min The normal recapitulation after some 30 kilometers of winding backroads. And some biscuits, of course.
- Traveled 31km in 32min
- 17:17 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 3km in 3min
- 17:23 Stop for 5min
- Traveled 3km in 2min
- 17:31 11min "The indestrictible has been (kinda) destroyed"
- Traveled 1km in 2min
- 17:44 10min A Honda Hornet throws its bolts away, a helpful Frenchie puts them back! :D
- Traveled 86km in 1h 29min
- 19:24 Stop for 11min
- Traveled 14km in 25min
Day 7, Thursday, April 28
480km in 8h · 52km/h
- Traveled 0m in 0s
- 10:42 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 42km in 53min
- 11:38 37min One of the rare cases of not-on-a-gas-station breakfast.
- Traveled 7km in 8min
- 12:24 7min The Spanish "riviera". It turns out to be more scenic than the part of the French that we experienced.
- Traveled 2km in 1min
- 12:34 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 27km in 25min
- 13:02 Stop for 15min
- Traveled 11km in 11min
- 13:29 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 8km in 8min
- 13:41 1h 01min Rain drops started falling, so we decided to give it a chance to think it over, while we are having lunch.
- Traveled 55km in 1h 14min
- 15:57 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 24km in 24min
- 16:24 Stop for 16min
- Traveled 49km in 50min
- 17:31 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 50km in 54min
- 18:31 Stop for 8min
- Traveled 40km in 38min
- 19:19 Stop for 7min
- Traveled 6km in 5min
- 19:32 Stop for 15min
- Traveled 1km in 1min
- 19:48 Stop for 8min
- Traveled 30km in 30min
- 20:26 Stop for 5min
- Traveled 33km in 34min
- 21:06 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 572m in 48s
- 21:09 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 90km in 1h 02min
- 22:19 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 3km in 5min
- 22:28 Stop for 14min
- Traveled 19m in 5s
- 22:42 Stop for 12h 28min
Day 8, Friday, April 29
400km in 5h · 64km/h
- Traveled 42km in 41min
- 11:52 32min Gas and breakfast, the Spanish way - with salami from the petrol station
- Traveled 64km in 44min
- 13:09 23min Givi rack letting us down in the middle of nowhere...not. We noticed the issue right in front of a agriculture machinery service.
- Traveled 35m in 8s
- 13:32 26min The problematic piece is removed and undergoing the necessary repair. The welder didn't accept any money, so he received a few beers in exchange for the work done.
- Traveled 97km in 59min
- 14:58 43min Postcard opportunities.
- Traveled 69m in 8s
- 15:41 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 10km in 8min
- 15:53 10min 15 liters of fuel is not enough for serious touring.
- Traveled 18km in 18min
- 16:22 1h 06min Another day, another struggle to get lunch.
- Traveled 56km in 42min
- 18:11 4min We're in Portugal!
- Traveled 38km in 34min
- 18:50 12min Reality check stop. Conclusion - don't push it beyond the limit.
- Traveled 25km in 34min
- 19:37 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 49km in 34min
- 20:14 1d 15h Porto - one of the nicest stops this trip.
Day 9, Saturday, April 30
Day 10, Sunday, May 1
525km in 8h · 61km/h
- Traveled 13km in 20min
- 12:26 Stop for 8min
- Traveled 49km in 1h 01min
- 13:36 Stop for 12min
- Traveled 39km in 43min
- 14:32 Stop for 5min
- Traveled 16km in 31min
- 15:09 1h 20min The lunch struggle is real, again. A cycling race has closed the center of the town, where we had some recommended areas to eat.
- Traveled 45km in 1h 03min
- 17:32 12min "Why did Honda put that small tank in that Hornet?", vol.2
- Traveled 43km in 40min
- 18:24 14min After the rollercoaster ride, it's time to check the consequences - grinded footpegs and rollbars, overheated tires. Portugal has more to offer than bicycle competitions.
- Traveled 74km in 54min
- 19:33 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 2km in 2min
- 19:39 14min Why would you stop just after the border? 30 cents less for a liter of gasoline.
- Traveled 71km in 41min
- 20:34 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 106km in 1h 00min
- 21:39 42min Fuel, sandwiches and a reservation for the good night of sleep.
- Traveled 51km in 29min
- 22:52 31min Sooo, booking.com has tried to let us know that our hostel of choice has no available rooms and offered us a place to stay. A rural hotel. 16 km from the one we chose. 4 of them offroad.
- Traveled 14km in 17min
- 23:40 Stop for 8min
- Traveled 2km in 5min
- 23:54 11h 06min The nice rural hotel, with the nice 4 kilometer dirt road before the destination. Wonderful breakfast and wonderful place, especially when the sun is up and you can enjoy the view.
Day 11, Monday, May 2
508km in 5h · 79km/h
- Traveled 161km in 1h 49min
- 12:51 23min A Carrefour gas station? Yes, full of crap, of course.
- Traveled 177km in 1h 38min
- 14:53 1h 22min Lunch in a gas station restaurant. Less struggle this time, but still enough.
- Traveled 58m in 16s
- 16:16 11min How do you wait for the others to check their tire pressure? In the shadow of a semi, of course.
- Traveled 170km in 1h 34min
- 18:02 16h 23min A stop for the night in Valencia and the latest finding in our trip repair history - a blown fuse of the cooling fan for Rusty.
Day 12, Tuesday, May 3
526km in 7h · 58km/h
- Traveled 60km in 1h 21min
- 11:47 27min The trip record for most distance covered by a Horent fuel tank - 237 km. Almost pushed it too far.
- Traveled 80km in 1h 18min
- 13:33 1h 35min One of the rare successes in the lunch agony. 10 euros for a full meal - two dishes, a drink and a coffee. Couldn't want more.
- Traveled 374m in 1min
- 15:10 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 79km in 51min
- 16:04 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 2km in 1min
- 16:08 Stop for 34min
- Traveled 99km in 1h 03min
- 17:46 Stop for 15min
- Traveled 48km in 47min
- 18:48 Stop for 5min
- Traveled 13km in 15min
- 19:09 16min The regular around-200-km fuel stop. Some cafe racing followed (a mighty 15m)
- Traveled 15m in 4s
- 19:26 46min Late afternoon coffee before the last leg of today's wondeful day of riding.
- Traveled 82km in 57min
- 21:10 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 63km in 42min
- 21:54 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 105m in 29s
- 21:57 12h 26min The mess is set up!
Day 13, Wednesday, May 4
380km in 6h · 54km/h
- Traveled 2km in 5min
- 10:28 1h 57min Changing tires, again. Rusty got a new front one and the VFR a new rear. The overall experience was sh!t as the guys didn't know much about motorcycles. If you add the battery for the Hornet that managed to be done the second time (because we prepared it) it's plainly awful. Consclusion: DO NOT trust your bike to the Rodi Motor Services location in Vic.
- Traveled 23km in 19min
- 12:46 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 12km in 16min
- 13:06 Stop for 10min
- Traveled 106km in 1h 43min
- 15:00 Stop for 8min
- Traveled 16km in 11min
- 15:20 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 44km in 33min
- 15:58 43min The Sandwich is the only available meal in France if you come in their "siesta" time frame. Obviously the kitchen appliances are on strike during 2-4 p.m.
- Traveled 45km in 59min
- 17:41 Stop for 10min
- Traveled 132km in 2h 04min
- 19:55 Stop for 9min
- Traveled 452m in 2min
- 20:07 15h 21min Arles is the home of the Gipsy Kings, the home of the Pu' de Mullin (Paddy Mullins, an Irish pub in the town, pronounced by a local taxi driver).
Day 14, Thursday, May 5
316km in 5h · 67km/h
- Traveled 35km in 32min
- 12:00 Stop for 21min
- Traveled 109km in 1h 45min
- 14:07 Stop for 12min
- Traveled 8km in 9min
- 14:29 1h 22min The Sandwich is the only available meal in France if you come in their "siesta" time frame. Obviously the kitchen appliances are on strike during 2-4 p.m. (The same happened the day before)
- Traveled 14km in 13min
- 16:05 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 58km in 42min
- 16:54 24min A random meeting between 4 old japanese motorcycles and a bunch of shiny american cruisers on a gas station in the Alps.
- Traveled 9km in 6min
- 17:26 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 25km in 17min
- 17:47 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 51km in 45min
- 18:38 1h 12min As most gentlemen adventurerures do, we stopped for a cup of tea and a croissant to tackle the issues of the civilised world, particularly the question "Where are we going to spend the night?"
- Traveled 7km in 8min
- 19:59 14h 32min We slept in Cesana Torinese, a small and pretty village in the Alps on the French-Italian border. However, the active periods for the place are during the ski season and the motorcycling season. And we came here in the gap between them. Thankfully we found a bar with wooonderful crepes and ONLY craft beers. What an unexpected joy it was.
Day 15, Friday, May 6
733km in 10h · 63km/h
- Traveled 68km in 1h 06min
- 11:39 20min A rather dull bike drop occurred. Nothing damaged beyond a roadside repair. We came back from France to rescue the Hornet.
- Traveled 13km in 13min
- 12:12 8min Right after the border with France. Soon we'll realise that there is a closed pass that is nevertheless passable.
- Traveled 4km in 7min
- 12:29 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 18km in 21min
- 12:53 Stop for 9min
- Traveled 22km in 20min
- 13:23 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 3km in 4min
- 13:32 Stop for 16min
- Traveled 1km in 4min
- 13:53 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 16km in 12min
- 14:12 Stop for 5min
- Traveled 99km in 1h 12min
- 15:30 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 70km in 41min
- 16:15 12min Route re-planning
- Traveled 3km in 4min
- 16:32 14min Route re-planning, vol.2
- Traveled 6km in 7min
- 16:54 6min Third closed pass in a row. The day keeps going better, no?
- Traveled 1km in 2min
- 17:03 3min The pass may be closed, but the views are magnificent. Why are we doing it, after all?
- Traveled 21km in 23min
- 17:30 1h 07min What is worth more than 300 km detours? The view of the maginificent Montblanc.
- Traveled 95km in 1h 16min
- 19:54 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 32km in 30min
- 20:28 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 184m in 17s
- 20:30 Stop for 27min
- Traveled 20km in 10min
- 21:08 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 76km in 36min
- 21:50 Stop for 9min
- Traveled 148km in 1h 42min
- 23:41 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 15km in 9min
- 23:53 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 2km in 58s
- 23:56 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 408m in 1min
- 00:00 10h 02min A morning view from Lago Di Como.
Day 16, Saturday, May 7
530km in 8h · 63km/h
- Traveled 9km in 10min
- 10:13 Stop for 6min
- Traveled 15km in 12min
- 10:33 Stop for 5min
- Traveled 38km in 41min
- 11:19 18min Regards from the "Insect genocide crew"
- Traveled 38km in 37min
- 12:16 Stop for 14min
- Traveled 15km in 14min
- 12:44 Stop for 56min
- Traveled 13km in 11min
- 13:52 2min Passo Tonale, hello again!
- Traveled 65km in 55min
- 14:50 Stop for 29min
- Traveled 18km in 16min
- 15:36 Stop for 8min
- Traveled 39km in 25min
- 16:10 Stop for 2min
- Traveled 8km in 5min
- 16:18 18min Another frustrating gas station curtesy of western Europe. No VISA/MasterCard cards accepted on the self-service pumps
- Traveled 37km in 37min
- 17:14 3min The San Boldo pass in the Italian Alps - one way hairpins in tunnels and traffic lights to manage them
- Traveled 145km in 2h 04min
- 19:22 28min Fueling at normal prices. And the symbolic tear down of the slovenian vignette sticker put 14 days back in the start of the trip.
- Traveled 56km in 55min
- 20:46 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 34km in 35min
- 21:24 Stop for 21min
- Traveled 774m in 5min
- 21:51 Stop for 11h 52min
Day 17, Sunday, May 8
910km in 9h · 79km/h
- Traveled 111km in 1h 42min
- 11:26 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 10km in 9min
- 11:40 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 6km in 7min
- 11:51 20min Fuel, breakfast (of course on the gas station), coffee and then another 200 km
- Traveled 212km in 1h 38min
- 13:50 Stop for 14min
- Traveled 83km in 37min
- 14:42 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 6km in 3min
- 14:49 Stop for 9min
- Traveled 61m in 8s
- 14:59 17min Leaving the Schengen space, so we need to pass our first passport check for the last more than 2 weeks while going from Slovenia to Croatia.
- Traveled 104km in 55min
- 16:12 42min A symbolic lunch at a gas station around Belgrade. We're almost home!
- Traveled 198km in 1h 35min
- 18:31 19min A perfectly timed gas station, as it was starting to rain and our tank-handicaped motorcycle was reaching the end of its range.
- Traveled 42m in 7s
- 18:51 Stop for 3min
- Traveled 143km in 1h 26min
- 20:21 38min Every journey is completed only when you get home.
- Traveled 282m in 52s
- 21:00 Stop for 4min
- Traveled 36km in 24min
Legend
-
Generic stop 36
-
Gas station 30
-
Restaurant 14
-
Hotel 8
-
Photos 7
-
Border 6
-
Mechanical failure 6
-
Beautiful sight 5
-
Tourist sight 2
-
Something special 1
-
Ferry 1
-
Bike drop 1