10:17 PM
Sander & Marianne
The first leg of the trip we planned is online. See our Route page.
More to follow...
...
These are the motorbikes we had
Unfortunately, for our RTW trip, we have to say good-bye to the motorbikes on which we traveled to the Nordkapp in 2011.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Headlight protection
It's not easy finding a (good) headlight protector for our motorcycles. Eventually we find one on Marktplaats (the Dutch eBay). Let's see if it fits.
The headlight protection needs to be installed using four bolts. Two just above the headlight, where the windshield is mounted and two in the
lower part of the front fairing, the piece that encases the headlight. A trip down memory lane, bolts that won't come out of the Honda plastics.
The four bolts that are holding the front fairing are turning, but won't come out. Let's try that the old fashioned way; pulling hard on the fairing and turning the bolts. After some fiddling the headlight unit finally comes of the motorbike.
It seems the headlight protector will fit reasonably, unfortunately the supplied bolts don't. We will have to work...
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Fitting the tank
We just watched how the tank fits the motorcycle and how it influences the riders position. There seems to be only one problem.
According to some, the Africa Twin tank offers limited leg room, so we want to check if that's a problem before we start any transformation.
The removal of the Transalp fairing and tank has become quite a routine. At first we don't see any major issues, When we put the Africa Twin tank on the motorcycle. One of the crankcase breathers is blocking the tank and one of the petcocks is a little close to the oil line, but that probably won't cause any serious problems.
Unfortunately the seat is. The Africa Twin tank is sloping much steeper, thus forcing the front of the stock Transalp seat all the way up.
Annoying because we just recently have had the seats upholstered...
Saturday, November 3, 2012
More fuel (larger tank)
Because our fuel consumption differs a little and the range of the Transalp isn't very big, we are investigating what our options are.
And sometimes you just need a little luck.
Sander has posted a message on the Dutch Transalp forum to ask what's involved in replacing the tank of the Transalp with a tank of an Africa Twin. This resulted in quite some useful information. But the best response came from a club member, who had a Africa Twin tank laying around
and wanted to swap for a crate of Jupiler.
Such an opportunity we love to seize with both hands. Bought a case of Juup, made an appointment and today we picked it up. I must admit that
I was expecting the tank might not be in its best shape. But it's 100% better than expected. After the usual chit-chat we bang the fuel tank in...
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Party Time (Renegades Party)
Every year our biker friend, the Renegades, are having a party. This time we are going to Tilburg, because all the pubs we usually go to in Valkenswaard are closed. It would be another unforgettable evening.
Marianne doesn't feel like partying today and has decided to stay at home. Around 17:00 I pick up Fred and together we go to Tilburg by car.
We are bikers alright; but we are the kind that think about the environment for a bit and certainly their wallets. Besides, judged on previous
parties, it would be wise not to have to balance on two wheels while going home 'the morning after'.
Around 18:00 we arrive at Arjan, who arranged everything this year. We roll out our sleepingmats, make our beds and drink a beer.
While slowly the other Renegades are arriving. Approcimately 7 p.m.,...
Monday, October 22, 2012
Texel
We didn't have time to try our new tent and to measure how large the footprint should be. But as the forecast was promissing for this weekend,
we decided to take the gamble. And boy did we have good weather to test our tent!
Last saturday we set course for Texel. One of our favourite national destinations. Because it is an isle, we always get some kind of an holiday
feeling, although we're staying in our own country. This time we considered to go to a different camping. But as most campings are closed and the one we wanted to go to was flooded, we resorted to our usual camping in De Koog. Nice, old and familiar.
When we arrive at the island around lunch time, we first drive to Oudeschid for some kibbeling (fried fish). Normally we...
Monday, October 15, 2012
Resigned
Yet another step closer to our dream. Today we resigned and set us a definitive date of departure. Somewhere around the 1st of march we
will leave. Because it is the end of winter, we decided to keep some flexibilty. So the final date of departure will be somewhere between
the 23st of februari and march the 15th. ...
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Back again
It took a while but we're back! And how? To many requests, the site now also is available in Dutch.
Moreover, we have updated it from the moment we left you. So you can read for yourselves, that we
haven't exactly been doing nothing.
During our trip there will undoubtedly be more moments that we don't have the time to update our site.
So just get used to it! Although from now on we will do our utmost to keep the site as up-to-date as
possible. Catching up has proven not to be easy.
Thanks for your patience!...
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Romania day 16 – Welcome home!
Distance covered: 497,6 km
From Wilhelmsthal (Germany) to Nieuwersluis (The Netherlands)
Today the final leg of our trip! We tear down the tent and tarp and hang them to dry in the sun (both are moist with dew). Tonight we were a bit chilly for the first time.
After breakfast and doing the dishes we leave. On the road we feel chilly again. In fact we are feeling so cold that we decide to put on some more clothes at our lunch break (I have a vest with me, Sander can only pull on another t-shirt). We haven't experienced that before this holiday.
Finally we lunch with Curry Wurz and Pommes with a roll aside to it. Too bad the Curry Wurz is drowned in ketchup, but it tastes OK and it's warm at least. After the lunch break the weather gets warmer so we're in doubt, whether or not we should...
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Romania day 15 – Almost there
Distance covered: 372,6 km
From Nové Strašecí (Czech Republic) to Wilhelmsthal (Germany)
This morning the shower is at least slightly warmer than the shower last night. We pack and leave the campsite. Maybe it's a fun site if you're with with children and a caravan but for people who only stay one night, is it really ridiculously expensive!
We enter Germany using the secudairy roads, unfortunately today's weather is not so good, so we are driving most of the time in our raining gear. The route goes by pretty fast and at 16:30 we already arrive at the campsite (Camping Park Eisenach).
At the campsite we are allowed to pitch our tent next to a lake (for less than yesterday in the Czech republic). We setup the tent and our tarp and walk...
Friday, July 20, 2012
Romania day 14 – Visit the Bone church
Distance covered: 318,2 km
From Brno (Czech Republic) to Nové Strašecí (Czech Republic)
The first waypoint is almost around the corner from the campsite. After less than fifteen minutes away we arrive, and it turns out to be caves. We don't feel like another cave tour so we continue.
We know what the next waypoint will be, Kutna Hora, to visit the Bone church but how boring is the road to Kutna Hora! After arriving in Kutna Hora we stop at the Garmin flag which is next to A church. Only it is not the right church. A little further we see another church so we walk there. Not the right church either. So we ask at a gift shop. The woman actually speaks English and she gives us a map of the city. The church is located on the other side...
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Romania day 13 - Flooding
Distance covered: 336 km
From Bojnice (Slovakia) to Brno (Czech Republic)
We received salami and honey from the 2 German (or Czech) men, their holiday was over and they had lots of food left over. They had a small miscommunication about who would take food, so they both packed it.
Today is a bit warmer, but this time it's cloudy. After an hour of riding the sky is blue and it turns out to be just another hot day. So we remove the waterproof liners again, open all zips and are ready to go.
We drive on another nice meadow track and then we arrive in the Czech Republic. In the first city we see, we stop to get some money. I have some troubles with the ATM, I choose 'another amount' and then it asks Credit, Debit or something else. So I...
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Romania day 12 - Highway vignette?
Distance covered: 383,7 km
From Levoca (Slowakia) to Bojnice (Slowakia)
Today we want to take the highway to the castle Spissky Hrad, that's a bit the other direction than today's route. However, we do not know whether we need a vignette and also not where you can buy such a vignette.
We start by asking it on the campsite. After a few attempts we decide to leave, the woman has shown us the way to a garage and thinks we want to buy a car. Attempt 2 at a gas station. They also don't speak any English or German. I point at my bike and try 'Highway' because that sticker is on the door of the gas station and then there comes out one word 'No'. Well then we go without vignette to Spissky Hrad.
Once there we walk to the castle and look at...
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Romania day 11 - Slowakia beer
Distance covered: 361,8 km
From Hortobágy (Hungary) to Levoca (Slowakia)
The day starts with breakfast and packing. It's a bit chilly today but the sun shines.
Today we visit Tokay, the wine region of Hungary. We want to do some wine tasting, but unfortunatly they don't speak any English at the wine shop. Maybe it's also a bit too early to drink wine. So we just buy a bottle of wine and we go to the caves of Aggletek.
We're lucky, when we arrive at the caves it's 14:59 and at 15 there is a tour. You're not allowed to walk through the caves by yourself, so we buy tickets for the tour. Unfortunately, the tour is only in Hungarian. The cave system is immense and, as always, cold, after almost an hour with a long Hungarian explanation...
Monday, July 16, 2012
Romania day 10 - Tripe goulash
Distance covered: 295,3 km
From Dej (Romania) to Hortobágy (Hungary)
Breakfast is included in the Pensiuna. We get a fried egg with cheese and toast.
After breakfast we continue, today we leave Romania but before we do that we take a last piece of Romanian off-road.
For the first time, this holiday, it is cloudy and that makes it a little cooler. Immediately after the border it even starts to rain. We decided to make a little detour, to try to avoid the rain, which succeeded quite well.
Our goal of today is near Hortobágy, we find there a campsite nearby. Reversing on the camping doesn't work out that well for me and, once again, I fall of the bike.
It still looks like it's going to rain so we pitch our tent in record time. Then...
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Romania day 9 – Broken panniers
Distance covered: 250,8 km
From Gura Humorului (Romania) to Dej (Romania)
We woke up at 8:30, we pack our bags, eat breakfast and then it's already time to say goodbye. Soon the road turns into an off-road track and today the track became really hard. I fell twice on a steep track with lots of boulders. Unfortunately I fell on each pannier once, so now they are both broken.
We were taking a break after the first fall, and a local guy with a small moped came by, and later on there was even a car coming down the mountain (we guess he was lost). In the next curve I fell a second time and then we decided to take a longer break.
When we reached the main road again we decided that we had our share for this day and we stick to the asphalt.
Turns...
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Romania day 8 – Party time
We didn't wake up till 9:30 so that means a quick shower and then we're ready to get some breakfast.
After breakfast we decided to try out the local barber, many Romanian friends of Lucian and Mihaela offered us to come along and translate for us but we decided it would be much more fun to go by ourselves and just find out how well we would manage. It turned out to be a male barbershop and the queuing strategy is at least vaguely. Another customer spoke a little English and asked for us if they would cut my hair as well and they had no problem with that. After one and a half hour we are both cut. They had some trouble cutting my hair. The only English word the barber knew was 'difficult', but after she cut one side an inch shorter than...
