Europe|Spring '24: Day 1|The UK to Reims|Motorcycle touring|BMWR1200GSA
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Greetings CZcams! Hit that subscribe button and join me as I embark on an epic journey from the UK to Sicily and back in 12 days... As ever, I will be riding my trusty BMWR1200GSA as I work my way south, combining camping and AirBnb accommodation along the way. On day one I'm aiming for Reims, France, and an early morning ferry means a really, really early start... let's 'ave it!
#bmwmotorrad
#alpinestars
#formaboots
#ls2helmets
#garmin
Good to see a new trip started. About to work my way through your entire trip as I intend t9 go to Sicily in due course; I'm currently working on Crete for 12 months and the bikes and roads are pretty challenging ...
Hope you have a great trip looking forward to to the series hope the weather better than the last one 👍
Thank you my friend, I have my fingers crossed! 🙂
A new trip! Great stuff. Hope the weather is ok for you mate-you've had some shocking rain and wind at times in France in particular! 🤞🏻🙌🏼😎
Hi Gav, I am forever the optimist and will keep heading towards the blue skies!! 😂
A new sub for you here mate. My wife and I are just back from a tour to Ireland and I'm editing my videos for my fledgling channel at the moment, so I know how much effort goes into producing these. I watched your Wild Atlantic Way series before we set off, and it was inspiring. I now want to get on my Tiger and head to Italy to follow in your footsteps again!! I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this series.
Hi there, thank you for the sub! I really appreciate it… As you know, making these videos is a labour of love and when I hear mine have inspired people it makes me very happy. Best of luck with your channel and get yourself out to Italy, you won’t regret it! 😁
Hi Steve the rain gods seem to like you. Have a safe trip and hopefully sunshine all the the way now. Keep up the great vids kind regards Preston👍
Hi Preston, yes, the rain Gods and I are on first name terms! Fingers crossed the further south I get the sunnier it becomes! 🙂
Hi Steve good to see you back on your bike on your next tour , better weather this time I hope best regards Peter
Hi Peter, I have my fingers crossed the further south I get the better the weather becomes… Thanks! 🙂
Hi, new to your channel, we can't get enough of vids like these. Looking forward to the trip. So envious
Hi Terry, welcome to the channel, it’s great having you along for the ride! 😁
Hi Steve, thanks for sharing - weatherwise France doesn´t like you and I´m afraid that Italy won´t give you a warm welcome either based on the forecast I´ve seen. Wish you that I´m wrong and that you´ve excellent dry and sunny days ahead. Stay safe!
Hi there, France certainly has it in for me, I have my fingers crossed Italy will be kinder! Thanks for watching 🙂
Well done Steve, off to a great start, sunshine all the way 🤞.
Thank you! I have my fingers crossed! 😁
Looks like another excellent bit of viewing coming along...
Thank you my friend! 😁
“I’ll worry about gas tomorrow” says the rider on his GSA. 😂 They are good at that for sure.
Hi Paul, if GSAs are good at one thing, it’s putting off filling up!! 😂
Brilliant, look forward to your next episode. Ride safe mate.
Thank you Andy, I appreciate that! 😁
Steve it is great to see you bashing off on another journey. I am an Englishman residing in Lugano Switzerland. Just back from short trip through the Dolomites and then from North to South of Slovenia. I do not vid my rides, but occasionally capture stuff at localities. Take care, and do not overdo your days. Life is about the journey, not the destination. Live your best life. J
Hi John, it sounds like you are perfectly situated to enjoy some fabulous rides. You are so right, it’s all about the journey! Thanks for watching and commenting 🙂
New subscriber - love the videos - can’t believe you only have 2k subscribers - should be 200k!
Hello my friend and welcome! It’s great to have you along for the ride. 200K would be nice, perhaps one day… 😁
Wonderful Journey, good luck with the weather.
Thank you Mike, I’m keeping my fingers crossed! 🙂
Another adventure. Love it. Good luck with it pal.
One option from Ireland, ferry to France is 19 hours 😮
Thank you my friend, I really appreciate that. 18 hours on a ferry? Oh my gosh… 🤢😂
Hi Steve, I'm the guy that said hello on the ferry, great to meet you! Bit of a rough crossing...my daughter did not have a good time 🤢 Looking forward to watching the rest of the trip! Hoping to get away myself in June heading to the Vosges/Black Forest...hopefully it won't be raining 😉
Hi there! It was very nice meeting you on the ferry. 🙂 I will be going to the Black Forest in August with my son, Ben; Iet me know of any top tips for the area once you been please! 🙂
Will do! Maybe I'll have a go at filming it 😉
I have been to Sicily 3 times, twice by train and once by plane, but I would love to ride there. It remains my favourite holiday destination. I can highly recommend a trip up Etna and a visit to Selinunte. Palermo is like a cross between the first and third worlds...
Hello my friend, ’m very excited for this trip and can’t wait to see what’s around each corner. Hopefully I’ll make it to Sicily in my time frame and if I do, Etna’s definitely on the list!! Thanks for watching 🙂
I'm so glad to see the rain clear up, so you could enjoy the beautiful city. Here's hoping for some sun
Thank you! By my standards day one wasn’t too bad and what a beautiful city it is…
Yay!!...we are off again!!!
Hi Andy! We most definitely are! 😁
Hi Steve, hope you weren't too ill on the ferry. You always manage to some rain. Have ever had a totally dry trip? Looking forward to your next video.
Hi Brian, the ferry out was thankfully fine; there’s always the return trip though…! No, I don’t think I’ve ever totally escaped the rain! Thanks for watching 🙂
Great start Steve - Rheims a lovely City!! - looking forward to day/episode 2.
Stay safe (and dry!!😀)
SteveD
Thanks Steve, I was so impressed with Reims; such a beautiful city! Thanks for watching and commenting 😁
First on the ferry, "That aint going anywhere!" Why do we feel the need lol. Great vid, subbed. Why does the feeling of boarding a ferry by motorcycle give me butterflies even just watching others on CZcams? lol.
Thanks for watching my friend, I’ve got to admit, I’m far more in my comfort zone using the tunnel..! Thanks for the sub, I really appreciate your support 😁
@@TwoWheeledDreamer Yeah it cant be great if you dont have sea legs.
Thank god the rain stopped for a bit Steve I was about to ask you to rename your channel to "Ame Otoko" means the man that brings rain 😂😂😂😂 lovely episode my friend looking forward to see Italy ❤🙏
Thanks Arch, I couldn’t believe it when I set off in rain again; thankfully it was nothing like the other trips this time… Thanks for you continued support 😁
I have a planned 6 week camping trip to the EU starting end of May on an Electra Glide. Hopefully as far as the Czech Republic and Poland.
For 2025, a trip down Southern Italy, Sicily via the Napoli ferry sounds good having already bought a map.
Would have been useful to use Motorail to get to northern Italy from a ferry terminal but, I believe these are finished.
Hi Stephen, all of those plans sound amazing… I look forward to the prospect of six weeks away, perhaps next year I will manage it as the channel grows. The Electra Glide will be perfect for that. My previous ride before the GSA was a late 90s Ultra Classic which I enjoyed many a tour on. Before that a Road King, a couple of other Road Kings and many Sportsers in different guises…
Looking forward too watching this trip, it’s been on my bucket list for a few years now. Have a fantastic trip and above all stay safe 😃👍🏻
Hi Stephen, thank you, I’m very excited to see what Italy and Sicily have in store for me. It’s great having you along for the ride! 😁
Nice one Steve, I don't know if you are posting videos as you go but if its not to late don't go through the Blanc go over the top mont cenis great ride and cheap
Hi there, yes, there’s always a bit of a delay in the videos being released, so I’ve already done the Mont Blanc Tunnel (ouch, it’s expensive). Mountain passes seem to be shut still due to snow but the route you suggests sounds much more interesting! 🙂
Hi Steve, great to see you back on the gs, another wet start mate, sorry to see that. looking forward to watch the rest of your adventure. 🤞🏻you have a warm and sunny adventure.
Thank you my friend, I have my fingers crossed for sunny skies as I head south!! 😁
How much extra did you have to pay for the empty roads dude ! 😉🤣🤣 We're heading down that way on Saturday 1st so I hope you've left us some nice weather ! 👍👍🏍🏍🏍
Hi Peter, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was with the roads! Fingers crossed crossed there’s some nice weather left… have a great trip! 😁
Looking forward to this series !!
We done Uk to Sicily last year … me & the Mrs 2-up , what a trip … you have in front of you . Sicily is incredible.. we loved every bit of it.. happy travels , safe trip ❤
Thank you, I’m so glad you’re excited about this series (so am I!!). I’m so looking forward to experiencing Italy and Sicily! Doing it two up I’d taking it to a whole new level… great stuff! 😁
Definitely prefer the tunel mate. Stay mind 😂
Hi Richard, me too!! When Ben and I do his first bike tour in the summer, he fancies the ferry rather than the tunnel, so I will be taking to the high seas again this year! 😂
I love Sicily, quite possibly my favourite island in the world. Had my honeymoon with the mrs there, can’t really think of a better place to retire to eventually. Never been on a bike but there are a lot of roads I’d love to cover. I’ve told the boy it’ll be our big journey before he goes to Uni if he passes his license (he’s now 6 and rides pillion everywhere). You, sir, just earned a new sub.
What a great thing to hear! The future of motorcycling is alive and well when there are youngsters who have riding in their blood. Both my boys (now in their mid twenties) enjoyed riding pillion with me when they were younger and now my eldest, Ben, had just passed his test a few months ago. In August we set off for the Black Forest, his very first tour on his own bike. These shared moments, pillion or otherwise, are precious… Sicily is quite simply stunning and I’m very excited about it! Thank you for the sub, for watching and for sharing your lovely story. 🙂
interesting to see you use the ferry - much better value tbh but reservations over high seas stop me - assuming this was shot sometime in feb/March thats a brave route via Chamonix and Mont Blanc not a warm or snow free route that one! Heck Im planning this for May and I even think thats risky... ;-)
I really was concerned about the sea as I am terrible on ships etc. but thankfully it was fine. I tried not to think about the return journey! 😂 Actually set off the very start of April, I’m pretty sure there will still be some snow on my route… May sounds like a good time to be doing it 🙂
It really is time BMW sent you some wet weather gear to review # BMWmotorrad
Hi Miranda, I like your way of thinking!! C’mon #bmwmotorrad !! 😂
I've been recognised from YT once too, it was super funny 😂
A surreal but rather nice experience! 😂
I can only apologize for the truly awful weather France keeps throwing at you! We are totally fed up with it too! 😂
Hi Jane, so far it’s not been quite as bad as my usual standards so I feel I’m winning at this stage!! 😂
Did Calais to Dover on the 9th April, ferry arrived in Dover three hours late and many people puking up as the sea was so rough and looking forward to your trip
Oh my gosh that sounds terrible!! So glad my crossing was much better… There’s always the return trip though… thanks for watching 🙂
Braver man than me Steve taking the ferry .. hopefully you kept the breakfast down.
Cracking episode , I done a similar route last Sept going just slightly further than Riemes. I’m surprised you didn’t visit the old formula 1 track Reims-Gueux . It was amazing to ride through the grandstand .
Keep up the good work
A quick question .. when you were leaving the service area was that your tyres humming ??
Hi Mark, I definitely think I prefer the tunnel!! When Ben and I go in his first bike tour in the summer he wants to go by ferry, so I’ll be looking for my sea legs again…! I didn’t even think about the old F1 circuit, given his job, had Ben been with me we’d have been paying a visit. The tyres were humming quite a bit, I’ve been keeping an eye on them and will be changing to some Anakee Adventures next as a more road-biased tyre will be fine for my immediate plans this year. The rear is pretty squared off due to all those motorway miles! 😂
I see you haven't upgraded your kit yet. I hope you stay dry and warm 🤞
Bon voyage
It’s on the eventually to do list, perhaps next season… for now, I’m wrapping up well and getting the rubber romper suit on at the first hint of rain! Thanks! 🙂
I can’t believe that you didn’t check the tyre pressures before setting out on a fast trip across Europe. Isn’t that one of the basic checks?
Hi David, thanks for watching. Tyres checked and inflated a few days before setting off, obviously the rear has picked up a slow puncture… re your other comment, I don’t think 12 days to cover 3500 miles is a great deal of time, so I am doing what I need to do to get to where I feel I need to be on a daily basis and it will inevitably end up a wide mixture of roads I ride. Thanks for your comments 🙂
Channel tunnel so much easier (and quicker) than the ferries…
I completely agree! 🙂
Why when you had so much time to spare were you travelling on the motorways?
Hi, can i ask if you got a crit air sticker for France? Ive got a euro trip coming up and wondering how hot they are on it. Thanks.
Hi Andy, at the time I didn’t think my bike needed one but further investigation shows it does. I didn’t have any problems but I will be ordering one before my next tour via France…. Only available from the French gov website - around 4€
OK thanks for the reply, just another thing to do I guess
Why not use the tunnel
Hi, just fancied a change having used the tunnel for the last five or six trips… Thanks for watching 🙂
Oh dear that looks like a P&O ferry, should anyone be using P&O after their employment policies and the brazen greed of the managing director. Suggested homework, learn how to pronounce Reims correctly, Mulhouse is another British classic.