by
SIMON FARNELL
Having recently joined the KGT
and looking forward to becoming a pro-active member, I thought I
would share some European GTR Club moments.
Last year the meeting was held in the French Pyrenees, I was the only UK visitor amongst Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, German, Austrian and French GTR owners. One other UK member was intending to visit but suffered breakdown problems – a thing I have found to be very rare with GTRs generally, which suits me as I have absolutely no mechanical skills whatsoever!
The weather was nice and hot as you would expect for August in the Pyrenees, but on the down side there were MASSES of tourists sharing narrow roads! We stayed in a biker-friendly hotel where the owner had a good reputation for his cooking – which I can definitely recommend highly.
A break in the Pyrenees
This year was a trip to Sweden for a week with the GCE
club (GTR CLUB EUROPE). This was a marathon solo ride from my home in
West Cornwall, through South UK to Harwich, overnight to Holland and
then through North Germany and Denmark over the suspension bridges to
Sweden. We were meeting at Baldersnas about 100km north of Gothenberg.
I decided that after a week of long tours including a trip into Norway I wouldn’t want to travel through Europe again so I took the ferry from Gothenberg to Newcastle and then the long ride back to Cornwall. This trip of 2,600 miles was in the heat of July, which even on a bike at speed on the autobahn was uncomfortable, especially at about 4pm after the heat of the day had been soaked up in the tarmac. I have to admit to riding in light trousers and shoes.
I also found it slightly disconcerting that even at a steady 90mph there were LWB Transits overtaking me like I was standing still.
Looking forward now to South East Germany next year and hopefully some West Country-based KGT meetings.
Photo call in Sweden
Last year the meeting was held in the French Pyrenees, I was the only UK visitor amongst Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, German, Austrian and French GTR owners. One other UK member was intending to visit but suffered breakdown problems – a thing I have found to be very rare with GTRs generally, which suits me as I have absolutely no mechanical skills whatsoever!
The weather was nice and hot as you would expect for August in the Pyrenees, but on the down side there were MASSES of tourists sharing narrow roads! We stayed in a biker-friendly hotel where the owner had a good reputation for his cooking – which I can definitely recommend highly.
A break in the Pyrenees
I decided that after a week of long tours including a trip into Norway I wouldn’t want to travel through Europe again so I took the ferry from Gothenberg to Newcastle and then the long ride back to Cornwall. This trip of 2,600 miles was in the heat of July, which even on a bike at speed on the autobahn was uncomfortable, especially at about 4pm after the heat of the day had been soaked up in the tarmac. I have to admit to riding in light trousers and shoes.
I also found it slightly disconcerting that even at a steady 90mph there were LWB Transits overtaking me like I was standing still.
Looking forward now to South East Germany next year and hopefully some West Country-based KGT meetings.
Photo call in Sweden