london to rome, and back. Suggestions, past experience, etc.

[Blunet600]

Hi - im 19 planning to go on a bike trip to rome next june/july 2008, At the moment the plan is to ride into london, get a euro-star into paris then ride into rome going through switzerland and back.
Im going to go with (hopefully) a mate of mine who will also be on a bike, and another mate in his car (going to put extra luggage a tools in his car....).
It will be my first trip and i am planning it all at the moment or getting ideas. Has any body done this before or anything similar. We plan to camp out alot as we cant exactly afford hotels every night. what do people suggest, are there any places to camp, can we just find a field and pitch a tent? Also will i need to invest in a gps system as my mate said we will probably get lost although i hadnt given this much thought.
any information is appreciated. Cheers.

[Jamie.]

Hi, Don't do it on a 2stroke bike.

You will get away with pitching your tent in random places. Once we got woken up by spanish police only to be told we had to move or else it was an offence.

No problem at all, We moved on, As they asked.

Their police aren't sick, retarded, retards like our own.
The majority of them seem fairly interested in what you are actually doing.

We explained we were camping as it was cheaper than renting a place and they just agreed and had a look at the bikes.

Just behave and everything will go according to plan.

[Stu_666]

What's wrong with a 2-stroke? Apart from the possible two stroke oil problem (i.e it might need filling up along the way) they should be okay if maintained properly.

[McGee]

[JonB]

[The Tot]

Mate, the trip down to folkestone to get on the chunnel will probably be agonisingly slow compared to on a 250cc+. As long as you want to keep a maintained pace and NOT redlining it all the way, i'm pretty sure you will make it, but the roads from Calais south are another question. It would be a 3000 mile round trip more or less since i'm planning to visit a mate at the Vatican - her parents have become the indonesian ambassadors for the Holy See. Once you get up the alps, i can see that your bike WILL struggle, since claud, mike and maurice did a similar trip on their 4's and i think one of mike's cylinders cut out in his 4 due to the elevation. You' have no leeway on a single 2 stroke! . But having said that, a backup mate in a car with tools might be handy, but still no solution if you get stuck on a pass. I'd say get a 400, bros or something like that and tour!

I take it you'd have your full license by then?
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Pete.]

Hell no, don't attempt it on a 125 stroker! Unless it's an ETZ or something like that, in which case try it but buy a month's suplly of balaclavas in case you get recognised
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[EuropeanNC30R...]

It'd take a lot of self discipline to keep the speed down enough on a 125 for it to be reliable, it's annoying enough to keep a 400 restrained at 90mph.

We did it on 400's a couple years ago :- https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=56578

You can camp in fields if you want to rough it, but you're going to need to get water from somewhere. Security is dodgy as well, if you want to leave your stuff and go into town. By the ring we hid our stuff in the woods, this was quite hard to find later on in the pitch dark, pissed. If your mates driving a car that could stick out a bit too.

Campsites can be really cheap (5 euros), you get to fill up your water bottles and have a shower, which is nice after a day long ride in 35 degree Italian heat!

My advice, mix it up; do some hotels, some campsites and some wild camping.

[Blunet600]

thats the one, the channel tunnel train..... lol
I forgot to mention, will be doing it on a 600. As will my mate. Im going on a Hornet 600. Looking to buy one in the not to distant future.
Yeh i have got my full bike license. Have had it for about a year and a half now.
One of my biggest worries was security as mentioned. I dont want to wake up one day and find the bike or some stuff have been nicked.
Is it a good trip, worth the doing and the money?

[Pete.]

Bike getting nicked is a big possibility in massif central, so I read someplace. Apparently they nick bikes from known overnight-stay hotels and flog em off in Spain etc. Try to plan your journey around places that have secure parking, and make sure you have european recovery in case of accident/catastrophic failiure, and fill-in your green card.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Blunet600]

How does insurance work when it comes to going abroad, do i need to ring up and check that i am covered?
what do you mean fill up my green card?
Would be pissed if my bike got nicked, woudlnt have long had it either by that time.lol. will be getting and alarm and tons of other security bits too as an added factor.

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Don't get too paranoid, take a chain with you and lock the bikes together etc but the chances of them being nicked is not a big possibility. Just be sensible like you would be in the UK.

It's a great trip, you get to see so much, and the roads are beyond anything we have in Britain, you'll come back a better rider.

[EuropeanNC30R...]

[Blunet600]

wicked, cheers guys. If i have any other issues i will post up. Is there anything anyone recommends i will need to take, or something you may have forgotten when you did a trip and wished you had taken it?
I am going to try and film alot so will post the edited footage when the trips done.

[Trill]

Don't forget to get yourself a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) https://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/Gettingtreatmentaroundtheworld/EEAandSwitzerland/DH_4114793

Covers you for emergency treatment etc.
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Chrome don't get you home but it sure makes you look good pushing it there.
First bike: RS125 - Current bike: GSXR600 k6

[Damon]

Make sure you pack some spares for your bikes. eg sparkies, replacement air filter (incase you take a wrong turn and end up in egypt) coolant, bits and bobs that may be needed.

Bring some jump leads incase the battery gets drained from continued use of the alarm.