BCF Euro Jolly 2014 Trip Report - Update:The incident page 3

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

This is my trip report of the 2014 BCF Euro Jolly, which was organised by Marmalade Karma

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=28302&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Have spent a large part of the last week and a bit making this. Its a selection of photos taken by myself, and the other 15 people that came on the trip from the Monday 2nd-Friday 6th June. There is also a large amount of screenshots from my Drift helmet camera which was recording the entire duration of the trip, so apologies for the crap quality of some of the those. After sifting through many gigabytes and hours of video and thousands of pictures i've cut it down to this summary. Its still a very long thread but I wanted to keep it as informative as possible so it hopefully encourages more people to take an interest in next years Thumbs Up

https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/149_zps1cdae6b0.jpg

Nightwatch
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/150_zps02da210b.jpg

Day 2 - Tuesday 3rd June
Packing up the bikes to head to the second hotel
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/151_zps67c8a247.jpg
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/152_zps3247064f.jpg
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/153_zps41b0c408.jpg

Last minute change of direction Laughing

I will update the thread when its released Whistle

https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1194_zps21c332d9.jpg

Pulled in at a Ducati dealership we'd set a detour to earlier in the day as the nearly-new low mileage Panigales clutch decided to get issues for the second time in its short life Laughing

This was also an even more essential stop after 'the incident' Whistle

https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1244_zps1c4c633f.jpg

The first time I realised this was about two miles later when this happened.
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1245_zps5ea285fb.jpg

CONTINUED BELOW[/size]

noobRider · World Chat Champion Joined: 23 Sep 2012 Karma :

Great read, and some great pics. You should have divided it up into a post for each day though, for an easier read, and more karma Smile

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-Monty- · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Apr 2012 Karma :

Very good thread on a very good trip Matt. Next time I feel we should make a "Where's Mini-Marm" photo competition (like "Where's Wally").

Also, if you liked this thread, then you'll love this thread (BCF EuroJolly 2015).

EDIT: taken tank bag photo out as Matt now has it on his post .
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-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

Followed by this.
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1246_zpsa701325b.jpg

And then this. Traffic police were great, said no problem and went straight out to get it from the previous junction. Twenty minutes later they returned with...
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1247_zps28c358db.jpg

This. Apparently it had been dragged about a mile - and the smashed remains of most of my stuff was strewn down the motorway Rolling Eyes

what was recovered was pasted with WD40 and chain lube which had exploded in the bag Laughing

Luckily my vehicle documents and license were recovered. Passport and lots of other stuff wasn't - so it made the trip a little more expensive than planned Rolling Eyes

.
https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1248_zps7335d8d0.jpg

Took what was left - threw the bag and remains in the bin, and then the camera died due to the spare battery lying in the motorway somewhere Whistle

https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1249_zpse5996a45.jpg
The end.

Probably the best holiday i've ever had overall in terms of minute-by-minute enjoyment. Great bunch of people and great experience travelling in Europe on the bike. Really looking forward to next years and would highly recommend it to anyone who wasn't sure about this years Thumbs Up

I believe the total cost for me including breakdown, petrol, food, hotels and everything was somewhere in the region of £300. Which for five days holiday, riding in five countries, doing over a 1000 miles is not much at all in my opinion.

I have a few videos of various fly-bys people did of the group and the 'incident' picture/videos still to upload so there will be a few updates to this in the next week or two.

Dave500 · Traffic Copper Joined: 26 Feb 2014 Karma :

Fantastic write up, thanks mate been waiting for one lol. Karma

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-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

Only just realised the end of my first post was cut off slightly before the end - see above for the ending Thumbs Up

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

There is no memepic awesome enough to express how top notch that is.

Fortunately, there are two.

https://www.okmoviequotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Spaceballs-quotes-4.gifhttps://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf1usrtYtm1qaepp4o1_500.gif
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Supermoto_Fan · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 Jun 2012 Karma :

I did a very similar route first time riding abroad trip last September, only thing I don't know I'd like is the size of the group, we went in a group of 7 and that was perfect.

Luxembourg is a strange city. Did you stand at the memorial and look down on "old Luxembourg"?

We stopped at Bastogne though, and visited the real "jacks wood" (band of brothers) eery stuff
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-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

We didn't unfortunantely, was a bit of a flying visit through Lux - especially with the weather being so bad. Bastogne sounds very interesting though, would of liked to pass through anywhere like that.

Group size wise it seemed okay to be honest - parking was of course a little tight at times I would say was the only negative - and slightly longer queueing at fuel pumps Laughing

It was good in congested areas though as it meant we had a huge amount of people available to spread out across cities at various junctions as we gradually became more and more seperated by junctions and traffic lights - so it was always easy to have enough people along the route to act as bread crumbs for the ones behind to follow.

Supermoto_Fan · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 Jun 2012 Karma :

We didn't go for the whole war thing as such, but Bastogne was special, mentioned in all the war films, Sherman on the square on a plinth, bullet holes still in walls and a modern museum too.

Saying that, it's hard to avoid it, must of gone through 6 - 7 small villages with damages shermans on display!

We took the ferry, blasted into Belgium, had one hotel for the 4 days, it limits you overall, but much easier with luggage and get used to the local area, and can plan where to visit. Luxembourg one day. Twisties/fishing the next etc
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Sabs · Scooby Slapper Joined: 12 Nov 2013 Karma :

Nice write up, looks like you all had a great time Smile

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Howling TerrorOutOfOffice · Super Spammer Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Karma :

If I had cake I'd share some with you. Thumbs Up

I don't share cake easily.
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Benno · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 May 2012 Karma :

Dammit I wish I'd gone!

We have to do another trip...I had no idea this one would be so huge, so many people Shocked

Please can we have the BBQ at a time I can attend this year, pretty please Wub

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Tracey Suntan-King · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 Nov 2012 Karma :

Really great write up, very entertaining. Sounds like a brilliant trip. Not sure my bottomless fragile sanity would have survived so many miles.

You must all have bums of steel.....

Thumbs Up

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Dilyan · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Nov 2010 Karma :

Matt, you carma-seeking-epic-post-hungry bitch Laughing

Awesome trip, glad to be part of it. Particularly participating in both "Erm, Marm, we are lost" situations Smile

Loved every minute of it, thanks to all participating and Marmalade not organising it.
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-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

I have the BAFTA nomination forms on standby Whistle

Credit to you Dilyan on that note for the lost-on-the-motorway recovery Thumbs Up

Dave70 · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Karma :

That was an absolutely fantastic read. Thumbs Up

I should be off the 125 by next year, so I will certainly be up for Euro trip 2015. At least I should be able to dip my toe in the water for the Wales camping trip this year. (still getting used to and sometimes confused by some big multi lane junctions over here at the moment Embarassed

)

Looking forward to part 2 of the story and the revealing of the incident. Thumbs Up

Rogue_Shadow · World Chat Champion Joined: 10 May 2012 Karma :

Great write/type up Matt Thumbs Up

Really was an amazing trip hopefully next years will be as succesful for whoever attends Very Happy

deadwolf · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Karma :

https://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/bcfeurojolly2014/eurotrip/1103_zps44a2aee5.jpg

Modern art.. you're closer than you think.

Now that I turn my thinking cap to the 'Artsy-Fartsy' setting, this does indeed look like an abstract representation of a motorcycle rider, with the helmet being the rider, the twisty metal pole the bike's frame (must be an old bike, chassis are stiffer nowadays) and metal bits and what else could that threaded black plectrum be but a tyre? And look, the whole contraption even sits on a patch of dark material similar to asphalt. I can imagine myself having nightmares of being chased by these things down a dark road. The mind boggles Shocked

Great write-up, really well paced Thumbs Up

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dydey90 · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Oct 2013 Karma :

I need to know about the grey bit!
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fatjames · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jul 2011 Karma :

Great write up mate, it looks like you all enjoyed yourselves. I can't help but notice there has been no advertised winner of the Annual BCF Lille Mini Marm 500cc Karting Championships...

Matt B · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 May 2012 Karma :

fatjames · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jul 2011 Karma :

Also...can a mod change -matt- from 'world chat champ' to 'karma whore'?

_Troy_ · World Chat Champion Joined: 11 Feb 2011 Karma :

Shit trip was shit.

https://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c313/Troy_Park/t51e4b5_1cd234e6_half-trollface_zps8cf04d11.jpeg
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Kamikaze Bob · Trackday Trickster Joined: 27 Apr 2011 Karma :

Excellent stuff, can't wait to get out on a trip like this myself
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