May 2006

First long distance trip on my new BMW R1200GS.

The trip didn't quite start as planned following a massive wave hitting the Pont Aven and putting it out of service the day before our departure.

Plan B was to use the Channel Tunnel and ride through France. Uneventful and boring Autoroutes most of the way.

Simon and I left early Tuesday evening to secure 'luxury' rooms in a Formule 1 near Boulogne. Steve, Rob and Martin arrived around midnight. We stopped again in Bordeaux and finally met Tim soon after crossing the Spanish border - he had spent the previous week in Morocco (again).

Simon went for the hardcore round the world traveller look by carrying spare tyres!

Despite having ridden over 800 miles in 1.5 days, Tim felt it necessary to take us on a coastal detour before going to our hotel. The views were impressive, heres one for the BMW brochure ...

Our first hotel in Spain was the Torrecerredo, a small family run place in an idyllic location.

...some of the local inhabitants didn't seem too impressed. "I can stare longer and harder than you, and I am not moving" ...

... our first off road excursion where Martin christened his 1200 Adventure ...

Rob decided his bike needed a rest. Despite frantically waving his arms it refused to get up by itself. Tim plays his usual trick of switching on the hot grips while he thinks no-one is looking.

Steve looking very professional ...

We found a great stop for an afternoon siesta and some GS style sunbathing.

Rob showing how it should be done, and Tim showing how it should NOT be ...

Our second hotel was the Infantado near Potes. A great central location for visiting the region.

Having dropped his bike 4 times, Rob decides to sit on the fence and ponder the meaning of life....

... while Simon decides to enter a 'Hot or Not' competition ...

Another day, another mountain. A great forest track opened up to provide a great view, and then continued to one of the best tracks of the week.

Tim realised he was heading for a mountain of cow sh#t decided it was better to step aside and let Steve ride his bike out of the deep ruts.

Somewhere downhill from near here (N 43'02.493 W 4'27.516) along a forest track lies Steves 1150 Adventure Top Box containing his GPS, Camera and money. Quite a geochache if you want to go looking for it.

Every good GS tour should end in a liberal coating of mud and dust ...

So ends the first tour on my 1200 GS and I can only conclude what a great bike it is. Long distance touring, offroad (even on Tourances), scratching on mountain hairpins. It does everything. The best bike I have ever owned.