www.boxertrix.com

Ok, no big deal considering I can do two of them in 11 mins. However with wifey on board and negotiating France in two nights with all its storms and rain and carnage and death on the A10 we are now in Portugal. Riding through France was not by choice a matter of fact that the ferries are booked up to Santander a year in advance. There is a reason for that, Spain is popular, it is inexpensive compared to France for motorcyclists, car rallies, cyclists and walkers. In our opinion it "rocks". Today was no exception. Leaving the Paradore at Argomaniz and trusting the Garmin (BMW) sat Nav 5 to avoid tolls and motorways (set in car mode lads) we still managed to double the mileage! But hey seen all the bodegas in Rioja and Duero on the way. Plus all the old roadside codgers with flat caps and trousers up to their man breasts, walking I may add, not sat on Hd replica mobility machines with teddy bear adornment. Plain after plain, left the backdrop drop of the Pyrenees and saw the Picos on the North west Horizon dispensed with logrono, Burgos, Palencia and Zommora descended into Braganca on an amazing section of Autovia. Sat Nav recorded 360 miles a high of 32 deg c and a low of 4 deg c. Amazing days riding. Btw my R 1200r lc is absolutely a perfect all rounder. ( the missus, a brilliant co pilot, organiser, administrator and moderator I may add)

No photies phone got soaked in France weather. Come and see for yourselves. Do not take my word for it.

Chris

Sounds like a great trip, i like long days and getting somewhere.
What you describe is similar to my romantic idea that got me into motorbikes, touring europe on the lesser roads.
I ended up in Australia instead where there are much fewer roads!

Sounds absolutely brilliant Chris. Except for the bad weather in France, of course, but that is soon forgotten when the sun shines.

Great write up and trip.

As you say easy to do 5 countries - on a trip to the Nurbergring in 2010 the route involved England, France, Belgium, Holland (about 15 miles) and Germany And no Sat Nav back then just a map book a list of road numbers

boxerscott wrote:
Hd replica mobility machines with teddy bear adornment.

Chris

Must be an underworld cult...we have them here

Done 3 in a day and that was on a push bike ya wuss!!

hi lads, in Tariva , our last of 7 nights at the very good Maria Lounge hotel, Adults only, sadly not a swingers cottage, can recommend this gaff and resort. We had a boring and hot ride out to Seville for an amazing religious festival in Triana district, we nearly booked in for the night but on realisation that we had left our toothbrushes and clean undies and manicure implements behind we finished off our Reserva Port and Cured meat indulgences and headed back into the Sunset. We have seen and witnessed amazing kindness on our deliberance of avoiding the major routes. This has resulted in 300 miles plus per days on our R1200r and has shown a few weaknesses in the pilots enthusiasm for this naked beast. My left shoulder is aching like fcuk and that is nothing to do with my Mark Spitz attributes in the pool. Sadly wind blast at over 65mph on the long days in the saddle are taking its toll. Amanda says my ambitions exceed my talents. I fear she is right. Cut the daily mileage? What's the answer ? The bike is brilliant, would a cruiser or specific tourer offer comfort for 300miles a day ? to a pair of pension seeking wrinklies. Looking forward to our return journey home tomoz and the rest of the Iberian experience. Hoping the sea gods are favourable to our Biscay crossing on Monday. Chris.

Chris

Just fit a wind deflecting screen for the longer journeys, rather than change the bike again as you like it so much.
Then on the shorter jaunts take it off if you like the looks of it better.
Otherwise follow my lead and get a £300 scrap yard F800 and do whatever to it for touring
It'll still be fast enough and keep the R 12 for posing on.

Hi Chris,

Glad to hear you and Amanda are having a great time, despite the wind blast issues. Sounds like what you need is essentially the same bike but with extra wind protection. If you can't remedy the problem on your R with a new screen, why don't you give the RS a go? All the things you love about your R but with better wind protection. It's no RT, but it would be less windy than your R and all of your existing luggage and accessories would swap straight over.

All the best,

Paul

Buy a GS?

dave the german wrote:Buy a GS?

May Hades devour me first! Funnily enough Blackal has offered me a spreadsheet to monitor my bike change spasms. I think the rs and old scrapper full on tourer are pos 1 and 2. We are up in Marvao, north of Portalgre and Estromoz, another amazing hill top fortified republic. The sun is relentless. The bike has had motorway duties today coming up from Algarve just because we did not want to back track on the north south route we chose coming down. If you want to be mischievous toll fees are easily avoidable on Portugals system. They have an open toll gate for registered users , err .. If you have not registered and have a foreign plate you may get away with it... Will tell you if that is fact shortly! Not advocating that anyone should be playing outside the rules.

I really have no intention of getting shot of this bike in the short term, doubtfull the minimal mounting points will support a larger screen. It's a naked bike and I think no different from any other regarding turbulence at higher speed.

Chris.

Hi Chris

Trip sounds good fun (apart from aches obviously). I'm just back from Corsica. Sue was with me on the way down and we deliberately kept the daily mileage down. Coming back I was solo, Sue flew back from Marseille, and the mileages were higher (300+ and 400+). Have to say I think the RS could be the answer to your problem, but I would say that wouldn't I .

You're welcome to try it for a day if you fancy it.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks Ian, that is jolly decent of you. Hope you two had a fab time as we did! I picked up a speeding ticket in Spain ( toll money avoided in Portugal now spent elsewhere!) they kindly had it waiting for me when I arrived home today!!! Great postal service! My shoulder ache is industry related and was brought on by the severe gale force winds that got us in Northern France on day two. To be quite honest the bike has been all round good for both of us and can not see me changing it in the short term. I can also advise that we did a total of 3,068 miles on the bike plus 526miles in the van carrying the bike to and from our daughters place in Northampton. Interestingly all the miles were two up with luggage on a mixture of all road surfaces. The inexpensive maxxis st tyres have been bloody good value for money so far and the rear still has a thou in it. I paid £109 for the pair and fitted oneself. Portugal`s fuel prices are premium but did find quite a few different varieties of unleaded to chose from even E5 , eco 95 as well as standard 95 and 98.

Northern Portugal (Geres) was superb and we did cover the high spots in the adjacent National Park predominantly 2nd gear for about 35 miles covering about 10 miles if that as the crow flies towards Montalegre. Had most of the roads to ourselves plus a few local cyclists and bikers. it would appear that most of the bikes eschewed by the Santander Ferry seem just to dot aboot the Pico`s area. Saw very few British plates on our tour apart from at the Ferry. Amanda says that was a good thing. I was surprised to see a vast number of bikes leaving the Pont Aven as we were arriving to leave. Can thoroughly recommend Portugal as a "bike tour destination"

Shame I have no photies of my own to upload but it may be possible for me to steal some of the intellectual property from Amanda.

Don't think the ticket is enforceable - live a little - bin it

...as long as you are not planning to return to Spain. Given that you do ride there a lot, I'd play safe and pay the fine.