Location:  Bamberg, Germany

Lodging:  Residence

Money Conversion:

€1 = $1.327 USD or $1 USD = €0.77537

Gas/Fuel: €1.609/l or $7.89 USD/gal! AAAack!  Sorry, my SPOT satellite tracking unit did not finish recording June 13’s ride from the Black Forest to Bamberg.  I failed to correctly set the unit to “Track”. We are in Bamberg, Germany.  Arrived June 13 straight in from the Black Forest.  We are in decompression mode … coming down from an amazing 5-weeks of moto adventures.

It’s going to be difficult becoming normal again.  I was originally planning to ride for another 3-4 weeks but other issues require me to be home. This is the end of our 2013 European Motorcycle wonderings.  Robert leaves Sunday back to Virginia.  We spend Friday, June 14 washing clothes and working on our motos.  Robert strips off electrical GPS, heated gear harnesses of his rental HD.  I’m reorganizing, separating stuff for Express Mail shipping to SoCal.

Tomorrow I’ll ride 265 km to KnopfTours where I’ll prep my 2004 Suzuki VStromopasourus DL1000 for final bike storage and packing to get stuff home.

In my mind, I have plans already formulating for The All-Star Motorcycle Circus & Expedition 2014.

The End is just the Beginning! ]]> http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?feed=rss2&p=3587 4 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3550 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3550#comments Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:01:58 +0000 dean http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3550 PHOTOS: If you want to see the photo’s full-size, click the photo, it isolates to a new page and click it once again.  Use browser’s “back” to return to blog. CURRENT LOCATION:  Upper right corner is my SPOT Satellite track provided by SPOTwalla.  When activated, it provides a real time track of my travels.  The tracks are archived back to my arrival in Heidelberg, April 25.

Use the zoom slider on the left to open up the map to see our entire route.  The “History” allows you to see day-by-day routes.  “Satellite” replaces the map illustration with satellite photos. We are ugly American tourists Date: Wednesday 12, 2013

Location:  Bavaria – Füssen & Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Lodging: Euro Park Hotel, Füssen

Money Conversion:

€1 = $1.327 USD or $1 USD = €0.77537

Gas/Fuel: €1.609/l or $7.89 USD/gal! After 4 weeks on the road, our “All the Gear, All the Time” is quite the sight.  In Europe most moto riders wear slick leather race-style gear.  After 2 years my Kilm Gortex Riding Suit has performed excellent.  During the wet Dolomiti and Slovenia days I was dry while the racing leather boys were soaked.  But, walking around in ATGATT gets lots of looks.  We are ugly!  And we might smell too.

Today is tourist day in Bavaria.  Robert is a Bavaria virgin so he gets the quick and dirty tour. The interesting thing about Europe is that American fantasies are European reality.  Most of us have seen the wonder of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland.  My granddaughters love the vision as they enter Main Street and see the Castle at the other end.

Disney’s castle was inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein).

Schloss Neuschwanstein (Neuschwanstein Castle)

Fussen, Germany is on the border of Austria and the fastest way to the Linderhof Palace (German: Schloss Linderhof) ~40 km away, is into Austria and back up into Germany.

This classic Vespa scooter and single-wheel trailer was in the Linderhof parking lot.

Touring on a Vespa!

Schloss Linderhof (Linderhof Palace)

Next we ride south to the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area to ride a gondola to the top of the Zugspitze, at 2,962 m above sea level, is the highest mountain in Germany.

On top of the Zugspitze, the tallest mountain in Germany. 2,963 m.

The view from the Zugspitze.

Enough of Bavaria!  I wanted to see the Black Forest.  Is it really black?

We ride west to Lindau and find lodging at Seevital Hotel Schiff Langenargen.  This was our last night out so we splurged!  My share was €60 which included dinner and libations. Total day’s ride – 300 km How Black is the Black Forest? Date: Thursday, June 13, 2013

Location:  Langenargen (on Lake Bodensee) up north to

Lodging: Bamberg, Germany

Money Conversion:

€1 = $1.327 USD or $1 USD = €0.77537

Gas/Fuel: €1.609/l or $7.89 USD/gal! We are on the road at 8:30AM heading due west to Freiburg, Germany.  The Black Forest is famous for Cuckoo Clocks and since it was a forest the riding should be good.  Freiburg was recommended to us as a Black Forest stop.

Our route is mostly main roads.  The first thing we encounter is … traffic!  Lots of traffic, congestion, big 18-wheeler trucks, farm tractors, and construction.  If you see our route you will see how we tried alternate roads to get away from traffic but it was slow going all the way! At a gas station we are told we cannot ride into the center of town without a special window sticker!  In the mean time H talks to some tour bus drivers and they recommended Triberg.  We ride northeast out of Freiburg and again … traffic! The map shows a twisty-turnie “L186”.  This got us away from traffic and at the top – a hang glider, para glider launch.

This hang glider has a little tail flap.

Hang gliding set-up area.

Almost center is a hang glider a couple seconds after launch.

Triberg, this little Black Forest village is packed with cuckoo clocks!

We lunched in Triberg, saw many cuckoo clocks and it was 15:00.  Time to head to the barn – Bamberg.

Oh by the way, there is nothing black about the Black Forest. It was autobahn all the way.

Total day’s ride – 600 km ]]> http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?feed=rss2&p=3550 4 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3499 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3499#comments Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:17:05 +0000 dean http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3499 PHOTOS: If you want to see the photo’s full-size, click the photo, it isolates to a new page and click it once again.  Use browser’s “back” to return to blog. CURRENT LOCATION:  Upper right corner is my SPOT Satellite track provided by SPOTwalla.  When activated, it provides a real time track of my travels.  The tracks are archived back to my arrival in Heidelberg, April 25.

Use the zoom slider on the left to open up the map to see our entire route.  The History allows you to see day-by-day routes.  Satellite replaces the map illustration with satellite photos.

Finding a lost road… Date: Monday, June 10, 2013

Route Location:  Figline Valdarno, Italy to Lago Di Iseo, 480 km or 298 miles.

Lodging: Hotel on the north end of Lago Di Iseo, Italy.

Money Conversion:

June 11, 2013: €1 = $1.327 USD or $1 USD = €0.77537

Gas/Fuel, Italy: €1.789/l or $8.775 USD/gal! We depart the Gallo Nero HOG Rally at 8:00AM.  We ride directly to La Spezia, approx. 200 km or 2.5 hours.  Cinque Terra area consist of five towns from the south to north: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso.  The normal way to access these villages is by train which stops at each village.  4 wheeled access is very time consuming and along a semi-dangerous road. This road runs along the mountain ridge above the villages.  Off this road are little spurs that switchback down to each little village.  Last year when we tried to ride the road that connects all five towns, the heavy rains resulted in a landslide that washed away several sections of the road.  We came to blocked fence that required us to backtrack back to La Spezia.  We wanted to see if the road was now open.

We were vey high above the Cinque Terra villages. I think this is Manarola.

The little spur road that goes down to Manarola had a sign “Road Closed, Use the Train!”

The road is quite twisty and as we came the same gated-fence that said “Road Closed” there is a couple on a motorscooter opening the gate. We asked if the road was open all the way and the reply was yes.  So in we went.  The road was washed out in a half dozen places with a dirt road bypassing the missing paved road.  The missing sections were easy for motorcycles.

I think this is Corniglia. The steep mountain side is terraced with vineyards. Grapes and other produced is hauled up and down with little electric trolley’s.

It’s mid afternoon and time to ride north to find a place to stay.  We end up at the north end of Lago Di Iseo, Italy in a town of Pisogne. Hotel La Pieve Di Pisogne, S.R.I., Single room with garage parking and WiFi was €67 The Stelvio Pass

All hotels include breakfast with room rate.  Breakfast starts at 7:30 / 8:00 AM.  We are on the road by 9:00AM. We are riding north to find a couple more passes.

The first was Passo della Foppa, Mortirolo, 1852 slm.

This was the original pass sign.

Passo della Foppa

Passo della Foppa

At the top of Foppa we met a WW2 US Army Jeep Club.

Every BLOG has to have a photo of the local WC facilities.

Tunnels

You had better like tunnels if you want to ride the Stelvio Pass.  We went through at least 30+.  The longest was 8 km! (5 miles).  Italian tunnels are very different than the ones in the US.  They are rarely straight.  They might twist like a snake path, have intersections in the middle to different valleys, go in circles up or down, and all are only 2-lanes.  The air inside the tunnels stink of auto exhaust. The second, the infamous mother-of-all-passes … Stelvio Pass. This is from Wikiipedia – “The Stelvio Pass (Italian: Passo dello Stelvio; German: Stilfser Joch), located in Italy, at 2757 m (9045 feet) is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, slightly below the Col de l’Iseran (2770 m, 9088 feet).” GPS Coordinates: N 46° 31’ 43”, E -010° 27’ 10” From the south the pass is 18+ km.  It’s been on my “Bucket List” of things to do. Bob Higdon is my inspiration for riding this pass.  He had mentioned Stelvio Pass in an article.

The Stelvio has several levels of hair-pin climbs.  The first is fairly steep then there is a long valley then a second series of hair-pins to a mountain road to a final set of hair-pins to the top.

I apologize for lack of road photos.  This pass is extremely steep and narrow.  I kept looking for turn-outs to take photos but there was no level ground to park or space on the sides of the road. The top was beautiful, cold, windy and alternated between rain and snow.  It was a beehive of activity with 40+ bicyclists, 40+ motos, and 30+ 4-wheel vehicles all squeezed on the top.  Many people talking and shopping at many souvenir booths, two food carts, several restaurants, and a couple hotels.

Stelvio Pass

Stelvio Pass

Stelvio Pass Summit was a beehive of activity! When the heavy snow came, everyone runs to get off the mountain.

This is the lower 1/3 north side Stelvio Pass.

Down the north side is a sheer face with tight hairpins then halfway down the hairpin legs get longer and longer. Our last pass is Fernpasshohe 1210 m (Fern Pass).

All day it was mostly blue skies and light scattered showers except for the pass.  We ride north to the Bavarian town of Fussen. At 18:00 when we pull up the hotel and it starts to pour.  Life is good!

Fern Pass

A couple German beers, a light dinner and bed.  I was dreaming of riding the Stelvio all night with a big grin and chuckling. The room with 3-beds is €180.  This includes evening beers, dinner and €5 to park 3 bikes in the garage, €5 for all of us to use the internet.

]]> http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?feed=rss2&p=3499 7 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3477 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3477#comments Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:17:25 +0000 dean http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3477 PHOTOS: If you want to see the photo’s full-size, click the photo, it isolates to a new page and click it once again.  Use browser’s “back” to return to blog. CURRENT LOCATION:  Upper right corner is my SPOT Satellite track provided by SPOTwalla.  When activated, it provides a real time track of my travels.  The tracks are archived back to my arrival in Heidelberg, May 15.

Use the zoom slider on the left to open up the map to see our entire route.  The “History” allows you to see day-by-day routes.  “Satellite” replaces the map illustration with satellite photos. 675 km on the Autostrata
Date: Thursday, June 6, 2013

Location:  Bari, Italy to The Tuscany Area, Figline Valdarno, Italy via the Autostrata

Lodging: Norcenni Girasole Club, Figline Valdarno, Italy

N 43° 36′ 43″, E 011° 26′ 54″

Money Conversion:

June 11, 2013: €1 = $1.327 USD or $1 USD = €0.77537

Gas/Fuel in Ghedi Estaut, Italy: €1.789/l or $8.775 USD/gal! The ferry lands at 8:30AM and we are on the road at 9:00AM.  The 3 motorcycles were the first to go through Italy Immigration/Customs on the dock and it was mass confusion.  First we were told to wait in a line.  Then H was waved through by the officer next to him.  All the officials were yelling at each other and H rode away.  He rode 200 meters and was stopped and turned around.  I was told to wait. They don’t see H had been turned around and was on his way back to Immigration/Customs.  They then gave up on seeing our documents and wave Robert and I go while H was riding back to the Immigration/Customs area.  Seeing us H does a U-Turn on the wide empty dock and the three of us are waved through the gate to the streets of Bari. Our destination today is 675 km (420 miles) to the Tuscany region.  We are going to the “Gallo Nero” (Black Cock) HOG Rally in the Tuscany area.  It is a 7-day Ride-To-Eat while exploring the Tuscany area. When we enter the autostrata we each pull a ticket.  There are super stations with restaurants so you don’t exit the autostrata.  When we exit the autostrata at Figline Valdarno the toll price was ~€25 or $33 USD each. A HOG Ride-To-Eat Extravaganza Date: Fri, June 7, 2013

Location:  The Tuscany Area, Figline Valdarno, Italy

Lodging: Norcenni Girasole Club, Figline Valdarno, Italy

N 43° 36′ 43″, E -11° 26′ 54″

Money Conversion:

June 11, 2013: €1 = $1.327 USD or $1 USD = €0.77537

Gas/Fuel in Ghedi Estaut, Italy: €1.789/l or $8.775 USD/gal! The Norcenni Girasole Club, Figline Valdarno, is a really fancy campground.  It’s huge with almost any style of camping from cabins, stone apartments, tents, all styles of RV’s, etc.  I wasn’t expecting much but …

I was expecting a tent or cabin. We are staying in the right stone farm house.

This is the logo of the "Gallo Nero" Rally -- The Black Cock.

The love for Harley in Europe is amazing.  These were very serious HOG members.

It was “invitation only” and limited to 150.  Riders came from all over Europe.  The second half of this was a ride into Rome and the Pope would do a Blessing of the Bikes.

I was the only non-Harley!  I was asked many times “How are you here?  My answers were many but it came down to “My Harley is at home in California!”

The first 3 days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) are planned rides of ~200 km (125 miles) RT through the best of Tuscany.   Lunch is at wonderful restaurants usually with wine and 2-3 courses of food.

Penzi is a HOG member from Germany. He trailered his HD side-car rig and an antique US HD police bike to this event. He even as a moto police uniform!  Penzi came well equipped with cases of beer and made sure we had a sampling of all … even a 10% Austrian beer!

Penzi was a professional musician traveling all over the world performing at Bavarian and Octoberfest events.

Tuscany with vineyards, olive trees, farms, villages.

Friday, June 7

Restorante “Latini”, San Gimignano (SI)

First course of our riding lunch.

180 degree photo of Tuscany countryside and restaurant.

Saturday June 8

Ristorante “la Costa”, Montefollonico (SI)

The Firenze HOG Chapter performed a great "Village People" Macho Man and YMCA act. They were the official Road Captain's of the daily Tuscany rides.

Costello di Valenzano, Subbiano (AR)

Sunday lunch was at a Castle!

Every lunch was excellent.

Penzi came to the Sunday dinner in his area's traditional clothing.

Celebration Cake for the 12th Gallo Nero Rally

Typical buffet spread for the group!

We chose not to participate in the second part and leave early Monday for … La Spezia (south of Cinque Terre).  Last year it was raining so bad the Cinque Terre road washed out. The five towns are from north to south — Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

We’ll see how far we can get! ]]> http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?feed=rss2&p=3477 5 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3440 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3440#comments Sun, 09 Jun 2013 15:44:50 +0000 dean http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3440

Location:  From Bovec, Slovenia to Carlobag, Croatia

Total Distance: ~360 km

Lodging: Hotel Velinac, Carlobag, Croatia

Money Conversion:

Kuna 1 = $0.174 USD or $1 USD = kuna 5.749

Gas/Fuel in Rijeka, Croatia: kuna 10.28 per liter

Leaving Bovec, we try to visit the Memorial Church of the Holy [...]]]> Monday, June 3, 2013

Location:  From Bovec, Slovenia to Carlobag, Croatia

Total Distance: ~360 km

Lodging: Hotel Velinac, Carlobag, Croatia

Money Conversion:

Kuna 1 = $0.174 USD or $1 USD = kuna 5.749

Gas/Fuel in Rijeka, Croatia: kuna 10.28 per liter

Leaving Bovec, we try to visit the Memorial Church of the Holy Spirit in Javorca but at the top of the road we learn of a 20 minute hike to the church.

We abandoned seeing this church because of the walk time...

Most of the route is 2-lane along the Adriatic Sea.  There were some short autobahn stretches but we avoided most.

End-Of-Day in the beer garden.

A cannon that used to protect the harbor.

Not sure what this sign means ...

180 degree shot - hotel on right

Sunset from our room.

Little fishing boats

Church

View

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Location/Route:  Karlobag, Croatia then through a little strip of the country Bosnia & Herzegovina (20 km) then back into Croatia

Distance: ~475 km

Lodging:  Hotel Petka, Dubrovnik, Croatia (right across the street from the ferry)

Money Conversion:

Kuna 1 = $0.174 USD or $1 USD = kuna 5.749

Gas/Fuel in Gradac, Croatia: kuna 10.19 per liter Rode from Bovec, Slovenia yesterday.  Mostly along the Croatian coast.  Very beautiful.  Like riding the PCH.  Lots of little towns and villages. We crossed into a little strip of the country Bosnia & Herzegovina (20km) then back into Croatia.  We are at the Hotel PETKA in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  The hotel is right across the ferry port.

The Bridge to Dubrovnik, Croatia. This is where we load the bike onto a ferry to

Rain followed us to Dubrovnik

Beautiful blue skies all day until 100 km out of Dubrovnik then rain!  Rained all night and at 9AM still raining.  Around noon we will ride southeast down to the country of Montenegro.

Robert and i out on the hotel balcony with the ferry behind us.

Wednesday, June 6, 2013 Location/Route:  30 km ride to the Montenegro border and it starts raining.

Distance: ~75 km RT back to the Dubrovnik, Croatia ferry terminal

Lodging:  The smallest 3-bunk cabin aboard the ferry.

Money Conversion:

€1 = $1.308 USD or $1 USD = €0.764

Gas/Fuel in Montenegro was cheap!: €1.32 per liter or $6.47 per US gal This close and we have to cross into Montenegro.  It’s a 30 km ride to Herceg-Novi, Montenegro.  We stop for fuel to get at printed receipt.  Our plan was to make a circle riding up into Bosnia & Herzegovina then back to the Dubrovnik, Croatia ferry terminal.

The Montenegro border crossing took 1-hour.

We just inch along!

We're getting close.

Cheap Gas!

We did not plan for the 1 hour border crossing and rain.  Along the coast the rain was sprinkles.  The loop into Bosnia & Herzegovina would take us into heavy all day rain.  It was raining where we turned around.  Traffic was moderate and we got separated.  As I pulled over to wait for the last rider, in a left hand small sweeper, I lost traction of my front wheel and down I went at 15 mph.  My saddlebag took most of the fall over impact with a few new scratches.  The frame slider and engine crash bar again paid for themselves!  A couple locals came over to help me lift the bike and a quick visual showed no damage other than my ego.  Within 30 seconds I was back on the road.  A more careful inspection at the next gas station showed no damage except of cosmetic scratches. We spent the rest of the afternoon riding back to the ferry terminal along the rugged coastline stopping at little café’s for a coffee and sunny warmth.

A caution sign for Pigs.

More waiting in line to board the ferry.

Coffee on the Dubronvnik Bay.

Thursday, June 6, 2013 Location/Route:  Ferry crossing to Bari, Italy (an overnight ferry).  Autostrata from Bari, Italy to Camping Village Norcenni Girasole Club, Figline Valdarno, Toscana

Distance: ~683 km

Lodging:  Norcenni Girasole Club Camping Village, Figline Valdorno

Money Conversion:  Back to € We get to a Harley HOG Rally at a fancy campground Norcenni Girasole Club, Figline Valdarno Firenze, Italy.

Spent today getting new rubber on the Strompasourus.  The ME880′s are now 2 years old and approaching 12,000 miles.  I could probably get another 2K out of them but I was loosing confidence in the traction ability as I head into the Alps again.  I went with a pair of Pirelli Scorpion Dual Sport tires. ]]> http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?feed=rss2&p=3440 1 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3380 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3380#comments Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:41:13 +0000 dean http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3380 PHOTOS: If you want to see the photo’s full-size, click the photo, it isolates to a new page and click it once again.  Use browser’s “back” to return to blog. CURRENT LOCATION: Upper right corner is my SPOT Satellite trackprovided by SPOTwalla.  When activated, it provides a real time track of my travels.  The tracks are archived back [...]]]>

Bovec, A hidden gem for high adventure sports! Location/Route: Local sights around Bovec, Slovenia

Weather:  Beautiful blue sky day with scattered showers!

Money Conversion:

€1 = $1.296 USD or$1 USD = €0.7717

Fuel Price:  Bovec, Slovenia: €1.479/l or $7.254/gal!

Lodging: This area is being promoted as the adventure sports center of the Slovenia.  We are here for the motorcycling and the passes do not disappoint.  Alpine bicyclists were on every pass we rode!  All around are river runners, rafting, kayaking, tubing, even sliding down rock streams in wetsuits and crash helmets.  For air nuts, hang gliding, paragliding, soaring, and parachuting.  And the area is full of trails for day hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering.  There are ski lifts everywhere for boarders and skiers of any format. We spend 3 days in Bovec, the rain continues in light showers.   We head to passo Pordoi.  This crosses the Alps into Austria and we take another pass back.

There is snow piling up on the windshield. I love my Hippo Hands!! Hippo Hands are hand grip covers that keeps rain and snow off the gloved hands. Combined with heated grips my hands/gloves are always warm.

The Passo Pordoi, 2230 m, and snow blowing across the roads! But the roads were mostly clear.

Robert at the Soka River Gorge.

This cable bridge was shaky!

The water is a clear emerald green.

We should have known something was up when the directional sign for the Mangart Saddle road was covered with a red plate.

The Mangart Road is a very technical road with very sharp hairpin turns and ...

a 22% GRADE!

Snow on the Mangart Loop road.

The tunnels were in bad shape with snow, branches, rocks, potholes along the way.

We made it to 1,733 m elevation.

This is what stopped us!

Passing thorough a Mangart Road tunnel.

The Boka Water Fall

May 31, 2013 Location:  Arabba to Bovec, Slovenia

Lodging: Hotel Kanin, Bovec. Slovenija

Money Conversion:  €1 = $1.296 USD or$1 USD = €0.7717

Gas/Fuel in Bovic, Slovakia: €1.479/l or $7.254/gal! We are loaded and moving on to Slovenia.  If we ride direct it’s a 4 hour ride.  We are taking a long-cut and cross more passes.

The day's first pass.

Plocken Pass

Below the Plocken Pass half-way to Slovenia, we pass this WWI memorial.

My riding pal takes us on a very remote pass that drops down to the Slovenia/Italy border.  It is a single lane road with very tight hair-pin 180° switchbacks.  Some of the turns were too tight to complete.  In the middle of the turn the bikes had to stop, roll back then continue forward uphill.  I’m guessing some places the slope was +20% grade!

Smugglers Pass. This was one challenging pass -- Sella Carnizza!

180 degree panorama of both sides of the border.

Sat, June 1, 2013 Location:                   The Northern Passes Slovenia/Austria

Lodging:                  Hotel Kanin, Bovec. Slovenija

Money Conversion:    €1 = $1.296 USD or $1 USD = €0.7717

Gas/Fuel in Bovic, Slovakia: €1.479/l or $7.254/gal!

Time & Distance:  9:30 am to 4:00 pm, approx. 60 miles We have a clear days with rain forecasted later in the afternoon.

This is the gate of the fort. The modern road now covers a huge tomb of soldiers.

The Kluze Fortress is a historic site.

Predel Pass

3 bikes and a cannon - men and their toys.

A tribute to Russian prisoners who died building this road.

This pass had cobble stone hair-pin turns! Very interesting riding, slippery as heck.

This will give you and idea of all the switchbacks.

The roads are so treacherous, anything can happen...

You can't do anything in this National Park. Not even collect snails!

We spent the day crossing the alps from Slovenia and Italy and back.

This is a Russian memorial on the way to Passo Vrsic.

A perfect riding day!

]]> http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?feed=rss2&p=3345 2 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3319 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3319#comments Thu, 30 May 2013 17:16:18 +0000 dean http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3319 PHOTOS:  If you want to see the photo’s full-size, click the photo, it isolates to a new page and click it once again.  Use browser’s “back” to return to blog. CURRENT LOCATION:  Upper right corner is my SPOT Satellite track provided by SPOTwalla.  When activated, it provides a real time track of my travels. Bidding my time at KnopfTours

Fri-Sun, May 24-26, 2013 Location:  Heidelberg, Germany

Lodging: KnopfTours

Money Conversion:

May 25, 2013: €1 = $1.296 USD or$1 USD = €0.7717

Gas/Fuel in Rimbach, Germany: €1.619/l or $7.94/gal!

On Tue I get a text meassage from the Suzuki dealer.

Vogt Suzuki, Heppenheimer Strasse 76, 64658 Furth/Odenwald

My Friday appointment to rebuild the clutch has been cancelled to Monday. We returned from Normandy Wed, May 22 to get to the Suzuki shop to find out what was going on with the ordered parts.

Thu at 09:30 I was at the service counter.  The parts that were to arrive Thu did not arrive and would be in Friday.  That is why my appointment was canceled.  We checked 4 Suzuki dealers in the Bamberg area for a Monday clutch appointment — no joy.

They ask if I can return at 16:00 so the District Service Mgr could check my bike and I go ride 100 km around the countryside.  Klaus Weymann, District Service Manager, rides my bike and confirms my clutch is slipping and that the clutch is very noisy.  I should not ride other than to Heidelberg and back.

So now I’m stuck riding 40 km back to KnopfTours for the weekend and returning Monday at 8AM I spend Fri reorganizing – loosing all the camping stuff and reorganizing to make my load smaller.  Rained all day.

Sat – Rained in the morning but sunny in the afternoon.  Slept in and during the afternoon sun, set up the tent so it can dry out.

Sun – May 27, 2013 Mon – Departed KnopfTours at 07:00 and arrived at Vogt Suzuki, Furth  at 08:00 only to be disappointed again.  Parts arrival slipped from Fri, to 10:00AM to 11:00AM to 12:00PM to ?.  My clutch friction disks did not arrive until 18:00!  The mechanic spent 1.5 hours installing all the parts. 19:30 he does a test ride and the clutch will not disengauge! 19:40 he tears the entire clutch apart and using the V-Strom shop manual learn that one beveled washer is in backwards – enough to make the clutch not disengage! 21:00 The clutch is now working but there is air in the cooling system.  That takes another 30 minutes to get all the air out.  I’m finally satisfied with the clutch rebuild and at 22:00 I leave the Heidelberg area to Bamberg.  While overcast there was no rain during this 3 hour ride.

I get into Bamberg at 01:00 in the morning. Tue, May 28, 2013

Repack for our big loop to the Dolomites, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Italy.  Robert test-ride the rental Harley.  The entire day is sky blue!

There are 3 riders riding to Croatia.  My riding pal who remains anonymous, his brother-in-law Robert.  The local HD dealer wants to ride with us for 3-4 hours then return. Riders in the Storm

Wed, May 29, 2013

Today is a repositioning day.  From Germany, through Austria and into the Dolomites (Italy).  The Dolomites are some of the finest motorcycle roads in the world!

Four riders leave Bamberg around 09:00 in a light drizzle … three Harley’s and me (V-Strom).  200 km out, Bertl Paukner, owner of Bertl’s Harley-Davidson, face shield breaks in the heavy rain and decides to return to Bamberg.  Two Harley’s and I continue south around Munich to Austria.  Just before the Austrian border, we stop and purchase our “vignettes” (toll fee sticker to ride on the Austrian Autobahn ~5€ or 10 days).

We also top off our tanks while still in Germany.  Fuel in Italy is very expensive!! The Brenner Pass is a toll road.  A helmeted rider with gloves, in the rain, with soaking wet pockets, a lost toll ticket … makes for interesting toll booth conversation!!  Just over the top of the Brenner Pass (Germany/Austria border) the rain stops and we see some blue sky.  The sprinkles/rain was consistent from Bamberg to the top of Brenner Pass then only sprinkles to Arabba.

We cross our first Passeo and at 17:00 we are at the Olympia Hotel, Via Colesel 57, I-32020 Arabba, Italy.

Cold, wet, all in a day of riding in Europe an May.

World sign post in front of the Olympia Hotel.

The Passeo of Arabba, Thu, May 30, 2013

The village of Arabba is in the heart of the Dolomites.

Location:                   Arabba, Italy

Lodging:                   Hotel Ristorante Olympia

Money Conversion:    €1 = $1.296 USD or
$1 USD = €0.7717

Gas/Fuel in Italy: €1.619/l or $7.94/gal!

Time & Distance:  9:30 am to 4:00 pm, approx. 100 miles You have never ridden until you ride in the Dolomitos!  It is truly motorcycle heaven.  Imagine, riding through a beautiful valley then you come to a 180° turn uphill.  Then repeat 40-50 times climbing 1-2 kilometers until you come to the top of the pass.  There is a nice hotel/restaurant/coffee shop to take a break before you go down the other side.  Repeat this to your hearts content!!

It’s sprinkling when we leave.  We ride west then clockwise around Arabba.

Passo Pordoi, 2239 m
Passo Stella, 2210 m
Passo Gardena, 2137 m
Passo Valparola, 2192 m
Passo Falzarego, 2117 m
Passo Giau, 2236 m
Colle S. Lucia,
Passo Fedaia, 2054 m
Passo Pordoi, 2239 (repeated west to east to get back to hotel)

Total of 8 passes (one repeated to get back to Arabba).  The entire day is rain in the valley’s and the bottom of each pass, snow on the top of each pass!  Amazing day.

Ice and snow build up on the Strompasourus windshield.

Robert and I chillin'!

Passo Gardena

Passo Valparola, 2168 m

Snow all around us!

Snow in the Dolomintes in the end of May!

Passo Vakoarika

180 degree panorama

Another pass in the show! Passo Giou 2230 m

Colle S. Lucia

The last pass of the day … Passo Fedaia, 2054 m

Last pass of the day ... total day's ride approx 100 miles.

Tomorrow we head to Slovinia where we will stay for 3 days riding more amazing passes. ]]> http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?feed=rss2&p=3319 10 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3254 http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3254#comments Sun, 26 May 2013 14:40:39 +0000 dean http://www.allstarmccircus.com/?p=3254

Is this deja vu?  It seems so real!

It smells like a cow pasture…

That sounds like rain popping on my tent…

Yup, guess I’m back in Europe.

Fair warning!!  [...]]]> I was dreaming I was sleeping in a tent … in a cow pasture … in some foreign country … and it was raining!

Is this deja vu?  It seems so real!

It smells like a cow pasture…

That sounds like rain popping on my tent…

Yup, guess I’m back in Europe.

Fair warning!!  At this point the “All-Star Motorcycle Circus and Expedition” is a blog about me wondering around Europe on a motorcycle.  If you dislike rambling babble let me know.  Send to me at: dtanji@gmail.com the email address you wish to delete and you will be deleted subscriber list. 

To make it perfectly clear, we are not the “All-Stars”.  We are more the circus clowns.  The  “All-Stars” are the people we meet that help us, guide us, and get us to the next event. PHOTOS: If you want to see the photo’s full-size, click the photo, it isolates to a new page and click it once again.  Use browser’s “back” to return to blog.

CURRENT LOCATION:  Upper right corner is my SPOT Satellite track provided by SPOTwalla.  When activated, it provides a real time track of my travels.  The tracks are archived back to my arrival in Heidelberg, April 25.

I’m leaving on a jet plane…Wed-May 15, 2013

My AA flight left LAX yesterday at 8AM and connected in DFW Texas to Frankfurt, Germany.  The flight landed ~08:00 and by 09:00 I’m on a TLS Shuttle Van ~ 85 km to KnopfTours, Heidelberg, Germany.  The shuttle cost is 32€.

My 2004 Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 has been in storage since last year.  When I left it last year, I was experiencing 1st gear herky-jerky starts on quick get-aways (above 3K RPM).Inside the KnopfTours compound I see old friends Tom and Mona Loftus packing/working around a BMW GS and Honda ST1300.

Tom and Mona Loftus packing up.

My Strompsaurus was out back ready to roll into the shop for a clutch rebuild.  Against good judgment, I was going to attempt this myself.  A couple weeks earlier I had sent a email to Stefan with a request to use the shop and tools.  On the list was a request for a “clutch tool, torque wrench, oil, radiator fluid, etc.  He responded that I could use the shop. I brought with me a clutch basket, gasket, main nut and a few other parts.  After I get my Strompsaurus on the lift, I ask Stefan where is the “clutch tool”?  Then there was a mad scramble looking for a “clutch tool” which ended, “BMW’s do not need a clutch tool so we do not have.  We will get one this afternoon.”It turns out a clutch tool is a rarity and had to be special ordered.  I decided to postpone the clutch rebuild. Camping

This first leg is a 7-day “camping” leg.  First the HU meeting then Frances Normandy coast.  I pack tent, stove, kettle, cup, utensils, chair, Gortex bivy bag, where the heck is the sleeping bag and air mattress?  A quick call and my friend in Bamberg will bring his spare for me. 2013 Horizons Unlimited – Germany Meeting

Strictly by coincidence, the 2013 Germany Horizons Unlimited meeting is this weekend in nearby Ober-Liebersbach (~36 km from KnopfTours).

I attended this last year and it was a minimalist event, sloping cow pasture camping, outdoor cold shower in a cow pen, one porta-potty, near by Gasthaus „Zur Schneeburg“ served hot meals and beer.  The evening presentations were made in a small circus tent.  And the RTW Adventure Riders we met last year were all great!  We decide to attend again.

Oh by the way … it’s raining. Failure to Launch…

Thu, May 16, 2013

Location:  Heidelberg, Germany

Lodging: KnopfTours

Money Conversion:  May 25, 2013: €1 = $1.296 USD or$1 USD = €0.7717

Gas/Fuel in Rimbach, Germany: €1.619/l or $7.94/gal! My plan was to pack and leave KnopfTours around 11am.  But I might be experiencing “Failure to Launch!”

First, it’s never fun packing for an extended motorcycle tour in the pouring rain.

Second, Too much stuff again!  What to take and what to leave?  Pack, pull everything out, re-pack, unpack hunting for one thing, find it, repack, this goes on and on.

Third, mornings in the KnopfTours kitchen is a “who’s going were” explosion.  It’s very hard not to stop and talk!

One fellow is riding the Silk Road … east through Russia to Kazakhstan, then south through several other …stans, into China, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Others are heading east to Slovinia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania.

Fourth, Some are routing/messing with their computers/GPS units.  Others are out in Heidelberg searching for things they forgot.

It’s hard to explain but in the end 2 of the departures postpone until tomorrow.  Leaving today just didn’t feel right…

I finally “kickstands up” at 3pm and after a 40-minute ride through the Heidelberg countryside I’m at the Horizons Unlimited Germany event — Ober-Liebersbach, Deutschland.  Nothing has changed.  It’s still a damn stinkin’ cow pasture! As I ride up, my friend meets me.  His tent is already set up in that stinkin’ cow pasture (same place as last year).I pitch my tent 50’ away (he snores).

Oh by the way it sprinkled all day.

The good news is he passed a Suzuki Moto dealer in Fürth 20 km from the cow pasture.  I’ll ride over tomorrow morning and get a professional analysis and schedule a clutch rebuild.

As more world travelers pull in, I start recognizing familiar faces from last year. Our new friend, who we met last year at this HU event, Krzysztof Kapusta, arrives on his new-to-him BMW1150GS.  Kris is Polish and lives/works in London.  He will ride with us to the Normandy coast. I’ve got the shuttering clutch blues

Fri-May 17, 2013

It was a clear beautiful morning.  We ride over to the Suzuki dealer to see if they will install the clutch parts.  The service tech’s analysis was “You also need clutch disks.  It takes a couple days to get the parts.  You’ll have to talk to the service manager tomorrow morning for an installation time.”

Kris’s sister lives one hour away and we are offered a “hot shower!”  Ohhhhhh!  We are on our way.

We get back to talk with several Around-the-World” (RTW) riders.

In the evening, Uli & Annaleen Steinmann gave a Silk Road presentation – Iran, Turkmenistan, Kirgisistan, Uzbekistan, China and Pakistan. We hear that a guy with a BMW diesel conversion will soon arrive.

Old BMW with Diesel Conversion

Diesel Conversion - left half is stock BMW trans/clutch, right half is diesel motor.

Yup! That's a pull starter cord. Just like your lawnmower.

Home made snorkel air breather. He said he could ride in 3' of water.

This Harley belongs to Donato Nicoletti.  He rides alone and in 14 months traveled through 23 countries and 60,000 kms across Asia: Caucasus, the ‘Stans, China, Pakistan, India, Thai, Lao, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia and Russia.

Harley's do it too!

I thought this was interesting.  Guy with gas tank panniers

Saddlebags made from gas cans. They were not waterproof.

We have a plan …

Sat-May 18, 2013

We are on the road back to the Suzuki dealer to talk to the service manager.  He looks over the parts list I brought.  Confirms the disc addition and a few other additions.

And agrees to install everything next Friday, May 24.  In the mean while, we’ll go ride in the Normandy coastal area of France. Back at the HU meeting we attend a tools workshop, see two more diesel motos who rode from Germany down to South Africa.

These are Royal Enfields with a diesel conversion.  Manufactured by Sommer Motorcycle Engineering, Germany.  They use a 462cc motor, 19 lb torque at 2000 RPM.  It uses 2.5l per 100 km.

Motos are Indian manufactured Royal Enfields.

Diesel motorcycle engines are making progress in Europe.

A couple rode these from Germany to South Africa. The only mechanical failure was the clutch

It sprinkled on-off most of the day. Toll Roading across France

Sun-May 19, 2013

Route: 760km (472 mi) on the autobahn passing through Saarbrucken, Metz, Reims, Paris, Rouen to Houlgate.

Fuel:  France, Normandy Coast – €1.619/l or $7.94/gal!

It was overcast when we left at 8:30AM.  When we got to the French border, it was raining sporatically.  French autobahns are a massive toll road system.  Since it was a Sunday, trucks of any kind are not allowed to move!  We decided to ride directly through Paris.  It was a good decision … only minor traffic slow-downs. Camping Le Lieu Castel – Camping, Houlgate

http://www.camping-le-lieu-castel.com/camping.htm

The camp mom tells us to go into town for food/beverage/etc because town closes at 8pm.  We setup our tents in a light rain.

Home sweet home for 3-days.

Camp mom tells us we can park our bike under the washing shed.  This is a great benefit!  4/5^th of the bike is out of the rain.  Loading and unloading is much easier.

The back half of our mottos are out of the rain.

Rainy Days And Mondays

Mon-May 20, 2013

Heavy morning rain soaked us as we dashed from tent to wash shed.  The shed became our kitchen, dinning room, & den.  It was a slow start we got moving around noon.

This became our kitchen, dinning room and den.

Even after 3-days of rain, the tent interior was dry!

We ride 20 km to the Merville Gun Battery Museum.  On the map you can see the US landings at Utah and Omaha beach.

This is the D-Day beach landing assignments. On the far left is Utah and next is Omaha.

Musee De La Batterie De Merville – German Gun Battery

In anticipation of an allied landing at Normandy, the Germans installed large gun batteries at strategic coastline locations.  This bunker was assigned to the British 6^th Airborne which via parachute and gliders deployed 750 troops.

The Bunkers of Merville

I'm standing on 1 or 4 huge bunkers. Photo right is another one. All were connected by trenches and tunnels.

Many of the allied troops parachuted from these C-47s.

Pegusus Bridge

The capture of this bridge intact was a key part of the D-Day landing.  Five gliders landed, one as close as 47 yards from the bridge, 16 minutes past midnight.  The attackers poured out of their battered gliders, completely surprising the German defenders, and took the bridges within 10 minutes.

The museum has a great display showed the precision and accuracy of this capture.  The original bridge has been removed and is at the Pegusus Bridge Museum along with a replica troop glider.

This is the original Pegusus Bridge. It was removed and placed at the museum.

Mon-May 20, 2013 Utah Beach

Utah Beach was the most western flank and in comparison to the other, the easiest landing.  By the end of D-Day, some 23,250 troops had safely landed on the beach, along with 1,700 vehicles. Only about 200 casualties were recorded during the landings.

Utah Beach Memorial & Museum

US sailors in action!

Another bomber housed in the Utah Beach Museum.

Omaha Beach

To the left of Utah, Omaha experience a totally different landing.  With all the planning and strategy, very little went as planned.  The German defense was unexpectedly strong.  Although the landing was successful, the US suffered 2,000+ casualties.

Omaha Beach Memorial

Three tribute sculptures out on the beach.

Close by is the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum.

Great display of D-Day period weaponry.

Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer

An incredible tribute and hollowed grounds for the Americans that lost their lives D-Day 1944.

Tribute to the spirit of the American men who died here.

There are over 9,000 tombs here.

Hanging Out – Waiting for my Monday Clutch Repair

Sat, May 25, 2013

I’m the only one here!  It’s quiet.

Riders start filtering in around 12:00.

Today is a blue sky day.  I was able to set-up my very wet tent and dry it out.  Also cleaned and dried out everything else that was wet/damp.

I meet Bill Moyer, Anchorage AK and Elliot Schulman, Santa Barbara, CA.  They were in Normandy two weeks ago and Great Britain this past week.

L to R: Elliot Schulman and Bill Moyer. Their ride is done and will leave tomorrow early.