one week today !

[mickeyflyn]

A week today we ( mrs and i) are booked on the chanel tunnel heading out for a month touring france and italy ,hopefully the problems in france with industrial action and fuel rationing will be over.
anyone have any last min tips on things to check on my vara 55 plate 30k on the clock full service history and just been serviced inc new pads,rear tyre . Just fitted an mra touring screen ,what a difference this has made !

ive owned this bike 3 years with no problems.

[BigYin]

Enjoy 

Wheel bearings? When were they last done? If you're two-up with luggage, the rear bearings are under the most pressure... if you can't get them done before you go, consider taking a spare set with you? Just in case...

[numptyspence]

No not jealous, not jealous at all.

Take a credit card, and just do basic regular checks while your out there. That should stop a small problem becoming a big one.

Enjoy 

[Big Dave]

Personally I don't leave home without breakdown & recovery insurance,

Long story and 2 really exciting adventures later, worth every penny.
4 flights 1 train lots of Taxi's and hotel rooms later.

Looking back, I rather enjoyed it.

Most of all enjoy it.
BD

[S Barker]

Two very good rules for the first big trip abroad :

1. Put everything you're going to take with you in a big pile and then leave 1/2 of it behind. My first big trip abroad was with 3 other peeps. One was on a GSXR 1000 and his luggage was , 1 change of underwear and socks, 1 tee shirt, 1 pair of jeans, trainers, soap and razor. He was always the first one ready in the morning !

2. Don't add anything, change anything or try something new for the first time on a big trip abroad. If it doesn't work or you don't like it you're stuck with it and it can spoilt the entire trip.  Stick with what you know works.

[mickeyflyn]

Thanks guys for the heads up although i have toured before last time on my gsx1100f around france and spain with the lads 10 of us  The guy that serviced the bike for me is a local ledgend on bikes and an ex bike racer and has always done my bikes .i asked him to give ghe vara a good going over in prep for our ,to which he said it was all good apart from brake pads .i had a new back tyre fitted as well so if the wheel bearings were showing any signs of needing attention I'm sure he would have spotted it during unmounting and mounting the back wheel .

I've got breakdown recovery and an empty credit card with
Plenty on it . Luggage wise i have a tank bag ,the mrs has two panniers and the top box!

[S Barker]

Also bear in mind that the French are currently revolting  and that petrol is becoming increasingly hard to find/buy.

[Italy1]

you will be fine, enjoy it! Dero won't let you down:-)
Last couple of trips I ride St Bernard pass and the Splugen, both stunning roads. Splugen slightly harder on the Italian side. Swiss descent or ascent (depending on which way you go, is the James Bond films stuff.

Have a fab trip, if you need any tip on the Italian side, shout

[BigYin]

Hope your route doesn't involve the areas that are being hit by all the flooding   

[mickeyflyn]

 :hi all just to say we made it as far as policastro bussentino in campania southern Italy in four days hard riding.we decided to crack on after getting off the channel tunnel as the weather was wet and cold,we managed 375miles on day one from South Wales to St question in France   stopped at the brit hotel ?49 b&b secure bike parking.
Day two reached macon between dijon and lyon I think b&b best hotel macon ?55 superb breakfast secure parking no problems with fuel at all in France. day three managed to enter Italy and sunshine via mont blanc tunnel as again weather was bad in the mountains. B&B in lezpedzia run by a guy from London and absolute crap considering the reviews on booking.com.
Day 4 after 660 km 480 miles we reached our base.
Hard ride but here now and some gentle miles in the hill and coast of southern Italy. The vara performed faultlessly and even tagging along with three Germans on big BMUU tourers while we two up and three boxes plus a tank bag with no problems.we met some other guys from Spain,Malta and Switzerland at various fuel stops Inc some couples riding solo bikes.
Any thought on a quote of ?80-90 for an oil and filter change? 
Vara seems not to be common around here as it's getting attention when we stop along with " are you mad riding from Wales to here" or compliments on taking on a ride like that.
Hopefully post a few photos if I can figure out how.

[aboynamedsue]

A group of us have been travelling to Europe for years now sailing out of Rosslare in Ireland to Cherbourg or Roscoff and then high tailing it down the road to whatever destination we plan each year, Alps, Pyrenees, Venice, Stelvio just to mention a few. Usually our 8 night trip, including 2 nights on the boat totals about 2500 miles. We've had a lot of different bikes going over the years like a BMUU1200RT, Bandit 1200, CB1300 and most recently a couple of Explorers just to mention a few but the only constant has been 2 Varaderos which lead from the front every year. There is not another bike out there  that I would want to be on when i'm in the South of France.
https://www.facebook.com/boysbiketour/

[Italy1]

Enjoy Campania, easy on the vino :-)
aboynamedsue great pictures on FB, thank you for sharing....

[aboynamedsue]

I have a lot more to share up on the page, just can't get the time. Keep checking in anyway. Thanks.

[mickeyflyn]

Well I have to say we've been having a great time, the Mrs and I apart from the temps on some days riding, even with our textile jackets stripped out and just a t shirt on underneath. The vara has performed brilliant apart from a stuck choke cable. Had tank and airborne off to sort that.only other niggle is my cush drive is on its last legs I think. Any advice on symptoms? Although apart from removing the rear wheel to inspect I'm confident it's that. Just seems a little lumpy on and off the throttle through the drive chain. Chain is ok tension wise.

Fantastic roads here especially the coast roads with some very tight bends with huge drops.

Just about a week and we head back to Wales, another 1500 miles so just short of 4000 miles we will have done.

[numptyspence]

If the cush drive thing is really bothering you. You could try the old strips of inner tube cut to size and packed in next to the dying cush drive blocks.

It's a quickish job and can be done for free if you can find an old inner tube somewhere on your travels.