tour de EUrope - DE, FR, IT, Tour de France route, Route des grandes Alpes

[matjas]

Hi Guys

My brick is racking up proper k's after it had its primary spa this year and I am nearing 10ks pretty soon since it has arrived into my Garage end of June this year.
Went through all of the Germany via motorways just to get some proper mileage this initial day. After 980kms I reached Belgium and stayed at my friend's place. End of the trip, just past Koblenz was great - tiny roads, plenty of green and passed through the vicinity of the famous Nurburgring. What cars!!!
Next day I moved directly south through German and then French Alzace and for the whole day I was moving towards Annecy - but avoiding any motorways and major roads. The French province is just stunning.
I stayed in Annecy for a couple of days to do work and then on Friday started moving towards Tuscany and D'Abruzzo in Italy to spend another week in there.
The alps were absolutely stunning. ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT. The weather was great, the roads were great but this is no place to cover distance - 290kms took me 9 hours with just a couple of stops for coffee and to get rid of the coffee :D
Then I arrived into Tuscany and D'Abruzzo and when Friday came I left Italy at 5a.m. and went towards Poland through Austria and Czech republic.
This distance I will remember forever as this was my take at Iron Butt challenge - I arrived into my AfricaTwin Polish forum rally at 1a.m. having covered just shy of 1700kms, with 4 hours to spare.
In the trip I covered almost 6kkms and didnt have a single failure. Unfortunately I just met only ONE brick in Italy. Many older people talked to me about the time when THEY had a brick. Sure there were nice encounters.

I got to know the bike like I never did before, I know its streghts and the few weaknesses I need to address. This brick is here to stay.
Few last words on the running economy - the whole way she was consuming 4.5-4.75l/100km - speeds not exceeding 120kmh on the motorway.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Thanks for the nice ride report!  Iron Butt is a bit harder where you are compared to the U.S. where you can go thousands of miles and never get off the interstate.  A few of us here have some Iron Butt runs behind them.  I have done a few myself, including the Bun Burner Gold(1500 miles in 24 hours).

Your photos are making me miss Ilsa, my Mystic Red K75RT, that I just recently sold after doing most of the U.S. and Canada and over 45,000 miles. 

[Laitch]

Thanks for the photos, matjas! You look happy as can be, except on that curve where your grim look probably meant you were distracted  momentarily by calculating oil consumption.  It's great to see a rider using a Brick for its intended purpose!

[matjas]

Laitch - this is what concentration looks like ;) Focus! ;)
Although my daughter would say: usual daddy’s face 🤣
The Alps with the abundance of the curvy roads are one of a kind place. I guess I could be riding this for a week and not touch the same stretch of tarmac twice.

[Laitch]

I guess I could be riding this for a week and not touch the same stretch of tarmac twice.

That reminds me of a story.

A Vermont farmer was working on a tractor in his dooryard when a shiny SUV with Texas plates pulls up. Big guy in a clean Stetson gets out of it, steps up to him and says, "Howdy, pardner. Nice little place you got here. How big is it anyway?"

The Vermonter wipes off his hands with a shop rag, adjusts his cap then replies, "How you doing? Well, since you're interested, it goes from that ridge yonder across the road, comes across here and runs along the back of the woods at the far edge of the meadow behind the house; goes up the road about a mile to the river and back down the road to the intersection where you passed that yellow barn.

"Well that's mighty fine," says the Texan. "You know, back home, I can get in my truck, ride all day and still not reach the end of my spread."

The Vermonter takes a sip of water and then replies, "I had a truck like that once. Got rid of it."

[matjas]

Want me get rid of my brick ;) No way!

[Laitch]

Your Brick is the perfect ride for you; I wouldn't consider attempting to separate you from it.