My revalidation trip

[Sjiriki]

So, life treated me to a nice surpise on the 30th of May ; a broken wrist. And boy, I wish I could tell you a bloodstunning thrilling story about a bike that was flung away from underneath me at a speed of 80 miles an hour... but I kinda just dropped the bike on about 5 miles an hour and landed bad. My husband fell in front of me and I had two options, an emergency stop or run him over. Offcourse I chose the first option, daft cow I am, my front weel got lifted up sideways in a trench and then bam, ground hit me, or I hit the ground? Either way it hurt pretty bad. So they rushed me to the hospital, got into a stinky cast for about six weeks and then I got released the 13th of July. That monday they operated my wrist and removed the remaining osteopatic material, some metal pins to keep the pieces of bone together. I was rather disappointed because the wrist wasn't in that good condition, very sore and so very very f***kn weak... But I was determined, that stupid wrist had ruined a lot for my during those six weeks, there was the video for the Girls GS Trophy, Soulfuel, finishing the BTT and just various outrides with friends. So I wasn't going to reshedule my motorbike vacation, no way! In five days I trained the hell out of my body and soul, and on the 19th, the sunday, we left for Destination Unknown ! We didn't really had a clue how long I would be able to drive in a day, or that I was even going to be capable to drive.... But here is roughly the map of what we have ridden in 21 days 4350 miles.

 

 

We arrived in the Ardennes, Belgium on sunday evening. There were a couple of friends doing an offroad trip through Belgium and they set up a campsite there were we could meet them. Amazing ! My first real biketrip in about 45 days, was so happy I could cry. Did about 155 miles that day and that was more than enough. Apparently I had lost an amazing amount of strenght in my hand, I couldn't operate the front brakes as it should have been, so I shifted gears more and found salvation in the backbrake. That evening we helped out a friend with a minor malfunction on his bike, good thing I have small hands, that way the sealing cap was mounted over the rearshaft faster than ever. Then a nice campfire and some beers and this little girl had no need of the sandman that night.

 

 

 

Next day our direction was Germany, we didn't get very far. When we got back on the highway after a flat tyre repair my husband shouted in the intercom 'No!NO!NOOOOO! Not again! Bloody bike!!!' And I was like, 'U ok?' Which made him only more angry whilst shouting 'Again the stupid Hallsensor, nooooo!' I couldn't stop laughing actually, because it was the fourth broken Hallsensor this year, his red one, my yellow one and our green one. So yet again the red bike had eaten his Hallsensor. Heaven propably was feeling sorry for us, because strangely the Tomato (the red R1100GS) made it untill the parking of a campsite before dying completely with a loud last backfire.

 

So we did what had to be done, first fetch a beer! And then set up the campsite and then my husband got the Hallsensor out of the bike and I did some phonecalls and a shoutout on the internet for whom might be able to help us. Amazingly, in the land of BMW, there are no Hallsensors to be found in the garages... much be a policy that you don't have to drive them old bikes no more. Luckily a Facebookfriend of mine, Dirk, gave us a call with an invitation AND a new Hallsensor. The only problem was that we had to get to Nurnberg. Bart, my husband, had the crazy idea, he once read on the internet that the Hallsensors get damaged because of the poor electric wires, and that they make short circuit. So ducktape was the answer, as always, if not WD40... The next morning he taped the wires individually, mounted the Hallsensor again and yeah, the bike started....

 

 

We got to Nurnberg quite fast, but still had a day to kill before we could get to Dirk. So we had to do something what we otherwise never do... tourist things. Nurnberg is quite famous for the little moustache man and it was really interesting to see. The day passed real soon and on thursday we got to Dirk, he gave us food and the men repaired the Hallsensor. Jippie, the start of our trip. But Dirk wouldn't take no money, no, no, we had to accompagny him to the annual EnduroBoxerMeeting in Sweinfurth. We told him I couldn't ride enduro with my wrist but no argumentation was accepted, we had to go. So on friday we left for the EnduroBoxerMeeting and man ! Am I happy that I was part of it. I had never ridded my R1100GS on such an inspiring and intimidating racetrack. I even jumped with him and it felt soooo good. I had to pay of the debt of happiness in the night with a sore wrist, but it was worth it. What an amazing bunch of people I have met overthere. Offcours Bart had to crash his newly mended Tomato... the crashbar had crushed his cylinderhead, but good thing he is an inventive person with many tools and he was able to mend it with metalpaste. The world is filled with good people, this is something I should take in mind when I'm doubting again.

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at the meeting till sundayevening and then got to the border with Tsjechia. There is an amazing old village it is called Cesky KrumlovOld Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was given this status along with the historic Prague castle district.

 

 

From Tjechia to Slovakia to Hungary to Slovenia. Nothing very very special happened there because I could only ride onroad, but hey, I was at least riding. It is funny how beautifull roads don't impress you that much anymore when you have gotted the taste of adventure riding. I rather do 50 miles on a day with mud and falling down and sweating and cursing my ass off, than riding 250 miles from place to place and haven't felt the country. But sometimes in life you can't choose and I admit, sometimes I was really amazed by the sights.

 

 

 

In Slovenia we decided, or more, I decided that I had had enough of being prudent. I wanted my vacation that I had earned, that was around the 5th of august. So Bart took some more slower but amazing roads and I had the time of our life then. Slovenia had many national parks with smooth gravel roads, ideal for training again and getting confident.

 

 

 

 

After Slovenia, we decided to go to the Alps. We knew there are brilliant, not too hard, offroad mountain paths in them that would be great to end our trip with before turning back to Belgium. We had the obligatoir stop at Lake Garda to cool us down, in Italy the temperatures went up to 113 Fahrenheit. And then in Susa I got my rewards, the endless roads in the mountains that move your soul. We only took three days in the Alps because Bart didn't want to find out when I would run out of luck with my wrist. I had dropped the bike at some times because I just couldn't keep it on two wheels anymore because of the pain. The most beautifull was the Col du Sommeilier. They say it is the highest legal offroadroad (3332 m) in Europe and is on the border with France and Italy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The route back to Belgium was easy. We went through Swiss and then the Vosges in France, very beautifull but more flat and monotunous. By accident we passed the Birth House of Jeanne D'Arc, which was pretty cool.  And yet again we notice that we crave the itch for more adventure. It is a virus I tell you, XLADV... 

 

 

 

Wish you all the best !!!

 

[Eric Hall]

Now THAT is a ride report!  

 

My favorite part: "It is funny how beautifull roads don't impress you that much anymore when you have gotted the taste of adventure riding. I rather do 50 miles on a day with mud and falling down and sweating and cursing my ass off, than riding 250 miles from place to place and haven't felt the country.

 

Get Bart a sandwich or something!  He obviously isn't drinking enough beer!