Thank you for taking the time to respond. Sorry it has taken me so long to acknowledge. I am still looking and discussing with the rest of the group and will certainly email you with any further questions.

Regards Chris

A lot would depend on how many days you have to play with. The full WAW would take about 2 weeks. For the most part, and especially if it’s your 1st time visiting, I’d definitely recommend concentrating on the south/south-west. West Cork and Kerry have exceptional coastal and mountain roads and scenery, however some of the roads would not be suitable for an RT. I had an RT myself for many years, but there’s a fair few brilliant roads, particularly boreens (very rural roads) here that I’d bypass on a RT unless the rider is at expert level. But dont let that statement put you off in the slightest as you can still have an amazing trip. Given your criteria I’d highly recommend a weeks trip starting in Bantry (entry port Rosslare) and riding north via the Beara Peninsula Iveragh Peninsula (Ring of Kerry), Dingle Peninsula and County’s Clare and Galway through Connemara to Westport then scoot home via Dublin Port. That’s a trip you’ll love and likely want to do again in reverse Hope this helps. Drop me an email at denis.smyth@roadtrooper.com if you need any more info/help, cheers D..

I guess all surfaced roads are car appropriate in the Pyrenees and even many of the unsurfaced ones. Most of the really narrow roads are found around the Basque/Atlantic side, it’s not really a problem, you just have to drive slower and be very careful of oncoming traffic on blind corners. Also be aware that cows, horses etc can be on the road as they are free to roam.

There’s usually plenty of places to safely pull over to the side of the road for passing but outside of the tourist high season of July and August there really is not much traffic anyway so I’d not be worried about it as long as your not driving a 12 bed camper van/RV Just give yourself loads of time, don’t drive too fast and you’ll get used to it after the 1st day..

Denis

The current FBOS-ERS runs on 2016-17 updates and few changes to include : catastrophic blood loss assessment – use of scoop orthopedic stretcher and employment of Vacuum mattress. managing the drivers potential risk from car bike T-Bone impact.

2018 we launched the new approved FBOS Advanced we have rolled it out firstly with Shed4Bikers group and UK Unity Support Riders Team. It’s proving to be a natural progression for enthusiastic responders who want more knowledge skills and abilities

See. http://www.bikerstraining.com for more details
Rodge FBOSTeam

There’s a number of free mapping software solutions you can use but the one I use which is very popular many folks is Tyre. Tyre is a route mapping software which uses Google Maps to plot the routes so the maps are always up to date and better than the Garmin maps. Tyre works equally well with Garmin, TomTom, generic .gpx and other SatNav file formats as well as Google Map/Earth KML and KMZ files. The basic version is free
to use. It also integrates with MyRouteApp and Sygic so you can use the .gps/.gdb/.itn etc files in Tyre for free and transfer them via MyRouteApp to your IOS or Android phone easily enough although.

Download Tyre: http://www.tyretotravel.com/

Hope this helps get you sorted,
Rgds
Denis

Great to hear you’re enjoying the routes on the site.

Two weeks is plenty, I’m sure you’d have time to spare so you could also head back north from Mont Ventoux via the Ardèche area. If you’ve not been through the Ardèche you really should as it’s a magic ride through the Ardèche gorge on the D290. You could easily spend 2 days there if you had the time, Pont d’Arc and Pont d’Arc Cavern with it’s artificial cave replicating the famous nearby Chauvet Cave with its prehistoric caveman art is amazing if you’re interested in history.

Enjoy the trip
Denis

My question is this……….
we get the Chunnel early on a Sunday morning & plan to ride until lunch that day. Next day ride to Thonon ready to start the Route des Grande Alps. We will turn west for the Gorge Du Verdon at Barcellonette and continue to Mont Ventoux, before heading north to Calais & home.
We have given ourselves two weeks and I am wondering what time scale that trip would take? We are two up, we like to stop regularly for refreshment, photos & general rests for 20/30 minutes every hour to hour & half of riding stopping to find accommodation around 17.00 in the evening. So probably seven/eight hours a day on the road.
If we have a day or two spare at the end we would call in to Belgium to see some First World War stuff.

Thanks for any information
Kind regards
Mick

me and the mrs are looking at doing some of the WAW this year, and as i went to download the .gpx files you posted they seem to of disappeared?! do you manage that page or is it an admin thing?

Great read by the way

There’s a number of gpx on the download page which you can freely download use which should go a long way in helping you plan your trip. They are not going to list all the best poi’s, hotels and all the rest but it’s certainly enough to get you started planning your own route.

At the moment I am working on gpx files which will contain all the best poi,s certainly all the unmissable ones from photo stops, cliffs, mountain roads and passes, hotels, b&b’s, campsites, traditional bars, whiskey distillery tours, bike mechanics and just about everything you can think of. They’ll also contain full routes themselves of what I’d consider being the best roads a motorcycle can take at realistic distances per day. I’m calling these Self Guided DIY Tours, where all you’ll really have to do is, 1 – Book your accommodation from those listed in the POI’s. 2 – tweak the route to include your chosen accommodation as the start/stop points and 3 – get here on your own bike or pick up one of the rental bikes here in Killarney or Dublin and off you go. The gps downloads and poi files will be usable for Garmin, TomTom, Tyre or convertible for smartphone use via MyRouteApp.

Considering the amount of info in the SG DIY tour files and as they are also based on my guided tours these ones won’t be for free, but will be at a fraction of the cost, somewhere around €20, so, far cheaper and more flexible if you’re happy to book your own accomodation and guide yourself via satnav or phone. Certainly they’ll be the cheapest way to get to see everything and ride the best roads you would on a guided tour based on years of local knowledge.

I’ll be releasing a post on this very soon as the project is almost complete. The first route set is actually ready to go and contains everything you could possibly need for the south west region with all my routes and POI’s (200+ for Cork/Kerry) based on my 6 day guided peninsula day tours running from killarney. The full coast of Ireland will be coming soon after which you might be interested. If not the routes currently on the download page will go a long way in helping you to plan the trip yourself. Either way I’m sure you’ll have a blast and hopefully the weather will be kind

Cheers,
Denis

Sorry for the late reply, I’m having a busy time of it at the moment.

Doing the route you have planned would be easily doable on a motorbike in 4 days, but I suspect you’d need 5 days in a car if you strictly want to do the full Napoleon route to the coast then the Route des Alpes from the coast to Geneva. Route Napoleon is about 320km on good roads so that’s easily possible on day one. Although I’d not go all the way to the coast as you can easily end up wasting a whole day in traffic. The traffic all along the coast from Cannes to the Italian border is nuts at the best of times, I’d leave the coast for another time.

Once you get onto Route des Grande Alpes don’t expect to cover much more than 300km per day, and as the full route is 900km from the coast to Geneva you need 3 days to do it comfortably enough to enjoy it stress free. And that 300km I’d expect would take you 6-7 hours driving, but as I’ve never done it in a car it’s hard for me to judge. Most of the D roads on the Route des Grande Alpes are narrow and slow going. If you get stuck behind a camper or lorry you’ll not find many places to pass safely, on a bike it’s no problem, but in a car, and if you’re unlucky with traffic, bad weather or roadworks a 300km day can very easily stretch to 8 hours driving time.

The end of September is a great time to do it as there should be little or no traffic, but be aware there is no guarantee the high passes like Galibier or La Bonnette will be open, they tend to close down around mid-late October with the first snow but Mother Nature makes her own plans without consulting us. Road works may also close a pass so be sure you have a map and a backup route if a pass is closed and be at least fairly familiar with the map and route before you head off. If in a car I’d not want to plan on driving more than 200-250km per day on those roads because you want to leave time to enjoy the scenery etc.

I’d take the Route Napoleon as far as Castellane, come in from the west via Gorges du Verdon if you can, it’s a little off route but worth it. Then on day 2 head east towards Entrevaux then start the journey north on Route des Alpes via Gorges du Daluis, Gorges du Cians or across by Valberg and up via Col du Bonnette (if the weather is good) aiming for Briancon on the 2nd night. Depending on your route day 2 will be about 220km via Col de la Cayolle, Col du Vars and Col d’Izoard which should be a relaxed 6 hour drive.

Day 3 head north via Col du Galibier (if closed head via Col de Montgenèvre and Lac/Col du Mont Cenis) then Col de l’Iseran, Cormet de Roselend, Col des Saisies and overnight in maybe Bourg-Saint-Moritz or Beaufort. Day 4 will then allow you another easily doable drive to Geneva via Col de la Colombière. If it were up to me though after Col de la Colombière I’d head west and aim to spend the 4th night in Annecy, Geneva is not bad as cities go, but Annecy is well worth spending a little time in or around the town and lake. You’d not see everything on this route but you’d certainly be on the “best of” theme. Whatever route you decide on I’d try to keep it to a max of 250km on Route des Alpes to keep it stress free for the driver, keep a close eye on the weather, check each evening with hotel reception for roadworks/weather on your intended route and be familiar with your map. Over the years I’ve found it best to be flexible on Route des Alpes in spring and autumn as the high passes are at the mercy of Mother Nature, so knowing your map and having a backup plan/route is highly advisable.

Check out the download page, I’ve got something like 30 satnav routes for the region, including Routes Napoleon and Grandes Alpes you can use to work out a route.

Hope this helps,
Denis

Superb website and I hope you can find the time to respond to my query.

We’re considering spending 4/5 days driving (no bikes on this occasion, due to other halves with us) in France and we fancy doing a “best of” road trip given this is our first trip of this sort to the region.

Would it be possible for us to start and finish in Grenoble/Geneva and do the Route des Grande Alpes down and then Route Napoleon back up to our starting point within 4 days? I have no idea if this is a good idea or madness!

We’re happy to drive about 6 hours a day as that still leaves time for a leisurely lunch and taking in the views.

If this is madness, could you suggest a better/shorter “loop” that allows us to start and finish in Geneva/Grenoble?

What’s the best direction to do this in?

We’d be doing this between 25 Sept and 1 Oct 2018 and we can’t wait!

Look forward to your reply and thank you!

The only time I’ve ever had an issue with heat from the bike on my right side is in very hot conditions (30C/90F+) when stuck in traffic and the fan kicks in and fires baking hot air at my right inner leg. It’s not an issue at all on cool days as the fan rearly, if ever comes on. If it’s hot air from the fan then I’m not sure there is a solution as the fan needs to cool off the engine.
D

Can anyone contact me and tell me how to solve the issue.

john.cowen@csaa.com

I tried a gel seat pad myself and found like yourself that it moved around a bit no matter how tight I wrapped the velcro straps around the seat. I found it very unnerving on corners so I ended up not using it and shifted it to the pillion seat where my wife was very happy with it. However I never thought about actually having it fitted into the seat itself so top marks to you for that.

It just goes to show that there can be more than a few options for making long days in the saddle far more comfortable and enjoyable without spending an unnecessary stack of cash on a completely new seat – which may not solve the problem.

Now you got me thinking, can I have the airpad fitted to my saddle? In fact I wonder why manufacturers have never thought of integrating air pillows to their saddles which would make their saddles properly adjustable?

My solution to the rock hard “low” seat on my Tracer 900 was to get a gel seat pad from danmedicasouth.co.uk.

They provide medical air and gel seat pads for wheelchair users and for other medical needs, and also for motorcycles.

Really helpful on the phone. I bought a gel pad(different sizes, models available) for my Tracer. It was very well made and at 18mm thick it is thicker than those supplied by others “in the trade”

Waterproof cover and fastened by Velcro straps under the seat.

Really comfortable, it has more than easily doubled the time before my bum starts complaining, at a cost of £35- £50. I forget exact price.

However, even with the Velcro straps done up very tightly I felt I could feel some slight movement when cornering. Also being short in the leg it had raised the seat height 18mm which was a bit of a problem.

The solution was simple and cheap. Off to a local furniture upholstery company who removed the seat cover from the Tracer seat, cut out a section of the foam padding to match the shape of the gel pad, replaced it with the gel pad and replaced the seat cover. I could have done it myself, but didn’t want to risk bodging it. They charged £16. The net result was the gel pad is now an integral part of the seat, the seat height is now only a few mm higher than before, there is no sensation of movement and I can ride for several hours in total comfort. Happy days!

Thank you for the quick reply. I have a great deal to think about.

Happy trails!

Don

I don’t think there are any certain years to consider when choosing any of the F800′s as they’ve had no significant changes at all sinse 2013 when it got and extra 4hp and the ESA system. The only real changes made on the standard model have been a little styling work and a few tweeks to satisfy the EU emissions requirement. Essentaily, there is no big difference between my base 2009 800GS and the latest one, all the main bits, the engine, suspention, wheel rims etc are the same.

This however leads me to the next point, the F800 series is becoming outdated. The word on the grapevine is that the F800 parallel twin engine is about to be discontinued in favor of a completely new engine in 2018. BMW “may” be revealing a new F850 or possibly a F900 at the next bike show in Milan. BMW have been losing significant ground in the growing middleweight segment against the likes of the Africa Twin etc so the new F series should be a good bit better than the current F800 series. If this is the case I will most likely be changing my 2015 800GSA model for the newer model which I hope will address the current F800′s weaknesses.

As you’ve stated you want to get into touring one of the biggest things to consider with the 800GS is that it only takes tubed tires which can be a major problem for some if you get a puncture, it’s a time consuming fix to repair on the side of the road, often it’s a tow truck job and a shop fix. Even if you are happy taking both the wheel and the tire off at the roadside it still means nore tools or an extra 2 tubes to carry at all times. This is why I have changed the stock BMW rims for a set that allows me to use both tubed and tubeless. The new F850/900 model will almost certainly have tubeless tires which are safer and far more suitable for touring.

So, if you are looking at a 2nd hand F800 simply go for the newest you can afford through the dealer that gives you the best deal. If you’re heart is set to buy one from new, well my thinking would be to hold off a little longer and wait to see the price and spec on the new model which will almost certainly be a better bike.

Denis

First off, if you’re 5’11″ the F800R willl likely be too small for you, especially for touring. I’m 5’9″ and moved over to the GS so I could have more leg rooom, the 800R is seriously good fun, and really east to handle and live with, but for me at least it is too “compact” for distance riding. It’s more of a sporty road bike than a touring bike if you are tall. One of the main things to consider if you want to go touring is “all day” comfort. I could not ride more than 300km per day on the 800R before I really had to give up for the day while on the 800GS I can manage 7-800km in a day.

Denis

I’ve not yet tried the Shark Evoline 3 but I most definetly will before I decide on my next modular helmet which I will be needing sooner rather than later. The C3 is becoming outdated and the C4 is without doubt over priced, especially when you look at the safety rating.
Denis

One other item that I wanted to ask you. Are there certain years to stay away from? I have read about the rear wheel bearings failing while riding, and bikes stalling out on roadways. Would I be better off buying a new 2016-2017 or would a used 2011 be fine.

Kind regards,

Don

Thank you for the write up and answering everyone’s questions. I have to say I am still confused in which bike to purchase. I am a newbie and I will take the MSF riders course at a local dealer next week, and then plan on buying a F800 whether it’s a “R” or a “GS” remains to be seen. I am 5’11″ tall. My inseam is 28 inches with a much longer upper body. I plan on doing more touring once I have the experience locally getting familiar with the basics of the bike. But I don’t know which one and I plan to ride both at the dealership, but what should I be looking for to make the best decision?

Don

Sent via my phone.

The two links labelled “Killarney, Ring of Kerry Route” and “South West Ireland POI’s & Hotels” seem to download the same file. Is this correct?

Mid September to late October is an ideal time as far as I’m concerened as the heat has dropped off and and there’ll be no tourist traffic. Usually the weather would be mild and settled around that time but obviously the higher you go the cooler it will be in the mornings/evenings. For the most part I’d say youd be needing a base layer over a t-shirt in the morning and just the tee under your bike jacket in the afternoon. When the trees start turning red at that time of year it’s a stunning place to be.

But don’t hold me to that forecast, the weather is nuts these days and you could easily still see 25C+ on the lower Spanish Pyrenees or hail/snow on the upper french pyrenees so while it’s likely to be ideal you still need to be prepaired for bad weather. All mountain regions are unpredictible by nature.

The Pyrenees is full of smugglers routes but I’ll take a guess and say your looking for the Port de Cabús route, here is a Google Map of the route https://goo.gl/maps/b6DcPXbRFmm
Hope this helps,
Denis

We are planning on a trip through the Pyrenees to Andorra starting 24th September. Do you think we will get away with the weather or are these dates a bit late in the year?

Have you ever ridden the Smugglers Route into Andorra and if so do you have any way points that will help me to locate it.

Again thanks for all the help you give.

Derek

Hmm, I dont think there is a way to fit it to a standard 800GS unless you get creative and figure out a way I don’t know of.
I’ve had a look to see if could fit that screen on my old 800GS but the front ends of the 09 800GS I have and the 800GSA are actually fair bit different and I’m not seeing a way
Denis

March is very very early, most or the tourist and high passes on D roads usually don’t open until May or even June. Early March will likely see the ski stations in full swing. The high passes and the central Pyrenees only really thaw out in early to mid May and even then the going can be treacherous with either late snow anywhere above 1800 meters or flooding due to snow melt. Mid May would be the earliest I’d try planning a trip through the high Pyrenees. So to be safe your likely route would almost certainly be along the major commertial routest. On the west side you can choose the Biaritz – Pamplona-Zaragoza-Valentia or Biaritz – Burgos-Madrid-Cordoba/Granada routes or even skirt the Picos and around via Portugal. However in early March Pamplona, Zaragoza, Madrid and even around Barcelona can see snow, near freezing conditions or just plain old miserable weather so you need to be prepaired for a cold run in places.

On the east side it’s a crossing via Andorra or one of the passes south of Perpignan which tend to open sooner as they are lower and closer to the Med which keeps the weather a bit more civil. The Spanish Med motorway route is mind numbing boring and expensive but you could roughly follow the route taken by Hannibal from Carthagena which is very enjoyable, a little research will get you on that route. I dont know how well you know Spain but it can get some pritty bizzar and extreme weather. If it were me planing a run to Malaga in March I’d be well prepaired with my winter woolies and GoreTex and pick a route close to the Med as i’ve had a few runs along the west side of France/Spain and the Basque Pyrenees go nasty or downright dangerious thanks to Atlantic storms in April and May where the temperatures dropped from +12C to -10 in a matter of 2 hours.

That said the weather is highly unpredictable these days, anything goes, you might be very lucky crossing one of the cols south of Pau but you’d want to keep a very close eye on the weather, especially along the west where atlantic storms can roll in and turn a mountain crossing into a highly dangerious endevor on a bike. I certainly wont be making that mistake again.

If it were me making a run to Malaga in March I’d play it safe these days and cross the Pyrenees on the Med side and aim to make it interesting in Cathar country and Hannibals aproximate route through Spain from Cartagena, at least if the weather goes nasty it’s a short run to the boring but safe costal route for a bit. The coast road via Cerbère, Tossa Del Mar, Lloret del Mar north of Barcelona can be pure magic in places too and the weather always starts to warm up south of Barcelona.

Hope this helps..
Denis