BOSNIA OR BUST

[Essex Boy]

We're back.

Got home on Wednesday night after 3,201 miles to be precise in 11 days with one day off out of the saddle. You may recall that I wasn't sure whether take the GTR or the ZZR but (and don't kick me off the site for this) I chose the ZZR1400 because I thought it might be a bit more fun on the twisties, and I could put up with not having the comfort of the GTR on the motorways. Jury is still out on whether I chose right...but here go's and apologies to Mogstar who must be reading these Blogs and thinking FFS...What's gone wrong.

Set off on Sunday morning from Chelmsford, put the bike on the best way across the Channel (the tunnel) with my mate on his Moto Guzzi and another on his TDM and set off for out first Stop. The rather beautiful (1) Strasbourg. No grey political masses anywhere just beautiful little restaurants and bars. Left early next morning and pitched up in (2) Innsbruck that evening. Bit chilly, grey, raining but pleasant enough.

Woke in the morning to heavy rain, but over the Brenner Pass and into the Dolomites and the Italian Sun came out. Rode through the snow line in the mountains and then back down the other side, into and through Slovenia, and stopped for night (3) in Rovinj in Croatia. This place is fabulous. An old town built around the church and Harbour. Left the next morning and toured all the way down the best road I have ever travelled by bike. The Dalmatian Coast route from Rovinj to Zadar is literally biking heaven. Mountains one side, sea the other and 250 miles of sweeping bends following the coast. Made for (4) Split that night and checked into the Port Town. Don't bother with Split would be my recommendation. I's a shitty Ferry Port ,   Eeuurgh. Spent and extra day there too thinking it was going to be nice. Wasted our day off which we should have used in (5) Sarajevo. Having crossed the border from Croatia to Bosnia early that morning we fell in love with a place that is like riding through Cheddar Gorge but for 200 miles. Stunning scenes, stunning roads but mind the Police Cops. It seems like all the Serb Bosnian Army boys have converted to Speed Cop Uniforms...they are everywhere.

Had lunch in the bombed and rebuilt Mostar before we made for Sarajevo. Slightly concerning to through open your curtains and see the wall next door 'bullet ridden and shell marked'. Left Sarajevo early next morning and headed North through the Repukia Srpska (Republic of Serbia) and through the ethnically cleansed  villages, mine fields and shattered houses of North Bosnia. Slightly un-easy feel about it all, back through North Croatia and into Hungary stopping at (6) Pecs for the night. Aninteresting city, European City of culture actually but nothing visually stunning. Left the next morning and headed for Slovakia and (7) Bratislava City.

Scary or what ?. Although the old town was interesting enough, the outskirts are dirty, the roads are sh*te and Prostitutes line the truck lay bys. Nothing to write home about at all. Next morning we left for (8) Prague. Gorgeous Prague. It rained but the cafes, the bars, the whole city is like a Bohemian Fairytale city. It really is worth a visit for 2days. Another early start though and on to (9) Heidlburg in Germany.

Another old town, and not too dissimilar to Bratislava or Pecs really. Nice but we had made the mistake of not going to Baden Baden instead which we know to be not only beautiful but to have the best Naturally occuring hot springs and thermal baths anywhere.....and all of that with NAKED German Girls. Too good to be true, but not...if you understand.

And that was it, from Heidleburg back to (10) Chelmsford.

Feet Up, cup of tea and early to bed.

3,201 miles in 10 cities and not even a hint of a problem with the Kwacker.

Back on the GTR this morning for the commute to work....Reality ...oh well.


EssexBoy. Photos to follow !

[coman37]

Hi Essex Boy,

Sounds like you had a great trip, but you have omitted to report that you have warped your discs, that your tank is now rusty and that you used 3 rear tyres to complete the trip which happens to most when they find Europe

Coman

[Essex Boy]

Rear Tyre looks a bit shagged, but no 'Chicken Strips'. The coast rode down through Croatia is just one long roller coaster of 'Ups, Downs, lefts and rights' at full tilt. Bloody fantastic and to be fair although I was on the ZZR my mates on the TDM and Moto Guzzi were throwing their bikes around the corners too.

In fact the corners were coming so often that you couldn't blast the ZZR up the road to get away from them before you were flip flopping again around some crazy Z bends.

The only problem that I have with my ZZR and it simply won't go away is the whine I get from 2,800 revs to 3,200 revs in second gear. Could be the gearbox or could be resonance. I have to check it out. Don't think it is caused by the Discs cos it only happens under accelaration.

But my handlebars were shaking when I took my hands off them......could that be warped discs or just unbalanced front wheel.

Go to Croatia, Go to Bosnia before it's too late.....

Essex Boy.

[Mogster]

Glad you had a good time dood.... we are looking to go that way one year, but try and get all the way to Greece and see if we can get a ferry across to Italy and come back that way.... but Smarty will need to have a contract break for that to happen.....

[Winston Smith]

Sounds a good ride.

Doubt that discs would be the cause of the shaking - they would need to be applied to shake the bars.  Not possible if not holding them.

If you had luggage or anything at rear of bike above the centre of gravity it is likely to cause such shake.  Used to happen to both my Blackbird and Pan (occasionally).

[Essex Boy]

Thanks for the good thinking Winston. Of course I had 2 very full heavy Givi panniers on the bike..colour co-ordinated (Thanks Nigelp for sorting me out) and a bag full of kit on the rear seat too.

So all the weight over the back and nothing on the front wheel, especially if I sat up and let go the handlebars.....hence the shake....seemples.

Thanks

EssexBoy

[O.C.]

Great journey...at least you used a Kawasaki even if it wasn't a GTR..

I/we love Prague its a stunning city 

Looking forward to seeing your pictures

[Essex Boy]

all my photos are 4.29 meg and it says thats too big. Anyone know how I can reduce the meg so that I can post them ....thanks.

Essexboy

[O.C.]

maybe you could upload them to an independant site, such as

http://photobucket.com/

and then post the link to the library on here ?

[Rusty]

Sounds like you had a brilliant trip ... we are, I am sure, all very jealous !!
"Photobucket" is the place to go for putting your pictures on here !
Mr Wolf was of great help to me ( I am an IT dolt ) when I was trying to do the same .... PM me your home address and I can send you a copy of what he sent me ... too long to type here ....   

[Essex Boy]

pm'd you Rusty.

[nigelp]

1ST OF MANY PICS TO FOLLOW ON THE TRIP.

ITALIAN DOLOMITES.

[nigelp]

1. Prague rooftops
2. Bridge in Sarajevo where Arch Duke Ferdinand was killed.
3. On the road to Sjebrenica

[nigelp]

1. Minefield in Bosnia
2. Church in Prague where the SOE trained assasins of Reinhard Heydrich hid

[Essex Boy]

With thanks to Nigelp to show me how to get photos on the System. Won't stop me now !!!

BTW , my 2 fellow travellers in the pictures, Dickie and Graham.