This may well have been covered before but I couldn't find it. I've just added to my bucket list of rides. I hate that phrase 'bucket list' but it seems to work. We're in Dubrovnik for the weekend for a friends wedding. Well actually it's our son's best friend's wedding. We've known young Matt since he was knee high and he's marrying a Croatian girl. They live in London but decided to marry out here and I can see why. What a beautiful place. I'm out here without a motorbike, which is a terrible shame so I've added it to my list of 'rides to do'. It got me thinking, everyone must have a bucket list of rides. Here's my present list. Yosemite National Park , USA. Always wanted to go there since seeing Ansell Adams fantastic photographs of the area. If you haven't seen this fantastic photographers work it's worth a look. Planning to go there next year...sometime. New Zealand. Wanted to go there since I was a kid at school. I hear the've got some really great biking roads out there. I have friends and relies there. I've got to go before I go. Italy, maybe next year as well. One of the benefits of coming from a big family is you get to go to lots of weddings. My niece is marrying an Italian guy and we're all heading off to Como. I can feel a diversion to Bologna coming on too. Croatia has just hit my list, along with surrounding countries. Beautiful and unspoilt by progress, so far. Of course, as many trips to Spain and around Spain as I can cram in. The Pyrenees await. What great rides have you got planned?
Top of my bucket list is New Zealand, without a doubt. Problem (apart from the cost and finding anyone who will rent a bike with a low enough seat for my short legs) is being able to take enough time off work to do it justice and not to have to do silly long mileages with no time to stop and visit places. I still haven't managed to do any serious riding in the Scottish Highlands - maybe the North Coast 500.
Don't forget how cold the South Island is. Seals, Glaciers snow everywhere....then a sunny day.....I forgot when I jumped in to Scuba with just a BCD and skivvies......like being hit by a car....impressed the captain of the boat :Coldfeet:
If I went to South Island I'd do so in their summer (I gather February is quite a good time). I'd be more worried about being eaten alive by blackflies (or whatever the evil NZ midge equivalent is called) as I'm a mosquito magnet. Never a big fan of swimming in the sea even where it is warm.
Ecuador - several firms rent bikes and do guided tours but these seem good ECUADOR FREEDOM BIKE RENTAL- Motorcycle Rental and Tours in Quito Ecuador
Spent the evening with plenty of folks from NZ, at this wedding. They tell me Feb, March is the time to go. Also, met a couple in Spain last year who rent bikes out in NZ. They've got 2 Scramblers and plenty of other renters to choose from so if you want a low seat they'll be able to find you one. Let me k ow when you're ready for the contact details. Booked myself in for year after next.
Rode Route 66 a couple of years ago. I went with Eaglerider they were brilliant couldn`t do enough for you. I did it on a H/D Heritage Soft tail. Awful bike Eaglerider have a choice of bike not all Harleys. I would recommend anything other than a Harley.
The journey from Quito to Otavalo is a scenic one... Not sure I fancy the journey out/down from Quito on a bike though - somewhat 'loose' driving standards....
I do Spain every year and it is highly recommended. Everywhere. There are some great roads. Pyrenees & Picos de Europa are fairly well known, but check out the Sierra Demanda. Not enough there to keep you involved for multiple days, but if you can fit this in, is well worth it. Do it now as it is still cheap and easy. I love Italy, but I don't find it that good for biking - I would like to do Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily but it is a long hack to get there and the traffic & heat can be awful at the wrong time of the year. I'd quite like to do Australia, Perth to Sydney along the south coast, preferably in their winter, but this is 6,000kms, so would take a few days. I've heard NZ is full of police with radar guns, hiding behind hedges on empty roads.
Not sure if its 'bucket list' material but I NEED to do the pyranees, seems like I'm the only biker than hasn't been there. Italy is a fine country and a visit to the bologna factory is one to tick off that list. Maybe not the best roads, but getting there thorugh the alps isn't too shabby! Can't recommend the Fluela Pass enough , the 28 from Vaduz to Glorenza and even following down to merano and bozen has some great views and roads but more restricted and busier. Obviously the B500 has to be done if you're passing by that way too... I need another tour asap :smile:
I grew up in NZ. They say god made motorcycles and then Nz. Tiz stunning roads but the biggest problem is now (besides tourist drivers) is the speed limits and trigger happy police force!!! When I was last back seeing family journeys took 30% longer due to small towns with tight speed enforcements. Really noticeable and such a shame. Remember that 100km is the open road limit (62mph) and they will nik you doing 105km or even a couple of km over the town limits. It's ok in remote places... but yeah a real bugger when the roads are so perfect for riding. A powerful bike is wasted unfortunately, maybe rent a smaller CC bike you can enjoy more of for the available road speeds... or do whatever you want and be prepared to face the concequences. A beautiful country tho so take plenty of Photo storage cards!
I wish.....truly wish!!! But I think I shall be losing my job soon due to ill-health,so it really is just a dream for me unfortunately. Jealous much if you manage to go to any of the above-mentioned places though!!
I did Croatia and a few of the islands in 2012 on my panigale with a couple of mates, absolutely beautiful place and the coast road is just something else.
Apparently Croatia is excellent , obv NZ , US west coast , SA etc are all desireable but a little impracticle for most of us , I have been all over Spain and fair bit of France , much of S and W USA / N Mexico , etc and obv Scotland which has miles and miles of great roads , but I ( realistically ) fancy Italy maybe later this year . It is not too far from the channel , is warm and dry and I expect similar cost of living ..( of course the 500 m down from and ret Scotland to Dover is / can be a pain and adds considerable time and expense )
I've been fortunate to have traveled extensively in the US and Canada , but for my money, the hidden jewel is the Canadian Rockies, near Banff. Truly spectacular. We have booked Adriatic Moto tours this August for their 2 weeks in the Balkins and I'm looking forward to it.
2easy, i'm going to italy this year and prefer to get ferry from hull/rotterdam to avoid the big drive down from glasgow to dover. it gives you an overnight stop on the boat and arrives early morning (9am) to get a good start on the road
I've been on this ferry 6 times in the last 5 years. The one and only time in my life I ever play Bingo. A whole bunch of grown men stop jumping about on the dance floor like lunatics when the numers start getting called. Got forbid you should win and get pelted with crisps and old sarnies.
