What was your first motorcycle trip abroad?

[Paul_C]

Relatively late for me as it was in the late 90's so I was just into my 40's. Had ridden a bike since I was a youth but, probably wisely, Mrs C didn't fancy day offer day on the back of a Guzzi Le Mans. We went to Austria on a BMW K75 RT. The first of many European trips. Not many photos but here we are on a cloudy, wet August day at the cafe on the Timmelsjoch pass. Café's a bit posher now.



Our next trip was two weeks in northern Spain on a R1100RT, the first of many trips there.



We did tour on the Guzzi, but just in the UK.

I still have this bike.

Also hired some bikes in Crete in the mid 80's, our first and last beach holiday... We spent just one day on the beach, the bikes were much better.

[garyboy]

Aug/Sept 1978. Circumnavigating France on my GT380B, with school pal Graham on his CB400 Dream. Cherbourg - Biarritz - Andorra - Perpignan - Clermont Ferrand - Paris - Calais, over 3 weeks or so. Single, no cares, French girls.... fantastique!

I don't think the modern lads appreciate the glamour and exotic bedazzlement in those names.
Those names are just part of an easy catalogue of tick box routes on massive expensive machines. Places now oft visited and well known. Just part of the Eu Europe, (well, before Brexit anyway), that co-exist among the plethora of far spread world tick box targets, as exemplified on You Tube by many multiple players.

Then ..it was like putting yourself up for a dangerous unknown galactic journey (from blighted Blighty) into ppppParadise itself. Exotic images and stories of beautiful maidens in skimpy bikinis on fabled sun-drenched beaches where you would come across (oo) Bridgitte Bardot, who would immediately fall deeply in love with you and press her svelt body across your groins, dangling that gorgeous blond hair .... oops .. forgot where i was then.

[Scott_rider]

Then ..it was like putting yourself up for a dangerous unknown galactic journey (from blighted Blighty) into ppppParadise itself. Exotic images and stories of beautiful maidens in skimpy bikinis on fabled sun-drenched beaches where you would come across (oo) Bridgitte Bardot, who would immediately fall deeply in love with you and press her svelt body across your groins, dangling that gorgeous blond hair .... oops .. forgot where i was then.

...slightly off topic, but in 2013 we stumbled across a large Tapas Bar on the northern outskirts of Madrid, where every female Spanish guest wouldn't have looked out of place on the cover of a fashion magazine. We've been going back ever since...

[Steve T]

1st ride abroad for me was a trip through France to my eldest sisters place near Alicante using a new to me XL1000V Varadero . . .

. . . 1st contact with the Med at St Feliu de Guixols

Day-4--The-Mediteranean.jpg (79.93 KiB) Viewed 1158 times

[Tramp]

Well being a northern lad back in 1981 and thick lol..16.5.years of age and on a 50cc restricted honda mt50 I left Preston one morning with throw over panniers and no map or idea but rode all way to Dover that was 4 days by back roads then over to France on ferry took L plates off and rode to Paris...Best memory was riding through the rural french villages setting off the speed signs..lights flashing etc...them where the days

Slept where I stopped and rode back to Preston.. 4 weeks of summer fun...I was hooked on solo travel by motorbike..

[Barcelona Pat]

1st ride abroad for me was a trip through France to my eldest sisters place near Alicante using a new to me XL1000V Varadero . . .

. . . 1st contact with the Med at St Feliu de Guixols
Day-4--The-Mediteranean.jpg

Ah - we adore St Feliu, so much so that we bought a house there! Not sure it´ll happen, but I´ve sort of promised myself a little fishing boat when I retire...

The coast road south to Tossa del Mar is a blast on a bike (less so by car). A great place to visit if you are in the eastern Pyrenees and fancy a bit of sea for a day or so.

[blue bus]

My first trip abroad was with the BTBC. pre 2000 but cant remember the year. Followed Paul Clarke and the other 18 bikes from zebruge to Bardonechia and up mt somelier (the Stella Alpina Rally). No phone no map no idea - just faith in me riding mates.

It was 50 weeks later just before the next trip that John Burkinshaw shown me a map of the last years route and the next trip.
Put me in good stead for many a trip after that. Africa twins x 2 an 1100GS then 1150GS.
My lovely wife used to come as well on the Africas when we went solo tripping sometimes 4k miles in just over 2 weeks ( Red arsed Baboons, we were) The 1100 red un was the best bike ever for touring Janet said after 4.5 k in 18 days = "Thats a comfy F in Tractor"

Would you know where that picture was taken please