10157 km through 17 countries on Jawa TS 350.

N3stor · Apr 16, 2008

It’s our first publication on advrider.
10157 km through 17 countries on Jawa TS 350 (27 hp two persons, and a lot of staff)
38 days ( including 28 days on the road), average 350 km per day.
We (me and my girlfriend Ola ) have traveled from Poland (Zielona Gora), throught Ukraine Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, again Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France (and Monaco), Belgium, Holland, Germany and back home to Poland.

10kkm. Maybe it’s nothing for new BMW, but on old Jawa it was extreme expedition :), I was owed this trip to her. Many, many hours in garage We spend about $4700 (not including preparation of motorcycle) but it was worth of it. We had to choose, buy new bike, and go nowhere or go on an amazing adventure. First day was the worst. 70 km and the rear tube exploded (we had luck, because it was on straight road). Our Chinese tube had a lots of defects. Next day we bought heavy cross tube (4,5 mm side), but still I though “what if we can’t make it”. Black sea was the point where coefficient of shame would reset

More bigger photos you can find on our website www.nakolach.pl (“fotki z dnia” means photos from day&#8230
Now we’re looking for sponsors, (next it will be Africa or Russia)

First, in one year I have repaired Jawa , to be precise I completely reconstructed it.
Here you have some photos. http://www.nakolach.pl/index.php?link=remont
And I’d made some changes like electronic ignition, strengthening frame, change suspension, front brake, the jerry cans are for drink water and stability and it’s really working
More photos here http://www.nakolach.pl/index.php?link=usprawnienia

And at last. 2007 vacation.

Pole position :)

First stop on 3th day, but thanks to rear tube we, re still near home (about 200 km)

just before Ukraine. There is some kind of chemical catastrophe there. The tanker train was derailed and burned. All road within a radius of 70 km or more are closed. “good start”

Ukraine

home made tractor

good 3 stars hotel and only $10/person for night

castle in Chortkov

We’re so happy. From now I’m really sure that everything will be ok.

idyll, but

Do you see that guy on background, Ola didn’t know that when I’m taking photo he’s playing with his butterfly knive :) But he didn’t look dangerous (or I just talked that to myself )

so… a taken more pictures

at last. Black sea. “Coefficient of shame” doesn’t exist from now. We have proved that Jawa
isn’t just a junk.

Odessa

Those are dispensers of “bread acid”, kind of cold drink, but I don’t like it.

Romania

beach bar in Bulgaria. (Vama Veche beach)

Jawa with sand camouflage

Team from Wroclaw University of Technology (Poland). People from my University so far away from home, it’s really amazing that we met.

Bulgarian policeman on MZ

Probably the most beautiful place on Bulgarian coast

next part of Bulgarian coast

997 small service. All ok.

girls… :)

Nesebar

Hornet stinged Ola just few second later. She found it under the glove, and she was trying to brush it of.

Oh. My love is still sleeping. It’s time for small repairs and more interesting breakfast.

Beautiful place for camp.

And we’re on the road again

Greece, Old Thessaloniki

Olimp, mountain of Gods

Coast from Olimp

The highest point on wheels

Greece, Ateny

Ferry to Crete. 10 hours of cruise in one way.

My best friend from Poland who worked at Crete then.

On Crete you can buy their vodka (Raki) without excise in every local shop. That was THE party :)

Next morning (what was evening actually :) )

We’re going on trip on Crete.

It will be continued…

boliviasi · Apr 16, 2008

nice pics.

alpiv · Apr 16, 2008

Well done!

xdbx · Apr 16, 2008

magnificent! Really great photo's, and a beautiful riding partner. It doesn't get much better than that, eh?

Pulasky · Apr 16, 2008

RESPECT !!! Great pics and have to get big balls to set out on so long trip on Jawa 350 .. :) Great adventure... I do really envy you.

N3stor · Apr 16, 2008

few panorams. Click to enlarge (quite big, first one 3307x1223)

Olimp, mountain of Gods

view from foot of the Olimp

Stalis city on Crete

it will be continued

N3stor · Apr 16, 2008

Quarry on Crete

Cicada (and snail). The worst thing on Crete. First you think, “Oo, what a nice chirping sound everywhere you go, but a day later you can’t collect your thoughts. It’s so noisy. My fiend Skiper says that he got accustomed in one month, but I was there only few days.

We stayed at house which Skiper and Asia rent for vacation.

Back to mainland. Athens again.

View from the hill of muses (Athens)

Guard change.

Ola had bad luck. We where had been riding about 5 min when she started screaming from pain and struggle so hard that before I had completely stopped, I “lied” down motorcycle on asphalt. During road stop some kind of creatures had to entry to sleeve of jacket. She says that bee in nothing to compare with hornet, but hornet is nothing to this creature. We don’t know what that it was, but Ola had white big blisters in few minutes. We had a luck that local people knew what it was. I 3 minutes one guy checked the sleeves and the other drove Ola to hospital by car. I wasn’t even exactly sure what was going on. It was so fast. Ola received some shots, drip etc. and in 2 hours we were back on the road.

I had noticed that a cat is doing some kind of strange movements :) , but before foto camera cached focus I have founded out what kind of movements it was.

Meteors monasteries in Greece.

We also have met monks

…for tourists

Camp site before Macedonia.

Albania

Montenegro

Croatia. And again we’re in the center of events. Woods round Dubrovnik are in fire. There is only one road and it’s closed. How to avoid police blockade? (and the fire of course) We had a luck that map of Croatia which we had is very accurate. We were going using side roads (sand, rocks etc.) but in few hours we were on the other side of Dubrovnik. Everything around us is burned. Amazing view.

Next day relax

Now we have experience in packing

Plitvice lakes in Croatia. Reserve UNESCO. Great place

Venice. I have similarly picture from Bike (bicycle) expedition from Poland do Rome (Italy) in 2003. (3700 km in 26 days on bikes)

First rainy day on the trip.

Next rain cached us 100 km later.

We like this BMW. Maybe some when we will buy something similarly.

“Third time lucky” Ola is going to water, where she will step into sea urchin. 20 minutes of pulling out spines

Cannes at night

And Cannes at day (high resolution clickable panorama)

with couple from Poland

Hmm. Why Jawa is lean against wall…

That’s why :)

Mhh …French cakes

France

Tent in shadow. Full relax

Paris at night.

Triumph arch

Versailles

French police :)

Louvre

Holland, Amsterdam

What the f@#2 is that??? :)

He or she?

We don’t have pictures from the red light street, but I tell you, It’s worth to see it. Especially that funny contrasts like “team“ of 65 and more years old grannies with tour guide, and foto cameras in the center of prostitution/porno industry :)

I counted kilometers and… we had to go a little bit more north for 10kkm :)

Last stop in Germany.

Maybe in free time I will translate some fragments of trip logbook.