Kiwi Dreams - Europe & Morocco 2014

A fantastic ride report. I am one of those who has done over 100,000 kms around New Zealand and now have the yearning to do Europe. Thanks for sharing

Hope you got back alright........and not too jet lagged landing a two days ahead or so isnt it?

Yes home in one piece, it is a long flight but going home it is quicker - downhill (seriously the jet stream winds in our part of the world make the flight home from Singapore, at least, quicker).

The plane left Heathrow at 10.00pm Friday night and I landed in New Plymouth at 2.00pm Sunday.

New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of England.

Had a nice welcome at the airport from Leanne (of course!), my son and (inmate) Phreaky Phil and his wife Dawn.

It is good to be home but there are lots of adventures out there waiting.

Now to find a job!

Kiwi Mike

Well done Mike, I've followed and enjoyed your report. Thanks for putting in the effort.

Hi Mike and Leanne,

Just to let you know that Paul and I arrived relatively safely in the UK last week after completing just over 3000 km in 4 days across Europe. The definite highlight of the trip was the Stelvio pass from Italy to Austria, with 85 hairpin bends in quick succession.

We inadvertently timed our arrival at Dover the same time as a hurricane struck the UK. It was not much fun riding through hail, torrential rain and gale force winds. To make life complete, on joining the A1M just off the M25, my 1190R caught a nail in the rear tyre. It was 4 pm. Managed to pull off the road and shelter from the storm in a bus shelter. After 3 hours the AA arrived and plugged the tyre, and we set off again on the A1M. But after 40 miles the tyre was flat again, and had to call a breakdown truck to take the 1190 the rest of the way to Nottingham. Eventually arrived at 5:30 am the next day.

KTM in Long Eaton were very helpful and fitted a new rear tyre. I'm now back on the road again and will be returning to Corfu starting on 25th Aug.

I enjoyed our time together in Greece and Albania very much, and thank you again for your great company and friendship. I'm glad to hear you arrived back in the land of the Hobbits safely, and wish you success in job seeking!

Best wishes to you both.
Rob

Wow that is an adventure, although obviously not what you had planned!.

Glad you arrived in one piece.

Mike

Thank you for a very enjoyable ride report, I looked forward to reading each installment every morning whilst have my breakfast.
Could you tell me how many kilometers you managed to get out of your Heidenau tires, what is the level of tread is left on them?
I hope you find a suitable job to allow you many more adventures in the future.
Thanks Mike

I am glad you enjoyed the ride report, it was good to do and as I have said previously I plan to print it out and bind it up to add to the diary we kept.

Tyres, I knew someone would ask, I wish I had kept better records!

I would have ridden approx 4500 kilometres on them before Europe so say 22,500 kilometres by the time I got back to England. A lot of those kilometres were two up and loaded with luggage including (on our Xmas holiday) a bit of time off road.

The tyres still have tread on them, the front will need replacing soon though (more for my piece of mind).

I don't know how many kilometres I should expect from them?

Kiwi Mike

Hi Kiwi Mike - thanks for sharing, I followed you a fair bit with great interest. Just did a 3 months trip with swambo through europe, but clockwise. In a nutshell from Bremerhaven (north Germany) to Istanbul - Gibraltar - Bremerhaven. So we shared a couple of places...

Also used Heidenaus, total 19000km, the rear was more or less done, the front still had good milage left on it.

We live in springbok country though, should you ever head this way, get in touch, we will look after you.

Enjoyed your report big time, thanks for the effort!

Sorry Guys
how can you ride 19000 km and more with a Heidenau?
which one was it Mike ?

in NZ I had the Shinko 703 as rear tire, after 6700 km it was done

I think their memories have gone and they've forgotten a tyre change somewhere. The most I've got out of a K60 rear was about 8000 miles/12000 Kms and that was riding really easy.
Normal, not taking it easy, riding it would be done at 6K miles/9K Kms.

Heya Mike

Great to hear you are back home in one piece

NZ is a long way from everthing and we felt it when we started in Alaska.

Best for finding a new job mate

Iiny46 , we got 22500 km out of our last Heidy, 150 on a SE, we could have got another 1000 or so east tarmac km too, greatt adventure touring tire, they do nothing special but everything nice

Cheers Andi

Greetings Mike, this location was actually in "For Your Eyes Only".
Loved reading you RR, some great photography and truly informative narrative, most excellent!

It was a K60 and there was no tyre change in Europe

Maybe it is way I ride that helps, not being hard on either the throttle or brake?

I just found your RR, Mate, and am enjoying reading it. We are doing close to your trip next May for 6 to 8 weeks, mainly Western Europe and Morocco for first time over. Going to catch HU in the UK while we are there. We are Yanks and I just bought a used Triumph Trophy that in Heidelberg for riding over there. Cheers

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Awesome, let us know if you have any questions etc that we can help with

Enjoy the planning!

Mike

Thanks, Mike, I will. See you some time in NZ if I don't see you sooner. If you make it up to the states sometime, let me know.

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Think I should become a lttle more calm in the age of 51

How did the K 60 work on wet roads ?

Thanks Andi, it is good to be home to Leanne, Kiwi roasts, marmite, vogels bread, kilo block of cheese..... I take my hat off to you and Ellen who are away from home for so long.

You guys are an inspiration

Mike

When you reach 54 the world changes and tyres last longer!

It is not the best in the wet, I have had it slip a couple of times.

Mike