12 Months with the V-Strom

[Artyman]

Twelve month ago this week I took a similar picture at the nearby Rest and be Thankful up here in Bandit Country - Argyll. It’s been a year since I started this wonderful relationship with the big red beast, and in those twelve months we’ve travelled around the whole of England and Wales, around the whole of Scotland, and through nine different countries in Europe, including: Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, France and Belgium.

We’ve ridden just under 17,000 miles together, and during that time I’ve met some superb people, eaten some wonderful food, camped in some beautiful locations, visited some amazing countries, and most of all, enjoyed every single minute - whether it was raining, sunny, hot or cold.

In the past year I’ve used or changed:

Two front and three rear Tourance tyres.
One front and two sets of rear brake pads.
Three oil and filter changes and two sets of plugs.
Changed all the rear suspension bearings.
Fitted a new rear brake-disk.
Fitted two new sprockets and one new chain.
Added a Givi Airflow.
Added a metal top box.
Added a Puig Hugger.
Fitted a chain lube system.
Fitted a relay fuse-box.
Changed the rear view mirrors.

And last week I fitted a metal belly-pan because I shredded the plastic one in Luxembourg.

And the best thing of all - is that she’s never once let me down. NEVER. Whether it’s hot, cold or wet, she always fires up first time. She never grumbles and she always gets me where I want to be without any drama and usually ahead of schedule. She can green-lane, go on logging-tracks, bimble around a town or a city, and she can carry me and all my luggage along the autobahn at a fair old lick of speed. She’s just perfect in every way.

And now it’s 2023. I got her out of winter hibernation last week and went for a blast - and the old magic was back. We’re a team again, and now the roads beckon...

The plans for this year have to exist around work but I'm planning to do a circuit of Ireland in July and then up to the very top of Scotland in August - and then on the 5th of November I'm booked on the Portsmouth/Bilbao ferry, riding through Spain and Portugal - with a stop at Gibraltar for some Fish & Chips - and catching the ferry from Algeciras over to Morocco for two or three months. I'm hoping to go down as far as Senegal or Mali, but that just depends on the cost of the Carnet though at the moment the Govt are advising against Mali, so we'll have to see what happens.

Well, that seems to be the plan, with more miles ahead...

[sillyboy]

 what work will you have time for?

[timangus]

Carnets in the UK are issued by C.A.R.S Ltd and are based on the current value of your bike. I went to a dealer and asked them to print me out a full HPi check. This has a trade value on it so saved me a few bob on the cost of the carnet.

[Artyman]

what work will you have time for?

Self employed mate so when I’m not going away I work balls out for my biker-beans. My work finishes in October and doesn't start again till Feb, so why sit in wet, grey and dreary Scotland. Drier skies beckon.

[Artyman]

This is the reply I got from CARS:

Dear Ian,
 
Please note this quotation is given for information purposes only and is non-binding.

5    Page Carnet will incur a £230   fee plus option 1 or 2 as below.
 
Our quotation is based on your vehicle valuation of £2,500 for the following countries:  Senegal & Gambia. Although the other countries you mention are not part of the CPD network - your carnet MAY BE stamped by the customs officials in these countries and if it is, please ensure the document is endorsed entering and leaving these territories.
 
OPTION 1 - Security/premium fee: £687.00 of which £250.00 is refundable once your carnet has been successfully discharged.
OPTION 2 - Cash deposit of £4,500  includes a non-refundable fee of £500. We will refund £4,000 once your carnet has been successfully discharged.
 
Additional fees (if applicable)
Express fee - £130 (issued within 10 working days of receiving cleared funds against our invoice).
Overseas delivery - £80
UK Royal Mail next day - £15

[Artyman]

The issue I’m having at the moment is some say a carnet is needed and some say if you go to from Mauritania to Mali first and then come into Senegal you can get through by bunging the guard some Euro’s. But then again, the UK Govt are saying don’t go to Mali because the locals are kidnapping and robbing again, and as an ageing fat white bloke on a motorbike - maybe I should forget it.

If I can get down to Mauritania, then that’s a big achievement for me and I’d be more than happy with that.

[purplebikeunicorn]

You know what they say, fat people are harder to kidnap..... I wouldn't want to try that though!

(The kidnapping bit, not the fat bit...  )

[Angus]

The Spain Portugal Morocco trip sounds amazing and is something I planned on doing for some time . If you can get through the desert into sub-Saharan Africa Senegal then you will be laughing.Although I have never had any breakdowns in three years on my bike wondering what do you plan to do if you have any mechanical troubles?

[The Doctor 46]

Burn the bike and wait for a helicopter, or camel. 

[Rusty Nuts]

Or, like Ted Simon when he ran out of fuel and drinking water in the Sahara, wait for the once a month school bus to pick you up?

[timangus]

By successfully discharged, this means the return of the document to CARRS for checking. My shipper/idiot/thief in India never sent it on. Although I never needed it after that it was a worry, which CARS were OK with when I sent them details of the rogue.