Summer Travel Preparations

I think I might need to become a bit more consistent with updating. I tend to hold back on publishing something until it stands by itself as an interesting, recent story with plenty of pictures. I’ve still got plenty of ideas for things to post here and elsewhere like on Facebook or Instagram, I really need to work on that.
In the meantime, I’ve been in Belgium for a few weeks, keeping busy for what’s going to be a few very packed summer months; touring with Edelweiss, going on a trip myself back in Sweden, and all the preparations linked to that.

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When drawing out on a map where I’ll be going in just the coming two months, it does look a bit crazy…

I spent days preparing GPS routes and files for my two “Celtic Tours” with Edelweiss, along most of the west coast of the UK. We’ll even be attending a few races of the famed Isle Of Mann TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race. Apart from digital preparations, I’ve drawn lessons from what gear and packing methods worked and didn’t work during the Training Tour I did a month ago, to hopefully have my first real tours go as smooth as possible.

I’ve also finally started fixing my old BMW, of which I broke a tiny part in the gearbox last summer in Sweden. I’m completely fixing up the bike, cleaning it, taking off accesoiries and extras that can make me some extra money, and will hopefully get the bike fixed and ready to sell sometime this summer during all the travelling. It’s on hold for now, waiting for parts to arrive from Germany.

My own KTM 690 has seen a lot of attention too; general maintenance like tire and oil changes, as well as adding extra parts like an engine protection plate, heavier rear spring and a few bits I manufactured myself through 3D-printing. All of that since me and some friends from Sweden have decided to tackle a big adventure in Sweden, riding 2500km on our motorcycles from one of the remotest areas in Sweden back down to the capital, Stockholm.

To support that big adventure and not have to ride an additional 4500km (!) on my motorcycle just for that one adventure, I’ve bought a van to transport my own motorcycle to Sweden and those of my friends up to Kiruna in the north. It’s a really nice ex-power company service van with some cool extras on it (like warning lights). If anybody wants a ride/transport to Sweden in July, let me know!

The back of the van is a full-on workshop right now, but obviously a lot of that will have to be removed to fit 3 motorcycles, and hopefully in the 2 weeks off I get in July, I can get started on some optimizations to still have some comforts in the back.

This Monday I set off. I haven’t even prepared for the tours that follow in August, and I feel like there’s still a million things to check, study and prepare for what’s coming. All part of the adventure I guess!