Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Rides, Rallies, & Events Euro Rally 2008 - North Italy - Official Thread.

Will be meeting uk members going at the tunnel.... suppose i should think about packing some gear...
Dave

Already packed Dave, just got to get bike ready.

9 hours more and i am on my way!

Going to try to get some sleep and 08.00 tomorrow morning i´ll start the bike up and leave....

First stop is Fichenwalde south of Berlin, about 700km / 435 miles riding and 2 ferries from home


Johann

Johann

I am leaving tomorrow evening but staying overnight at Martyn & Jackie's, so we can get the Eurostar 6am on Thursday.

Safe trip, see you in Italy on Friday.

Shaun

Safe journey guys n girls, no need to say have a good time as I am sure you will do.

Nobby,

Ride safe!

And please tell Martyn to bring the stuff to make my morning coffe in Iseo

Thanks Ray, dont drink to much at that wedding your off to... it will only lead to silly sway dancing
Dave

Planning to leave at 11am but still 1000 things to do before. Now is 2pm still packing. I hope we get Berlin today night time. See you

Have a good time out there folks and have a safe journey

Im packed,just need to get up in the morning.
see you all on friday

Nick

A quick update.

Kathy, Paul Newman, Bengt (Piper) plus wife Anki and I have been in Lago di Iseo since last night.
Member Martin (Boichat) arrived today via Switzerland.

Members Johann (Gooseman), Nick, Pawel and Beata met up in Germany and are currently staying overnight near the Austro-Italian border (probably Brenner Pass area).

The balance of the British crew I have not heard from but I suspect/calculate they are staying overnight somewhere near French/Swiss border.

Greetings from Lago di Iseo!

Thanks to everyone for a superb weekend in Iseo.
Epharisto x 1000 to Thanassis for his great job planning everything and taking so good care of all of us



Please everyone - tell us all when you're home again... Anki and I are (obviously ).

Not quite home yet, but we survived the Alps(sorry Ray, the Alps beat Oop North hands down!!!)and are now in France. If all goes to plan we should be back Friday.

Like Piper says, a million thanks to Bedouin for organising everything, and to everyone else for a great weekend.

For those of you that didn't make it , you missed a cracking time.

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The road to Hel is paved with good intentions!

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So true, oh so true!

The euro rally was fantastic. Took the long/short way home. rode straight from Iseo to dunkirk. 12 hrs straight and got the ferry home.
Iseo couldnt have been better, thanks to everyone for making me feel welcome on my first euro rally.
And of course a special thanks to uncle Thanassis, I am in your debt.
Next year i will definitey be there with Holly.

And to quote the Bard
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Jackie & I got back home today at 3pm UK time. What a great 9 days, great riding roads, brilliant company, a very generous host, a stunning setting and meeting old friends & new ones from accross the pond, life does not get any better than that .

Words can not express riding the passes in Switzerland (Thanks Martin for the map & tips)& as always my wife never ceases to amaze me, passed her test 18 months ago & now she has just ridden 2000 miles accross Europe including the Swiss alps on a Bonneville T100. Top Lady

Once again thank you Thanassis, may your karma return 10 fold.

Finally got home today after 2247 miles (3595 km) in 9 days - what a blast!! As others have said, many, many thanks to Thanassis for such a good time.

Fortunately that was only the beginning - we still had ahead of us riding over the Alpine passes, the back roads of France ( France is definitely wasted on the French (spit)) and most of all good company!!

For those of you that didn't go, - you missed out.

For those of you that did - cherish the memories ( I certainly will)

Is it next year yet??

I also got back about 3.30 pm, Thanks to Thanassis and kathy and everyone for making it a memorable weekend in Iseo, and thanks to the uk crew for making it a memorable last few days on the journey back..
Lake Iseo was a beautiful setting for the rally and hopefully i will go back there some day, but being in the alps was special and will live long in the memory..
It was also good to get to know martin (Boichat) better and i have no doubt he will become one of the usual suspects...
It was also a pleasure to meet our overseas guest who i believe is still travelling through europe as i speak..
Next year it looks like a choice between the Official Euro Rally and Dent as the dates are so close together, for me it will be Hel ......
Cheers
Dave

OK Lads, the gag is off, yes, it was absolutely grand to meet you all and I am sitting in a square in Coburg Germany after my guide and I have again illegally transgressed yet another city square on our bikes! (You already know what he likes to do! No where is safe!) I have tales to tell of this journey. Was so grateful for the opportunity to meet you all, bar none, you are all the best.

eddy

Good to hear that some of you are home safe

There are a few of us out there still spread across europe

I will write a full story of my trip when i get home but for now all i wanted to say is THANK YOU ALL for being the best bunch, it's a blessing to have such friends!

Johann & Nilla

....at the moment enjoying the pool at the hotel on Corfu, Greece

Arrived in Netherlands last night, we are about 2.5 hours from Amsterdam, flight leaves in teh morning...BUT! LAst night as we were winding our way to the hotel the Beamer quit..seems like it may be a fuel pump. Bedoiun is now attempting to find a "cure".

I had the fun of running up the Speedmaster up to 178 kmh yesterday on the autobahn. Fully loaded and into a headwind! That 865 really scoots a bit better than my 790 (but don't tell blue that!)

One close call in teh Czech Republic was passing a semi and a car traveing up around 100 mph crested teh hill and didn't want to pull over. Bedoin ran squeeze for me trying to buy me time by having the guy move over but he wouldn't! Bedoiun ducked in to avoid collision and as soon as I cleared teh truck the guy blasted by me never once hitting the breaks near I could tell. It was THE closest I have EVER been to kissing a vehical head on and I have had close calls in the past. Scarred does not encompass the feelings it generated, I actually thought it was all she wrote. But I guess it wasn't as close as I thought because i still had my mirrors!

More to come on the why's, the where fores and nuances of this adventureous oppourtunity I was given, yet to come.

I get home to the States tomorrow evening!

To Piper and Gooseman and Ahnke; Ver hurn der her, der vernder hern, der herdy gerty, ja?!

To the Brits, you Lads (n Lass) are Brilliant! Simply majic.

Pavel & Beita (spelling sorry) I would like to say, I never thought I would wish to see someone in Hel, but...I would really like to see the lot of you in Hel!

eddy

What can I say, that has'nt been said previously, had a fantastic time. Was great too see you all again, old faces and new, and always such good company. The weather was brilliant, scenery amazing, roads to test your skill, healthy food (except the two Big Macs, hey, were British bread and dripping sandwiches are haute cuisine), strange gassy bier. But mostly the company, without whom, it could've been Hel........!

1800 Central US Time 8/12/08, just got home from Amsterdam a bit ago. Left Bedouin and Kat there to proceed back north to attend to the Beamer. More to come.

eddy

Got back last night after a little detour via southern spain and Hamburg. A round trip of 5347km
had a great time and am looking forward to next year.
Ill try to get my photos posted in the next couple of days.

regards Nick

Hi everyone. After 4460 km (56:31 hours riding) of unforgettable trip we are now back home. We came yesterday late afternoon, remember hard trip to Austria, great trip across Alps in good company, splendid weekend with looked forward old (end new) faces, and extra few days of our "next honeymoon". Thanks a lot all of you to be a part of that memories and special thanks for good uncle Thanassis for perfect organization of IIIth Euro Rally Iseo Italy 2008.
PS
Remember never to hurry at the end of your trip.
We've got to "kiss" our homeland ground suddenly 3 km from home (rain, wet white stripes on crossroad, and...... ) but fortunately everything is OK and IVth Euro Rally Poland 2009 begins to be paved now.
Beata & Pawel

Glad you both had a great trip and got back home safe (even after your small "kiss").
See you in '09!

All the best.
Thanassis + Kathy.

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IVth Euro Rally Poland 2009 begins to be paved now.

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It will be an honour to visit Poland next year. Plans are forming already...

Home!

Got home yesterday

Iseo,Italy - Värnamo,Sweden in 27 hours 1724 km / 1071 miles..

A bit tired today...

Pictures and writeup to come after i have got some sleep and my mind sorted!

Johann

That's it. It seems everyone is home safe and sound! Thanks again to all you great friends who attended the Euro Rally. Already looking forward to next year and I promise to go there on two wheels...

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Not quite everyone, Bengt ...

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Oops!!! Byt hey, I thought your home is where you park your bike for the night...