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[Trigger-Man]

Looking for advice from anyone who's shipped their bike to Europe for touring. Following our visit to Sturgis this summer, we'll deliver our 2011 FLTRUSE to the MotorcycleExpress.com folks in Toronto for airfreight shipment to Paris. We're planning a two month road trip including a month touring central Europe and the Alps (turns out to be more expensive to rent than ship). Normally, planning our annual bike trips to the mainland with H-D's easy to use Ride Planner is almost as much fun as the ride itself, however, the "unknowns" of Europe can be unsettling. Can't use the (North America only) Ride Planner with our Zumo ...........gotta learn to use Garmin's "Base Camp" ...........arrrrgh!

• PIPES - anyone know if we're looking at trouble with the law because of our 2" Fullsac Stage One kits?
• LODGING - any recommendations for reasonable priced biker-friendly ($100-ish/nite) lodging with "peace of mind" security for the CVO?
• ROADS - any recommendations for "can't miss" rides and places to visit?

The general plan begins with 2 nights in Paris awaiting the bike's arrival and ends with another 2 nites in Paris after delivering the bike to the airport for the return flight to Toronto. In between is our "BUCKET LIST" adventure. We're hoping for some good advice from this wonderful forum ......Mahalo in advance!!

[2018_FLTRXSE]

Looking for advice from anyone who's shipped their bike to Europe for touring. Following our visit to Sturgis this summer, we'll deliver our 2011 FLTRUSE to the MotorcycleExpress.com folks in Toronto for airfreight shipment to Paris. We're planning a two month road trip including a month touring central Europe and the Alps (turns out to be more expensive to rent than ship). Normally, planning our annual bike trips to the mainland with H-D's easy to use Ride Planner is almost as much fun as the ride itself, however, the "unknowns" of Europe can be unsettling. Can't use the (North America only) Ride Planner with our Zumo ...........gotta learn to use Garmin's "Base Camp" ...........arrrrgh!

• PIPES - anyone know if we're looking at trouble with the law because of our 2" Fullsac Stage One kits?
• LODGING - any recommendations for reasonable priced biker-friendly ($100-ish/nite) lodging with "peace of mind" security for the CVO?
• ROADS - any recommendations for "can't miss" rides and places to visit?

The general plan begins with 2 nights in Paris awaiting the bike's arrival and ends with another 2 nites in Paris after delivering the bike to the airport for the return flight to Toronto. In between is our "BUCKET LIST" adventure. We're hoping for some good advice from this wonderful forum ......Mahalo in advance!!

Since I live here too.. I'm gonna ask:

How ungodly was the shipping halfway around the world?

[dayne66]

Sound like a lot of fun! Take lots of pics for us.

[DoubledUp]

You guys will have a blast touring Europe. I have been living over here for four years now and love the riding, when weather permits. I may be able to give you some helpful hints.

First of all as far as your GPS plans go, I recommend grabbing up one that will show you speed camera locations. Not all brands have this option, and some have it as an upgrade for a fee. I use a Navigon GPS because the speed camera option is already built in, you just have to turn it on. Cops dont seem to "patrol" as much over here, but those speed cameras will get ya!  Sometimes the speed limit drops from say 100kph to 50kph pretty quick and takes a little getting used to. Also, when you are riding on the autobahn make sure you look over your shoulder with a little more attention than stateside. A car that looks to be well back may actually be hauling major @$$.

Pipes. Loud pipes can get you in trouble over here. However, I have them on both of my bikes and have never had any problems. I just try to be courteous in towns and around crowds, when I do see cops I just take it easy on the throttle.

Lodging is hit or miss as far as the price goes. With a little internet research, reasonable locations can be found with private parking. Keep in mind, a hotel may not always be the best bet for a particular area. There are bed and breakfast places scattered all over the place as well as apartment style lodging that can be cheaper.

I cant begin to list all of the must see places to ride and visit over here. My most memorable so far has been a trip to Normandy. We rode up and down Utah beach and Omaha beach and toured the American cemetery. That was an outstanding trip. It's not really all that far from Paris, so maybe something to think about. Reims, France is a nice stop with a great cathedral to visit. Zermatt, Switzerland is a great destination in the Alps. In Germany, Munich is nice (go have a beer at the famous Hofbräuhaus). Berlin I would say is a must. Go have yourself some mussels in Brussels, Belgium. Everybody always wants to go to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, but Maastricht is like a mini Amsterdam and much less touristy, very beautiful city. However, the Anne Frank house was very interesting in Amsterdam, as well as a tour of the Heineken factory.

Hopefully this helps a little. Feel free to ask any more questions that you may think of later. I am sure you guys will have a blast!

[SEgle]

I had the pleasure of driving (car) from  Munich to Marseille (France) 2 years ago. A most memorable part of the trip was from St Moritz - Switzerland to Lake Como - Italy. We drove down the Maloja Pass (also spelt Maloggia). It was absolutely outstanding, a maze of switchbacks with a view that is had to beat. If you were in the area it is thouroughly recommended. It would also be hard to visit Europe and see Lake Como, or Munich for that matter.  Sounds like an awesome trip, have a whole heap of fun. 

[Eqcons]

Can't use the (North America only) Ride Planner with our Zumo ...........gotta learn to use Garmin's "Base Camp" ...........arrrrgh!

Oh yes you can, and no you don't!    Try it, it works.    (Harley have their own one for Europe too, but it's krapp)

Also, do a web search for a program called "Tyre" - great for loading routes into the Garmin.  Have you bought the European maps for your Garmin yet?  Best is the one-only, no updates, that comes on SD card.  Buy it close to the time to get the latest version.

Also, get yourself Custom POI files of Speed Cameras for Europe - best is probably from here http://www.pocketgpsworld.com  They are updated monthly, and a year's subscription is around $30.

PIPES - anyone know if we're looking at trouble with the law because of our 2" Fullsac Stage One kits?

I've never had trouble anywhere, but I believe the police in Munich in Germany - which I've always avoided for that reason - are trouble over noisy exhausts.

LODGING - any recommendations for reasonable priced biker-friendly ($100-ish/nite) lodging with "peace of mind" security for the CVO?

Yup, try looking for Ibis hotels.  They are cheap, and often have gated parking compounds, but most hotels will let you chain the bike up near the front door anyway, and parking is generally safe.  Not a major worry.

ROADS - any recommendations for "can't miss" rides and places to visit?

Too many to quote randomly!    Got more details of the countries and regions you have in mind to visit? What sort of things you want to see? How many miles a day are you comfortable with?

One thing occurs to me - insurance.  Have you sorted that out?  Is it for EC countries only?

Jim

[kraut]

will step in happily with some ideas when your plans are more precise.

Lodging in Central Europe is no problem at all, police habits do vary from state to state: loud pipes can get you in real trouble in Italy for instance.

You should consider a ADAC-Plus-membership for your stay as they will take care of you all over Europe in case anything happens to you, your partner or your bike for really small money.

And I do endorse to use tyre too 

[Eqcons]

loud pipes can get you in real trouble in Italy for instance.

Not my experience at all, Hans! 

Jim

[Trigger-Man]

Since I live here too.. I'm gonna ask:

How ungodly was the shipping halfway around the world?

From Kauai to San Diego ($760) and back ($791). Toronto to Paris roundtrip - $3840 including early-bird and AMA discounts. GREEN CARD Foreign Motorcycle Insurance (max coverage) $575 for one month. Everything for the European leg is being handled by the MotorcycleExpress.com folks. We're leaving from Canada because we need to deliver the bike to the airport (only) 48 hours in advance of the scheduled flight. To leave from a USA airport, it would need to be delivered 5 days in advance!!! We will fly with the bike (Air Transat) on the way back from Paris ............but upon delivering the bike to Toronto ......we'll leave immediately for Paris and wait for it's arrival. Nothing against Toronto ......but we'd rather spend two days waiting in Paris ! We probably wouldn't need the bike in Paris anyway.
Hope that's helpful!
Dennis

[Trigger-Man]

You guys will have a blast touring Europe. I have been living over here for four years now and love the riding, when weather permits. I may be able to give you some helpful hints.

First of all as far as your GPS plans go, I recommend grabbing up one that will show you speed camera locations. Not all brands have this option, and some have it as an upgrade for a fee. I use a Navigon GPS because the speed camera option is already built in, you just have to turn it on. Cops dont seem to "patrol" as much over here, but those speed cameras will get ya!  Sometimes the speed limit drops from say 100kph to 50kph pretty quick and takes a little getting used to. Also, when you are riding on the autobahn make sure you look over your shoulder with a little more attention than stateside. A car that looks to be well back may actually be hauling major @$$.

Pipes. Loud pipes can get you in trouble over here. However, I have them on both of my bikes and have never had any problems. I just try to be courteous in towns and around crowds, when I do see cops I just take it easy on the throttle.

Lodging is hit or miss as far as the price goes. With a little internet research, reasonable locations can be found with private parking. Keep in mind, a hotel may not always be the best bet for a particular area. There are bed and breakfast places scattered all over the place as well as apartment style lodging that can be cheaper.

I cant begin to list all of the must see places to ride and visit over here. My most memorable so far has been a trip to Normandy. We rode up and down Utah beach and Omaha beach and toured the American cemetery. That was an outstanding trip. It's not really all that far from Paris, so maybe something to think about. Reims, France is a nice stop with a great cathedral to visit. Zermatt, Switzerland is a great destination in the Alps. In Germany, Munich is nice (go have a beer at the famous Hofbräuhaus). Berlin I would say is a must. Go have yourself some mussels in Brussels, Belgium. Everybody always wants to go to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, but Maastricht is like a mini Amsterdam and much less touristy, very beautiful city. However, the Anne Frank house was very interesting in Amsterdam, as well as a tour of the Heineken factory.

Hopefully this helps a little. Feel free to ask any more questions that you may think of later. I am sure you guys will have a blast!

Mahalo DoubledUp,
We have H-D Road Tech Zumo 665 GPS (Garmin) and purchased a Garmin City Navigator Europe NT DVD. Don't have a clue if includes Speed Camera Locations ........but if not, another member recommended a source. Hopefully we'll be more into "smelling the roses" than fast traveling! We're also working on a solution to mellow the pipes a bit .......don't want to attract too much attention !

Appreciate the suggestions ......especially Normandy. I'd been considering a visit to the D-day area and with your comments will make it a must-see. Likely on our return leg.

Aloha,
Dennis

[Trigger-Man]

Oh yes you can, and no you don't!    Try it, it works.    (Harley have their own one for Europe too, but it's krapp)

Also, do a web search for a program called "Tyre" - great for loading routes into the Garmin.  Have you bought the European maps for your Garmin yet?  Best is the one-only, no updates, that comes on SD card.  Buy it close to the time to get the latest version.

Also, get yourself Custom POI files of Speed Cameras for Europe - best is probably from here http://www.pocketgpsworld.com  They are updated monthly, and a year's subscription is around $30.

I've never had trouble anywhere, but I believe the police in Munich in Germany - which I've always avoided for that reason - are trouble over noisy exhausts.

Yup, try looking for Ibis hotels.  They are cheap, and often have gated parking compounds, but most hotels will let you chain the bike up near the front door anyway, and parking is generally safe.  Not a major worry.

Too many to quote randomly!    Got more details of the countries and regions you have in mind to visit? What sort of things you want to see? How many miles a day are you comfortable with?

One thing occurs to me - insurance.  Have you sorted that out?  Is it for EC countries only?

Jim

Many mahalo's to Jim and all who've posted !

Your comment about the H-D Ride Planner had me stumped as I thought I gave it a go some months ago and got an error message. For the fun of it, just tried it now and WOW .....it appears to work ! I've already purchased the Garmin  City Navigator Europe NT DVD and loaded it into the RT Zumo 665 (made for H-D by Garmin). If it'll accept the Ride Planner "sync to GPS" command ........I'm good to go !

Good tip on the Speed Camera files. I've confirmed that the pocketGPSworld solution will work with my Zumo ! Hopefully, it'll be compatible with the H-D Ride Planner files as well. I'm also working with Steve at Fullsac Performance for a solution to mellow the sound of my Stage I pipes. The insurance I've been quoted is called GREEN CARD and is good for most EC countries. One exception is Hungary .......but we're not going there. Appreciate your reassuring comments on the availability of lodgings with safe bike parking. Hopefully crime/vandalism is less of an issue out in the rural areas?

We're still planning the route .........but it'll include France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. We want to see spectacular mountain scenery, castles, quaint eateries and hopefully, make a few friends! We're accustomed to spending an average of 5-7 hours/300-500 miles in the saddle on our western US rides ........but I sense that Europe begs for a very different and slower "smell the roses" approach. The "clock-wise route" will likely begin with Paris to Strasbourg ..........the Rhine River valley.........then find one or two HQ lodgings in the Alps area that we can stage numerous rides from. Perhaps in the Innsbruck area for 10-14 days? Your suggestions are welcomed. We'd then find a similar scenario in northern Italy (ideas please)  from where we might make places like Rome a day trip. Then we'll head west along the Mediterranean to Monaco and southern France before turning north to Normandy. Finally, we'll head back to Paris and deliver the CVO to the airport for the 2 day waiting period. Shouldn't be difficult to find non-Harley fun things to do in Paris until flight-time! We fly back to Toronto with the bike and upon arrival .........drive-off. At least it's supposed to work that way!

Warm aloha's to the wonderful folks at the CVOHarley forum for this amazing support !
Dennis & Chris

[DoubledUp]

You should consider a ADAC-Plus-membership for your stay as they will take care of you all over Europe in case anything happens to you, your partner or your bike for really small money.

I second that suggestion. ADAC is a must have. Hopefully you would never have to use it, but it is very cheap "peace of mind". They will even bring you a splash of gas if you run out on the side of the road.....first hand knowledge here.....err, I mean it happened to a buddy of mine and he told me about it....yeah, thats what it was.....

[kraut]

if you have Germany and Austria on your roadbook you should consider Prague too. That's a must see really.

[2018_FLTRXSE]

From Kauai to San Diego ($760) and back ($791). Toronto to Paris roundtrip - $3840 including early-bird and AMA discounts. GREEN CARD Foreign Motorcycle Insurance (max coverage) $575 for one month. Everything for the European leg is being handled by the MotorcycleExpress.com folks. We're leaving from Canada because we need to deliver the bike to the airport (only) 48 hours in advance of the scheduled flight. To leave from a USA airport, it would need to be delivered 5 days in advance!!! We will fly with the bike (Air Transat) on the way back from Paris ............but upon delivering the bike to Toronto ......we'll leave immediately for Paris and wait for it's arrival. Nothing against Toronto ......but we'd rather spend two days waiting in Paris ! We probably wouldn't need the bike in Paris anyway.
Hope that's helpful!
Dennis

Thats not that bad.. really... Are you using Pasha in and out of Hawaii?

[miceracs]

 
Now that's what I call a trip, similar to what we have been thinking doing next year, but in reverse! from England.
and spending a few weeks touring around the USA/Canada. But would consider buying a used bike in USA and then sell at the end.
Save on shipping costs and putting the extra mileage on my bike.
We used to live in Austin, Tx so have already done a lot, including Hawaii.

However, it depends when you intend coming over to Europe, as there will be loads of Harley events on as well.
The biggest in Europe in 1st week September in Faaker-am-See, Austria. Travel over the Alps to get there...perfect.
But other events in every country.
The European HOG event is in Cascais, Portugal 2nd week in June. (you would surley win the furthest travelled attendee)
(see HOG web page for booking). This event was in Croatia last year when we met up with a few Americans.
In the main you don't need to pre book, unless going to a major event or city. When we go travelling around we just start looking at about 4pm
for a small Inn in a village.
As already stated, pipes in the main are OK, just trottle down in towns. Some towns do have decibel meters.
The bikers loft near Bruge in Brussels is just for bikers, the bike goes into the building with you ! http://www.grd.be/bikersloft/#ENGELS
This is handy when visiting the war cemetries and beaches in northern France.
Law from Jan 1st next year in France to wear hi vis jackets when riding.
already need to wear hi vis if stopped on side of road in a lot of countries and have spare lamp bulbs, medical kit. Warning triangle not yet.

Make contact with local HOG chapters, they will be able to offer best areas to visit and stay.
Enjoy your trip.
My wifes job on these events is just sit back and take photo's, 1,000 over 2 weeks is the norm, so have plenty of SD cards.

Cheers.