Jun 2012 Distance: 3'000km Ferry trips: 1 Vehicle: BMW R1200RT
As you may have already realised there was no 2011 bike trip. Yes, I missed out in life that year. General rule: don't miss out before rheumatisms take over and then it's too late. Anyway, I had sold my trusty R1200R and swaped it for a R1200RT. It's the same bike (same chassi, engine, gear box and panniers among others) except for two things: it has cruise control and weighs 50kg more. Yes, in terms of weight it's like placing an invisible pillion passenger at the back. It took me a few summers to realise that swapping my old trusty bike for a heavier one was a big mistake. Nevertheless I was off for the Summer 2012 ride.
This was the first trip with the new R1200RT bike. Bought in April of the same year so I was eager to see how it handled on long trips. It started on a Friday evening after leaving work. I loaded the bike, turned the key, twisted the throttle and off I was. First stop was Bergamo, then Brescia, Sirmione, Verona. Don't miss out on a great camping place build on the fortification walls of Verona called San Pietro. The main road chosen for this year was to drive along the Adriatic coast on a very winding road on the Western coast of Croatia.
This was the first trip with the new R1200RT bike. Bought in April of the same year so I was eager to see how it handled on long trips. It started on a Friday evening after leaving work. I loaded the bike, turned the key, twisted the throttle and off I was. First stop was Bergamo, then Brescia, Sirmione, Verona. Don't miss out on a great camping place build on the fortification walls of Verona called San Pietro. The main road chosen for this year was to drive along the Adriatic coast on a very winding road on the Western coast of Croatia.
Trieste is right on the border with Slovenia, which I only realised after unknowingly crossing over the border in order to find the nearest camping place.
The next day I drove to Koper, in Latin written as Capodistria, the family origin of the first head of state of the First Hellenic Repubic, Ioannis Kapodistrias.
The next day I drove to Koper, in Latin written as Capodistria, the family origin of the first head of state of the First Hellenic Repubic, Ioannis Kapodistrias.
Slovenia only touches the Adriatic sea through a 20km wide strip. After a small ride I reached Croatia, a country not the the EU at the time (joined in 2013). The first stop was Rijeka which hindered the trip due to heavy rainfall all day. To my good luke the next day skies cleared and one of the most gorgeous coastal roads I had ever ridden lay infront of me, a 200km stretch of excellent tarmac and great turns to make those chicken-strips on the tires disappear. It was a very tyring stretch of tarmac as one has to be deeply concentrated in the dozens of curves that perked along the coast. It did reward me with great views of the blue adriatic sea though.
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From Zadar instead of driving along the coast of mainland I decided to jump on a ferry onto Preko Island and drive along the island, also direction Dubrovnik. I regretted that decision once setting foor on the island as there was unfortunately absolutey nothing to see, only holiday houses with closed doors. There were barely any people in the streets. After a couple of hours driving south I had to take another ferry back onto mainland, which I happen to miss so had to wait for hours for the next one. I therefore wouldn't recommend any bikers visiting this island. From Tkon one can catch the ferry back to mainland. Next stop South was Sibenik, a magnificent city. As soon as I reached Sibenik it started raining heavily so again I was very lucky with the weather, the hairpin turns along the coast are not to be driven on the wet.
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