Feeling sorry for myself so a good rant on here may help.
Yesterday was a holiday for most of Europe so a last minute trip with a buddy in Luxembourg was arranged as the sun was shining and the roads dry.
I set off after work on Wednesday night at around 8pm and headed south on the E411, made good time until the 40km of roadworks and a 70km speed limit (45mph) but never mind as the thought of a days playing were making me feel good.
Got within 10 miles of Luxembourg and the orange light came on telling me to get more fuel, passed a service station as the prices in Lux are the cheapest in EU, calculated around 30 miles to the garage in Lux so thought no problem as she does well over 40 to the gal. 24 miles later chug to a halt, damn damn and thrice damn. phone said m8 and after pissing himself he says sit tight. Half an hour later he turns up in his car with a gallon of juice. Off we go and get in around 11pm.
Thursday was an effing brill day, Sunny, dry and 23c and the roads in Luxembourg and Germany are the best around, he knew some amzing roads and we headed for the Nurbergring. Got there midday had a look round and then found a nice place for lunch. After lunch four more hours of B road twisties and feeling exhausted as he is very quick and it was a struggle to stay anywhere near (he had to wait a lot) I said lets go for a coffee then you head south for home and I head north for Brussels.
Next town in northern east Luxembourg I manage to find a nice piece of glass in the high street and bang goes my rear BT20.
Only doing 30mph so no danger and park up in a hotel with outside tables where there were many many bikers enjoying the sun
WTF do I do now.... just took new insurance out with Roadsure that does Euro cover breakdown BUT I did not have the new phone numbers with me. So i called VUB (Belgian equivalent of RAC) as I am a member with them for the cage.
They could not find my registration on the computer and I never had my credit card style members card with me (IknowIknow)
Never mind they said we will send somebody out , you pay them and if you find you registrartion we will refund. Ok says I let's do that.
3 hours later (9pm) transit van with a flatbed trailer turns up and he checks the tyre - it's fooked (in french) he says....
gathered that I say so all he can do is tow it to his garage (in the middle of nowhere) and have it ready for saturday.
So I give him the keys and off he goes. Meanwhile said m8 and his misses said they will go back to his pad, pick up the car and then come back and pick me up (with luggage !)
Got back to his pad at midnight, bugger, so went for a beer or two at the local.
Mate said borrow my car Dave and bring it back Saturday when we will go and recover your bike. Good man
One thing tho he says... the windscreen wipers don't work....hmm no worries forecast says sun sun sun.
I set off at 6am this morning heading for Brussels then on to work.
20 miles outside Brussels (Namur) and the heavens opened, if effing pissed down , spray everywhere, could not see a thing.
but carried on veerrry carefully.
Got back at 8:30 changed cars and off to work. Called VUB with my membership number but new guy says, very good sir but you will still have to pay, the membership is with a vehicle not a person and we don't have you bike on the registration.
So 200 Eur for the pick up and probably another 200 Eur for the tyre ( I just hope it's a BB specific )and I hope he knows what he is doing as it seemed to me it was just a normal car type garage.....nervous....I should be.
Yesterday was a holiday for most of Europe so a last minute trip with a buddy in Luxembourg was arranged as the sun was shining and the roads dry.
I set off after work on Wednesday night at around 8pm and headed south on the E411, made good time until the 40km of roadworks and a 70km speed limit (45mph) but never mind as the thought of a days playing were making me feel good.
Got within 10 miles of Luxembourg and the orange light came on telling me to get more fuel, passed a service station as the prices in Lux are the cheapest in EU, calculated around 30 miles to the garage in Lux so thought no problem as she does well over 40 to the gal. 24 miles later chug to a halt, damn damn and thrice damn. phone said m8 and after pissing himself he says sit tight. Half an hour later he turns up in his car with a gallon of juice. Off we go and get in around 11pm.
Thursday was an effing brill day, Sunny, dry and 23c and the roads in Luxembourg and Germany are the best around, he knew some amzing roads and we headed for the Nurbergring. Got there midday had a look round and then found a nice place for lunch. After lunch four more hours of B road twisties and feeling exhausted as he is very quick and it was a struggle to stay anywhere near (he had to wait a lot) I said lets go for a coffee then you head south for home and I head north for Brussels.
Next town in northern east Luxembourg I manage to find a nice piece of glass in the high street and bang goes my rear BT20.
Only doing 30mph so no danger and park up in a hotel with outside tables where there were many many bikers enjoying the sun
WTF do I do now.... just took new insurance out with Roadsure that does Euro cover breakdown BUT I did not have the new phone numbers with me. So i called VUB (Belgian equivalent of RAC) as I am a member with them for the cage.
They could not find my registration on the computer and I never had my credit card style members card with me (IknowIknow)
Never mind they said we will send somebody out , you pay them and if you find you registrartion we will refund. Ok says I let's do that.
3 hours later (9pm) transit van with a flatbed trailer turns up and he checks the tyre - it's fooked (in french) he says....
gathered that I say so all he can do is tow it to his garage (in the middle of nowhere) and have it ready for saturday.
So I give him the keys and off he goes. Meanwhile said m8 and his misses said they will go back to his pad, pick up the car and then come back and pick me up (with luggage !)
Got back to his pad at midnight, bugger, so went for a beer or two at the local.
Mate said borrow my car Dave and bring it back Saturday when we will go and recover your bike. Good man
One thing tho he says... the windscreen wipers don't work....hmm no worries forecast says sun sun sun.
I set off at 6am this morning heading for Brussels then on to work.
20 miles outside Brussels (Namur) and the heavens opened, if effing pissed down , spray everywhere, could not see a thing.
but carried on veerrry carefully.
Got back at 8:30 changed cars and off to work. Called VUB with my membership number but new guy says, very good sir but you will still have to pay, the membership is with a vehicle not a person and we don't have you bike on the registration.
So 200 Eur for the pick up and probably another 200 Eur for the tyre ( I just hope it's a BB specific )and I hope he knows what he is doing as it seemed to me it was just a normal car type garage.....nervous....I should be.
Last edited: