IMBC 2017 - Europe Edition

Ok, a tiny one, consisting of two moto bloggers only, and there were no actual motorcycles involved, but hey... we made the best out of it. Proudly presenting: The IMBC 2017 Europe edition featuring Canajun, his wife Elisabeth, yours truly and Mr M.
Back in summer 2015 we had the pleasure to spend two days in DavidB's 'cabin' in the woods in eastern Canada. We had a wonderful time, alas, missed the wife (a former language teacher and Boston marathon finisher) who was then busy hiking El Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

Fast forward to 2017: Last Sunday we had the opportunity to meet again in Frankfurt, Germany, while they were on a journey through my home country. The weather was perfect. Not knowing the city very well, we opted for a placed called Main Nizza downtown near the financial district overlooking the river Main as a meeting point to make sure that it wasn't too far of a walking distance for David and Elisabeth, and it had a parkade nearby for us. Reservations for a table on the patio had been made the night before, which proved to be necessary as the restaurant was very popular with the crowds, especially on a sunny Sunday.

Die IMBC - Internationale Motorblogger Convention - 2017 Europa Edition fällt eher klein aber fein aus. Es waren aktuell auch keine Motorräder involviert, aber wir machten das beste daraus. Hiermit präsentieren wir: die IMBC 2017 mit Canajun, einem Moto-Blogger aus Ostkanada und seiner Frau, und meiner Wenigkeit mit Mann. 
Damals im Sommer 2015 hatte uns DavidB in seine "Hütte" im Wald eingeladen. Wir hatten dort eine tolle Zeit, auch wenn wir leider seine Frau (eine ehemalige Sprachlehrerin und Boston Marathonläufern) verpassten, die seinerzeit gerade auf dem El Camino de Santiago de Compostela unterwegs war.

Im Hier und Jetzt zurück hatten wir letzten Sonntag endlich die Gelegenheit, beide zusammen in Frankfurt wieder zu sehen. Das Wetter war großartig. Da wir die Stadt nicht sehr gut kennen, trafen wir uns im Main Nizza, einem Innenstadt-Lokal nahe des Bankenviertels mit Blick auf den Fluss. Somit hatten es die Beiden zu Fuß nicht so weit und ein Parkhaus für uns war auch in der Nähe. Nur gut, dass ich am Vortag eine Reservierung gemacht hatte, denn das Restaurant war am sonnigen Sonntag sehr gut besucht.

At the Main Nizza restaurant

overlooking river Main

Again, we hit it off in an instant and chatted for hours while going through the menu and enjoying some hip regional beverages. After this we took a stroll along the river promenade, stopped in a beer garden for a refreshment, and found ourselves doing some light sightseeing downtown. Way too soon we had to part ways again, as we had a two hour drive home, and an early work day ahead of us. But we sure hope that we'll meet again some time in the not too far away future. Happy trails, David and Elisabeth, and thank you for the lovely afternoon.

Wieder haben wir uns gleich auf Anhieb verstanden und unterhielten uns stundenlang über dieses und jenes, während wir uns durch das Menu aßen und regionale Getränke verkosteten. Danach machten wir einen Verdauungsspaziergang an der Main-Promenade entlang, und schoben nach dem Genuss von Erfrischungsgetränken noch ein wenig Sightseeing in der Innenstadt nach. Leider mussten wir uns wieder viel zu früh verabschieden, da wir noch eine zweistündige Autofahrt und einen anstrengenden Arbeitstag vor uns hatten. Wir hoffen aber, dass wir uns in nicht allzu ferner Zukunft mal wieder treffen werden. Gute Reise, David und Elisabeth und vielen Dank für den schönen Nachmittag.

The main courses: it's asparagus season.
Hauptgerichte: Es ist Spargelzeit.

 and fresh fruit (from German origin) for desert
Frische (deutsche) Früchte zum Nachtisch

Frankfurt skyline

European Central Bank on the right

The Zeil shopping center

Some two-wheeled context: geek squad ahead

IMBC 2012 - Recap

The trip came and passed away, 

hardly seemed to last a day 

but now it's over so what can we do? 

Well, start planning for the next journey for sure!

At the end of a such a multi-day trip we found things that went well, and things that could have been done or planned different / better. In no particular order...

What went well:

• trip planning allowing for alternate routes
• hotel reservations in highly frequented vacation spots (thanks Brad & Brandy!)
• proper gear for all weather conditions
• professionally serviced bikes ahead of trip
• carrying enough water and snacks
• Sena SMH-10 communication system in combination with iPhone Navigon GPS
• Icebreaker t-shirts and underwear... priceless!

What could be done different next time:

• Bring paper map for 'big picture'
• Allow for some luggage space for backup food in case of culinary disasters
• Bring long johns, it can get really cold even in summer
• More exercising to strengthen back muscles

We both learned a lot on this journey. Roland experienced his first set of serious twisties and learned better positioning and forward looking riding thanks to the advanced riders ahead of him. He gained a lot of self confidence, which helped him to relax. The Burgy fits his riding style perfectly, and he was in a happy place at most times (except for the crosswind gusts) while on the bike.

I definitely learned to keep my inner hooligan in check while supporting the spouse to get into and remain in his riding comfort zone. I didn't push or challenge him, his safety and comfort became my priority. I also found that I can make the Sportster lean hard. I was almost touching the ground with the pegs. By the end of the journey there was not much of chicken strips left.

The bikes were in ship-shape when we left, and we didn't encounter a failure or breakdown or even a hick-up. There was no detectable loss of oil or air or performance.

Who needs more power anyway? The single cylinder 400cc Burgy with its 34 hp was more than enough to keep the big guy running with the pack. The bike could go for hours on highway speed and the average consumption was about 4.2l /100km or 56mpg (and so was to our biggest surprise the Sportster, also). The Laminar Lip mounted on the windshield did the trick to keep the wind buffeting down to moderate levels. Roland learned to appreciate the hand protectors and heated grips quickly (while I suffered a bit in the cold...). Let alone the seating position could certainly be optimized. Roland needs a back rest, or a different seat alltogether. Other than that, he was absolutely satisfied with the scooter's performance.

The Sporty is a bike that never ceases to amaze me. It ran smoothly, and had a way better fuel economy than expected. No worries about lubing the chain, the bike didn't need any extras, just gas to keep it going. The longer it was on the road the better the performance. Riding the twisties is hard work though and needs some extra muscle, it doesn't lean as easily as a sports bike, but it does lean.  But some modifications would have to be done before the next major road trip as there were 18 stops for gas. A bigger tank could take care of that issue.

For better ergonomics I would want to have handlebar risers (1" higher and 1" back) installed. Heated grips would definitely be an asset as well as hand guards (bugs hitting the summer gloved hands does hurt...). Would it be worthwhile modifying the Harley, or should I still shop around for "the perfect bike"? I don't know yet.

The new Nolan N-104 modular helmet was a good investment despite some minor issues. With the lid closed the noise level was pleasantly low, no ear plugs were needed. I was happy with the peripheral view and the air flow through the vents was great. The slightly higher weight (300g to the 3/4 helmet) didn't bother me a bit. All in all I am happy with this model, but...

• The flip-up mechanism doesn't seem to like hot weather conditions and is finicky to open once the material heats up.
• The open face shield as well as the lowered tinted inner sun visor are prone to vibrations under highway speed conditions, which make the whole helmet shake. So... keeping it shut!
• When the closed face shield is hit by cross winds at highway speed it makes eerie squeaky noises. First I thought that something was wrong with the bike but then I realized it was coming from the visor. I will re-install the visor and see if it goes away.

The Kriega US20 + US10 drybags combined with the run-of-the-mill no name tank bag was giving me enough room to carry all my gear. I kept the extra motorcycle gear in the US10, which was easily accessible, and adjustable by tightening or losening the straps when packing or removing items. The whole thing is a thought-through concept, and highly recommended for those who like (waterproof) tail packs. I certainly do, because it also provided a nice backrest. The only suggestion for improvement would be some loops for the smaller pack to be able to hook in a shoulder strap and use it as a messenger bag.

 Let the good times roll! 

Photo: courtesy bobskoot

IMBC 2012 - Part 6 - Trip Meter: 2,319km

Good morning said the marmot (at least that's what I think it was.)

The hotel breakfast offered a wide variety of fresh (not canned!) fruit, and made for a good start into the day.

Our last leg of the journey would sum up to about 400km through the North Cascades, heading West towards the coast, and then straight up North to the border.

While we were climbing up the mountain road it got colder by the minute. Down from 20C to 7C. We bundled up good, even making use of our rain gear as wind breakers.

As we were getting closer to the We(s)t Coast, guess what happened... it started drizzling.

The roads were awfully slippery from oil and diesel spills left by countless motor homes and cars. We had to be careful.

 Not much of a view today, so we pressed on.

Leaving the coast mountains behind, we stopped for lunch at the Panino Cafe, which we accidentally found as there happened to be a Starbucks located adjacent to it. The eatery was promoting gluten free wraps and pizza. Talk about destiny.

 A delicious veggie pizza on gluten-free crust for me.

 A split pea soup with a BLT sandwich for the spouse.

We avoided the I-5 and decided to ride the Chuckanut Drive instead. It is always worth the detour.

And while we positioned the bikes for a final picture a truck stopped, a gentlemen got out and immediately peppered questions to Roland asking about the Burgy. He was a 650cc Burgman rider himself and planning his first major road trip to Wisconsin for a family thing.

His colleague was kind of antsy to get back on the road again, so he left with our best wishes for the road trip. Then it was over... after a five minute wait at the border, we were back on home soil again. What a journey.

IMBC 2012 - Part 5 - Trip Meter: 1,904km

We had a long riding day ahead of us, and we wanted to avoid super slabs and highways. We hit the road before 8:30am. It was a bit nippy and we had to get our liners out for the first stretch.

At the Joseph Canyon Overlook

Today's road had a quite a few nice offerings for us. As Roland really seemed to like the twisties he opted for the slow(er) route from Enterprise to Lewiston along OR-3 a.k.a. Rattlesnake Canyon.

We found the Rattlesnake Canyon empty except for a handful of other early two-wheeled birds like us.

And Roland's little Burgy hummed along. No need for a bigger bike he said... well maybe the 650cc Burgman he added after giving it a second thought.

This is where we came from. There is a watering hole at the bottom of the canyon but we had all we needed with us (thanks to Brad and Brandy for those Clif protein bars).

What a contrast to the straight roads we would encounter the rest of the day. We definitely seized every bit of it.

 Out of the canyon into the farm lands.

 Clarkston, WA and Lewiston, ID at the horizon.

Although this corner was loaded with history we didn't dwell. We had to get some serious distance done today.

Palouse County: Rolling hills and farmland as far as the eye could see.

And yes, it got very warm again, so we stopped frequently to sip on our lukewarm water and to stretch our legs. Shadows were scarce in this part of the country.

 In the middle of nowhere, old trucks lined up...

 No longer serving any purpose...

 ... exposed to the ravages of time.

 The kind of road that makes you wonder: Are we there yet?

Ah, finally a shady place under trees, which we generously shared with a couple from Alberta who were traveling on two Beemers.

 Another change of scenery as we entered Soap Lake.

Traffic was weird in the area. Cagers with limited driving capabilities going well over speed limit and tailgating each other. We tried to stay out of their way as good as we could.

 Dry Falls Overlook

Once mighty after the melting of the glaciers the ice was eventually gone, the water stopped flowing leaving the falls... dry. Hence the name.

Chief Joseph Dam Overlook

 Columbia River

We arrived at the hotel at Lake Pateros at 6PM only 3km short of 600km on our trip odometer. Our longest day trip as of today.

 The hotel offers safe motorcycle parking in the garage.

 And a lake view room.

 We were glad to stretch our legs and went for an evening stroll.

We chose the Rivers Restaurant adjacent to the hotel, not expecting much. But we were surprised how nice it was. Roland enjoyed a well deserved Deschutes Black Butte Porter, his favourite North American beer,

 which he combined with a huge hamburger.

Meanwhile I had a spinach/artichoke dip in a bread bowl, accompanied by a side salad. It was yummy!

Coming up: The home run.