Ep1 France Belgium Germany Motorcycle Trip

[@NicholasGordon-cq4ym]

Great find. I am 60 in February 2025. Planning a solo trip on my V85tt Travel to Belgium/ Germany in early May for 2 weeks . Look forward to watching these.

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@NicholasGordon-cq4ym some fantastic riding along border areas of France Belgium and Germany… you’ll have a great time 👍🏻

[@GaryPeckham]

Thanks for this edition. Looking forward to the next 👍

[@ismaelgonzalez5861]

El proximo viaje tienes que venir a España. Gracias por tus videos. ✌✌✌

[@thecampingbiker791]

Gracias 🙏

[@steviejinx1225]

We leave tomorrow for a 3 week trip to France Belgium and Germany...going on my blackbird, can't wait.

[@P6_7R_Nick]

Who says beer doesn't fix anything 😂 Nice 1st spisode. I think I'm gonna enjoy this series. Looking forward to the tent review.

[@thecampingbiker791]

Always good after a hard day and by the evening I was well fixed 😂

[@Taffwildmanofthewoods]

Andrew loved it 👌great editing and a good watch. One down nine to go 👍 atb Taff 🤠👊

[@thecampingbiker791]

Excellent Taff, thanks so much for watching, I’m pleased people like them…wasn’t so sure if they’d work! Just published Episode 2 this evening and will do one every Sunday at 5pm 👍🏻

[@stephendodd9360]

I could almost taste that beer Andrew, you looked enraptured... 😊

[@thecampingbiker791]

I truly and honestly was 😊

[@stephendodd9360]

@@thecampingbiker791 don't think I've ever seen you so worn down... another holiday tale for the future 😁

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@stephendodd9360 It was a truly hard day… having had time to think I realised I’m not as young as I once, age is creeping up and I just did too much the first day!

[@stephendodd9360]

@@thecampingbiker791 sometimes feel exactly the same mate, none of us getting any younger 😉

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@stephendodd9360 indeed but we adapt 😆

[@aunoates6617]

The beauty of unplanned solo trips is usually that you don’t have to go on any motorways! I once did a 12 day trip (on a similar bike….KLE 500) following rivers and lakes, all the way, through France ,Italy and Switzerland . Much more enjoyable but whichever way you do it there’s nothing better than that first beer at the end of the journey!

[@thecampingbiker791]

I can still taste that first beer 🤤

[@aunoates6617]

@@thecampingbiker791 I bet you can! Am really looking forward to the next instalment 🙂

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@aunoates6617 you’ll definitely see more beer 😆

[@mphigham1963]

Andy if you have two or three pints of Leffe you might struggle to find your tent pal 😂Loved the vdeo by the way !

[@thecampingbiker791]

Nope, like a homing pigeon regardless 😂 Cheers 🍻

[@andycooper2317]

I have literally just done the same thing, leaving Bristol Thursday morning to Dunkirk then who knows where for 15 days🤣

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@andycooper2317 you’ll have a blast… nothing better than making it up as you go along…complete freedom! enjoy your trip Andy and I hope the weather gods are with you 😊

[@stevetownsend4137]

Cracking mate, looking forward to the rest of your adventure, nothing like a couple of ice cold lagers to end a stressful day.👍🍻🍻

[@thecampingbiker791]

So true and that reaction to the cold beer was so natural… you could tell because I stopped speaking to the camera 😂

[@andyninja949]

Nothing like a giod beer at the end of a long day andy is there , great vid and look forward to the nxt one bud 👍 👍

[@218colin1]

Lovely video. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the next 9.

[@thecampingbiker791]

Thanks for watching and should be some interesting things ahead 👍🏻

[@waynewaring]

Brilliant Andy, looking forward to the rest of your adventure 😊

[@thecampingbiker791]

Thanks for that Wayne, I wasn’t so sure if it would be interesting for people.. but it is good to look back 😊

[@Dwaindibbley1]

Hi. Great vid. Just found you so subscribed. I must agree with the motorways. I have a Himalayan and it will cruise along at 70-75 but gets thirsty and its all it has for speed. Back roads, fantastic. But add a couple of days to the trip, lol. I will cross the 500x off the list then 😂😊 Stay safe and thanks

[@thecampingbiker791]

Shouldn’t put you off the 500x, I’m working on sorting the vibration out and I’ll post a video when I do or even if I don’t.. which won’t be so good for keeping it 😂 I’m confident I can sort it out 👍🏻

[@johnguest7541]

When you go to Belgium, try the Trappist beer, very good, three strenghs - 7, 9 and 12%. Have a great trip, i will be watching your every move haha! Ride safe my friend. Also if you go to Ostend, there is an excellent chicken restaurant its called the KUK KUK ( my spelling).

[@thecampingbiker791]

Funnily enough I had some Trappist beer in Ypres…. Cheers 🍻

[@phildivalerio]

I rode in the Ardennes last summer on my 500X. Loved the bike there. I did plenty of motorway miles on it as well. Never minded the trade-offs.

[@thecampingbiker791]

Nice riding and camping in the Ardennes,

[@davidcrilley2171]

Can't beat a cold beer at the end of a long day in the saddle. Know what you mean about falling out of love when the bike doesn't feel quite right for the conditions, I hate motorways/dual carriageways, but trust me you'll be back to normal once off the long boring stuff. Have a great time. 👍

[@thecampingbiker791]

That beer was the best beer I’ve ever had….until the evening of course! Keep watching the episodes, I do fall back in love with it 😂

[@SuperDannyboy1974]

Looking forward to the other 9 episodes!! 👍😀

[@thecampingbiker791]

Thank you 🙏

[@joewilliams5396]

Great I look forward to the other videos.

[@thecampingbiker791]

I’m enjoying the look back

[@CarparkCarl]

Here's the video I've been waiting for!

[@thecampingbiker791]

I’m just working on Day Two as we speak, quite nice to see back actually! I’ve also got a video on what camping gear I took and where packed… watch this space 😆

[@CarparkCarl]

@@thecampingbiker791 Plenty of content to come, can't wait, thanks for sharing the journey. Be interesting to see if there is another bike in the household soon :D

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@CarparkCarl cheers Carl… who knows 😉

[@kennywoods8713]

Nice one Andrew, that much motorway would be a killer for me too, problem is sometimes you just want to get there and have to reluctantly use them (all part of the Adventure). Ill probably be using the Hull ferry to Rotterdam. Elixer 1 ive had a couple of years now and its my goto tent, just needs a vestibule ground sheet i think. Bring on Ep2.

[@thecampingbiker791]

Cheers Kenny, I really did too much motorway that first day, but just wanted to get as far as possible first day….I’ve done it in the past but I’m much older now and previous bikes on this type of trip were 1200gsa’s or rt’s so it’s no wonder I was frazzled the first night 😂 I’d prefer the Hull crossing, done it a few times, but it was about £300 more, although it was all a bit last minute for booking! I would look to maybe use it next time though as that trip to Dover was horrible! Good little tent, I’ve also got the Elixir2 so new it would work..did a bit of review on that too! There’s happy days ahead 😃

[@clwydjones1480]

Great to see this , I’ll be going for a few weeks in September on the same bike so I’m keen to see how you get on ! Not surprised by the points you made in your earlier review on the bike for this /trip or your comments here about the motorways and dual carriageways - definitely not its strong points …. looking forward to the next episodes . Really enjoy your videos, thanks 👍

[@thecampingbiker791]

Thanks so much, really appreciate the support.. I’ll also be posting a video on the camping gear I took and where it was packed!

[@alanalan3290]

Great video and just what I want to do solo 👍 and looking forward to the next nine episodes

[@thecampingbiker791]

Thanks Alan, appreciate the support

[@soggybawsmoto]

Free beer is always the best beer 😂

[@thecampingbiker791]

Indeed so 😆

[@shaunlayton9814]

Good job mate 👍

[@thecampingbiker791]

Cheers 🍻

[@lekkarides]

Nice job Andrew. Great to see your adventures. Wonder if the off-road tyres add to the fatigue on the motorways and making the journey less fun.. just a pondering thought.. Look forward to the next upload. Mike @ LR 🙂🇿🇦

[@thecampingbiker791]

Thanks Mike, I think it will be a combination of things, including the tyres but also the first day was a long one and all motorways so even my health/stamina come into play.

[@richardfews2113]

Hi Andrew,this year I looked at changing my 2017 CBX for the 2022 model or the VStrom 650XT and test rode both but ended up not changing.The CBX is indeed underpowered on motorways and overtakes but is great for the small roads and is big enough to tour and is so economic I decided to save the money and spend it on actually touring.Can't wait to get back into Europe.Looking forward to the rest of your series.Richard (Brizzle)

[@thecampingbiker791]

Hi Richard, as they say ‘time is great healer’ and I’m absolutely in tune with your thoughts now 😂 Reflecting on my thoughts post trip about the bike, although I believe accurate about its capabilities, I didn’t really take account of my age and health as a big factor, it’s been about 15 years since travelling into Europe on a bike, that being a 1200RT, and now at almost 63 with some health issues of course my body isn’t going to take what it once could! So, too many miles and hours on first day so next time I’ll adapt to the bike 😊

[@richardfews2113]

So we're the same age.I think the deciding factor is whether you can actually move a loaded bike after you've parked it and also if you can pick it up in the middle of nowhere.The 500cbx ticks this box for me .PS I did camp at the Woodbridge Inn just outside Pewsey a few weeks back.Nice site, pub,beer,food and owners.Its now a tenner a night but still good value.

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@richardfews2113 very good point Richard and the 500 is excellent for that…fairly easy to move even fully loaded

[@christianweller4288]

It’s a tough call.. bike size vs general usability when not touring. A Goldwing might be perfect for a run down to Portugal, but a CRF is better for a trip to the chippy. If there is a middle ground it’s in the CB500x/750 Transalp/NC750 area.. I guess it’s the compromises that makes motorcycle touring compelling. French municipal sites are awesome, but beware of Les Grandes Vacances. The sites fill up with mega-tents and nobody budges for three weeks, can be hard to find a place in August…. and the hotels will all be fully booked too.

[@thecampingbiker791]

Yep, always a compromise and I do believe the 500x is a brilliant little travel bike, just not putting in long motorway days… the other aspect is reliability and frugality which the 500x is on top form so it can be a tough call. When thinking about it, the worst part of whole trip was the ride down from north west to Dover and same for return… truly horrible but then I have to consider I’m much older than previous longer trips done in past! I also did too many motorway miles and hours on the first day so would change that next time, possibly just pay the extra for Hull crossing or stop somewhere nearer to French side of future crossing! I’m not going to rush into changing bike, at least for a couple of years, I’ll just adapt 😊 Good point about their holidays…I’d forgotten what it was like 😬 Thanks for watching and giving your thoughts, all very appreciated Christian 👍🏻

[@christianweller4288]

​@@thecampingbiker791 Also...... looking forward to the next 9 instalments. Appreciate the hard work, filming and editing.👍

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@christianweller4288 thanks Christian, editing takes me longer than filming 😂

[@markc1967]

Hi Andrew. We’re looking at staying at the same site in a week’s time. Did you book in advance, or just turn up? Thanks, Mark

[@thecampingbiker791]

Hi Mark, I just turned up and indeed didn’t pre book any site on the trip, might be different in August but shouldn’t be a problem this time of year… there’s a specific video on the site and good pub/eating place in the village. Have a great time 👍🏻

[@markc1967]

@@thecampingbiker791 after watching your video again, looks like the perfect first night stopover. Excellent content 👍. Thanks and safe travels.

[@thecampingbiker791]

@@markc1967 likewise and thanks for watching 👍🏻

[@camouflage962]

if life is good again just after having had 4 beers... then I hope you will never run out of supplies

[@thecampingbiker791]

I’m easily pleased… beer makes my life good.. in moderation of course 😂