ICELAND - Big Bikes - It’s an adventure not a holiday!

Pacific

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I wasn’t going to do a ride report but this trip was so good it needs a record here.

I will let the photos do most of the talking and I hope the others will contribute as we go along.

So here goes....

I spotted the trip invite posted by Timolgra before Christmas and a subsequent question asking if the trip was pillion friendly. Tim suggested it was which opened the possibility of going with my wife, Anna, as pillion.

She wasn’t very keen initially. The thought of camping, off-road riding and spending 10 days with a bunch of smelly blokes wan’t that appealing for some reason. However, photos from previous trips and a promise to bail to the nearest hotel if things became too wet, too cold or too smelly won her over.

Then there was COVID and it looked like we would not be going, until everything aligned at the last minute and the trip was on. A couple of riders dropped out and their spaces were taken by two mates. So with some last minute packing and bike prep completed and it was time to get the bikes to Hull for shipping.

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We tied the bikes down ourselves in the container.

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And then there were off to Reykjavik.

1 x 1200GS
1 x 1200GSA
1 x Super Tenere
1 x 790 Adventure R
1 x 640 Adventure

Tim was already in Iceland with his 640 and a 1250GS that would be on our trip had gone out with a previous shipment.
 
We all ended up on the same flight out of Luton and managed to find the right bus into Reykjavík and then a taxi to the cafe Tim had asked us to meet him at. From there it was a short walk to the docks to collect the bikes and we were off.

The previous three weeks or so had seen the heaviest rain fall in Iceland since the 1960’s. So we were all relieved that the weather had improved when we arrived and the forecast was looking good.

Once out of the traffic, we soon hit the first section of gravel and my bike was handling really badly due to the weight of all the camping gear and a pillion. This was the first time we’d camped two-up and we’d not had a chance to ride the bike fully loaded due to the rush getting everything ready. At the first opportunity, I palmed off two bags full of wayfarer meals (heavy) to try to reduce the weight and changed the suspension settings, and the bike felt better afterwards which was a relief.

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First stop after picking up the bikes.
 
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Next stop was to see the continental divide, Iceland sits spanning the Mid-Atlantic Ridge tectonic plate boundary which separates the Eurasian and the North American plates. This is one of the few places you can see it above the sea.

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The highlight of the first day was a visit to a glacier.

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And watching Chris try to ride on it :)

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The marker shows the melt this year so far!

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The view coming down.

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Sadly I missed this year's trip with Tim due to other family commitments.

Having seen the pics coming back from the first trip I was relieved as the weather was properly horrible, but looks like you brought the sunshine in with you from Luton :thumb2

Looking forward to this report as it is a truly fabulous place to ride a motorbike.
 
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The first puncture and a good team effort to get it fixed.
 
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First spill of the trip - more to come!

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Day 1 camp and time to make a start on the duty free.
 
Day 2 started with another puncture on the 640.

We think the tube was pinched during the repair the day before. So Tim gently spooned the tyre back on to avoid a second pinch.

It was raining and cold and most of the team had already left the campsite before Lampo noticed that he had a puncture. They waited patiently in the dry and warm at a nearby cafe.

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We eventually got going and headed off in to the rain. The low cloud reduced visibility and temperature as we climbed away from the coast.

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We stopped in a cafe to shelter and warm up.

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Tim decided to cut the route short for the day and head for the campsite, we would have the option to track back tomorrow if the weather was better.

Fortunately the weather improved a little in the afternoon in time for some pics of the scenery.

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Lampo hoping the 640 would make it for the duration of the trip.
 
After pitching the tents a few of us decided to go for a walk around the local town.

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We found a local bar and decided to go in for one beer.

We were soon joined by a trainee solicitor on his way home to the UK from a year in NYC and by Iceland’s version of Pavarotti and his mates from the local football team.

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The beer was flowing.

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Pavarotti’s mates said he came 299th out of 300 in an all Iceland talent contest.

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It turned into an impromptu big night out.
 
Sadly I missed this year's trip with Tim due to other family commitments.

Having seen the pics coming back from the first trip I was relieved as the weather was properly horrible, but looks like you brought the sunshine in with you from Luton :thumb2

Looking forward to this report as it is a truly fabulous place to ride a motorbike.

Ditto on that Toddy. I'm bikeless these days, but am seriously thinking about buying another one and going back to Iceland - if Tim's planning on going next year!
 


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