UK to Austria - BMW R1150GS Adventure
| Who | Mike Edkins ~ email |
| Profession | Manager Print Factory |
| Born 1967 | Nationality English |
| Previous travel experience | Europe, America, Australia etc |
| Previous bike travels | UK and Western Europe |
| This trip | Bristol to Grossglockner, Austria and back |
| Departure date | April 2007 |
| Number in group | Two |
| Trip duration | 5 days |
| Distance covered | 2400 miles 3860 kms |
| Cost of trip (not incl. bike) | Approx 700 euros |
| Best day | Tuesday afternoon across the Grossglockner glacier and Wednesday morning north from Innsbruck |
| Worst/ hardest day | From Stuttgart to Bristol (650 miles) in one hit |
| Favourite place | Bikers Point at top of the Grossglockner and the bar at the end of the day |
| Biggest headache | Bike overheating in traffic jam on the autobahn, traffic between Wurzburg and Munich going cross country. |
| Biggest mistake | Taking too many clothes (as usual!) and lending my Airhawk seat to my friend who was crippled at the end of day one. |
| Most pleasant surprise | Road out from Innsbruck to Garmisch |
| Any illness | None |
| Other trips planned | Trans-Canada |
| One travel tip | Travel light |
| Bike Model | 2005 BMW R1150GS Adventure |
| Age/ mileage on departure | 16,000 miles |
| Modifications | None |
| Mods you wish you'd done | Lowered pegs, y-piece and aftermarket can to hear it going through the tunnels! |
| Type of baggage | Hepko and Becker panniers and tank bag |
| Tyres used | Tourance |
| Number of punctures | None |
| Bike's weak point | Low speed handling in traffic and overheating |
| Bike's strong point | Pulls like a train and runs all day (15-16 hours each day) |
| Bike problems | Overheating, ABS failing |
| Number of accidents | None |
| Same bike again? | Yes |
| One biking tip | Don't be too rigid with the plan as it will change without a doubt! |