Europe ~ BMW F650GS
| Who | Jouni Lahdelma ~ email |
| Profession | IT-consultant |
| Born 1965 | Nationality Finnish |
| Previous travel experience | Around europe in business and leisure |
| Previous bike travels | 25 years ago 100 kilometers from Porvoo to Kouvola with moped. Wow! |
| This trip | Eastern Europe, Spain |
| Departure date | May 2007 |
| Number in group | 1 |
| Trip duration | 5 weeks |
| Distance covered | 10000 Km |
| Cost of trip (not incl. bike) | 1500 Euros |
| Best day | If I must pick one...Cruising across Parque Regional de Carrasco y El Valle in southern Spain |
| Worst/ hardest day | Riding from Andorra to Belgium in 24 hours while it was raining and 10 degrees Celsius. Tired. Hungry. Exhausted - but somehow enjoying myself. Weird. |
| Favourite place | On the saddle of my bike |
| Biggest headache | Driving habbits (and skills) in eastern europe. Got a feeling they try to hunt me down. |
| Biggest mistake | Hmmm. None really. I do not make those. Ever. |
| Most pleasant surprise | Keeping the budget |
| Any illness | None |
| Other trips planned | Always |
| One travel tip | Do not make rigid plans. Improvise. Have someone back home to check things for you from internet. |
| Bike Model | BMW F650GS |
| Age/ mileage on departure | 10000Km |
| Modifications | Higher windshield |
| Mods you wish you'd done | As good as it gets. If you feel you need to make improvements, consider changing your itinerary or selecting another bike instead. |
| Type of baggage | BMW panniers and tank bag. Ortlieb on top. |
| Tyres used | Metzeler Tourance |
| Number of punctures | None |
| Bike's weak point | Comfortable cruising speed at motorways |
| Bike's strong point | Overall performer |
| Bike problems | None |
| Number of accidents | None |
| Same bike again? | Yes - but not for the highways |
| One biking tip | Use Garmin Nuvi or similar flat shaped navigator under you tank bag window pocket. Touch screen works through the window. |