The ONLY way to See the Alps...

[pglaves]

Hi Paul,

So no self guided ship your own bikes tours. Why is that? (Genuine question given Voni and your background). I know why I take organized tours, curious as to your logic at that time, (or perhaps still?)

In Africa we were considering working for Ayres so did all three tours back to back. In New Zealand it was friends Fred Rau and Ted Simon that convinced us to go touring with them.

Our spot in Texas is one jumping off point for folks embarking to ride about in Central and South America so we have had contact with a few such travelers. It is the issues with carnet's, insurance, etc at border crossings, as well as language skills that are their concerns.

We plan to go back to NZ some day and will rent bikes but not be on a tour.

 

[RBEmerson]

Sigh... when I grow up, I wanna be like Paul.

 

[RBEmerson]

I contacted Stefan Knopf about insurance and comments re: Air Canada His reply was quick and very helpful.

Self-insurance is out. The Powers That Be demand Green Card insurance (includes 7 digit 3rd party liability). That's €195 ($218) for the first month. He recommends 100% comprehensive for €324 ($362) and roadside service €145 ($162). Total is €681 or $762. That's a bundle, and moves the total to $5262 or round it to $5500. The delta against Beach's isn't quite as good but is still significantly under their price.

There are two McGuffins of note. First, the Green Card runs for 30 days effective from the date of issue. Without it, you don't leave customs, period. You can try to fudge it by presenting a copy of the Green Card - it might or might not work. Assume then that DHL or FedEx Air Overnight is needed (approx $65, worst case).

The second is easy to deal with. Age 65 or over, you must present a doctor's statement that the doctor thinks you can operate the bike safely.

For added fees, Knopf can do various tasks to smooth the way. Or you can take your chances and DIY. Refer to Richy Vida's episode 2 of the Wildbad USA tour to get a feel for dealing with extracting your bike from the shipper, etc.

 

[RBEmerson]

Stefan's reply to my question about the doctor's letter is a letter is good for the year. I have a routine checkup appointment with a neurologist tomorrow. We're on v. good terms, so I'm almost certain he'll sign my letter. It's either that or get an appointment with my regular FHP - spendy and hard to get w/o incurring the wrath of my insurer.

ADDED: Letter boilerplate delivered and full letter expected shortly. Woohoo.

 

[RBEmerson]

I've been working through a German book about best Alpine panorama routes. Two, at least, I've done (Zillertal, Luenersee) and have no need to repeat. Three, in the Berchtesgaden area (used by a nasty man with a funny mustache) are simply too far from anything else to use, no matter how pretty the scenery. The routes can be downloaded from the publisher; I've put them into Base Camp. The peaks part of this book series is on its way. I'm also expecting a copy of John Hermann's book. At that point I can pick out the passes of interest and create a Grand Tour. "All" that's left is to edit it down something manageable in two weeks...

 

[globalrider]

That's a bundle, and moves the total to $5262 or round it to $5500.

What is this total that you are talking about?

I get my Green Card for €105 per month. Depending where you fly in, an ADAC office is nearby.

 

[RBEmerson]

I suspect the odds of finding an ADAC office buried somewhere in FRA aren't great. Considering I don't go anywhere until the bike is released, Green Card on hand, the odds of getting to an ADAC office aren't very good. Even if they were, release doesn't happen until the Green Card shows up. Assuming I can take a train from FRA to Frankfurt (city) and find an office and get back to Fraport, that's a ton of time lost. So, "what price convenience?" My only realistic hope is for my b-i-l to get the Green Card at an ADAC office and deliver it to me. That might work if his employers a) send him close to an office and b) give him time to head to Cargo City to bail me out. Back to "what price convenience?"

 

[globalrider]

I suspect the odds of finding an ADAC office buried somewhere in FRA aren't great.

The last time I checked, there was one about 5 kms from the FRA airport. But not all ADAC offices process Green Cards, so you have to check.

 

[RBEmerson]

Is this the office in Niederrad - just east of A5 and south of the Main?

 

[globalrider]

Is this the office in Niederrad - just east of A5 and south of the Main?

That would be it at Lyoner Str. 22, 60528 Frankfurt.

5.5 kms (3 miles) from the airport.

Check if they process Green Card insurance.

 

[RBEmerson]

Since I need to take a cab to get to Cargo City, what's a little jaunt down A5? The comments suggest the office does do Green Cards. Also, there's an indication there may be some reciprocity between the AAA and ADAC. I'll look into that first.

On another topic, what's your process for selecting pensions? That is, how do you filter out that ones that are ...um... less than attractive? There's always Tripadvisor, but that can be a challenge to comprehend on occasion. In general, breakfast alone is fine. Chances are I wouldn't be around for dinner anyway; I expect I'll probably change accommodations daily.

Finally, have you heard of a place called Ansitz Kematen? It's roughly NE of Bolzano, in the town of Kematen. We had lunch there but didn't really have time to find out much about it.

 

[globalrider]

On another topic, what's your process for selecting pensions? That is, how do you filter out that ones that are ...um... less than attractive?

The vast majority of places that I've stayed are very nice. The odd place was very basic with a shared bathroom, but what do you expect for €17 for a room and breakfast. I've stayed in places that are simply incredible and for a mere €65 which includes one hell of a breakfast and dinner. Try that back home.

The first few years, I'd just wing it. I then started to create a list of motorcycle friendly hotels and B&Bs from lists on the motorcycle sites.

If I knew where you are going exactly, I could see if I can recommend anything in the area.

The last few years, I cart along a book listing hotels available from Tourenfahrer that lists them with current prices. For a while now, I use places that I've stayed at before, many of them numerous times. The owners know me quite well.

Finally, have you heard of a place called Ansitz Kematen?

Nope, but I've been on that very nice road it is on between the SS 508 and the SS12.

 

[RBEmerson]

The vast majority of places that I've stayed are very nice. The odd place was very basic with a shared bathroom, but what do you expect for €17 for a room and breakfast. I've stayed in places that are simply incredible and for a mere €65 which includes one hell of a breakfast and dinner. Try that back home.

The first few years, I'd just wing it. I then started to create a list of motorcycle friendly hotels and B&Bs from lists on the motorcycle sites.

If I knew where you are going exactly, I could see if I can recommend anything in the area.

The last few years, I cart along a book listing hotels available from Tourenfahrer that lists them with current prices. For a while now, I use places that I've stayed at before, many of them numerous times. The owners know me quite well.




Nope, but I've been on that very nice road it is on between the SS 508 and the SS12.

Ansitz Kemten is spendy (average €100/night) but a good place for lunch at least. And there's the view of the Dolomites...

I'm not quite sure make of the "biker hotels" and "biker treffen" listed in Touren-Fahren, Motorrad Freizeit, etc. That's part of the reason for preferring pensions.

Thanks for the offer of recommendations. I'm still trying to pull the routing together. Heck, I can't decide whether to jump into the route in Switzerland or Austria or send a day or two in Bavaria. The only certainty is I'll be coming from the Wiesbaden area. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

 

[RBEmerson]

Sena Prism hack

The following is waaaaaay OT but:
I posted the following on the Sena user forum. I'm interested to see if it lasts.

THE FOLLOWING MAY BREAK YOUR PRISM. SENA, OF COURSE, HAS NO REASON TO REPLACE A PRISM BROKEN BY USING OVER-SIZE microSD's! IF THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE

STOP NOW! DO NOT CONTINUE!

IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL BELOW, STOP NOW!

For anyone who wants to use a 64 Gb microSD, here's how it's done.

First, the Prism uses FAT32 file system, and that's limited to 32Gb. But...there's a way around that. I've found two programs that will format to almost any desired device or partition size. Once that is done, the Prism will use that device (microSD) without a problem. Sort of.

First, how to format the microSD. This cannot be done using the camera. This must be done on a PC. AFAIK, there is no Mac version of these programs.

I recommend going to

www dot ridgecrop dot demon dot co dot uk forward slash index dot htm question fat32format dot htm

If this makes no sense to you, STOP NOW!

On the first line of the page, where it says Note:, at the end of that line is the word "here", treated as a link. Use it to d/l the GUI version of the formatter. If you're good with cmd, use that version. It's all the same.

Unzip the program into any convenient folder. Connect the microSD. Run the formatter. It will default to 32 Gb, but offer the actual size of the microSD. Pick that, of course. Do a quick format. Using the file explorer of your choice, add the folder DCIM at the root, and 100MEDIA one level down. Use all caps. At the root level, create a file called prism.bin. I used a simple text editor to create an empty file, and renamed it to prism.bin.

Eject the microSD from the PC and put it into the Prism - power off, of course. Power up the Prism. The microSD level icon will show an empty microSD (filled icon) - this is as it should be. Start using the Prism as usual. If done correctly, the control panel will show time advancing (video or time lapse) or increasing file count for single and burst modes. If none of this happens, try reformatting the microSD 32Gb. That works, try the formatter again, doing a slow format (very, very slow - it's 64Gb on an microSD, after all). If the microSD works in your PC, it should be fine in the camera.

Do not format your microSD in the Prism. It can't format a microSD larger than 32 Gb. It won't create 32 Gb partition or anything else. You must format on a PC. Got that?

If you've gotten to this point and are still confused about the above, killed your microSD, or bricked your Prism, don't blame me. I told you to stop if the instructions aren't clear to you. You're on your own, sport.

At the moment I'm doing a time lapse of a snowfall. Works like a charm.

As I said above, if something goes wrong, don't blame me.

- - - -

In general, the ratio of space used to space on a microSD is slightly under 1 Gb/10 minutes. A little quick math shows a 64 Gb microSD allows a lot of videoing. I haven't test my 128 Gb microSD, but I think the Proof Of Concept testing say 128 Gb is possible, too.

The clever among us will say, but what about the batteries? They're only good for about a half hour. True. But... go to eBay, buy a really huge external LiON battery pack. Mine is rated at 50,000 mHa - that's fifty thousand mHa. Happy filming!

 

[RBEmerson]

What is this total that you are talking about?[/...]

Total cost of the trip (less air fare).

 

[RBEmerson]

Wondering if my AAA membership does anything useful, I came up with the following. Spoiler alert: don't break down in Austria or Switzerland...

Germany?
Services provided to AAA members:

All members are entitled to roadside assistance and free towing to a garage, if necessary. Members should call 01802 22 22 22 or from mobile phones the short number 22 22 22. When the member travels on the motorway and uses the phone booth along the motorway to call for help, the member will receive help from ADAC.
Free maps and books at offices — books are in German.

Italy?
Services provided to AAA members:

Primary Road Assistance:
If visiting Italy for 90 days or less, AAA members driving private vehicles in Italy are entitled to primary assistance (i.e. on-the-spot repair in case of minor breakdowns or towing to the nearest ACI repair shop) free of charge on presentation of their membership card, in case of breakdown or accident.
For service call: 803.116 – toll free, if calling from an Italian landline or mobile phone; 800.116.800 – toll free, if calling from a foreign mobile phone; 39.99.43.116 – reserved for deaf people to call for roadside assistance via SMS (charged according to mobile provider’s rates).
Rental cars are excluded from this benefit, so it is advisable for members to inquire with the rental company as to what to do in case of break down.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: A national driving license is not sufficient for driving in Italy. Please be sure to apply at your local AAA office for an IDP to go with your national driving license before leaving the United States.
Foreign members from overseas driving private cars is not a frequent occurrence in Italy. Should AAA members be asked to pay for the above ACI services, the member should send the original invoice and a copy of a valid AAA membership card to the following address for reimbursement:

Automobile Club d’Italia
Foreign Relations Office
via Marsala 8
00185 Roma
Italy

Austria?
Österreichischer Automobil-Motorrad-Und Touring Club (ÖAMTC)*
Address: Schubertring 1-3
1010 Vienne

Web: www.oeamtc.at

*Club participates in the global discounts program. Members of this club are eligible to receive discounts when traveling to other countries.

Switzerland?
Touring Club Suisse (TCS)*
Address: 4 chemin de Blandonnet
B.P. 820
1214 Vernier

Web: www.tcs.ch

*Club participates in the global discounts program. Members of this club are eligible to receive discounts when traveling to other countries.

 

[RBEmerson]

ARGH!!! Air Canada doesn't have a rate card for this year. It's due in "mid-April". I couldn't even find out whether's cheaper to fly from Toronto or Montreal (same riding distance from Phila.). Talk about messing up reservations... ARGH!

 

[RBEmerson]

Since my last post live has continued on (kinda grim if it hadn't). The lack of a rate card at this point was becoming a two Excederin headache. Waiting until mid-April to pull everything together, in the event that AC's rates were too high, is like last minute Christmas shopping when your anniversary and wife's birthday fall on Christmas. People have been know to survived the experience. Not well, but they have survived. I, for one, have scored on two out of three - our anniversary is on 12 Dec. instead. Whew! Enough babbling...

My wife very kindly resolved the problem. No way are you taking that damn motorcycle to Germany! No way you're riding for two weeks! Or don't bother to come back. I love it when she lays things out so clearly. OK, to be accurate, she really will not ride (forget the trips to New Hampshire, including Mt. Washington, on a Suzuki 305, Cape Cod on a Yammy YDS-3 (250 cc, but who's counting), and the Williamsbug area with a Suzuki T-500 (well, carried in the back of our Econoline "camper" and unloaded at the campsite) two-strokes all - "that was when I didn't know any better"). She wishes (sometimes quietly, sometimes not) I didn't ride. We go to Germany to spend time with her family (who I like and, I hope, like me). That means family vacation if we're there in the summer. My riding has to mesh with that, although the places really have some room for compromise. OK, now you know more about us than you need to know...

The two week trip really is dead. AC shot itself in the foot; waiting until mid-April to create and execute a Plan B really is very unwise. We now have tickets from Lufthansa to get us to and from Frankfurt. We'll grab a couple of days de-jet lagging and doing a general meet&greet. We'll tuck s-i-l and b-i-l and their stuff in the car and head to Munich and spend a night there. I'll present myself to get my K1600GT as the others drive off to... Possibly Lugano, Andermatt, Zell am See... that's up in the air for the moment.

All of this also means completely re-writing my basic game plan. Or, more accurately, rearranging the existing bits and pieces.

One last bit of TMI- yes, I'm sorry Chris won't ride, and yes, sharing digs after a hard day in the saddle will be just fine.

 

[Rinty]

Sorry to hear this RB.

I have family in Europe too, and my wife doesn't ride. So we rent one of these....

 

[RBEmerson]

Some days you're the dog, some days you're the tree.

At least I know we'll be going and that b-i-l (Roland) and s-i-l (Margit) have signed on. Neither ride. But the three of them will find a way to get into mischief.