TO THE EDGE OF EUROPE – AND BACK
This trip was inspired by a trip to Portobello market – I said to my brother Mike how I wished to visit the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, having ridden there by motorcycle. At the time, I didn’t even own a bike, but within a month I had bought a 2009 Triumph Bonneville and knew what I was going to do with it. I had the Triumph serviced, new brake pads and tyres fitted – chain and sprockets were fine – and purchased a set of throw-over panniers.
Visiting 10 different countries on the way, I also bought a set of Michelin maps, preferring them to GPS. I still think maps offer a great navigation experience and would prepare a crib sheet each evening for the following day’s ride, listing all the towns I would pass through, road numbers, places of interest, all visible from my tank bag.
Otherwise I didn’t really do a lot of planning, though my bike insurance would need the addition of a green card to cover Turkey, which would provide fully comprehensive cover in the other
