Seems the sun in Europe just keeps on shining, making this one of our best Austria tours in some years.

Was good to be back in Austria again after missing this tour two years in a row, the first due to loosing my passport and last year due to a health scare. Having said that I wondered if it was going to be one of those tours, as I arrived in Hull a little disgruntled with the Triumph, it just did not feel right, but put it down to having ridden the Pan most of this year. More was to follow as on disembarking in Zeebrugge, one of the bikes had a puncture. Using Uncle Johns compressor (well I left mine at home due to lack of space did,nt I) we found the leak which was too small to plug but a can of sealant  did the trick and we were soon under way.

Our journey was uneventful if a little warm as the temperature rose into the 30's peaking with the traffic jam from hell on the outskirts of Luxemburg. Many miles of filtering later a cold beer beckoned, only to be snatched away when a bike would not start after a petrol stop. A jump start soon had it started, only for it to stop several times when the revs dropped in traffic, we finally arrived early evening.

The next day was an easy run through the Vosges Mountains, it was one of those perfect days where you could see for miles. A text from our breakdown couple bike confirmed the worse and what we thought was a faulty battery turned out to be an alternator and regulator failure - and being France meant that repairs could not be completed until Wednesday (this being saturday).

The following day a good run across Switzerland saw us enter Austria and to our destination, a well know bikers hotel in the Tirol. 

I think our 4 day stay there was the best we have ever had for weather and we got to do several passes including the Stelvio, which is not one of my favourites, but understand that it is on many peoples 'bucket list'. The Triumph was performing faultlessly and along with exceptionally quiet roads made the ascent relatively easy.

Being a BMW hire centre, several people hired bikes to try. Mainly the new 1000 XR and the RS. I quiet liked the XR, but assuming it had the standard silencer was far too noisy (yes I know I'm old - but not yet deaf) I also found the foot pegs a little in the way when putting your feet on the ground. I did not ride the RS, but those that did had this as a clear favourite of the two.

Our return saw us take a cross country route through Lichenstein and Switzerland onto the B500 and into France. Our stop was at a medieval village on the wine route, again the fantastic weather making everything look so scenic. Our breakdown couple rejoined us, having had their bike repaired, and at least got to enjoy the last few days.

Our tour finished with two nights in Trier, morning rain tried to spoil things, but the forecast was not as bad as predicted and we took a short ride to Bernkastle along the Mosel River - always one of my favourite places.

Traffic free run this time back through Luxemburg spoilt only by heavy rain as we approached Zeebrugge.

On returning from the ferry the Triumph again did not appear right and so I called in at my usual tyre fitter to ask their advise. 'where you come from lad' , Hull I replied, 'its that bloody M62, the surface is terrible - nowt wrong with it' - and he was right. Having said that after Norway I am thinking of changing it for a new Tiger 800 - I recently rode one of these and really enjoyed it. So if you are in the market for a red Tiger Explorer, give me a call.

All in a very enjoyable tour, good group of riders, many who have been with us before and a few welcome new faces. A big thanks to Dave (now known as Dave the click) who was a former newspaper photographer, and sent in some great photos (no - not the page 3 type) which along with my own have given us a pretty good collection for the picture gallery.