I had a great 10 day motorbike tour around the coast of Ireland this month (april) on my new used BMW 1200gs adventure. Apart from a couple of teething issues it has done 7000 miles since October (6months) and is shortly off for a trip round the coast of Scotland including a little jaunt to Orkney as well at a trip to Norway later in the year. Undoubtedly it going to three sets of tyres this year but at least Im saving on not buying a set of chain and sprockets. Talking of tyre the fantastic mellifluous roads in Ireland meant my new Metzler Tourance rear is about shot after 3000 miles. Its one of the rare times I have worn a tyre out almost as much on the edge as in the middle.
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This was the actual track from the trip.
Originally I was off on my motorcycle tour round the coast of Ireland as far a Sligo and then going to cut back across although with the weather being so bad (with gale-force winds) for a few days I couldnt get the boat out to the Arran Island etc. This meant that I got a couple of days ahead of schedule so decided to go for the full coastal circumnavigation.
Fast Ferry from Holyhead was two hours and cheapish at £110 quid return and the first night camping in Wexford meant I set off at 8am and was tent up at 6pm.
Instead of doing a full trip report which would actually be quite boring in the sense that it was very much just a riding trip Ill try and do some extended captions for the pictures. Most of them feature the r1200gs because I like to put the motorcycle in context and although I am a photographer please forgive any slightly lazy snaps. I was after all on holiday.
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.jpg "r1200gs motorcycle tour ireland") |
| Wexford the first overnight camp. Small campsite near swimming pool of fine and close to town. r1200gs |
.jpg "r1200gs motorcycle tour ireland") |
| Wild Camping in County Cork. This pretty little spot is Inch Beach (not the more famous one further North) and is south of Cork. Google Earth is very useful for finding unofficial campsites. |
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.jpg "VauDe terraquattro r1200gs ireland") |
| More shots from the first wild camping night of the trip. Big sea rolling in was very load. New Vaude Terraquattro tent proved wind and rain resistant and being a three man has a bit of extra room for drying wet stuff. |
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.jpg "r1200gs ireland Touratech Trailer") |
| Yet another ridiculous stupid Touratech add-on. Pointless BMW accessories. |
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.jpg "r1200gs ireland Slow through grotto") |
| Not a sign I have seen before....Brightening up a very wet day... |
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.jpg "BMW r1200gs Adventure rainy") |
| I stopped in fact.. Crazy Grotto very everywhere. All made me think of Father Ted. These days of bad weather made me appreciated the weather protection on the BMW r1200gs Adventure. You only really get wet when you stop! |
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.jpg "BMW r1200gs Adventure") |
| West Coast - Already forgotten where this is!!! Near Baltimore I think! Another boggin wet day. |
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.jpg "r1200gs healy pass ireland") |
| Heading up to the Healey Pass in Ireland. Great roads but on this day the wind was so strong I also got pushed off this rock by a gust. |
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.jpg "healy pass on motorcycle") |
| Heading up to the Healey Pass in Ireland. Great roads but on this day the wind was so strong I also got pushed off this rock by a gust. |
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.jpg "healy pass") |
| Healy Pass. A great road like a piece of dropped spaghetti. Lovely on a motorcycle and even better in the dry. |
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.jpg "Great winding coast roads on the Beara Peninsula. Fun on the big r1200gs adventure.") |
| Great winding coast roads on the Beara Peninsula. Fun on the big r1200gs adventure. |
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.jpg "r1200gs yellow") |
| It was at this point of the holiday I realised I had spent too much time on my own!!! R1200gs Adventure in the whin bushes. |
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.jpg "ring of kerry motorcycle") |
| Wild wind whipped Atlantic. Ring of Kerry Road near Caherdaniel. Nice campsite and beachside bar/restaurant. |
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.jpg "ship house kerry") |
| Fantastic Ship House in Rath , Co Kerry. Even has a ships wheel on the balcony. |
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.jpg "County Kerry on a motorcycle - well worth it!") |
| County Kerry on a motorcycle - well worth it! |
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.jpg "gap of dunloe motorcycle") |
| Gap of Dunloe - is possibly the maddest road in the west coast. It is super tight and undulating. Like a mini rollercoaster. This is just a small part of it and the end heads up to Molls Gap - In contrast a great wide sports bike road. R1200GS seems to not really mind what road your on. |
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.jpg "conner pass dingle r1200gs") |
| The Dingle Peninsular. Lovely Road for a motorcycle around the coast and inland. The Conner pass is wonderful. |
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.jpg "r1200gs father ted") |
| Father Teds House on the Burran.. R1200gs at Father Teds house. Craggy Island Parochial house |
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.jpg "burran county clare r1200gs") |
| A spot of light trail exploring on the Burran in County Clare. Its a very striking landscape and very pretty in its own way. One of the best things about touring on the r1200gs adventure is the ability to explore a little off the beaten track. |
.jpg "burran county clare r1200gs") |
| A spot of light trail exploring on the Burran in County Clare. Its a very striking landscape and very pretty in its own way. One of the best things about touring on the r1200gs adventure is the ability to explore a little off the beaten track. |
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.jpg "Mizzen Point") |
| Mizzen Head on the South Coast of Ireland. Atlantic waves roll in to the rocky shore. |
.jpg "connemara r1200gs") |
| R1200gs in Connemara - Very like West Coast of Scotland. |
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.jpg "Connemara in ireland") |
| Connemara in Ireland - r1200gs - Watched the gale force wind spinning over the loch for 10 mins whipping up water spouts...amazing. |
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.jpg "R1200gs adventure on beach") |
| Posing in poor weather on a rocky beach. Somewhere near Sligo. R1200gs adventure bon beach. |
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.jpg "R1200gs adventure on beach") |
| Posing in poor weather on a rocky beach. Somewhere near Sligo. R1200gs adventure on beach. |
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.jpg "?ireland west coast") |
| Ireland West Coats heading up to Malin Head. |
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.jpg "motorbike donegal") |
| Heading up the coast in Donegal. Which is very pretty and similar to a lot of the south. Great on a motorbike. |
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.jpg "motorcycling in donegal") |
| Heading up the coast in Donegal. Which is very pretty and similar to a lot of the south. Great on a motorbike. |
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.jpg "r1200gs waterfall") |
| r1200gs at waterfall in Donegal...Waterfall between Maghera and Ardara |
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.jpg "Donegal beaches") |
| Donegal beaches are huge and spectacular. Brilliant places for wild camping where you can really get away from it all and stare at the sea. |
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.jpg "hook point r1200gs") |
| Hook Point latitude 52° 7 25.7" N longitude 6° 55 45.1" W One of the oldest working lighthouses in the world, on the County Wexford coastline. r1200gs and a flask of coffee!! |
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.jpg "mamore gap") |
| Mamore Gap. Very straight on one side and very bendy on the other. (make up your own jokes?) One of the 3 fair days out of 10! |
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.jpg "track mountains r1200gs") |
| Exploring the Mountain roads in County Donegal. Plenty of tracks to explore on the r1200gs Adventure. |
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.jpg "?moody irish sky") |
| Moody Irish Sky in Wexford. |
.jpg "r1200gs sandunes") |
| Magilligan Point, close to County Donegal. Lovely sand dunes and fun to explore on the stupidly big trail unit |
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.jpg "Danger Blow Holes !") |
| Danger Blow Holes ! |
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| More Donegal Dunes |
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.jpg "R1200GS worn Tourance") |
| Ireland has many twist roads and despite much bad weather this Metzler Tourance looks pretty used on the sides at 2500 miles...R1200GS worn Tourance |
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| The Giants Causeway. Underwhelming! |
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.jpg "R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges") |
| The Dark Hedges of County Antrim. A local suggested I have at look at this road and it was worth the 10min trip off the main road. (Head for the Gracehill Golf Course)... R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges. |
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.jpg "R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges") |
| The Dark Hedges of County Antrim. A local suggested I have at look at this road and it was worth the 10min trip off the main road. (Head for the Gracehill Golf Course)... R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges. |
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.jpg "R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges") |
| The Dark Hedges of County Antrim. A local suggested I have at look at this road and it was worth the 10min trip off the main road. (Head for the Gracehill Golf Course)... R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges. |
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.jpg "R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges") |
| The Dark Hedges of County Antrim. A local suggested I have at look at this road and it was worth the 10min trip off the main road. (Head for the Gracehill Golf Course)... R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges. |
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.jpg "R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges") |
| The Dark Hedges of County Antrim. A local suggested I have at look at this road and it was worth the 10min trip off the main road. (Head for the Gracehill Golf Course)... R1200gs Motorbike in Dark Hedges. |
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