Diary - ZX11, 24 days sport touring western Europe This was originally posted to the newsgroup rec. Sort of the way this version of forum software limits the max size of a post, forcing multiple posts to post the story. Anyway, it was copied from my diary I kept during my Europe road trip. Wonderland, Western Europe, France, especially the South of France, these are all synonomous to me when I think of where I most want to ride my motorcycle. This is a story about a longtime dream becoming reality, about attending a rain-soaked GP race in Assen, Holland, and sport touring in Europe.
It is about 24 days in Europe with my ZX, seven days of riding and 3, miles of almost always perfect roads, and the true meaning of Sport Touring as practiced and observed "over there". Wonderland held many new and interesting things to do, see, and learn for me. Things like riding for extended periods of time at 90 mph and not worrying about massive insurance premium increases. Or cars that actually and consistantly give way to motorcycles.
How novel! There was the day I was forced by a clattering chain to seek a Kawasaki dealership in Belgium and ended up losing two days of travel, offset by assistance exceeding the call of duty from the Belgium highway patrol and a chance to get to know some of the wonderful people of Belgique. There were days when I cursed the shallowness of my ability to speak and understand French, more often than not met with understanding and willingness to overcome the language barrier.
My seven days of riding were equally split between rain and blazing heat, with one day in the middle that was just exactly right. I hope I can do this kind of thing again, but if I cannot, I will always have this experience and its memories.
And I'm not getting any younger, much as I hate to admit it! But the story really begins twenty-one years ago, when I purchased my first bike, a used Kawasaki H1. Things sure have changed since then, haven't they? It picks up again about a year and a half ago when I purchased a new motorcycle after doing without for far too long. The process of reassociating with others of similiar persuasion began anew, and before long I found myself frequenting Alice's Rest- araunt on Skyline Drive in Woodside, California on warm Sunday mornings and showing up at strange events like the USGP and Kawasaki Day just to be around motorcycle people and their motorcycles.
