RTE Calais including Dambusters SS1000 ride Saturday 23rd March 2019 01:45 departure.

GSears

Dambuster... Bouncing panniers...
Premier Member
IBA Member
Sorry - Not familiar with how this forum works. Not keen on broadcasting email address to general public by using wrong function. Can't see a PM facility, is it the "Start Conversation" ? Thanks, John
If you click on my user name on the left under my photo it will give you the option to start a conversation with me. Probably the easiest way in this case, rather than having to look me up.
 

GSears

Dambuster... Bouncing panniers...
Premier Member
IBA Member
Had a query from a member on timings on the European side as they are quite progressive compared to RBLR timings. Hopefully the information below will help allay any trepidation.


A lot of the RBLR mileage is on A roads where progress can be slow. The Continental mileage is mostly motorway. If you can keep your speed up around the 70/80mph mark the times are achievable (You can travel quicker, legally, on the autobahns). The main losses will come if you have long breaks for fuel and other rests. Try to grab light bites/drinks when you stop for other reasons and don't stop specifically for food.

My average fuel stop puts 6 minutes onto my arrival time shown on the SatNav. I check the arrival time as I approach the stop location then check it once I am out and on the move again. (You can check your own lost time for fuel stops in this way) It will be longer than your stationary time as it takes into account slowing and accelerating plus any additional distance travelled on the service area.

Photos could take about 10 minutes. You can cut this time by practising stopping and taking a photo of your bike at a location. You can cut this time to 3 or 4 minutes but you have to be efficient with your Flag and camera. Having them in a tank bag could help, but there is then a trade off when refuelling. I will be providing a laminated A5 sheet to use as a flag, so you will need to use something like this if you practise. (Put it on the bike when you take the photo, they are to help identify participants.)

But remember safety is paramount. If you are tired take a break.

Have a Merry Christmas.
 
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Ian M

Well-Known Member
are there any "recommended" travel insurance and breakdown providers that the experienced ones among us use??

I am not planning on either but I'm not relying on European Health Insurance Card and i don't want to be arguing the issue with a supplier and the bike stuck in Europe accruing storage charges because the incident didn't happen on a Tuesday and i wasn't wearing pink trousers when it happened.

Bike cover always seems such an issue compared to cars.
 

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
Ian, I have recent experience of this.

The EHIC will serve you well for local medical treatment but I also carry travel insurance supplied by NatWest, comprehensive bike insurance, breakdown cover and a further policy paying out in the event of me being hospitalised abroad.

After my recent incident in Belgium, I actually benefitted from carrying my EHIC. The other policies all proved useless, although the NatWest people spent several hours "thinking" before I made my own arrangements for getting me home (mate with a pillion seat). Getting my bike home also entailed a mate, with a van. While renewing my bike insurance afterwards I asked about extra cover for repatriating my bike, they thought about it for a bit before suggesting "mate with a van".
 
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GarminDave

Ex-Arkwright
Premier Member
" (mate with a pillion seat)."

Does that mean I have been upgraded to 'Mate' Status? I do hope I offered more than just a pillion seat and the demonstration of Advanced Riding Techniques (especially the first roundabout in UK) was a reward all in it's self?
 

Aitch

Well-Known Member
For breakdown - try Eurobreakdown. Their breakdown is done through Allianz and I found them to be very good.

For travel insurance Holidaysafe do specific cover for motorcycle trips...
 

Ian M

Well-Known Member
Ian, I have recent experience of this.

The EHIC will serve you well for local medical treatment but I also carry travel insurance supplied by NatWest, comprehensive bike insurance, breakdown cover and a further policy paying out in the event of me being hospitalised abroad.

After my recent incident in Belgium, I actually benefitted from carrying my EHIC. The other policies all proved useless, although the NatWest people spent several hours "thinking" before I made my own arrangements for getting me home (mate with a pillion seat). Getting my bike home also entailed a mate, with a van. While renewing my bike insurance afterwards I asked about extra cover for repatriating my bike, they thought about it for a bit before suggesting "mate with a van".
mmmm
so the moral is - don't have a mishap or if you do, make it quite a large one and then you get the benefit - anything in between just isn't worth it,
and an account with hertz van rental

hope you're getting better anyway
 
Just want to wish all participants in this event a safe and successful ride, I would love to have joined you’s unfortunately I can’t make it due to another commitment
 

GSears

Dambuster... Bouncing panniers...
Premier Member
IBA Member
Could all participants PM me with the name they use on their certificates and make/model/registration of the bike they propose to use (Can be changed later) so that I can prepare the necessary spread sheet.

Eight weeks :eek: and we'll be on our way home:D

Thanks
 

Safari Ferg

Safari Ferg, President IBA Ireland
Premier Member
From HTTPS//en. Wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gibson

The site where the plane crashed is now an industrial site. The streets here have names like Gibsonstreet, Warwickstreet and Dambusterstreet.

The exact location is at 5 Mosquitostraat, where a brick mosaic of a Union Flag and the numerals 1944 are laid (shows up well on Google Street view).
There is also a small exhibition in the Hotel Aarden near the town entrance/harbour.
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The monument in the municipal park of Steenbergen is a propeller of a Lancaster placed on a granite pillar. This pillar is 2 meters high, 72 cm wide and 45 cm deep.

Text on the Memorial:

IN REMEMBRANCE OF W/Cdr GUY GIBSON VC.BSO.DFC SQN/Cdr JIM WARWICK DFC ROYAL AIR FORCE

BOTH LOST THEIR LIVES IN STEENBERGEN 19-9-1944

THEY FOUGHT AND FELL ON THE WINGS OF FREEDOM, THEY LIVE ON IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND TOMMOROW
 

madmac

Well-Known Member
Just looking at if we can fit this in to our schedule, if we can you then count denise in too and possibly a friend who has not yet done such a ride