What kind of motorcyklist am I? Well, rides year around normally about 15000-25000 km/year. On winters there will not be so many kilometers. I mostly like long touring rides, often the tent with me. At home sometimes it happens that the bike can stays in garage up to couple of weeks without touching the bike. When travelling alone, my rides usually starts early in the mornings, first hours just riding slowly, philosophize and enjoy the silence........I like that! Below you may get some ideas among others what kind of motorcyclist I am.........

Whim 1: Deciding one morning to take a ride. Put the tent on bike in case of sleeping over somewhere, who nows? In one way or other the trip ends up in Haparanda nearby Finnish border and thinking which way the journey goes now. Decides to throw coin before entering the bank and exchange value. My choises are Norway and Nordkap or Åland in south of Finland. Nordkap wins the cointhrow and the journey starts. In Nordkap I notice that the weather is very nice and therefore some extrakilometers becomes by Tromsö and Narvik before arriving at home. That happens when you take the tent with you! *distancenote: from Boden to Nordkap by Haparanda about 900 km

Entrance-fee 175:- NKR. Expensive 15 minutes. Ferry to the isle. Nowadays tunnel to the isle.

Whim 2: Decides to buy a new bike, a brand new Transalp. Unfortunately it´s here in north of Sweden sometimes, that you have to buy your bike from leaflets. In this case I was worried, because the TA was totally upgraded with new chassi and not at least, new colours. At this time, in february, it happens to be a bikeexhibition in Stockholm (Älvsjömässan). Phonecall to Honda importer and they tells me that they will have a green TA on the exhibition. Perfect, jumps in the car on Thursday late evening and drives whole night the 1000 km´s to Stockholm. Arrives the exhibition Friday 10,00 am, checks out the TA which looks nice. Leaves the Stockholm in two hours and drives to Sundsvall, where I at last get some sleep. On saturday homejourney with a digression to the local hondadealer and a new TA ordered. That happens when you are colour-blind!

Transalp 650 on the exhibition. TA at home 40 km´s old.

Whim 3: In Denmark in holidays, makes a phonecall at home one morning and they tell me that Jesper has learn how to crawl. What have I missed! Of my five kids I´ve never missed an important occasion like this. Gets a dreadful homesickness and pack the bike fast for homeward. Because of ferrys and like that I don´t get home at the same day, but are after all next morning at home and regards the "miracle". That happens when you have babys! (*distancenote: from Boden to the ferry boarding Denmark about 1400 km)

Copenhagen. Nice city with lot to do. Danish westcoast. The tough ones rides after the beach.

Whim 4: Hates snow and do not like neither skiing or shovelling. Cold and miserable winters but superb summers makes me stay up here. Well, decides middle of the winter to fix a winterinterest also outside of the home. A snow-scooter should be nearest? Gets for a look after one and on afternoon it´s parked outside the house.........not the snow-scooter, a Suzuki TS 250. Next day I put on some nails and after that have many kilometers skids. That happens when you have to like the snow also!

Suzuki TS 250 -88. Ridden with ordinary carnails.

Whim 5: Are in Germany and Netherlands and cruising. In Netherlands somebody steels my rainclothes. Becomes pissed of and immediately turns my way home to Boden for a calm down and paint on the house couple of days. Bike stays still in garage unpacked after the dutchtrip when I decide to take a tour by Karlstad to south of Norway....and next day I was on road again. Including two days painting under this two weeks I rode 10000 kilometers!!! Still was this summer I rode almost least bike. That happens when you lose your rainclothes! (*distancenote: shortcut from Boden to Amsterdam in Netherlands about 2400 km)

Passing 30 km long sandbank ower the water. Assen. GP-circus a week later.

Whim 6: Borrows from NHMC their turboloaded Honda Blackbird for a while. One day it´s raining. The problem is when riding about 100 km/h and idling a little bit the rearwheel starts to spin! Nasty feeling! Unesaniess feeling becomes and I ride the bike at home and garage it. After that was the Blackbird ridden with respect and only on dry roads! That happens when you try to ride a monster!

Jonna and the Blackbird. Unruly, both of them. 282 hp.

Whim 7:Tells my relatives one evening that if I wake up early next morning I may go for a early ride among others to Piteå. At the afternoon my mobilephone rings, it´s my wife who had become worried and wondering where I was. Tells here that because of the nice weather I just had forgot the time and was in Norway. Nice daytrip, about 1200 km, but it went little bit cold in Norway this day. Met some nice biketourists and chat some words with theme. That happens when you wake up early! (*distancenote: from Boden to Piteå about 80 km)

In Norway by Silvervägen. Curious sheepfamily outside of Mo i Rana.

Whim 8: Philosophizing few days how many countrys you manage to visit on a holiday. The days goes on when I notice that it´s not so many days left to ride. Besides that you have to transport your self about 1500 km down and 1500 km up through Sweden. Pack the bike and next day I was on roads again. Manage to visit 11 countrys in europe in nine days, not so bad! That happens when you want to miss all the seeings! (*distancenote: shortcut from Boden to Stelvio in Italy about 2900 km)

On way to Grossglockner in Austria. The Stelviopass in Italy. About 3500 m hight.

Whim 9: Haven´t plan my holiday at all after a hectical time. Well, the target of my holiday will be fixed, just get on bike and ride south I thinks. On way south my thoughts are all the time around Barcelona, Grossglockner or why not the french riviera? Outside the Öresundsbridge in Malmö I suddenly make up my mind, Nordkap of course! Just turn back and in a few days I was there. That happens when you can´t make up your mind in time! (*distancenote: from Boden to Malmö about 1500 km)

Tger want´s back outside of Malmö. The symbol of Nordkap.

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