So I’ve been doing more running for trains, this time queue jumping with staff help to buy train ticket. Didn’t occur to me before that as I’m crossing a border they’d be passport check involved.
Got to train with a couple of minutes to spare only for it to be cancelled. Then the next one was changed to not stop at my stop and there was one final train two hours after the original.
By this time Sir Hubaxe, my knight in shining armour rang and said he’d come and get me. Writing this as I wait. Greatful to have time to get some water and grub which I haven’t managed to do for last seven hours due to all the dashing for train connections.
It’s that all right Steve. Makes you feel powerless when you really wish you could help. Happened to me inthe Cévennes in France. Bike just started instantly blowing fuses. Didn’t have recovery either. Luckily my mate also had a black ZZR1200 and he sportingly swapped number plates and rode “my” bike home while l arranged recovery for his. French dealer couldn’t fix it…but l had it working within one cup of coffee. Zut alors! Should have just tried fixing it…
Just had call from Triumph dealers who I emailed in Italian. Fortunately he spoke good English. They haven’t got my bike yet, it’s due this morning,.but he sort of confirmed what I expected, which is that they’re probably too busy to do anything in time. My break down cover will cover getting bike home if it can’t be repaired in time, and I think they pay for my journey home. My travel insurance would probably also cover the latter too. But getting bike home is the main thing.
This is all what I was expecting, but got to go through the process. My RAC Europe cover is provide by a European company based in France I believe which then contracts out work on a country by country basis.
So, this morning I got a phone call I wasn’t expecting. Triumph dealers ringing to say they’d fixed the bike! Said something about corosion and starter solenoid, and mentioned a price over 500. Didn’t get all details, just started packing my stuff.
@Hubaxe helped yet again by getting me to Geneva and then I did the 5 hour train journey, last half in a cramped and overcrowded train that took me back to the days of my work commute. Nicer scenery though.
I looked for hotels, and they weren’t many, but fortunately one was over the road from the dealers so was the obvious pick. It involved nearly a mile walk with all my gear, but better than having that treck tomorrow.
The restaurant in hotel looked too formal, the sort of place I feel uncomfortable in back home anyway, even without a language barrier, so I turned around and ran a mile. Well, 100 meters to a garage cafe, where I bought a pizza slice and a beer to consume in. Then a mars bar and the bottle of wine to go. Hotel mini bar had half bottle of wine for 30 quid, garage had a full bottle for 14.
Just looked at weather forecast and looks like I’ll be riding through snow, freezing temperatures and strong headwind all day tomorrow
Edit, that may be on the mountains. To get up through Switzerland this time I’ll be doing the toll roads and motorways which may be in double figures temperature wise. Apart from the weather issue I want to stick to easy routes because satnav died from the water.
Just a thought, if you are going to use the Swiss motorways you will need a vignette I think. Not sure if you have one ? @hubaxe may confirm…?
If you want to take a car, motorbike, trailer, caravan, delivery van or camper (up to 3.5 tonnes) on Swiss motorways and expressways, you need a motorway vignette sticker. You can buy eine e-vignette or a sticker vignette. The vignette must be stuck to the inside of the windscreen and must be clearly visible.
Exactly 40 EUR and it’s not for a year it’s until next Jan 31st, so what I just bought doesn’t cover me if I came again next spring. Still that’s peanuts compared to what this trip has costed me.
Well, I’m not going to let myself believe it until I’m actually actually on the road. But I do have this dream to be embibing serveral Guinness on Sunday evening on a ferry bound for blighty.
It’s certainly been character building…
We’ve not bought enough warm clothes and we are in the car. It is unseasonably cool down these parts.
Good luck…!
Hotel mini bar had half bottle of wine for 30 quid, garage had a full bottle for 14.
