1980 GS550E Electronic ignition .... issue

[roeme]

I recognize the place ukjules was staying, it's not a bad neighborhood, but it's far from posh as well.

Had to correct myself, the thumbnail picture threw me off. This place is absolutely no problem. I pass it often.

Good, place is still a dump.

By 'place', you are referring to...?

[ukjules]

I have had to leave Italy as took off at 8am for lyon .
Management decision 're state of bike.
Arrived safely but take it easy on rear shocks.
It was a test can a old bike take pouring rain
For half of the way. I endured it .
Main roads but what scenery through the rain !
And tunnels.


I stayed in the awful area in zurich.
My picture is not where I stayed .
I thought mysellf in a scene from taxi driver.

It is awful. Building works everywhere, rain makes it even more awful.
I will never go there again .
I must learn to leave the big cities unless they are like Venice , Prague .....
On this trip the good times all have been in small towns.
I long for the rolling hills of the Somme again in summer.
What history , what scenery , what nice people.

Lyon now on outskirts in cheap hotel..
Too tired to go to cebtrer and too mu h bother tonavigate
Buses. There is no way I'm riding in after Zurich.


Decision now , home via central France to cherbourg
Or via Barcelona and santandwr.
I long for Spain and the sea.

260 m radius is the max I can ride now in a day.
Easily but that is it now after 23 days out.

[tatu]

I have had to leave Italy as took off at 8am for lyon .
Management decision 're state of bike.
Arrived safely but take it easy on rear shocks.
It was a test can a old bike take pouring rain
For half of the way. I endured it .
Main roads but what scenery through the rain !
And tunnels.


I stayed in the awful area in zurich.
My picture is not where I stayed .
I thought mysellf in a scene from taxi driver.

It is awful. Building works everywhere, rain makes it even more awful.
I will never go there again .
I must learn to leave the big cities unless they are like Venice , Prague .....
On this trip the good times all have been in small towns.
I long for the rolling hills of the Somme again in summer.
What history , what scenery , what nice people.

Lyon now on outskirts in cheap hotel..
Too tired to go to cebtrer and too mu h bother tonavigate
Buses. There is no way I'm riding in after Zurich.


Decision now , home via central France to cherbourg
Or via Barcelona and santandwr.
I long for Spain and the sea.

260 m radius is the max I can ride now in a day.
Easily but that is it now after 23 days out.

Your bike is fine, you got support, you'll get shocks (if you must have them) I know what I would do......

[ukjules]

I must admit being told by owners club site to continue is helpful !
I would have gone under / over the alps to Turin and then
Onto places informed of to nice , but I thought the suspension would
disintegrate.......
I chickened out as have never done that and it was gored goal rain in Zurich.

It is like both shocks lost all oil and seals but as you say
it is fine , iv done 500m with them like this.

New being sent to base at UK. Will be there by Wed.
I am aiming for a rioutous place to get them sent too.
Barcelona .... So I can await them in peace and beers.

But. As always I follow the weather. Nice is perfect now
Montpelier is perfect.
Montpellier it is then, then I can go either way.

It is just down here in s France I can't think of any place to go
off the motorways .... Like the history up north.
No military sites.
My ideal would be to spend a week holed up in the perfect village awaiting parts.
I'll think when I get to Montpellier.
Again not booked anything down there and will just leave to fate ....

My lack of knowledge down here makes me go on .motorways chasing sun.
Also campsites are closing as out of season.
Mad as like a English summer weather !

2370 miles so far over 26 days

[Charlie G]

Nice prose

[ukjules]

tmp_10989-IMAG16101957096685.jpg

I made the decision and went from Lyon to Montpellier , camped , then immediately to near Barcelona.
Picture is a celebration I made it to Spain in tossa de Mar.
Oh and its sunny ! Went snorkling.

Bike ok and wackednthe suspension up 2 notches .
Tested today asbstayong in hotel here fornfewbdays to rest up
And went for burn on bike unloaded.
Oh you should see these roads !

My mind isbset on Gibraltar now .
Mad qhatbhappens on this site. I only asked about electronic ignition
And ended up in Spain !

[Charlie G]

It looks really nice there.

[tatu]

Just to say that the suspension should've been up on their hardest with the bike loaded up like it is.

You will be going along the Costa Del Sol and the main road that runs along the bottom is dubbed the most dangerous in Spain, its ok just be aware. The best places to stop are a couple'v miles back from the coast, serene and delightful little places in the hills.
Gib is one big traffic jam and the border is a busy place all the time especially at rush hours with workers crossing to and fro, so bike is the way to go, plenty of military history there, the mountain is honeycombed with caves 37 miles I think, also I think you can get guided tours there now. Top of the mountain is worth a visit if you can round all the tourist busses. There are some ok bars in Gib but Spain is better I think. Also keep your eyes open the immigrants from Africa have a bad reputation, round Algeciras and La linear keep your wits about you. It's ok but just keep your eyes open. UK currency is legal tender there as it is vice versa however, in UK you will find it difficult to pass off Gib pounds.
You're in a good place to cruise via Portugal from Gib or Tarifa.

[ukjules]

tmp_30564-IMAG1648-1939795954.jpg

Herbs (motorbikes name ) half way up Montserrat today.

I am heading south . Big jump of 270m tomorrow for herbs.
But will be in alicante and then easy jumps down south.

Sounds horrendous down there but I'll keep ready to attack anyone
Who looks suspicious .
Valencia , almeria , Malaga , Seville , Gibraltar and algrave
are the targets.

I'll up the suspension am tomorrow.

Glorious sun and warm here !
Sea lapping on shore with beers . To he'll with work
ifnibhad a job that is.

Advice taken !

[Charlie G]

[ukjules]

tmp_19354-IMAG1664-61154709.jpg

280m to bendidoem. I had to see it !
Anyway on route and pulling off toll road for last 100m I ended up on the
Cv 70 road. Google it.

It is simply the best road I have ever seen . Awesome , fabulous views.
All this near benidorm !
Hire a car an d with 3 miles you'll be on it heading up a mountain

A fabulous bike ride and pic is ok bike near top.
Sunny and hot now too.

Big issue with hotels again and again. chasing about in the
twilight to find accommodation. I so wish I could just wild camp..
It would make this trip truly magnificent. Not done it yet though.


Almeria next. Then Granada.
Thing is I am Tiring now. This is no holiday.
Travel like this is not a holiday.

[tatu]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]47776[/ATTACH]

280m to bendidoem. I had to see it !
Anyway on route and pulling off toll road for last 100m I ended up on the
Cv 70 road. Google it.

It is simply the best road I have ever seen . Awesome , fabulous views.
All this near benidorm !
Hire a car an d with 3 miles you'll be on it heading up a mountain

A fabulous bike ride and pic is ok bike near top.
Sunny and hot now too.

Big issue with hotels again and again. chasing about in the
twilight to find accommodation. I so wish I could just wild camp..
It would make this trip truly magnificent. Not done it yet though.


Almeria next. Then Granada.
Thing is I am Tiring now. This is no holiday.
Travel like this is not a holiday.

you'll be fine, have you tried to ask people in the places you like the look of?

[ukjules]

It is a case of ask about and you will find.. Hammering through on motorways you miss so much. I am now in almeria. I was told to come here by someone on tossa 're Mar. They were wrong. A port and I am now 6m south. A wonderful place. Aguadulce. I am wobbling. I am too far out , bike too old, no aa cover , no puncture kit ... I am in desert .this is different to Amsterdam. This is no holiday serious . But I will push through to Gibraltar. I'm damned if I'm going over Sahara though ! I am not adventurous enough for that !

[Gorminrider]

well, you've got the internet so can't you hunt up some campground possibilities ahead of you? or aren't there any side roads to creep up and guerilla-camp? I know-it seems it'd be easier to do that in the wilds of Canada (but not so easy-people and their STUFF clusters along the hwys) ..still, openstreet map is your friend when it comes to small roads...I am watching all the time in the last hour before sunset and will check out several likely prospects before dark.

[tatu]

It is a case of ask about and you will find.. Hammering through on motorways you miss so much. I am now in almeria. I was told to come here by someone on tossa 're Mar. They were wrong. A port and I am now 6m south. A wonderful place. Aguadulce. I am wobbling. I am too far out , bike too old, no aa cover , no puncture kit ... I am in desert .this is different to Amsterdam. This is no holiday serious . But I will push through to Gibraltar. I'm damned if I'm going over Sahara though ! I am not adventurous enough for that !

Bike too old? I would rather be on something like you've got that you can repair than some modern whizzy thing that if it doesn't start you wouldn't have a clue where to start looking, Too far out? Haha... no such thing, embrace it, heaps of places to chuck a tent up in the Sahara, but also lots of safe campsites in every town, with water, maybe just now is not such a good time to go there though. AA cover? More haha, you got us, no puncture repair is madness, got tubes? pump? you need to rectify that one. Only expensive places to stop in Gib. You got the internet! crikey dude! look Amreria.... http://www.booking.com/searchresults...oup_children=0

When I stopped in Marbella there was a brothel North side of the road, delightful place, friendly cheap, bike was safe, I thought it was strange that there were so many pretty girls paying attention to me even when I rolled in three sheets to the wind, just never caught on till months later . No girls look twice at me,should've suspected, but it was a very nice place. (the hotels there were cheaper and more available than camp sites) When I did my Sahara bike trips there were no such thing as credit cards, mobiles, internet, Dry your eyes and get a puncture repair, tubes, bike pump (good one) and levers. Hotel booking.com will spew up any number of places. Stay out of the big towns and use the cheap hotels, try to book in advance like even a day.