What’s next?

The Balkan travel blog is finished so what’s up next to keep the blog alive?

I started the new year with a nice exploratory ride with Sporherre on the veru forst day of the year.
Still had to do some editing for episode 5 but the weather was too nice to not start the year with a ride.
First started with the standard long way home in the opposite direction but 1 part i didn’t do this way before and took a wrong turn, instead of turning around i just looked at the GPS for dotted lines which indicate unpaved roads but not if they open for motorcycles or not so i just had to find out.
Did find some new tracks and eventually got on the “normal” side of a part i wanted to ride. Did that in the way i knew but at the end i turned left instead of right to get back on track in the opposite way because i wanted to go on another way home to check if that was already reopened after the floods this summer.

It was still closed but i could pass with the bike but it was full of steel plates for heavy equipment from the clean up. They started right away with turning that area into a run out for when the river Maas would overflow again to safe the village i just passed through.
In the next town i decided to go right at the first roundabout instead of straight ahead. I didn’t want to go home yet so lets explore some new terrain.
The area was not new, i’ve spent many kilometres there but all paved and now i’m going to look for the unpaved and i can say that was a success which will get a sequel.

After a few roads with the dreaded signs saying i’m not allowed to have fun i spotted multiple roads where i was allowed to enter.
Couldn’t check them all at that moment but that means i have something to do in the future.
For this moment i just followed as much dirt in the right? direction towards my home, i still have to do some editing.
These double track dirt roads where not meant to be used as normal roads so there where no signs with directions but also no signs telling me it was a dead end.
Didn’t really want to turn around but a probably deep (more than a meter, most likely a couple metres) and no slope did stop me but on the right it looked like a single track.
No sign that i was not allowed to enter so let’s hope i don’t get myself in (too much) trouble and just go for it.
That was a nice track. Slippery with those wet leaves going downhill but Sporherre just feels like i can handle him anywhere and i had a lot of fun that day.

As i said, there is more to explore in that area so i will get back there soon.
Since then it rained a lot but that doesn’t change my commute home.
On Mondays i have to work late and in the dark i only take 2 offroad sections, these are in the open and not obscured by trees and reasonably predictable. Not saying that i’m on both tracks not been lucky when it didn’t was that predictable at all….
One part goes through the woods on a strange swamp like surface where it is deep mud in some places and bouncy peat soil on other, both covert in a thick layer of wet leaves and a lot of wildlife like deer, foxes, buzzards and rabbits.
The rabbits and the deer are moving around a lot in that time of the day so i leave that when it’s light and the other part…

Well… that’s also not the best place to ride in the dark when it’s not necessary

Didn’t had days off and the Balkan blog took most of the weekend time but you see i also try to have fun on my way home.
Still waiting for my new handlebar (supply chain issues) and i think i will have another order in tomorrow. Had a package announced but can’t see where it’s from but i think its the passenger handles so i think next Saturday i will build my luggage/crashbars on the back to strap the R80 set on.
Also bought myself a protection vest to be a bit better protected now i’m feeling more at home in the dirt noticing i’m also going a bit faster in some places plus i can use this with an MX jersey when it gets hot again and i don’t have to switch the back protector between the jackets any more.

This spring i will do the Belgium TET, probably somewhere in March and like to do another weekend offroading and at the same time checking the setup for the North Cape trip which has been upgraded with the Mosko Moto Hood tankbag and the VFROC Fred Schoenmakers Weekend in the ascending day weekend.
More plans… A new attempt to sell Ecstasy starting end of February. Fall is not a good time for selling a motorcycle so he’s parked in my living room, nice and clean.
I was planning on selling Ragnarok as well but having second thoughts about that. Probably putting him up for sale but i’m afraid he will not sell for the price i have in mind.
As i’m relying on my bikes alone i do have the need for a back up bike and if i don’t sell Ragnarok for a good price due to the kilometres on the odo it’s not very useful having to buy another bike leaving me with next to nothing to put in my savings account.
And on the selling and buying part. I’m also going to buy another Hero 8 to replace the 3+ for better footage from the bike and when i have it i also look for better mounting positions for more diverse footage.

For next week i hope i can tell a bit more about my plans for the North Cape trip i call the ScanBaltic trip.
There been some changes, not only that i’ll take Sporherre with me on this trip but i also did some re-routing. Partially to put in more offroad because i’m taking Sporherre but let’s say i will have to get 2 visa…
Until next week and have a splendid weekend!