The Nights Are Fair Drawin' Oot!

Hi guys

Lighter in the evenings now and I'm out of the med-induced hibernation. Time to start thinking on fettling the bike for the summer.

Planning to leave Aiberdeenshire, on 14th May for 8-9 weeks on the continent. Any recommendations for travel (ie medical) insurance? I find a lot of insurance companies are for holiday-makers going the' costas', and aren't really catering for motorbike touring (or else do so at a scary cost) There must be something oot there to provide cover for a pensioner with pre-existing medical history?

Take care oot there

DM

Great stuff! Thanks for that. I have sent off an email and awaiting their response. Sounds like they give excellent cover, thus excellent peace of mind! I looked Big Cat Travel Insurance, but to buy and extra package for motorbike touring with a bike over 125cc, and then their was a condition of no off-road; that would have needed clarification, though, as some of the villages in Spain can only be reached by un metalled roads

Anyhoo, thanks again for the tip...one part of me can't wait to get away to the roads I've driven by car over in Spain for the past 17 years, whilst the other part of me is almost p**ping myself!

Cheers for noo

The Ballad of Dingus Magee....for sure!

I have the book at home, and apparently there is a corny film of (almost) the same name starring Ol' Blue Eyes himself in the leading role:

DIRTY DINGUS MAGEE **DVD R2** FRANK SINATRA, GEORGE KENNEDY | eBay

Might buy that one...certainly the name would be more apt after a nine week toddle on the bike

Quote from flyfifer

Quote from flyfifer

when are you heading off ??

14th May...Eurotunnel to Calais 17th May

Quote from Three Dawg

I used these people https://csmltd.com/medical/mot…ouring-medical-insurance/ for our last trip, they're backed by IMG. Very responsive, medical only, but your green card should extend your bike/liability cover in Europe. Plan to use them again for the LatAm trip.

Found them to be scarily expensive! £750+ with £00.0 excess down to £263.00 with £1200 excess. I guess my age and health kick that into touch. Maybe Big Cat at £244 and £150 excess might be a better choice, but I'll need to phone them re definition of off-road; some of the pueblos I want to visit are only accessible via forest-type tracks

Thought these guys: European Breakdown Cover (eurobreakdown.com) gave a better range of options than Bennets might...ie repatriation

Campsites sorted for down through France as I'm looking in by Rouffignac caves to look at the cave paintings. Not planned Spain yet, but found Duncan Gough's suggestions re routes and campsites, in some of his books helpful.

I'm grateful for all the advice ans suggestion, lads...keep 'em comin'

Quote from Three Dawg

Yeah, looked at that but IIRC wickedly expensive. Probably good cover for a quick spin around Helmand province though.

...maybe next year

Quote from Three Dawg

I've found the cover note for when we used IMG/Patriot travelling to Southern Africa in 2021 - cost us $311 with a $500 excess.

That would still have been steep for me on this budget trip....yer typical stingy Scot here. I'll look forward to hearing about the Pan-Am trip, though; what an adventure!

I'll try the math then...dyscalculic here though. You should have seen me trying to work out the mileage for fuel for this trip