The Federation’s first European Tour

Visiting Loreley, a spectacular viewpoint on the Rhine

It wasn’t strictly a Federation Tour but when our Secretary, Stuart, organised and led a tour for GoldWings to the Mosel Area of Germany in June, he did it with the Federation in mind and it was an open and inclusive tour, in the spirit of  the freedom of choice which the Federation espouses.

Ten bikes and trikes, mostly taking the overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam to get across the North Sea, rode to a Biker’s Hotel in Klotten on the banks of the Mosel, a small village near the well known tourist town of Cochem.

Stuart had stayed at the same hotel with an IAM group the previous year and saw its potential for a GoldWing trip.  The Hotel is owned by an English-speaking Biker who is also an excellent Chef, the rooms are all en suite, there is a big garage for the bikes and he was also able to negotiate extremely attractive rates.

On board a Rhine Ferry

The Touring Holiday is written up entertainingly on Stuart’s GoldWing Blog.  It’s in several parts (one written by one of the ladies on the tour) and it makes for very good reading – especially the bit when Stuart has an amusing altercation with a German Minibus driver and then nearly gets stuck in the Missionary position trying to get back on his bike.

Spectacular scenery abounds

The Federation will encourage and facilitate all types of GoldWing activities and events, including tours like this one, on which several Wingers broke their duck for Continental touring.   Many people feel more confident taking their first tour abroad in company with others and a Club tour is potentially a much better and cheaper way of doing it than the commercial alternative – although commercial tours can be a very good way to meet the under-privileged; i.e. those who don’t have the good fortune to have a GoldWing to tour on.  And of course a GoldWing is designed, above all, as the ultimate motorcycling Grand Tourer.

Riding Ms Betsy - visit Stuart's Blog to find out more!

Stuart’s Mosel Tour was open to all models and variants of GoldWing.  In the Event it was a mixture of GL1500s and GL1800s but this type of tour is perfectly do-able on a Classic GoldWing and Stuart hopes to encourage some of those to join his next Tour.

The Federation will support any Winger who wants to plan and/or lead a Tour and this will include help with planning (and with things like insurance cover) as well as publicising it.  Among Federation Members are Wingers who have a great deal of experience of touring including planning and leading them, so there is a wealth of experience to draw upon.

So come on Wingers! If you’ve ever fancied Continental Touring, or even touring other strange or remote places like Wales and South of Watford, this is your chance to put your dreams into practice.  If you fancy a tour to Berlin but lack the skills or confidence to plan and lead one, use the Federation’s Website to float the idea to see if anyone else would like to do it.

The Federation gives equal priority to all types of GoldWing activities and events, so anyone is free to ask for, offer or publicise anything as long as its legal and decent – and there are no rules about whether or when you can and cannot do it.  Your choice – the Federation is all about freedom of choice.