riding backroads, Europe is bigger than i thought - Summer 2023

Joel, at this point.. just offer to buy her a house on the beach in California!

I really need to teach you a few things when you get back.

thanks Mike.

it felt like wintertime. wearing 5 layers of clothes, still i was cold to the bone. wish i brought my heated vest. i started the ride in June when there was a heatwave, 83 days later...

possible but this old dog drools and likes to lick....

brung it Todd

2021.10.13

over 5 hours with some sunshine. i wanted to push as far north and took advantage of the decent weather, mid 40's. also, i have my heated grips working....finally.


view from my bedroom...staying in the cottage was a new experience, especially feeding the wood-burning fireplace.



my wonderful hosts, Franko and his daughter Aleksandra. cost of the farm stay and breakfast...20 euros. when we were talking, they are just as happy as i am. to see a guest or 2, is a special time for them.



i didn't eat all, but i took the home-grown apples with me.



back on the road again



another first for me.....black tombstones

























across the highway









black is the new white here



google took me here






my Outex tubeless conversion on the front lost 5 psi in almost 3 months. free vazduh and back to 30 psi.



northern Montenegro has a lot of rocky outcrops.



Montenegro custom



quick 2 minutes to get through









entering Serbia



that was quick too









Serbian countryside



racing with the dark clouds






Usice



i had a very close call in Montenegro, and really lucky i'm posting this report. i was going to turn left, slowed down, and started turning my wheel slightly and before i could downshift a car passed me on the left missing me by several inches. the driver on the oncoming truck shook his head in disbelief that i didn't get hit. today's the 13th, and a good day for me.

Glad you missed the close call! Stay safe!!

View attachment 3242201

i had a very close call in Montenegro, and really lucky i'm posting this report. i was going to turn left, slowed down, and started turning my wheel slightly and before i could downshift a car passed me on the left missing me by several inches. the driver on the oncoming truck shook his head in disbelief that i didn't get hit. today's the 13th, and a good day for me.[/QUOTE]

You are being prayed for!!

It is Montenegro after all. What else but monumentenegro? Glad your name didn’t end up on one after that close call. Maybe you were too focused on these.

The first place I go to when logging into AdvRider is your RR and I'm NEVER disappointed.

"i had a very close call in Montenegro, and really lucky i'm posting this report. i was going to turn left, slowed down, and started turning my wheel slightly and before i could downshift a car passed me on the left missing me by several inches."

I'm really glad to know that you weren't hurt in this instance - there's no accounting for "assholes" who don't realize how vulnerable we are on two wheels. Meanwhile, you might have a few justifiable nightmares afterwards. Please continue to stay safe!

if something tragic is bound to happen, i would rather be hit from behind and the light goes out, rather than seeing the light about to be switched off. of course the impact is less than a head-on, which improves the odds.

i don't even want my cold body shipped back to the US.

after almost 3 months of accident-free, i get complacent and that's not good. most motorists are generally good drivers and i got used to them. but there are the few who i forget that are out there that will get me. there's no particular country i would say the worst but big BMW, Audi and MB are notorious for going fast and passing other vehicles.

today, i made it to Belgrade safely, didn't screw up the last day of riding. i decided not to go to Durmitor and Sarajevo since the weather is way too cold. i don't even remember seeing motos on the road in the last few days, riding season is over.

thanks dd, me too so i get reminded what i did the day before...

2021.10.14 Pozega - Belgrade




today's ride was mostly 2 lane curvy roads, and my goal to get to Belgrade with no drama and get away from the cold, low 40s. the only setback is my heated grips stopped working and my Montana took a dump in addition to the broken GoPro and iPhone 6+.




I'll take cold but no rain






Kosjeric is a nice little town, and too bad i didn't get there yesterday


















































older tram is still in good use..



i made it to my hotel in downtown Belgrade as carefully as i can....slow but steady. bike is now in a shop owned by an advrider. tomorrow i need to winterize it do some minor service. also this afternoon, we discovered the weld on the side luggage rack has a crack. after that, i'll take you guys on a walking tour of Belgrade.

Sounds like a good time for a break and some repairs and maintenance.

Really enjoying your report Joel!

Joel, what a great run this year! Thanks for continuing to bring us along...Great job with the pics and story.

thanks Stu. next to moto travel, i like photography and share my best photos.....

another good run and being able to prove to myself the pandemic will not stop me.

thanks Bill for following along. see you soon in Pahrump.

Thanks for the ride along with such great pics. Almost wish I was there.
Glad that "Left-turn in Montenegro" was just a close call.

Mike B

Time for a maintenance. Glad to have you here @NSFW / Joel!

Great trip, Joel, glad the close call didn't turn into something severe. Enjoyed reading your RR very much, stay safe and sound!

A ton of great pics and a fine RR, Joel!
I'm putting Montenegro and Albania on my list now. The only thing that sticks in my mind about Albania was when I spent some time on Corfu, the Greek island just off the coast there and was hearing a lot of noise coming over the water. The Greeks told me not to worry about it - it was "just the Albanians shooting at each other". But that was back in 1990, just before Yugoslavia started "exploding". I'm glad things have so greatly improved since then for the people living in that part of the world.
I'm glad you dodged the bullet on that close call. In over ten years of riding Europe I never had a close call until 2019 when some fool passing another car on an outside blind curve made me swing way out on the shoulder to avoid getting creamed. But that was Morocco and doesn't count as Europe. I guess all the dirt riding practice in DV and the mountains saved me from sliding with the GS off the cliff there. The most dangerous part of riding Europe is complacency - especially after you return to the US!

thanks and good to hear you were almost there...

close calls could also happen at home. even in front of my house, i almost got wiped out by a speeding pickup truck in a 25 mph zone on a 2 lane street. i slowed down since it's my neighborhood and about to pull in my driveway. the driver was impatient and tried to passed me on my right when i was about to make a right turn towards the driveway. luckily he had good brakes avoiding a t-bone, i was so angry inside but stayed calm.

thanks Hans. what saved me were luck and myself for being slow in downshifting to first.

Berndt. thank you for tagging along. honestly, i enjoyed the Balkans. the scenery, people and food are great. i didn't get the chance to visit Bosnia Herzegovina and North Macedonia. anyway, the bike sits in Perun Moto's shop here in Belgrade, which is in the middle and gives a good starting point for next year.

ride while we can and stay safe!

Nikola, really appreciate the hospitality and for helping me get the stuff i needed. Ms. Merkel will be very happy in your environmentally controlled shop and being looked after. haha...glad i didn't spill oil on the floor though i noticed traces of Motorex nearby......

you're invited to the 2022 noobs death valley rally in March, experience DV and meet everyone. get to see the fundraising event that you have been supporting.

i can't thank you enough.

2021.10.16 Belgrade

the weather here in this beautiful city has been chilly but the weather is generally nice. a winter jacket is all i needed, thanks to @Perun for lending me his and shuttling me back and forth to his shop and my hotel was also a wonderful treat.

my hotel is in a pedestrian alley which was ideal, in the city but far enough from noise



many restaurants in the area, and i buy my take-out dinners here every night. i never spent more than $7 each time.






around the block is the city center

























random pics taken the day before


















former Serbian military building....



more coming.........