Tomorrow it will be time for some real, relaxing summer vacations. I think it’ll be some 12.000 km on the BMW and some 3.000 km by boat.

Wait a minute – did you say “boat”???

Yes, it will be relaxing motorbiking and a relaxing boat cruise.

As an appetizer, I will first do the 12 hour Brit Butt Light Rally starting in Stoke-on-Trent in England. I haven’t done it in three years and the BBL2015 was the last rally I haven’t won (in Europe). Sooo, it’s a kind of “unfinished business” although I had won the rally in 2014 on the little XBR500.

As the rally book was handed out one week before the start, I have already prepared my route and printed and laminated my own rally logbook. Sorry, my route is still confidential, but these are all the possible bonus point locations:

All bonus point locations of the Brit Butt Light Rally 2018.

After the rally, I will return home for one night and leave for Sweden the next day. Three days later, I’ll arrive in Kirkenes at the Norwegian – Russian border. I’ll meet up with MJ and on the next day, we’ll embark on the postal ship of the Hurtigruten line, carrying the BMW in the ship.

The boat trip with the motorbike

After the arrival in Bergen, we’ll start the bike trip through Western Norway – fjords and fjells. In Oslo, I will continue on my own and ride to Jönköping where this year’s European Tour will start.

The logo of the European Tour 2018

This ET will be a three-day rally all over the Nordic countries. I had won the European Tour 2016, but this one will be different. I don’t have the local knowledge that the locals have.

After that, it’s a back to the barn ride. Three weeks in total. Sounds like a plan.

You can follow my GPS track here.

Norway – here we come!