Gareth Owens
Balkans motorcycle tour 2013

The London City Bikers Balkans tour: 23 August to 8th September
9 bikes
17 days
3,000 miles
11 countries
8 dropped bikes (don't ask)
1 repatriation
Most bike tours start off over a beer or a coffee and a conversation about the trips we might like to do 'one day'. This one was no different. A few of the London City Bikers met at the Ace Cafe in North London on New Years Day 2013 and talked about things we might do this year. Day trips, track-days, events and all the obvious were covered.
Thoughts turned to longer trips. Some were pipe dreams, many needed months, but one was noted as a distinct possibility. It wasn't too long, too remote or too arduous and we had the advantage of a local within our group. The 'Balkans tour ' idea was bounced around then forgotten for a while until Natalija our Balkans local sent us all an email later that Spring. A flurry of replies later and the trip was on.
It happened, we survived it and this blog will tell the tale of a tour well worth doing.
