Day 12 - Kristiansand to Arhus, Denmark

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Wednesday 10th November

I am now coming to you from the scenic vista of a laundrette in Aalborg, Denmark and it is absolutely chucking it down outside. I abandoned typing the blog on the ship as it got too rough. So I am sat here dackless and sockless like some wannabe Levi 501 commercial, washing everything I have. And it is pathetic - barely fills a third of a drum, which is probably some clue as to the nasty habit of clothing reuse that has been a necessity this last few days.

Motorways maybe boring but they are hard to fault as a means of A->B. Once off the ferry I just rolled the bike up to 85mph and sat there and Aalborg came up quickly. Also I could duck behind the screen - I just couldn't do that yesterday with 100's miles of flowing bends. You need a little more vision and concentration than is available peering behind some 4mm tinted perspex. Today on this straight motorway it was easier and hence easier on my lobes, if not my neck. I had a welcome easy day today - just 200km to Arhus to meet Jan before the long haul south.

After my overdue laundrette visitation I set about the business of getting a new screen at the BMW Motorrad dealer. No joy but I did manage to reserve one in Hamburg for tomorrow.

Then I set off for Arhus in the pouring rain - got about 20km out of Aalborg and the engine died. I coasted to a halt on the hard shoulder. F*cking Marvellous. Electrics seemed OK but the engine was dead.

Mobile phones - the whole reason I had bought a bloody mobile was in case I broke down. And now for some reason I couldn't dial anyone, BMW assist, Jan or even any UK numbers - great. The best I could do was text Jan my predicament and he called me back, took the details for BMW and got on the dog to them. This was just turning out to be a great day...

Meanwhile I got out my shiny tools to look at, but after having a quick look under the seat unsurprisingly did nothing with them.

It was whilst I was texting Wen my predicament and explaining that it was just like someone had just cut the fuel line, that I thought I'd better check the obvious. No - fuel computer was registering >112 miles and a gauge a third full. (The miles left is feature is not that useful - it can only work out estimated miles left once it gets to a low level.) Also no fuel warning light. Still I checked the trip - the bike had done 190 miles that tank. Hmm - the best I'd had was 200 miles so it was touch and go. At this point I remembered that I had about 200ml of petrol siphoned out into my MSR fuel bottle - enough for 5km I reckoned. I checked the GPS and the nearest station was 2.9km - you gotta love GPS. So I tipped in and sure enough fired her up. What a superb feeling! When I refilled the bike 2.9km later, I also refilled my little stove fuel bottle for sure - my new emergency ration.

So in the end I had simply run out of fuel - what a tosser. I have no sympathy for people that run out of fuel (OK maybe in France excepted) - you get loads of warning. I'll never trust the gauge again. At least with my carburettored ZX6 I could reach down whilst riding and flick the reserve tap, with the beemer I would have no warning in future. I don't know why the computer was so temperamental - perhaps it had gotten soaked? Also the ZX6 splutters for some while before cutting out completely - the beemer was more like a switch.

Anyway I rolled up at Jan's about 5:30 pm, had some nosebag with his family and then went into Arhus.

In Aalborg I had noticed a plethora of gorgeous looking women, seemingly everywhere and Arhus was the same. Denmark must have the best Gorgeous : Moose ratio anywhere, perhaps Brazil excepted - incredible. It was a nice town, reminded me a bit of Exeter in size and feel. At this stage I regretted not staying in Denmark longer, I really fancied going across the water to Copenhagen - oh well another time I guess. Instead I resolved to have a quick decko at some places on the way to the German border.

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Comments

[Rob Baines]

What a doughnut!
You gotta be grateful that you didn't get BMW assist out for an empty fuel tank. Had a similar experience in an old Vauxhall Cavalier the night after refuelling completely. Bleedin Luton chav's had cut my fuel line though.