Cilurni Rides – My life on two wheels

Vacaburra repairs and modifications, winter 2019-20

That winter again I tried to do as much as possible of the maintenance myself. There are a few things that I was planning to do but I couldn’t because I haven’t been near the motorcycle since the COVID-19 outbreak. I didn’t ride it at all last year.

The good news are that during the 2019 season I could see that the new battery, stator and regulator solved all my electrical problems.

I didn’t do a good job with the cables and connectors for the new indicators, so I had to redo them again. Unfortunately the indicators are as weak as they look, and I had to glue the broken arm of one of them after a fall. I will keep them since my main concern is that the front bracket doesn’t get twisted again, but it’s good that I have the original indicators around. One of the things I still have to fix is a mirror I broke in the same fall.

Doing cables and connectors for the new indicators, again

I’m very happy with Oxford Premium Adventure heated grips. As planned, this winter I cut their main power cable and connected it to the key lock, as I had done with the USB sockets. This is not necessary, but it’s nice to have less cables going from the front to the battery over the engine. Now I have two things connected to the battery: the motorcycle battery connectors and the Motek regulator/rectifier that bypasses them.

My main challenges for this year were to replace the chain, sprockets and rear tire, which I never did before. Unfortunately I didn’t get the tire on time. I got different advices about whether I should try to change the chain myself, but I came across this video that explains the process so well that it gave me the courage to do it.

I had a look at other videos by Delboy’s Garage and they are brilliant. This will be one of my main sources of information for motorcycle maintenance, from now on.

Another thing to consider about replacing the chain is that you need a chain breaker and riveter tool, which is expensive. I bought the one by Rothewal. Be careful with this tool: it has several pieces for each task, including thin pins that you could break if you don’t assemble and use it properly. I didn’t find the instructions that came with it completely clear.

Chain breaker and riveter tool, new chain and sprockets

Anyway, with all the information and the help of a friend I changed Vacaburra’s sprockets and chain. I understand the people who advised me not to do it. One has to be careful and the tool is expensive. The picture below shows the process half way. But I’m happy we did it. The result looked good and I’m confident we did a good job. I wish I had detailed pictures to show you. Unfortunately I couldn’t test it riding the motorbike, yet.

My main issue now is a sticky throttle. This means the throttle doesn’t close when I let it go, it stays where it is. This is dangerous. I tried to fix it by putting oil in the cable, but it didn’t work. I read the cable has teflon to make it slippery and this could be worn out, meaning the cable needs to be replaced. I shall do that and put a new tire and mirror this spring.

Iceland trip 6: From Iceland to Finland

Days 28 and 29 (3.8-4.8) – Seyðisfjörður to Hirtshals

I didn’t want to get up early to pack my tent before the ferry, so I stayed in Hafaldan Harbour HI Hostel for 112.1 €. The rooms may not look that good in pictures, but everything was clean and cozy. Specially the well-equipped kitchen and living room, with nice views to the port. I totally recommend the place.

One sees many interesting vehicles in the ferry, and on this occasion I want to show you an Africa Twin with a sidecar. I actually met its Belgian owner during the trip, he built the sidecard to travel with his wife.

Africa Twin with sidecar in Seyðisfjörður

The ferry trip went pretty much the same as when I came to Iceland. Actually, at this point I stopped taking notes, so I can’t give so many details about the rest of the trip. I thought the trip back wouldn’t be so relevant to others, since I took a detour to Copenhaguen and stayed there at a friend’s place for a few days. Again, refer to the description of the trip from Helsinki to Seyðisfjörður to know the most direct way and its estimated cost.

Day 30 (5.8) – Hirtshals to Copenhaguen

The ferry arrived to Hirtshals in the morning. Then I took the road to Århus, and from there a ferry to Sjællands Odde. I can’t find how much the ticket costed, but at the moment of writing this a passage with a motorbike costs 250 DKK. I didn’t book it in advance and it wasn’t necessary, I could board the next departing one. From there I continued in the road to Copenhaguen, where I arrived during the afternoon.

Days 31 to 33 (6.8-8.8) – Copenhaguen

As mentioned, I spent three days in Copenhaguen at a friend’s place. I had been living there for four years and a half, and it was nice to see the same places again and how the city has changed since I left.

Day 34 (9.8) – Copenhaguen to Gränna

That morning I took the road to Helsingør so I could cross to Sweden by ferry. At the moment of writing this, the ticket with a motorcycle costs 22 €. From Helsingborg I took motorway E4 to Stockholm, planning to spend a night half way. By recommendation I first checked Jönköping, but I didn’t find it so interesting to stay. Then I stopped in Gränna and I liked it right away.

Gränna is a touristic little town by the big Vättern lake. It has beautiful wooden houses and their speciality is candy, of which I bought a few bags. I stayed two nights at Grännagården Hotel, which was all right but costed about 90 € per night. I found some dirt roads up the hill, but they were narrow and with blind curves. I don’t recommend driving them just for fun.

Day 35 (10.8) – Gränna to Stockholm

I took off to Stockholm in the morning. When I was in the E4 on my way to Gothenburg I noticed the signs of the Swedish Air Force Museum and this time I thought I had time to visit it, but I couldn’t find indications entering Linköping. As you know my phone didn’t work and I didn’t want to waste too much time looking for it, so I continued to Stockholm.

Driving in Stockholm is a nightmare when you don’t know the city and you don’t have GPS. The main roads go through tunnels that prevent you from having any idea of where you are. I didn’t see signs showing the way to the ferry terminals. I had to stop somewhere in the center and ask the first person that passed by, who very kindly found the right terminal and gave me good indications. I arrived at the very last moment, so much that the gate to the car deck started closing as soon as I crossed it.

The next time I had to take a ferry in Stockholm, I got lost again and I actually missed it. But that’s another story.

Day 36 (11.8) – Helsinki

The ferry arrived to Helsinki in the morning, and that was the end of my trip.

Vacaburra repairs and modifications, winter 2018-19

Excuse me for not being very active lately. It seems that the more I have to write about, the more overwhelmed and lazy I get. I haven’t finished writing about Iceland, last year I did most of the south of Norway and part of Sweden of the Trans Euro Trail, and I have been in Estonia recently.

In the south of Sweden a friend had an oil leak consequence of a fall, but he managed to fix it by fitting a piece of a Tetra Pak between two pieces of the cover of engine. I became aware of the importance of knowing how to fix your own bike, and I bought a Haynes manual to start doing maintenance and small repairs myself.

So last winter I decided to finally repair the main damage of my 2017 fall. The repair involved replacing the front bracket and I had an approximate budget of 700 € from my usual garage. Luckily I found here a refurbished bracket for 170 €, including shipment from Greece to Finland. In the picture below you can see a comparison of both brackets. The guys at my garage did their best to straighten the old one without disassembling it, but the headlights were not completely straight and the tripmaster was blocking the view of the top of the speedometer and tachometer. That’s why it was important to fix it.

XRV 750 front brackets, damaged and refurbished

Of course, replacing the bracket means disassembling the front fairing, lights and dashboard. That’s why the repair wasn’t cheap. You can see the motorbike with just the bracket in the picture below. Somehow the “new” bracket wasn’t aligned straight, but I managed to bend it with my arms. Other than that, it was like new and for the price I’m very happy with the purchase.

The bracket got twisted because the indicator hit the ground. I think the factory indicators are too long and exposed, so I decided to prevent this happening again by installing shorter ones. But I wanted some that looked like the original, it took me a while to find the ones in the picture below in eBay. Unfortunately they didn’t have any brand in the package and I wasn’t very happy with the seller that sold them, so I’m not going to give you any link. Nevertheless, I think they are not difficult to find. The only concern that I have is that the arm is hard plastic; but if it breaks before messing the bracket again, I will be happy. The rear indicators are protected by the pannier holders.

The indicators came with way too short cables, I had to solder new ones. These motorcycle uses Japanese bullet connectors that you won’t find in the usual shop of electronic components. After asking around someone pointed me to this shop.

The grip heaters that I had was a poorly installed DIY kit that actually got a loose cable and stopped working at the end of last season. I wasn’t happy with it because it had a two-positions switch that made it difficult to set the right temperature. So instead of fixing it, I decided to replace it. I was recommended Oxford Premium Adventure. Heated grips are all installed the same way, it wasn’t difficult. The grips are long to fit all motorcycles, you are supposed to cut them to the proper length. The cable to the battery is also too long, but I’m not cutting it this season in case I have to use the warranty.

I mentioned that I connected the USB socket directly to the battery and it was always giving power, even with the keys off. And my assumption was wrong, that drains the battery even when nothing is connected, because there is an active circuit converting from 12V to 5V. Fortunately the old heated grips were connected to the key lock, so I used that cable to feed the socket and now it’s off when the keys are off. I don’t know and I can’t show how the cable is connected inside the lock, but it works. I plan to eventually connect the heated grips to the same cable, it’s thick enough and it has a fuse. In any case, connecting these grips directly to the battery is safe because they detect and switch off when the engine is not running.

The picture below shows how the new cables look like. The gray tape in the indicators is meant to cover the hole and prevent water from getting in. The roll of cable is the extra cable of the Oxford heater. Like I said, I will cut it next winter. I covered the connections with gray tape.

I already had my first ride of the season and tested everything. To my dismay, the indicators sometimes didn’t work. At first I thought I had a loose connection. I noticed that I didn’t fix the bullet connectors to the cables strongly enough, they accidentally came off a couple of times. I have to redo this, but I was hoping they would resist until next winter. However, I told a friend about this and he suggested another cause. He told me he had the same problem and it was because dirt inside the handlebar switch prevented it from working correctly. And indeed, I noticed that when they didn’t work I didn’t get the same “clicky” feeling when pushing the lever. It felt the same as when you have the indicator on and you push the lever in the same direction again.

My friend suggested me to disassemble the switch following this guide. I don’t understand German and the pictures don’t show the most important part: clean the ball and spring inside the white plastic piece, where the red arrow points. It’s easy to take them out and put them back in, just be careful not to loose them. Don’t miss the opportunity to clean everything else the best you can.

Unfortunately the indicators were not the biggest setback that I had in that first ride. Somewhere in a forest I stopped the bike and then I couldn’t start it again, the battery died. I called the tow service and they gave me a waiting time of two hours, it was an important holiday in Finland. Luckily I was in a place where some friends could come and connect his car’s battery to mine, so I could start the motorbike.

I thought the issue was in the battery, so I bought a new one. By recommendation, I chose an AGM battery. So I put the acid in it, charged it, fitted it in the bike and nothing, no electricity. And that’s when I learned an important lesson: batteries of the same size and capacity can have the polarity the other way around. I got another battery with the right polarity, but still no electricity. I found out that that my mistake burnt the main fuse, located in the left side of the bike. That’s when the Haynes manual came to the rescue. Now I know where the fuses are, including the spare ones.

After that I had a happy day of riding 300 km with a friend; but two days later, throttling from a stop, the battery died again. That’s when I gave up and sent the bike to the repair shop. They told me that the stator of the alternator needed replacement, and I asked them to fit a ESG140 stator which is supposed to be better than OEM. Later they noticed the regulator overheated and I ordered a Motek regulator/rectifier for them to fit. This regulator has a cable that is connected directly to the battery terminals, by-passing the round connector that usually overheats and burns. This is how it looks installed:

Because all these problems I could only ride the bike a couple of days until the middle of July. The overheating regulator is a known problem of the Africa Twin, I hope the new regulator solves it. Whether the dirt in the indicator switch is an issue or just maintenance is arguable, my guess is that it has never been cleaned in 23 year of age of the bike. I have learnt many things, which was the whole point of trying to do things myself. Next winter I need to fix a sticky throttle and I will try to change the transmission kit and the tires, at least.

Iceland trip 5: The south and east

Day 23 (29.7) – Reykjavík to Hvolsvöllur

I started my way to the Blue Lagoon and filled the tank with 10 € in the first gas station I came across. I was undecided between taking road 42 south or 428 instead(which is equally connected to road 427, despite Google not showing it). Road 42 probably had better views, but 428 was unpaved so I chose the later. The views were also great and the road quite good, with the only difficulty of much gravel in some sections. I took the picture below in this location.

I intended to take a bath at the Blue Lagoon, but after a long queue I found out that I needed to book the time beforehand. The next available time was late in the evening, so I continued my route instead. One can see parts of the lagoon without entering the resort. The resort gave me a bad impression in terms of mass tourism.

Part of the Blue Lagoon not open to bath (Iceland)

Without any more sightseeing, I went all the way to Hvolsvöllur where I decided to stay due to the strong winds that I suffered all day. Somewhere along the way I had coffee and ice cream for 4.5 €. In Hvolsvöllur I bought groceries for 5.2 € and filled the tank for 9.3 €.

Day 24 (30.7) – Hvolsvöllur to Kirkjubæjarklaustur

I have no complain about the campsites in the south. The one in Hvolsvöllur costed 9.6 €, plus 3.2 € for a hot shower. I continued my way east through the only possible route, the Ring Road.

My first stop was Seljalandsfoss. There was a machine to pay 5.6€ of parking, which I did despite not seeing any way of enforcing it. Seljalandsfoss is famous because you can walk behind it, which I also did. Unfortunatelly I don’t have any picture, but you can find them in the Internet as usual.

Next was Skógafoss. There are stairs to walk to the top of the waterfall, where you can see amazing views and some rapids. It’s actually one end of a very promising trekking route but I didn’t have time to do it.

From a parking there is a short easy walk to the edge of Sólheimajökull outlet glacier. It is possible to hire a walking tour on the glacier, but I didn’t want to spend the time and I had a good view anyway.

Then I stopped in Reynisfjara Beach. It’s one of the most amazing places in the south, with several types of rock formations to see, like in the picture below.

I continued east and my next sight was the lava formations of Laufskálavarða. The most interesting spot is this location where I took the picture below. There was a tradition of travelers making piles of stones for good luck, but now it’s disallowed to avoid damaging the landscape.

I finally reached Kirkjubæjarklaustur to spend the night. There I bought groceries for 21.3 €, and before I had lunch somewhere along the route for 39.8 €.

Day 25 (31.7) – Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Höfn

Kirkjubæjarklaustur campsite was another good camping. I mostly appreciated that it had a roofed place to hang your clothes. One night costed 7.1 €, shower included.

I filled the tank with 17.4 € and continued my way east. This day I stayed in the ring road, stopping to watch the glaciers and lagoons along the route. They are all visible from the road, but in some cases you can get really close with just a short walk from the nearby parking.

The picture below was taken in front of Svínafellsjökull Glacier. It obviously isn’t the glacier itself, but pieces of ice and water coming from it.

I stopped to have a good view of Fjallsárlón lagoon, which I share with you below. The best part couldn’t be captured in a picture: I was quietly enjoying the sight, with nobody nearby, when I heard a loud thunder noise coming from the glacier. I guess a big piece of ice fell somewhere, but I couldn’t see anything happening.

Of course, I stopped by Jökulsárlón lagoon, which you can’t miss because it is right by the road. It was the most popular among tourists. I didn’t take any picture, but you can find plenty in the Internet.

Somewhere along the route I had coffee and a cake for 6.5 €. The trip ended in Höfn, a town famous for its seafood restaurants. I went to Pakkhús, where I spent 7.2 € in a beer while I waited for a table, and then 62.8 € in a dinner of lobster and cake dessert. It was worthy.

Day 26 (1.8) – Höfn to Egilsstaðir

One night in Camping Höfn costed 7.2 €. It included the shower, which I remember being as good as the rest of the facilities. I filled the tank with 14.6 € and continued my route north-east. This day would be more about riding that sightseeing.

Following a recommendation of the Lonely Planet guide, I took road 92 to Neskaupstaður. I didn’t like it: it was all asphalt, the scenery was nothing I hadn’t seen before, and I found the road scary and dangerous due to the combination of steep slopes, tight turns and traffic.

I filled the tank again with 10.9 € to do road 953. This was a different story, a curly dirt road with lots of gravel and slopes. The views were great and different depending on the section. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to go all the way, I turned around here. The video below was taken on the way back, from the fjord to the west.

After that I went to spend the night in Egilsstaðir.

Day 27 (2.8) – Egilsstaðir to Seyðisfjörður

The camping in Egilsstaðir had good facilities too. This one had several washing machines. One night costed 11.3 € and included the shower.

I had the breakfast buffet in the Cafe next to the camping, but for the price of 13.5 € I thought it wasn’t worthy. I packed my stuff and left it at the camping to travel light, since I was passing by in the evening. I filled the tank with 8.5 € and went to explore the area south-west without any specific plan.

I first went along road 931 in the north of Lagarfljót because it is unpaved, but it wasn’t that fun because there were houses so I drove carefully. Then I continued south-west along road 910, which is a boring paved road.

I remember taking some roads south, getting kind of lost, and ending in a dam that was probably this. They were dirt roads but too good to be fun, so I went back north to the same point of road 910.

From more or less the same point of road 910 I took road F923 north. It seems Google Maps doesn’t know about this road, but you will find it in any paper roadmap. This is one of the best roads I did in Iceland, full of gravel and stones. At the beginning there was a river crossing, then a steep slope down, and in the north end the biggest river crossing I did in Iceland. You can see it in the video below. At the other side there is a farm and from there the road is quite good.

When I reached the Ring Road I had lunch in a nearby restaurant for 17.2 € and filled the tank for 10.6 €. Then I tried road 901 from east to west, a fast dirt road, not challenging but fun. After that I took road F905 south, but it’s one of those roads with perpendicular carving. I got annoyed with the vibration and turned around. Finally I took the Ring Road and road 93 to Seyðisfjörður, stopping in Egilsstaðir to pick my things. In Seyðisfjörður I bought groceries for 14.7 € and spent the night waiting for the ferry back to Hirtshals.

Iso-Kairintie

Iso-Kairintie is one of my favorite roads around Helsinki. It’s curly like many other roads, but what makes it special is the loose stones that allow sliding. We are having great weather is Finland and I took the opportunity to make this video of the entire road.

In the video I start here and go down to here., then I turn around and go back to the starting point.

Keep in mind that this is near populated areas and people like to go to forests to pick berries, mushrooms or just have a walk. You can easily encounter traffic and pedestrians, so exercise caution and make sure you can always stop within your field of vision.

A deer crossed my path

Last Friday I was driving in this area west of Hämeenlinna when a deer suddenly crossed my path. I thought I had it on video, but I also knew how things can go wrong with the camera. And yes, I was inadvertently recording in timelapse mode instead of normal video. So all I have of the event is this frame.

Deer crossing my path west of Hämeenlinna

The deer is in the middle, just at the right of the path. This blog shows images downscaled, zoom in with the browser or right-click on the image to open it in a new tab.

Deers are one of the main dangers of riding in northern forests. Fortunately this is the second encounter ever, that I have noticed. The first one showed me how they can run in any direction, not just away from you. I noticed something in the corner of my eye, and I first dismissed it as an optical effect. But then I looked and what I saw was deer running in parallel with me, in a field next to the path. For a brief moment I was fascinated with the situation, but then I realized how dangerous it was and I let go of the throttle. And what the deer did was crossing the path in front of me.

There is not much one can do about the risk of hitting a deer, besides riding so slow that it spoils all the fun. So let’s just hope that luck doesn’t desert us.

Iceland trip 4: The Westfjords and Reykjavík

Day 18 (24.7) – Hvammstangi to Krossneslaug and Drangsnes

One night at Hvammstangi Campground costed 9.9 €. This one simply didn’t have showers for campers. Most towns of Iceland have an indoors pool where you can go to take a shower, but I always arrived after closing time. In any case, someone should do something to rise the standards of the campsites in the north. The south was a different story.

I picked my tent, filled the tank with 12.5 €, and went north following the eastern shore of the Westfjords. Somewhere along the way I had lunch for 15.2 €, and ice cream and coffee for 8 €. I also bought some sandwiches for 40.5 € in a N1 gas station. I can’t remember how many, but for that price I guess they were four, at least.

I started to learn what the Westfjords are about in road 643. Curly roads, no asphalt, and amazing views along the coast. Some sections of road 643 had many potholes or gravel, but most of it was a joy to ride. A good example of the typical Westfjord road is the picture below taken in this location.

In my post about Vacaburra’s modifications for the trip I showed you the picture below, which was taken in this location. If the picture of the banner still matches, you know where I took it.

Almost at the end of the road, in the middle of nowhere, I found Krossnes geothermal gool. And since it had been almost two days without taking a shower, I didn’t miss the chance to spend 4 € to swim in the warm pool and relax in the hot tub while enjoying the view.

The pool never closes and I took advantage of that, but as you can see in the picture it was getting darker so I started my way back south. The twilight gave me a new amazing view of the same route, as in the picture below taken in this location.

The view of the abandoned factory of Djúpavík is better in this direction, with the cascade in the background.

I have many good pictures from that day, but I don’t want to go on too long. The day ended in Drangsnes, where I arrived quite late.

By the way, I mentioned before that I should have brought a back-up phone. It was this day that my phone started failing frequently, to die a few day later.

Day 19 (25.7) – Drangsnes to Ísafjörður

One night at Drangsnes campsite costed 9 €. It didn’t have a kitchen or eating facilities, but it had good showers and (if I remember correctly) a washing machine. I didn’t use it, I hand-washed my clothes the entire trip. The weather was good so I decided to use my rope to put the clothes to dry.

Despite what the picture looks like, I still hardly came across other motorcycle riders. That was specially disappointing in the Westfjords. In my opinion it’s the best area for dirt-road motorcycling in Iceland.

After a while of drying the clothes and chilling in the sun I picked my tent and filled the tank with 17,4 € to go to Ísafjörður. The way through roads 645 and 61 is all asphalt, but still nice with curves and slopes and great views of the fjords.

In this location there is a resting area with some tables and benches. I stopped there to eat my sandwiches while enjoying the views, as in the picture below.

Later I came across this cozy cafe where I had home-made waffles and cafe for 8,2 €. Totally recommended.

I took the best picture of the trip in this location. You can see it below.

I arrived to Ísafjörður with time to spare. In Icelandic terms, it’s a “big” town with good services. I filled the tank with 18,8 € and washed the bike in the local N1 station. Washing your vehicle with guns of pressurized warm water is free, at least in N1.

I went to have dinner here. It’s a popular place so I had to wait for a table enjoying the sun and a pint at the terrace. The beer costed 9,8 € and dinner 20,2 €. I have no recollection of what I had, but I know it was very good.

Day 20 (26.7) – Ísafjörður to Patreksfjörður. Road F622

In Ísafjörður I stayed in the best campsite of my entire trip. It has great facilities: good showers and toilets, kitchen, eating area, washing machine, Wi-Fi, even a guitar to pick and play. But the best part is the location, with gorgeous vegetation and flowers, a beautiful river crossing the campsite, and a waterfall in the background. A night costed 13,9 €. There are other campsites in the town, make sure you end up in the right one.

Tungudalur campsite in Ísafjörður (Iceland)

I filled the tank with 4,6 €, bought groceries for 13,9 €, and hit road 60 south. Road 60 is a good dirt road with many curves and slopes and nice views.

And finally, I reached the renown road F622. One of the goals of my trip was to get the (apparently) only HD video of the entire road for my YouTube channel. The weather was perfect and I had 64 Gbytes of memory and three full batteries for the camera. But I was not so experienced and I didn’t control the duration of a single battery when recording. I noticed the camera was off in a stop and I replaced it. To make it bad, I missed the best, most challenging part of the road: a passage of big stones and rocks between the cliff and the water. In any case, I put my recording and links to other recordings showing the missing part in the video below. Click on the “i” in the top right for the links.

As for road F622, it’s more scary (because of the cliffs) than difficult. You will come across a sign saying “impassable” right before the rocky shore, but in normal conditions you should have no problem. Beware of high tides, though. That day I saw a VW Transporter 4×4 doing the road. I had more trouble crossing rivers or sand in other roads than anywhere here. Overall, it lived up to its reputation and it was the best road of my entire trip.

Back to road 60, I went to see Dynjandi waterfall. Dynjandi is one of a series of consecutive waterfalls that make a beautiful sight. Walk all the path to the top, it’s worthy. It’s fantastic how in Iceland you see waterfalls everywhere yet everyone is different and you never get bored of them.

I went further south in road 60 and then 63 west to reach road 619. 619 is a good dirt road with more great views of fjords. I did half of the road and turned around because it was getting late. I continued road 63 south to reach Patreksfjörður, where I was going to spend the night. I filled the tank again with 12,5 €.

Day 21 (27.7) – Patreksfjörður to Reykjavík

Patreksfjörður campsite has good showers, toilets, kitchen and eating room. Nothing to complain about. One night costed 14 €. The town itself could be the tiniest where I have stayed, so don’t expect many services or shops. There is a gas station.

I had filled the tank the previous night, so I just picked my tent and followed roads 617, 63, 62 and 612 south-west to Látrabjarg. In the Westfjords, dead-end roads like 612 and 617 are dirt roads which are good at the beginning but have more potholes and gravel as you reach the end where they serve less residents or none at all.

My telephone was dead for good, so for the rest of the trip I took all the pictures with the Yi 4K. I don’t like the deformation of the wide lens of action cameras, even set to the minimum. A bigger inconvenience is that I’m no longer able to give you the exact location where pictures are taken. But comparing to pictures in Google Maps, the one below must be of this beach.

Beach between roads 612 and 615 (Iceland)

If you are planning to go to Látrabjarg, don’t spend your money in a puffin-seeing tour anywhere else. You can’t get any closer and it’s free. Mind the warnings about unstable soil in the edge of the cliff.

My next stop was Rauðisandur beach, where I took the picture below. The road down to the beach is very steep.

From there I started my way to Reykjavík, where I had a booking for two nights. Unfortunately I underestimated how long it takes to go through the jigsaw road of the southern fjords. To make it worse, I had to go slow in that area because I was hit by the strongest winds after Snæfellsjökull. Along the route, I stopped two times to refuel for a total of 43,4 €, I had a cappucino for 6 €, and I spent 1,6 € in Hvalfjörður Tunnel again.

Without telephone I had no GPS, so I had to ask for directions to find my hostel. Luckily it was next to Hallgrímskirkja, whose tower is visible from many places in the city. I arrived past midnight and it was closed, but the manager heard my motorbike and opened the door for me.

Day 22 (28.7) – Reykjavík

I stayed in GEST-INN guesthouse. The place is fantastic, the breakfast great and the location very convenient. Two nights costed 224 €. Considering the prices in Reykjavík, I totally recommend it.

That day I didn’t take the motorbike. You know I don’t intend to write a touristic guide, so I won’t go through the sights I visited. Out of the most typical, I enjoyed eating at The Laundromat Cafe, where I had a veggie burger and a smoothie for 31,5 €. Later I spent 5,3 € in ice cream and 3,6 € to send three postcards. I ended the day listening to live music at The Drunk Rabbit. I spent a total of 50,6 € in beers along the day.

In case anyone urgently needs to know how my trip ends, it’s obvious: I followed the south coast to Seyðisfjörður, where I took the ferry on August the 3rd. I will write about this part in my next post.

Iceland trip 3: The west and west Highlands

Day 12 (18.7) – Stykkishólmsbær to Borgarnes

To my dismay, Stykkishólmsbær campsite had open outdoors showers. It had new toilets with plenty of space, but for some reason they installed the showers outside the building. It was quite chilly, so I decided not to use them. It didn’t have any other facilities. Camping one night was 12.5 €.

I filled the tank with 12 € and continued west through road 54. I stopped in this location to take the picture below.

In some town of the way I stopped to eat fish and cake for 31.2 €, but unfortunatelly I can’t recall where. So far so good, I continued my way to road 574 in order to visit Snæfellsjökull National Park. And that’s how I got in deep, deep trouble.

In Iceland, if you ride a motorcycle and cars flash their lights at you, they are probably warning you about strong winds. I didn’t know that, neither I knew how bad it could get. I just kept going and by the time I realized it, it was too late. I had such a strong side wind that, in a straight road, I leaned my bike more than I usually do in curves. Of course the wind blew in gusts, so I had to drive in esses to compensate. Because I couldn’t drive straight, I had to drive slow to stay in my lane. I knew that if I stopped or tried to turn around the wind would push me over, so I could only keep going. Moreover, there was a fog that prevented me from seeing much of the Park. I recently contacted the Icelandic Met Office and they kindly gave me the figures of that day and area: maximum wind speed 12 m/s, maximum gust speed 20 m/s.

Somehow I didn’t fall or went out of the road lane, and after several endless hours I could take shelter in the cafeteria of Hotel Rjúkandi. I spent 4.8 € in a hot chocolate to warm up, and I left a good tip because they were very kind and understanding with the mess I made with my wet clothes.

I had accommodation booked in Borgarnes, so I continued my trip despite the strong winds. Fortunately they were not as bad as in the tip of Snæfellsjökull.

Day 13 (19.7) – Borgarnes and Langjökull

In Borgarnes I took a badly needed break from campsites in Blómasetrið Homestay. This is a guesthouse that has everything you may want or need in the rooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom. The decoration and furniture creates a cozy home-like atmosphere. The people that run it were kind and helpful beyond duty. This was my best accommodation in Iceland and one of the best ever, I have no words to recommend it. It costed me 276.5 € for three nights.

I filled the tank with 16 € and I took road 52 east until I reached road F550. I went north through road F550, also known as Kaldidalur corridor. It had potholes and stones but wasn’t that interesting. The landscape wasn’t that special either, a flat of rocks with occasional mountains and patches of ice. I took the picture below in this location.

Road F550, Kaldidalur corridor (Iceland)

From F550, you can drive to the western edge of Langjökull glacier and have a walk on it. I took the picture below in this location.

At the north end of the F550 I met a couple that was travelling in a peculiar BMW with sidecar. They were waiting for the tow service due to problems with the engine. The lady told me that she had an uncomfortable ride due to the short suspension of the sidecar.

I went to visit Víðgelmir cave. For 52.3 € it wasn’t cheap, but it was worthy. Better than one of my pictures, check the gallery in their website.

My next stops were the Hraunfossar cascades, Barnafoss rapids, and Deildartunguhver hot spring. I will share a picture of the rapids, but you should definitely look for more in the Internet.

I took the shortest route back to Borgarnes. As I remember, everything besides the F550 was asphalt. I had dinner at Borgarnes N1 gas station for 20.2 € and went back to my cosy guesthouse.

Day 14 (20.7) – Gullfoss and Geysir

I filled the tank with 18 € and I went to do road F338 from west to east. F338 is a curly road that goes through flats and small hills, and follows the straight direction of some power lines. The landscape is beautiful, including some lavender fields. It has several kinds of surfaces, mostly stones and soil, but also some parts of black sand. In one of those sandy parts I lost control and fell off the bike. Luckily it was a slow and soft landing, and the only time I fell in the entire trip.

At the east end of the F338 there are two river crossings that you can see at the end of the video. If you are unsure I recommend you to start from the east, otherwise turning around means doing the entire road again. F338 in one of the nicest roads I did in Iceland. If you are a rookie like me, I recommend it as a first experience crossing wide streams.

That day I learnt an important lesson: wrap your sandwiches with foil. Otherwise they can end as in the picture below.

Sandwiches messed during a route in Iceland

After road F338 I went to visit Gullfoss and Geysir, which are very close to each other. Gullfoss is almost as spectacular as Dettifoss. You can guess what the Geysir area is famous for. As a curiosity, the geyser that gave name to the phenomenon is currently inactive, but its neighbour Strokkur won’t disappoint you. And the amazing colors of the surrounding steaming pools are quite a sight on their own.

On my way back I think I took roads 37, 365 and 36, because what I have in my notes is that I spent 1.6 € on the toll of Hvalfjörður Tunnel. Back in Borgarnes, I spent 29.5 € in groceries and 20.1 € in standard lubricant oil. I made the mistake of taking an almost empty bottle of chain lubricant for the trip, and in a small town like Borgarnes I couldn’t find it.

Day 15 (21.7) – Borgarnes to Kerlingarfjöll

Time to leave the comfort of the guesthouse. I filled the tank with 23.3 € and crossed Hvalfjörður Tunnel again (1.6 €). I continued in the opposite direction as yesterday until I reached Hotel Geysir. There I had a pizza and an ice cream for 20.5 €. My plan was to do F35 north and the gas station next to the hotel is the last one until the end; so I filled the tank and the external containers with 22.3 €. The gas in the tank turned out to be enough, but I didn’t know then.

I followed road F35 north until Kerlingarfjöll. That part of the F35 is an average Icelandic dirt road with potholes and stones, not specially good or bad. The picture below was taken in this location. A few meters further, I lost a pannier again.

I set up my tent in Kerlingarfjöll, where I was going to stay two nights.

Day 16 (22.7) – Kerlingarfjöll

Kerlingarfjöll has all the facilities you may need, including a cafe-restaurant. My only complain is the space to dry the clothes indoors, definitely small for all the people that want to use it. Two nights in a tent costed 33 € and include unlimited hot showers, a very good price. Besides that, I only spent 3.6 € in a coffee. I was eating sandwiches that I made with my supermarket groceries.

Camping, accommodation and facilities at Kerlingarfjöll (Iceland)

That day I gave Vacaburra a break because there are several amazing trekking routes in the area. I first went to the natural hot pool near this location. The water was perfectly warm and there are two fountains to massage your neck. The location is incredible, in a canyon next to a river. It was the best bath of my life. Bear in mind that the place has a wooden platform but no closed place to change your clothes.

Natural hot water pool in Kerlingarfjöll (Iceland)

Then I took a trekking route. At some point it got a bit steep and there was snow and I was considering turning back. To be honest, it wasn’t that bad, it was me being lazy and not really into trekking. But then I remembered the motto of my trip, I haven’t come this far to come this far, so I continued. It paid off, because in this location I got to see one of the best landscapes of the trip. It had everything: hills, soil of multiple colors, patches of snow, patches of vegetation, steam vents… I felt sorry for the people who travel in normal rental cars, which cannot be driven in road F35.

When I arrived back to the camping I noticed three identical GS’s with almost consecutive Spanish plate numbers. I met one of the drivers and he told me that he and his friends bought the bikes together to get a discount. I was glad to meet some fellow Spaniards.

Spanish GS’s in Kerlingarfjöll (Iceland)

Day 17 (23.7) – Kerlingarfjöll to Hvammstangi

I had another 3.6 € coffee and picked my tent to continue north. Road F35 near Hveravellir has a perpendicular carving that makes the bike shake and the riding very annoying. I have seen such carving in roads in Finland, I guess it’s man-made. I first saw it in steep slopes and I thought it was for better traction. But then I also saw it in flats like in this case, and I wonder what’s the point. I didn’t take any proper picture of the road, but in this location there is a crossing where I took one of my favourite pictures of the entire trip.

That crossing is were road F735 takes you from F35 to Hveravellir‘s thermal springs and campsite. The area is not so spectacular and the facilities not so big as in Kerlingarfjöll, but it’s still a great place to stay and visit. There is also a natural pool of hot water, this one with a house to change your clothes next to it. I just stopped to visit the area and take pictures like the one below.

From Blöndulón road F35 gets flat, straight, wide and with a good surface. You could get there from the north in a normal car, but it’s still forbidden for rental cars. The interesting part is the views of lakes, mountains and glaciers. Don’t forget your binoculars.

This was the first gas station I reached. I only needed 7.1 € to fill the tank because I had been filling from the containers. It was a total of 254 kilometers between gas stations. Next to the station there is North West Hotel & Restaurant where I had a good dinner for 30.3 €. Finally, I reached Hvammstangi to stay overnight.

Sena 10C EVO, where art thou?

I have wanted a helmet bluetooth set with camera for a long time now. The reason I didn’t get it yet is that I’m waiting for Sena 10C EVO to be released, which seems that will be the only one in the market capable of recording at 60 frames per second with a resolution of 1080p. It doesn’t seem too much compared to what action cameras can nowadays do; yet I don’t know of any bluetooth set that can do it. It will also have some other cool features like audio mixing between the microphone inside the helmet and your bluetooth music source. My Yi 4K takes fantastic videos, but the wind noise is terrible. In my opinion, the only thing that the 10C EVO needed to be the definitive set is the mesh connectivity of the 30K.

I found about the 10C EVO during spring 2017, and if I remember correctly Revzilla had a release date that made me think that I could get it for my trip in Iceland. But it has been a year and we still have no idea of when it will be released. One can understand that problems may come up and even appreciate that they make sure the product is polished before releasing it; but total silence after such a long delay doesn’t show much care for their potential buyers. To add to the confusion, they have announced a 10C PRO with pretty much the same specifications. I’m seeing other frustrated Youtube bloggers, like this and this and the one below.

Another gadget that I’m considering to get but seems to be going the same way is the Erida drone, but I hardly have any hope of seeing this one soon.

Iceland trip 2: The north

Day 7 (13.7) – Seyðisfjörður to Húsavík

The ferry arrived to its final destination in Seyðisfjörður in the morning. Customs just asked how long I was planning to stay and put a sticker in the windshield of the bike. I shall write about the town when I tell you about my last day in the country; that day I just had to get going.

MAN adventure truck disembarked in Seyðisfjörður (Iceland)

One thing that caught my eye is this MAN KAT1 truck that also disembarked. This one is unique and has a luxury interior, you can see it here. It made me dream of traveling in a off-road truck, maybe when I retire.

Leaving Seyðisfjörður you reach Egilsstaðir, a good place to get provisions. I bought a road map for 17.5 € and groceries for 25.2 €. I also spent 43.2 € in gasoline. I filled the motorcycle tank and the empty Rotopax cans.

It was raining and cold, so I also put the Gore-Tex layer of my jacket and trousers in the toilet of the gas station. It was difficult to prevent my clothes from touching the dirty wet floor.

All set, I took the Ring Road north and then F88 south. The F88 is a fun road of black sand and stones that goes through a beautiful area of petrified lava. It was cold, it never stopped raining and I hardly crossed any other vehicle.

My plan was to spend the first night in Sigurðarskáli; and visit the ice caves of Kverkfjöll, Askja caldera and Herðubreið the following day. But when I came across the first river crossing, I thought it was wiser to turn around. You can see the conditions of the river and the weather, and part of my route back north, in the video below.

You may argue that river can be crossed in a motorbike. But bear in mind that I didn’t have any experience, the conditions were bad, and if I got in trouble it looked like I wouldn’t get help in hours. I thought of the high risk of ruining a trip that cost me a lot of time and money to prepare, the very first day. I still think I took the right decision.

Later in the trip I crossed many other rivers. Now I think I could easily cross that one. I would definitely try if I weren’t alone. One of a hundred reasons to go back to Iceland, some day.

Anyway, I went to visit Hverir Geothermal Area and then went to Húsavík, where I booked a whale-watching tour and was going to stay the following two nights.

Day 8 (14.7) – Húsavík and Jökulsárgljúfur

I stayed in Húsavík Campground. To be honest, the facilities were quite bad. The showers just had a few hooks to leave your clothes and the floor was dirty with the outside mud (Some people took their shoes inside the shower room instead of leaving them outside). The eating room had a few chairs, half of them broken. At least they had a very convenient heated room to dry your clothes, I give them that. But unless you are traveling in a caravan with all the facilities, I would avoid this campsite.

Most Icelandic campsites don’t have an office, someone passes by collecting payments in the morning and afternoon. It would become my routine to arrive in the evening and pay the following morning. This one costed 19 € for two nights. There is a Camping Card, but not for every campsite and definitely not worthy for the amount of nights I would use it. However, I got the impression that campsites that accept the Camping Card have good facilities, so it’s a good reference.

That morning I went on the whale-watching tour that I booked the previous day. I had a coffee while waiting for the ship (2 €). The tour costed 82 € but it was worthy. We were extremely lucky to see a whale breaching, very rare in cold waters.

After that I took the bike to do road 862 south. 862 is a nice challenging road full of potholes and probably ponds after raining. The views were great. The picture below was taking in this location.

I must confess that my morale was low that day. I missed important sights the previous day, the weather was always bad, the campsite disappointing… I had a difficult entry to the country and I was regretting I came. But in Jökulsárgljúfur, I started to realize what Iceland has to offer.

I don’t want to waste time with long descriptions of the sights when you can find plenty of information, images and videos in the Internet. But whatever you may read or see, can’t compare with being there and seeing it for yourself.

My first stop was Ásbyrgi, a beautiful canyon with a pristine river and gorgeous vegetation. There is a campsite right there. There are other campsites in amazing locations in Jökulsárgljúfur.

I’m only going to tell you one thing about Dettifoss: It turned out to be the best, most spectacular sight of my entire trip. After reaching the south end of the road I went back to spend my last night in Húsavík.

By the way, it was that day in road 862 when I lost a pannier for the first time. Back in Húsavík, I got a Vodafone data SIM card (14.5 €) that I should have bought the previous day in Egilsstaðir.

Day 9 (15.7) – Húsavík to Sauðárkrókur

You see, I made quite a detailed plan of the route I was going to follow. Accordingly to that plan, from Húsavík I was going to do the Sprengisandur route (F26) south. The F88 showed me that I had underestimated the difficulty of river crossings, so I double checked the F26. I came to the conclusion that it was way too much for my skills. I wonder if the entire route can be done in a motorcycle, actually. I had to redo all my plans in a way that I still used the accommodation bookings I had. I would later learn that the weather can ruin your plans too.

Things can always go wrong and you have to adapt and improvise. That morning I stepped on my glasses while I was looking for them inside my tent. One glass cracked but still stayed in place, and I had the prescription sunglasses if the sun showed up some day. I later noticed that my tent has pockets in the corners.

Anyway, I picked my tent, filled the tank with 14.5 €, and I was on the move again. Until then, I had been filling the tank with the gasoline from the panniers as soon as I could. Better keep the cans empty if you don’t need them.

First I went to Krafla. I think the main sight there is Víti crater, but instead of that I want to show you the shower of thermal water that stands here, in the middle of nowhere. Somebody actually came by car, took a shower and continued her trip.

If you want to see what Mývatn has to show, go around by the southern road 848. That’s the next thing I did, and I took the picture below in this location.

Then I made a stop at Goðafoss waterfall and continued west in the Ring Road through Öxnadalur valley, where the road is dull but the views are great. The picture below was taken in this location.

Somewhere along the route I had lunch and ice cream for 35 €. The meals I don’t mention, it’s because I just made a sandwich with the things I bought at a supermarket, which was usually the case.

Finally I arrived to Sauðárkrókur, where I filled the tank again with 20.2 € and was going to stay two nights.

Day 10 (16.7) – Tröllaskagi

The camping in Sauðárkrókur only has toilets and showers, but at least they are new and good. It costed 19.2 € for two nights, plus 4 € for using the showers twice. In most Icelandic campsites you pay extra to have a limited time of warm water in the shower.

That morning I spent 11.3 € in groceries and off I went. The plan was to go around Tröllaskagi peninsula. I didn’t visit any special sight but the route and the landscape were epic.

I first went around in road 76. Parts of the road didn’t have asphalt and even had potholes, like in the picture below taken in this location. This uses to be the case in Iceland, secondary roads with different surfaces depending on the part.

I stopped in this place to have a coffee and a sandwich for 9.2 €. I totally recommend it. After that I took the tunnels to Ólafsfjörður and from there I took roads 802 and 82 west back to road 76. You may notice that for Google Maps that is not road 82, but accordingly to my road map and the Lonely Planet guide, it is.

802 and 82 are dirt roads with pot holes. Not that challenging, but the mountain pass of 82 was spectacular. Notice the birds flying in front of me at the end of the video. I don’t really know the reason of their behaviour, but I think they were acting as bait to lead me far from their nests. Many Icelandic birds nest on the ground due to the lack of trees, and they can be very aggressive if you approach theirs nests.

After these, I just took 76 back to Sauðárkrókur. It was cold and raining all day. The Gore-Tex layer did its job, but when I arrived to the campsite my gear was soaking wet. I had to go straight to sit on the radiator of the toilets until I stopped shaking. That was my first lesson in how bad the conditions can be in Iceland, but it wouldn’t be neither the last nor the toughest.

Day 11 (17.7) – Sauðárkrókur to Stykkishólmsbær

I picked my tent again and continued west, after filling the tank with 13.6 €. I went around Vatnsnes peninsula, taking roads 716, 717 and 711. They are good dirt roads with some gravel and potholes. The peninsula has many nice sights, like the remains of a fortress on top of the hill of the picture below, taken in this location.

I made a stop in this location and between the uneven terrain and the strong wind, the bike ended as in the picture below. I was removing the luggage to be able to pick the bike up when some cars came and I stopped them for help. They saw my broken glasses and it took me a while to convince them that I didn’t have an accident and I was fine.

Bike pushed by wind in Vatnsnes (Iceland)

I made a stop at this station where I filled the tank again with 12.9 € and had a vegan burger for 14.7 €. N1 gas stations usually have good services. Then I went south to take road F586 west.

I think road F586 is a hidden gem of Icelandic off-road driving. It goes through mountains like 82; but it’s narrower, bumpier, curlier, more steep, and you get to cross a narrow river several times. If you are a rookie like me, it’s one of the first roads you should do: it will challenge you without putting you in trouble. Regardless of your experience, it’s the second best road I did in Iceland. I had a video but it seems I accidentally deleted it when freeing space in the memory card. So, unfortunately, I can only show you the turf house in this location.

To get into road F586 from the Ring Road, you need to cross a gate. Make sure you leave it closed behind you. The reason for the gate and its fence is the sheep that roam freely in most of the country. Be extra-careful with them: the lack of predators hasn’t made them most cunning or agile animal on earth. For some reason they like to be on the roads; and they have unpredictable reactions or not react at all when you get really close. It’s not rare that they stand in one side of the road and cross in front of you at the very last moment.

I continued west through road 54, which was a good dirt road. The views of the coast were great, like the picture below that I took in this location.

I spent the night in Stykkishólmur, from where I started the western part of my trip.