Motorbike on Board
Totally driven! A BMW Enduro expands our possibilities
For the logistics on land, you could also rent a car or move your own from home?
Or find a completely different, easier solution: A motorbike!
We have now been on the road with it for a season and have gained some experience.
A BMW Enduro as a “land dinghy”
The first time we hibernated in Portimao, we took our Chrysler south, 3000 km in 32 hours. But in 2020/21 in Corona times with winter storms and lockdown we had no chance to get the van from Hamburg. Above that, we needed a light, efficient vehicle with which we could use dirt roads and ignore borders even in “emergency situations”. As old bikers, we decided on a BMW 1200 GS LC Adventure. The virtual purchase at a German dealer on the Ems, the registration in Hamburg and the delivery as freight to Portugal was a successful adventure of its own….
In the meantime, we enjoy the independent travel possibilities with the motorbike on board and have tested the previously weighed advantages and disadvantages in practice.
Benefits
- Cheap and fast means of transport on land (petrol prices!)
- Exciting excursion possibility to explore unknown countries
- A new feeling of freedom for once – quite different from sailing
- Practical: transport of large purchases
- Uncomplicated pick-up of visitors
- Amazing how quickly you make new acquaintances!
- Surprising and cool look of the cockpit
- Can also be done without an onboard crane
Downsides
- The ship sits 2 cm deeper in the water and becomes approx. 1-2 knots slower, this must be taken into account.
- There is less space in the cockpit – no problem with a small crew.
- The load capacity is reduced by 250 kg.
- There are no self-service cranes in the Mediterranean as there are in Northern Europe where the boats all leave the water in winter.
- Crane service has to be organised and paid for on shore (20€-100€).
