-
Hello all. Some of you will know me and Theresa from past VIMs. Together we have done a few. My last VIM was in Andorra, last year. Sadly though, I ride alone now as Theresa has said 'no' to any more motorcycling. She was involved in an accident on a scooter in Greece, a few years back and she was badly cut on the leg. She was hit by a Varadero that skidded behind her. That's what the English call irony. I have watched with interest, how the International Varadero Club has changed over the years, and how it is now the Honda Adventure Riders group.
Theresa and I retired in 2017 and we emigrated to live in the south of France, near to Carcassonne. I still have my 2011 white Varadero, which I ride regularly with various groups here. I also ride a TTR250 for offroad. Last month, I went to the latest French Varadero and Crosstourer meeting in the Haute Savoie, an event they called VaraDahu2, the second time that we have been there. It is a beautiful part of France and the roads are excellent for riding. This was their 14th meeting and we had 42 bikes, with 11 of them being Varaderos. Next year it will be in the Pyrenees Orientales, quite close to where we live. They always have two days of riding in a group.
I was disappointed that there were no organised rides for the Andorra VIM. Did you have organised rides in Denmark? For me, that is so very important. Sadly again, Denmark was too far for me to ride alone, without Theresa, but hopefully, some day, we will meet again.
Good luck for the future.
This is a picture of me on the right with Swing and Marisa from Switzerland. And another of me with Digger Dave. And finally, of the Varaderomania group.
-
We had in Denmark unofficial riding in groups as organized tours would need police approval.
-
That spoils it for me. Sorry. I prefer the old days of VIM when we always had group rides. Unofficial groups end up with cliques.
-
That spoils it for me. Sorry. I prefer the old days of VIM when we always had group rides. Unofficial groups end up with cliques.
I fully agree with you, Jess
But unfortunately in some countries / regions large groups on the roads are forbidden.
At VIM 16 in Geiranger we had two common dayrides including feeding and ferries.
I don't know if this is legal in Norway, and I didn't ask anyone.
Especially not the police
-
hello Jess, surely we meet in a next VIM closer for you (but do not know when...); and sure we have to meet again before that !
For VIM20 in Andorra, sure you remember the circumstances of organisation and we had some semi official rides ; I had no time to do more has I was far till end of April. do not know the Andorran legislation but we had a lot of "problems" with andoran administration without trips Orga .
In France too you have to declare trips with some bikes (I know Varaderomania group never do that, but what happens if any problem?) I have made declarations for VCIM17's trips in four departments, gendarmeries, and town halls; a very hard job ...
I prefer also to discover in organized rides (enough difficult to organize way to and from); but as you know each organizer makes how he want/can, and they propose a lot of interrested places to visit around and what we do with "cliques" was great not have to say you can propose an organization for one of the next VIMs and propose organized rides 
-
Right attitudeThat spoils it for me. Sorry. I prefer the old days of VIM when we always had group rides. Unofficial groups end up with cliques.
I fully agree with you, Jess
But unfortunately in some countries / regions large groups on the roads are forbidden.
At VIM 16 in Geiranger we had two common dayrides including feeding and ferries.
I don't know if this is legal in Norway, and I didn't ask anyone.
Especially not the police
-
Some informations about VIM's on Varaderomania; we have less frenchies it seems ....
-
I'm not a big fan of "organized" rides. They always end up in pointless cues and if only one person makes a wrong descision, it all ends up in missery. Have a steel spinal vertebra to proof this.
Times change and people do. What didn't change is the atmosphere at every single Varadero International Meeting we had for the last 21 years.
And #22 won't be an exception either.
VIM in my modest opinion is- and has always been- about meeting other mind-a-likes. Don't need a organized tour for that.
The ride outs at VIM are just a bonus.