European Motorcycle Trip 1962
In my Sophmore year at U of Wisconsin I enrolled in a low cost trip to Europe. We flew from New York to Paris in an unpressurized plane. I took a boat from Calais to Folkstone — no chunnel at this time. I took a train to the Triumph Motorcycle works in Coventry where I picked up my brand new Triumph 500 cc Speedtwin.
Back on the boat to Calais and then across Belgium to Aachen, Germany. I spent ten weeks motorcycling through Germany and Austria. I stayed overnight at youth hostels — Juegendherbergen – that cost 1 Mark (25 cents) a night. The hostels were like hotels!
On the way back our plane stopped at Gander, Newfoundland, for fuel. We students bought so much liquor in the duty-free shop that our captain was concerned that the plane was grossly over weight. Nonetheless, we took off and had a safe flight home.
I traveled 8000 miles through Europe, and it was the most awesome motorcycle trip of my lifetime.
This is our unpressurized plane
To the Youth Hostel
Here is a typical men’s dorm. I carried a light-weight sleeping bag. The beds were very comfortable.
My Triumph Speedtwin It was British except for the American style handlebars. British bars were narrow racing-style
Wine was cheaper than Coke along the Rhine. My lunches consisted of Roggenbrot and cheese.
View along the Rhine River Note that these pictures were digitized from slides, so not of the quality of my DSLR images
5 Replies to “European Motorcycle Trip 1962”
Hi Dennis,
That looks like the trip of a lifetime, and a good way to start out on a great journey!
It was great. When I got back to the states road riding was not as much fun — to dangerous!
What did you do with the bike at the end of the trip? It had to be sad to give it up?
I had it shipped to Milwaukee and rode it for a year. I traded it in an a 200 cc Triumph Cub that I rode in Hillclimbs and Motocross.
Dennis, I had no idea. You look like a biker gang banger for sure!!! LOL Awesome pictures my friend.