Greetings from Slovenia!

[BobK]

I've been living in Slovenia since 1996, originally from Scotland. Here's my current bike, taking a short rest in Ehrenhausen, Austria:

[mogster]

from Dorset

[Johnj]

Hello from Kansas.

[totalmotorcycle]

Victor!

Ah, what a great photo and a great bike you have there as well. How is riding in Slovenia? I've never been there but I imagine it must be something like Prague...

BTW - How do you find the XR1200? My wife rode one and really loved it but was concerned about the fuel tank expansion issues (ethonol fuel), do you like the ride and have you had any issues?

Mike

[BobK]

Hi Mike:

Slovenia is a very small country, just a four hour drive from one end to the other, but it has plenty of variety. There is a four-lane highway from the east (starting at Spielfeld, on the Austrian border) that goes all the way to the coast, ending at Koper (near Trieste). The eastern tip of Slovenia, (bordering Hungary) is flat, but as you go west, you get into the Alps. There is a national park in north-west Slovenia that contains the highest mountain in the country, Triglav, at slightly higher than 2800 meters, and a little bit west of that is the famous Vrsic (Vršič in Slovene) Pass. In the area where I live there are plenty of twisty secondary roads to ride.

I bought the XR in Graz, Austria, about a 40-minute drive north of here, since there isn't a Harley dealer in Slovenia. My previous bike was a Moto Guzzi Nevada, which I was quite happy with, that I sold to a friend. I had never owned a Harley before, but after a test drive I was convinced. It may not be the fastest bike in the world, but I didn't buy it for racing. It's well-suited for fast afternoon drives on the highway and it's not bad for around town. I kept the stock pipes on it, as I didn't want to annoy the neighbours. They are quiet enough not to attract unwanted attention, but you still hear a nice sound when you open it up on on-ramps. Most important, the riding position is very comfortable for me. I'm a mid-sized guy (well, in the U.S. I guess I'd be a midget - only 5'10", 185 lb) and the relationship between seat, pegs, and handlebars is very comfortable. On the Guzzi I was getting cramps in the legs and pain in the lower back from sitting bolt upright, but the slight lean forward on the XR is perfect for me.

I don't think we get ethanol in the petrol here. I've heard about the tank expansion problem, but so far have seen no sign of it. I've had no issues at all, but only have 3500 km on the bike so far. I've been riding it up until last week, when we had a big snowfall. We usually have a short winter here, so hopefully will be out and about again in another week or so.

[sunshine229]

Hi Bobk!

Welcome from and originally

Your photo is a beauty and man do I love that bike! It's one of the bikes that I pine for. Maybe one day I'll own one?

I've never been to Slovenia but I hear it, along with Croatia, are beautiful places to visit. Hopefully you'll post a few more pics!

[sv-wolf]

Hi Bob

Welcome to TMW from not-so-sunny Hertfordshire. There is a small chance that I shall be riding through Slovenia in a month or so - it depends how far I get. I'm trying to arrange a short motorcycle holiday and I'm vaguely heading in that direction - South and East is the general idea. Friends tell me that Slovenia is very beautiful and more developed that much of the rest of the Balkans. It's somewhere I've always wanted to see.

Cheers

Richard

[BobK]

Here's a photo I took about four years ago when I was on a short trip through Austria, near Kitzbuhel:



The western part of Slovenia looks just like this.

One of the best things about Slovenia for tourists is that almost everybody here speaks several languages, usually including English and German.

[blues2cruise]

Welcome to TMW from

Seeing the scenery makes me want to save up $$$ and go there.