Kewin Krawczyk

I'm an off-road rider, occasional traveler, gadget lover, and photography enthusiast. On my blog, I share knowledge and experiences from my journeys.

In 2017 together with two of my friends, we’ve spontaneously decided to go on a motorcycle trip to Croatia.

We had absolutely zero experience when it comes to motorcycle touring. The day before heading out, we bought a tent. We needed a 3-person but, as it usually happens when you’re so last minute, we couldn’t find one. The only option was to buy a huge, heavy, and hideous 6-person tent. So we did.

We packed other items, both necessary and unnecessary. And we didn’t pack various important things which, what we didn’t know at that time, might come in handy.

Bullet Bike

Low suspension, high RPM and bald tires – that doesn’t sound like an adventure motorbike. But who said it will be easy and comfortable? What matters is a thrilling experience.

Croatia

Main goal: set up a base camp in Medulin and go sightseeing.

When we started our trip, it was pouring in Poland. A total cloudburst, not some drizzle. However, nothing could stop us. We were soaking wet, but after the border crossing, Slovakia welcomed us with sun. Before we reached Hungary, we were already dry.

The closer we were to the coast the bigger our excitement was. The route was full of twisties. The only distracting thing was the luggage. Provisionally attached to the motorcycle, it danced on the turns.

On the third day, we could finally set up our tent. It was like building a 6-person house with a garage. The tent was so huge that apart from our group and luggage, it could accommodate another three guests. And three motorcycles in the vestibule. Bikes couldn’t, however, stay under the roof because we would choke on the smoke from my R6. Boys were laughing that, when riding after me, they smell burnt rings sealing the muffler.

Indolence, spending time on a beach, and sightseeing – that was our life now.

When looking around the camping site, I came across an old Kawasaki KLE500. “That must be comfortable”, I thought. I took a quick shot to look it up after coming back home. I thought that one day I’ll need a successor to the R6. It was the second impulse to change the bike. The first one was a troublesome way to attach the luggage to the racing motorcycle.

Premantura and Pula

Strolling down the rocky paths of Premantura got me thinking about how many beautiful places were out of our reach. Instead of enjoying the views, I was making a savings plan. Sold a lot of things on eBay in my thoughts, too.

Excruciating Return

Our way home was charming. Slovenian and Austrian landscapes can be breathtaking. Nonetheless, it was tiresome. After nearly 1500km of riding, I had sore wrists, neck, shoulders, butt, and knees. And there was another 600km to travel. But kilometers didn’t really matter. The worst was the time spent on the motorcycle. Every minute seemed to be twice as painful as the previous one. Fortunately, the boys were tired too, so in the morning we decided that we do the last 600km from Graz in one ride. We were too exhausted to ride one more day.

This unprofessional adventure without preparation taught us a lot and was the beginning of my fascination with traveling (especially on a motorcycle).

What was the conclusion after this trip? Raise money to buy a more comfortable bike and all necessary items, such as weatherproof suit, comfortable shoes, basic tools, and jumper cables.

You cannot forsee everything, but if you’re heading out to a beach, it’s good to remember to take flip flops with you. At least, the overpriced ones I bought in Croatia serve me well to this day.