Lost in France

I haven't ridden in Europe for many years, but when I first met my missus – and she was still captivated by the novelty of going out with a motorcycle rider, and we didn't have a car – we rode onto the continent a few times.

French roads are beautiful (if you avoid Paris) and in '92 we went on my 1980 XLS Sporty (top), then in '94 on my '76 shovel. We never had any mechanical trouble (except for bits falling off), more through luck than any fastidious preparation on my part. People used to come out of their houses in villages to wave when they heard us coming.

Simple, good times.