From Athens to Helsinki Help to a fellow biker far away from home...

[Taksideftis]

Hi everyone!

My name is Nick and very recently I’ve moved to Finland from Greece with my wife and son.

I am the very proud owner of a beautiful red Honda VFR 750 B that goes by the name “Avra” (means breeze in Greek).

We have been on a lot of adventures together and for the past 8 years, she has taken me all over Europe. From Albania and the Balkans all the way to Nordkapp and from Turkey up to Ireland and the UK. (By the way, I’ve been to Finland before, I’ve traveled the whole length of the country actually from the north border and Inari lake all the way to Turku.)

The stuff we have seen together and the experiences are simply too many to even mention here, but I’ll just say that my bike is the only VFR that became a ...submarine and survived! (Long story. She was stolen in Ireland and then dumped into a river...)

Most of the years I’ve been traveling alone out of choice, but in one of my journeys up north I’ve met my wife so for the past few years we’ve been riding together.

I love taking photos and writing travel stories about our journeys, and they have been published on quite a few motorcycle forums back in Greece with a bit of success.
(By the way, if I can find the time I’d love to translate some of my stories in English...)

Now, why am I writing all this, you may ask? Well, the reason is simple. Motorcycling and travelling is my passion and I’m dying to find fellow bikers here in Finland. Unfortunately since I don’t speak the language at all, it is pretty much impossible to find information about clubs, forums, meetings, group rides etc.

I mean, just to register and write this message I’ve been copying/pasting in google translate 2 days now. NOT fun! aha:

So, would you be so kind to help a fellow biker from the south find his way here in his new home?

Because I’m an old school guy who hates social media and such things, is anyone interested in meeting up and going for a ride or coffee in a nice old coffee house just to get the ball rolling and getting to know us?

If not, then do you have meetings around the Helsinki area? Also do you have any good routes to recommend for a nice ride out?

Lots of questions I know but don’t bash me. We all got to start from somewhere, right? :lol:



Keep on riding!
Nick

[AMatu]

Hello and welcome!
I can assist you with routes and additional information.
We can meet up in Helsinki area someday next week, depending on the weather.
Let me know what day/time is best for you.
Cheers!

[Karkov]

Look for this subforum area:

http://www.moottoripyora.org/keskust...etka-ajelut-ym

Letka stands for a group ride. Most finns speak english well, so feel free to join any. Even if you cant understand the posts, you can atleast usually spot the starting place/address and time of day.

[Go-Za]

It's now quite late of this season but the biggest meeting is on wednesdays at Haltiala (around 5pm):
(check the place on the map here), there you can meet many many many bikers.
At weekends it is a good idea check at least these places in the morning (around 10-12 am):
Bemböle coffeehouse
Shell Lahnus
These places have always some riders who are about to take a ride and I don't think no-one minds if you ask to join them!
If you want to find good roads to ride I would say check www.motocaching.net -there's more than enough!
Just forget the brown ones -they are gravelroads.

[Taksideftis]

Hello and welcome!
I can assist you with routes and additional information.
We can meet up in Helsinki area someday next week, depending on the weather.
Let me know what day/time is best for you.
Cheers!

Hey that sounds excellent!
I’ll be more than happy to meet up. I am not working at the moment so any day is good for me.
Thursday seems to be sunny all day long so it might be a good bet?

Our house is in Jarvenpaa at the moment and the bike is in Sipoo, but name the place and I can come over. GPS is our friend.

It's now quite late of this season but the biggest meeting is on wednesdays at Haltiala (around 5pm):
(check the place on the map here), there you can meet many many many bikers.
At weekends it is a good idea check at least these places in the morning (around 10-12 am):
Bemböle coffeehouse
Shell Lahnus
These places have always some riders who are about to take a ride and I don't think no-one minds if you ask to join them!
If you want to find good roads to ride I would say check www.motocaching.net -there's more than enough!
Just forget the brown ones -they are gravelroads.

I checked the Haltiala place and it looks kick ass awesome! A farm, nature, burgers, beer and lots of bikers? Count me in! If the weather is not too bad, then I’ll go over this week.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and the info!
I’ll get my bearings and I’ll report back soon!

[Maza]

Hi,

if you need some place to fix and maintain your bike you are also wellcome to join our club http://www.hmpk.com/.
We have a clubhouse including a garage equipped with all tools you need for your bike.

MotoOrg is a very good organisation to find friends, meetings, daycruising, advise and so on and I can recommend to join the organisation too. You will learn biking in Finland very quickly and have fun.

BTW..nice bike!

[AMatu]

Thursday sounds good!
We can meet-up in Nikkilä ABC Sipoo around 15:30, if the weather is still good.

[Pave.]

Welcome to Finland -Country on Snow and Freeze!
I hope that You find Biker Friend on Your neighborhood.

[Taksideftis]

Thursday sounds good!
We can meet-up in Nikkilä ABC Sipoo around 15:30, if the weather is still good.

Sounds great, but I need to be in Nurmijärvi until 15:00. So can we make the meeting around 16:00?
This will give me time to drive to Sipoo and pick up the bike.

By the way, the meeting point is the ABC station next to the roundabout and the K supermarket, right?
Let me know if anything changes.

Cheers!

[Taksideftis]

Hi,

if you need some place to fix and maintain your bike you are also wellcome to join our club http://www.hmpk.com/.
We have a clubhouse including a garage equipped with all tools you need for your bike.

MotoOrg is a very good organisation to find friends, meetings, daycruising, advise and so on and I can recommend to join the organisation too. You will learn biking in Finland very quickly and have fun.

BTW..nice bike!

Thank you so much for the wonderful offer! I will be very glad to join your club and come over to the clubhouse for a beer!
The girl had a major service just before I left from Greece, but for sure she will need at least an oil change and some loving before I put her to storage for the long winter here, so indeed your offer is greatly appreciated.

BTW, thanks for the nice words! She is my pride and joy!

[AMatu]

Sounds great, but I need to be in Nurmijärvi until 15:00. So can we make the meeting around 16:00?
This will give me time to drive to Sipoo and pick up the bike.

By the way, the meeting point is the ABC station next to the roundabout and the K supermarket, right?
Let me know if anything changes.

Cheers!

Yeah around 16:00 is fine!
It’s the correct spot.
See you there