Important tips for the North Cape motorcycle tour – planning, costs and equipment

Good planning is part of it, the country is rough and has its peculiarities. You have already landed on the right page to get some important tips for your trip to Norway.

If you want something really wild, you can pack up your tent. If you want something more relaxed, you will find good hotels everywhere. Of course, the good huts are happy to accommodate you for longer than just one night, so you have to avoid that.

Norway is expensive, but some things are put into perspective! It is possible to complete the tour in 14 days, but I would recommend a good three weeks if you want to experience the important spots and Lofoten. You should aim for at least €3000. If you want to drive to the North Cape you will end up with around 8000 kilometers more on the odometer.

I'll give you a few tips on where you can save.

1. Ride with friends: If you're not riding alone, you can share a cabin with friends in bad weather; many campsites offer cabins.

2. Camping in the wilderness : It doesn't cost anything, in Norway everyone is allowed to pitch their tent in nature. Important is! Always take the rubbish with you and leave the place clean. On some rivers you can find campsites or clearings where others, especially anglers, have also camped.

3. Campsites: Camping in a campsite is good and cheap. The campsites are highly recommended, they have sanitary facilities and most of them offer breakfast, or you can just get bread rolls from the kiosk. The groundskeeper usually always finds a place for motorcyclists, we were very lucky and had really nice places right on the water.

4. Use the booking portal cleverly! Book the hotel via Booking com and always ask about the locations a few days in advance, then you will receive special offers from Booking com. You can also ask the hotels for special prices, sometimes many hotels are not full in the summer because most holidaymakers travel in campers or motorhomes in the summer and the Norwegians have flown into the sun.

5. Someone should take over the pension fund! If you are traveling with friends and want to camp, then one of them should have the cash register for groceries; it is enough if one of them buys the groceries. Distribute the things among each other on the motorcycles, everything can be solved very easily. Pack everything together to save space, not everyone has to carry a packet of butter and coffee in their luggage, you can share a lot of things. Teamwork is required. Alcohol is expensive in Scandinavia!

Accommodation costs, gas, groceries and ferry crossings are the main costs on such a tour.

Gasoline prices: At the end of 2021, a liter of gasoline costs €1.91 - Due to the rising gasoline prices in Germany, we are slowly approaching this, which puts the costs into perspective a little.

Gasoline consumption: For over 90% of the time you won't be driving much more than 80 km/h on the tour. In urban areas the speed limit is 50 km/h and on country roads there is a speed limit of 80 km/h unless otherwise stated.

Speeds of 110 km/h are sometimes permitted on expressways; driving on these roads will be the exception. The further north you go, the rougher and louder the asphalt becomes, which can lead to increased fuel consumption.

Gas stations: If you are not traveling with an 8 liter tank, you should always come from one gas station to the next. Further up north, there are fewer gas stations, but modern motorcycles are becoming more and more economical. I recommend never letting the tank get less than a quarter full. The search for a perfect campsite in the wilderness can sometimes take unexpectedly long and require more fuel than expected.

Reserves are always good; you should have at least 2 liters of petrol with you in the form of a petrol bottle or small emergency canister. In Finland, having to look for a gas station is more likely to happen. The self-suction fuel hose should be with luggage.

You should definitely start your Norwegian adventure with new tire tread. The further north you go, the rougher the asphalt becomes. This promotes tire wear, plus you will be quite loaded and one thing leads to another.

The tires could be louder: I experienced this with a MULTI-TREAD tire, the tread is harder than the outer surface of the tire. On the outside, the mixture is softer, and in combination with the coarse asphalt, the running noise is louder, especially in the curves. You will think of me when you first hear the noise when cornering.

We met a group of bikers in Øygardstøl who were a bit more sporty in the curves. One of them lost the front brake shoes on his burner, they simply fell out.
I have no idea how something like this could happen, but you should only approach this tour with top brakes. Because there are always mountain passages where you have to brake, especially because of the many mobile homes. You are traveling quite heavily, so have the brake fluid checked beforehand so as not to suffer a sudden loss of braking.

In Norway, the Norwegian krone as a means of payment. Norway is one of the few European countries that has not joined the European Monetary Union. For this reason they have their own currency. If you pay in cash in euros, you will get Norwegian kroner back as change. In some places it is possible to pay with the euro, purely for customer service.

The conversion rate of the Norwegian krone to the euro:
If you want to calculate using your thumb, you can do it easily, for 1000 NOK you get around 100 EUR. As a rule, it fluctuates by a maximum of 10%, only in March 2020 did it briefly drop by 20%.

Nothing works without a credit card:

The Scandinavians prefer to pay for everything with a credit card, so it's clear that you can get anywhere with a credit card. The Visa and Mastercard actually work everywhere, and in many cases the Maestro card also works. However, I wouldn't rely on the Maestro card, it didn't work at the Tindevegen toll station in Bergen, only the credit card was accepted there.

Credit cards convert directly into the euro:

Another advantage is that there is no calculation, depending on the credit card contract, it is converted directly into euros, the credit card is the easiest means of payment in Scandinavia.

Pay in Sweden:

And who would have thought it, the Swedes are not a member of the European Monetary Union either. The Swedish krona SEK applies here. The exchange rate is similar to the Norwegian krone, for 1000 krone you get around 100 euros. If you pay with the euro, you get Swedish krona back.

Pay in Denmark:

If you want to go north via Denmark, you will be surprised, here too they have their own krone as currency. For 1000 DKK you get around 130 euros. The currency is a little weaker against the euro than the others, but nothing is cheap in Denmark either.

Paying in Finland:

In Finland the euro is used as a means of payment.

There are bikers who have done this and succeeded, but I wouldn't recommend it. You should plan at least 21 days, preferably even more. The country, the people and the nature are worth it, you won't go through this tour very often, but you'll talk a lot about it.

Depending on which side you start the tour from, you will always spend most of your time in Norway. In Finland it's often just straight ahead, while in Norway it can take a whole day to cover 150 kilometers in some areas.

If you have little time planned for your tour, take a look at the picture from my navigation, because curves are not uncommon, especially in some areas of Norway.

Once you have set your goals, be sure to check the routes with the route planner beforehand and don't forget that you will stop here and there. There are many routes where you need a ferry, especially towards Atlantic Road, but the crossings are often well timed and you can always get along easily on a motorbike.

The following tip is particularly important for people who wear glasses. Norway is half tunneled, anyone who has a problem with that should go somewhere else. The Vallaviktunnel even has a roundabout and the Lærdalstunnel in Norway is the longest road tunnel in the world at 24.51 km.

The problem is the different lighting conditions, you go into the tunnel with sunglasses and sometimes you can't see much anymore. The temperature differences in the tunnel can cause your glasses or visor to fog up, the oncoming traffic is blinding and all of this makes you tired in the long run, but also affects those who don't wear glasses.

This can also happen, a Swedish tour bus pushed me into the rock face on a mountain pass.
He thought it was fine and just continued slowly, touching my handle and pulling with him until I was lying in the wall. Then you're shocked at first, my buddies stopped the bus driver and got him out.
He then has to get involved, but the most important thing is to exchange the data, ideally of course to have the police come.

Take out the right insurance: If you are traveling abroad, you should be a member of an automobile club. For example Mobil in Deutschland eV , AvD Automobilclub , ACE , ADAC , or others. What I would always recommend is international health insurance, you only know how important it is when you need it. Particularly in southern countries, costs are required in advance before there is anything more than emergency care. International insurance is usually not that expensive.

Down in the south, the Telemark is very beautiful, but I would recommend getting to the north as quickly as possible.

These are a few keywords for the Google search: Tindevegen pass road, Stegastein, Lyseboten (Kierag Kaffee), Bergen, Tromsø, Trollstiegen, Geiranger Fjord, Atlantic Road, Lofoten, Leardal, Undredal/Aurland,, Odda, Skjervsfossen waterfall, Arctic Circle Center , Olderdalen, North Cape.
There are countless other sights, for example you should take a look at one of the old stave churches that were built from wood. You can find many more tips at www.visitnorway.de

Owning a Harley-Davidson is particularly expensive in Norway and other Scandinavian countries, where there is a luxury tax on motorcycles. Nevertheless, there are some Harley-Davidson dealers in Norway.

In Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and North Norway in Ballangen. The dealer in Tromsø doesn't do anything official anymore, as I heard. You have to be in North Norway once, the T-shirts backprints are particularly cool. If something should happen, something can be sorted out in the north too.

You will often have to take the ferry on the west coast, so when planning your route you should check carefully whether the connection is a bridge or a ferry. The ferry connections are regular and run late into the evening or even later.

The ferry crossing is subject to a fee; you can pay with a credit card at each ferry after you have boarded the ferry. The prices vary depending on the length of the crossing, but are still reasonable.

This can be done without a reservation and you usually don't have to go to the checkout first. That's the easiest thing, just go up and pay and you're done.

Most ferries have a small coffee bar, sometimes there is just a box next to it where you have to put money in and you can help yourself - that would be unthinkable here.

Is the car pass worth it?
There is an electronic toll payment system, but it is not worth it for motorcyclists. The card must be loaded in advance with 3,500 Norwegian kroner and you won't have that many ferry crossings. There are no other tolls for motorcyclists.

Camping is particularly good in Norway, there is only one handicap and that is the weather. It can change very quickly and then suddenly there is rain or the best sunshine. I've been through it all, once it rained for five days in a row, and if you just have to take down your tent in the rain, you'll get tired of it at some point.

If you put your gloves on with wet hands, you'll quickly lose. I just want to tell you that you should be open to everything, whether it's a hotel or a hut, if things go badly it won't be possible at some point.

If a tent can be put up and taken down quickly, that's a real advantage. Especially when the weather is bad, you'll be happy if the tent is set up quickly. I haven't found the perfect tent at the moment, I have one myself, but it's no longer available for purchase.

Tents with fiberglass poles are too fiddly for me, if you have to do it quickly, you can forget it. There is a similar tent from Queedo, which is the Quick Oak 3 , but unfortunately the vestibule has a cumbersome fiberglass pole and the pack size and water column are not that perfect, but that would be my choice today if I were to buy one would have to.

The pack size of the tent should be small and light!
I would recommend a high water column of over 4000mm. From 5000 mm you are pretty much on the safe side, although this is difficult to find. One difference is that if you come against the inside of the tent with a water column below 5000mm, moisture can penetrate through the tent wall.

A groundsheet for the tent is an advantage!
The floor of the tent should be at least 2000mm, otherwise water will come through from below.
I still put a precisely fitting tarp under the tent so that it always stayed clean when I packed it up. I also have a floor like this in the anteroom and the often rough ground is cushioned a little more.

The ground in Norway is sometimes rocky and hard, the normal pegs bend very quickly. I can recommend these steel pegs Unfortunately, they weigh a little more than the classic pegs, but it's worth it. They have a handle and are set quickly.

The tent should have a small canopy or an anteroom where you can put your suitcases and bags or take your shoes on and off.
The more moisture and dirt that stays outside, the better. If you still have a good tent that you want to set off with, you should waterproof it again beforehand. I did this with NIKWAX and also sealed the seams with seam sealer . My One Touch tent is over 20 years old and still holds tight.

There are good LED lamps that can be hung in the middle of the tent, and there are also gas lamps that are used with a gas cartridge. It is practical if the gas cartridge fits the gas stove that you want to use on the tour. The advantage of the gas lamp is also its disadvantage! It gets really hot and warms up the tent properly, but using it in the tent is really dangerous. It consumes oxygen and is loud. It's good for bringing a basic level of warmth into the tent, but a tent burns incredibly quickly and it shouldn't be too small. I would advise inexperienced campers against it.

And if you really want to hang the lamp, you should use a long leather strap.
However, you only really need light at night in the southern half, because in Norway it doesn't really get dark at night in the summer months. That's why the next tip could be completely sufficient: a headlamp can also be used as a lamp in the tent and it hardly takes up any space. In Norway it is only light for 6 months of the year and dark for 6 months of the year, so you have to be prepared for that. If you can't sleep in daylight, you should buy a dark tent or take a sleeping cap with you.

Camping in the wilderness and after a few beers you have to go out again at night, then a headlamp could light your way. The headlamp should already have a USB-C plug for charging, the fewer plugs you have to have with you, the better.

Common headlamps have various settings to provide the right light for every occasion. In deserted areas, it can be helpful to protect yourself with a warning light in the event of a possible breakdown; the trucks are a little sportier on the roads than in our country.

A little system when packing can't hurt. I packed everything I needed for camping in a 50L QBag . The tent, folding chair, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, lamp and the tent pad. I also attached the tent base outside when it was soaked.

We attached great importance to a comprehensive and hearty breakfast. For this we use a certain basic set up. Cup, plate and knife, we have a coffee press, or even a coffee filter and gas cooker. Depending on the weather, we knew roughly. whether we go shopping for everything we need in the shop or have breakfast at the hotel.

If we saw via Google that there was a good bakery in the area where we were staying overnight, then we went there.
Price performance was always top and we were lucky every time, we always had fresh salmon for breakfast and good rolls. Google is really very helpful in this case.

When traveling, it is advisable to be equipped with Rei from the tube or something similar. Because at some point the time has come and you should take a laundry day. paracord universal rope is suitable , which can also be used for a tarp .

We put up the tarp when the weather was bad so that we could sit together comfortably in the evening, so we also wanted a folding chair with us. Of course there should be space on the Harley.

In Norway, for example, as a motorcyclist you have to carry a warning triangle with you. To shorten the matter, having is better than needing and if you often go on motorcycle tours in other countries, you will find space for an emergency kit that should be within easy reach. Rules change from country to country and there is a set specifically for motorcyclists that includes everything.

If you don't go alone, you can share a cabin with friends in bad weather; many campsites offer cabins. If the weather doesn't cooperate, a few days of rain, cold and storms can take a toll on your mental health, which is why you should only go on a tour like this with really good friends.

In general, Norway in particular is a very safe country! The biggest danger from the animal world is the moose. Many people won't see it at all, but if it suddenly appears, things can get tight.

Most accidents happen with moose. This is followed by the reindeer, which usually runs in the herd. However, there are also loners who are out and about. I've seen whole herds walking right on the street and even in construction sites. The problem is, their fur adapts incredibly well to nature and they are hardly recognizable.

Reindeer can suddenly appear in front of you, especially in tunnels, which is something you should always expect. They mostly travel in the north of Scandinavia. In the event of an accident with a reindeer, the police must be called; the animals belong to the Sami, they are the indigenous people in the northern countries.

The glutton

There are around 200 wild wolverines , which is a huge marten that is predominantly nocturnal. He won't look for the person and it's better to avoid him.

There are brown bears in Scandinavia

There are around 500 wild wolves in Scandinavia, and you will hardly see them either. And who would have expected that, in Norway it is estimated that there are around 150 bears at home, in Finland there are around 2000 and Sweden has an incredible 3500 of them in the country. I've been traveling in Scandinavia many times and have only seen moose and reindeer.

The brown bears are very shy and usually run away and fortunately there are plenty of forests and open space for the animals. I have always felt very safe when camping and there have hardly been any reports of dangerous situations with a bear.

In an emergency the only thing that helps is to make yourself big, be loud and under no circumstances run away! When wild camping, don't leave food lying around; if you keep this in mind, you'll never see one. The bear can do everything better than humans, so always stay calm in an emergency. Even in Norway, most people will only see these animals in the zoo because they are all very shy.

The biggest danger so far has always been the moose in traffic, or the cow moose with a calf. You should behave calmly and be aware that they can suddenly be very fast and under no circumstances pressure the moose for the ultimate photo.

It's the same with the moose, it's very shy and will avoid you.

There is no denying the mosquitoes, they are particularly plentiful in the south. You don't notice them as much when you're driving; you can only experience one or two adventures with them in the evening. If you are looking for a place to stay overnight, prefer places where there are no tall grass or reeds nearby.

That's where the mosquitoes are and it's really bad, we often spent the night by the water and where the grass was short they were barely visible. If you walked 100 meters further to the reeds, it was hell. Once we escaped from a forest and then spent the night at a campsite by the lake. It wasn't all that far away from the other place, so there can be really stark differences at certain points.

We were allowed to build a fire at the campsite and it worked, you really have to pay attention to the grass! Anti-hum is recommended , of course, just in case, a stitch healer and an anti-mosquito coil set up in the ring can help things a little.

If you come near Lofoten, you have the opportunity to go on a whale safari. The foothills of the Gulf Stream run along the northwest coast of Norway, so it may even be that the air warmed by the water on the coast creates a mild climate.

And if you take a look at this map , you will find some providers of Arctic Whale Watching tours . The really big whales migrate there. I'll take a look at the Lofoten Islands again myself, so far I've unfortunately only driven past them.

You can see the mighty sea eagle pretty much everywhere in Norway. I saw it at the North Cape when it flew next to me a little way towards the North Cape over the Norwegian Sea. That was pure goosebumps because he flew over me quite low.

There is an opportunity to spot the sea eagle from a boat near Raftsund. The sea eagle safari is probably an agreement between fishermen and sea eagles, the success rate is quite high.

The best clothing is textile functional clothing, I know that's not what the normal Harley rider likes to wear, most people won't even have such clothes in their closet.
However, they are the best for a tour like this and the reasons are obvious. I personally prefer to ride with an HD leather jacket, Rokker black jacket, T-shirt, Rokker trousers, boots and always have a cheap rain set with a small pack size with me. That's how I've always traveled in Norway, I usually have room for a second set, but if the weather changes and it's likely to be very changeable, I only travel with a textile jacket and trousers.

The things are usually waterproof, breathable and keep you warm. You can have it cold up in the mountains and suddenly warm in the valley. This is very comfortable with textile clothing and remains one of the best combinations for such tours. My buddy swears by his Bellstaff jacket and has a very good rain jacket with trousers, so it works too.

The shoes should be 100% waterproof, you should try that out beforehand, my boots had a serial defect and unfortunately they weren't, then in constant rain the only thing that helps is a plastic bag in the boots.
You should have more than one pair of gloves with you, if things go badly, moisture will eventually get into the gloves and then it will get cold.

My experience is that I would not go until July at the earliest. It can still be cool, but there are sometimes very nice days in July and it is not yet too crowded in the north. At the beginning of September it will be tight, if you want to travel for another 3 weeks into September, you have to make sure you don't leave too late.

The roads in Norway are good, as already mentioned, the asphalt can be a bit rough, but if you see what's going on here, they mostly have the roads there under control. There can be cracks in the asphalt on side streets, but I didn't see any large potholes.

In Finland we suddenly found ourselves driving on a stuck gravel road. We found ourselves in an incredible 80 km long construction site. But even that wasn't a problem.

The rain can be annoying, but that's part of it, with good equipment it's not so bad. The Norway tour will always be remembered as a very special tour that I was able to experience together with my two friends.

It could be a little warmer, but then it would be more crowded again, so take it as it comes!

The journey from the North Cape back to the mainland was my hardest tour ever. We camped in the North Cape and drove back towards the mainland in the morning.

The problem, however, was that there was extreme fog and a very strong storm, and extreme crosswinds almost knocked me over.

I didn't even see the person in front of me anymore, which was really aggravating. The other side is, if you don't experience anything, you can't tell anything, and I particularly enjoy telling people about my Norway tour!

If you have the opportunity to do this tour, do it and don't hesitate, there is always something!