Since the return of my fourth BMW Navigator VI, I have been driving without a dedicated navigator on my motorcycle. With only my phone attached with a QuadLock system, I knew this was not going to be solution for me. After careful consideration of my options, I went for the new Chigee AIO-6 MAX with a BMW Quick Release module. About half-way through my Eastern Europe trip this summer, my BMW Navigator VI stopped logging my GPS track. When I returned it (it was the fourth one in five years) I got most of the money paid for it back and was thus free to choose another option. The BMW Connected Ride Navigator was never really an option. Although made for BMW by TomTom this time instead of Garmin, the reviews suggested a product with a lot of flaws. Probably the most expensive option too. The Garmin Zumo XT2 looked to be a decent 6" alternative with 1280x720 resolution and 1000 nits brigtness. It fits the BMW Nav cradle with an 3rd party adapter that does not add much to the thickness...
I've had a lot of cars. Most of them I've kept for 1-2 years, but my latest car I've had for almost five years. A record. So why change car now? BMW E61 525 XI M sport My last car was a 2006 BMW E61 525 x-drive M sport. I bought it in 2011 when it was just outside the 5-year warranty in Norway. That cost me dearly: driving it back from Oslo I noticed a low oil level. Back in Trondheim I had this confirmed; the car used one liter oil for approximately 1500 km. So the engine needed an overhaul with new pistons. In order to avoid future disasters, I decided to have the transmission flushed as well. Cost: 62,000 NOK. Over the five years, the car lost about 40,000 of its value annually. In addition, I' ve estimated the maintenance cost of about 30,000 NOK each year. The car had never failed me on the road, but it was not a car I would take for a family vacation in Europe. Some corrosion issues the last couple of years, although covered by the 12-year BMW warranty...
For the objective of visiting all countries in Europe, we set out to finish off Eastern Europe countries. With start in Sarajevo we planned a round trip by car visiting Pristina, Skopje, Sofia and Belgrade. Additionally, a stop in Visegrad for a walk on the famous bridge across Drina river. Earlier this year, we did a motorcycle trip to the Carpathian Mountains . On that trip we covered 7000 km in 15 days and we did not have time for further exploration of the Balkan Mountains. So, I needed another trip to cover the remaining countries on our bucket list: Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Driving my own motorcycle into Kosovo was not allowed with the green card issued by my insurance company, so the strategy for a visit would be trough a rented vehicle. I was lucky to find frequent flyer tickets with SAS to Sarajevo so I used that as a starting point. Checking with the usual rental companies, it was not trivial to find one that allowed us to cross into neighbouring countries. ...
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