The wife and I went to France a couple of times in the mid eighties first on a 1,200 Goldwing and the second time on the 1,500cc six. We must have completed aroung 2,000 miles on each trip and I can tell you it was hard work on an air suspended smooth six cylinder bike with full luggage, weather protection, cruse control and a CD player so God alone only knows what it must have been like in the 50's at 50mph on rough roads with next to no luggage space. I take my hat off to them, they must have had a brilliant time.