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#1 |
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So here the tale begins......
So the GS is an offroad bike, right? Well not really its a bike for roads of any surface. But what it does do is allow you to go quite a long way and ride trails. That was the plan for the 2nd European AdvRider Raid to Italy. The rally was organised by Giorgio, who has a summer house in the Cadore region of the Dolomites. Sort of north east Italy. East of Cortina, north of Venice...you get the idea. Giorgio (why we are in a tunnel explained later...) ![]() So, packed up and ready to go I departed from Dover a few weeks ago heading for Dunkirk, then hoping to make it down to Kaiserslautern in Germany that eve. The route (sort of) ![]() There was to stay with Walrond (Wade). Walrond is a US red cross director who is attached to the US Army for active service. So he's lucky enough to holiday in Bosnia, Iraq (twice the lucky fellow) and Afghanistan. Cool..... ![]() After a great meal with the family and a sleep courtesy of the US Rhine Army we repacked and set off bound for ITALIA! Packing with Wade ![]() Rhine Army? ![]() So a quick ride south on autobahn took us down to Austria and then at the end of the motorway towards Italy via the Fernpass. There we hit total gridlock. The passes are just normal roads clogged with weekend traffic. I didnt find out later its very wrong to do virtually anything on a motorcycle in Austria so my third session (once this year twice last) of crossing the white line to beat the jams fortunately went unnoticed by the police ![]() ![]() I must however confess to a minor incident. Just after entering Italy we were stuck in a traffic jam exciting a toll. We nudges our way forward...Donk!.... ![]() Home ![]() |
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#2 |
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So waking the following day (sunday) it was time to head up to the village to find our advrider mates. I hadn't met any of the FFs (as we call each other
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#3 |
fantabulas
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Looking forward to the next instalment of this trip Rich...
Great photos m8, personally I'm looking forward to the full size avatar one...
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#4 | |
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Pedants note, Ill correct the typos later its hard work this ![]() |
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#5 |
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Where were we...
....ah yes. It was difficult to make good time as TBH the roads were quite twisty. But at least this bit was tarmac. Looks like were off for a ride in someones terraced garden ![]() A little twisty ![]() ![]() But the view was worth the pain. And look how small Loz makes the 1150Adevnture look.. Grizzly blokes and a pretty girl ![]() The FF on the left is Ilmostro (Dave) all the way from Georgia, USA with his hired yellow 1200. More about that later... ![]() Ilmostro and Loz ![]() So on we rode, leaving the tarmac for the trails. Everywhere was a little or a lot steep and twisty. Mainly single track tarmac switch backs followed by sections of gravel and rock when you got higher in the mountains. It started to rain a little (the weather the whole trip was generally excellent) which made some things tricky. My goal for the day was to NOT be the first to come off. My dream was realised when CarbonCat, HP2 rider from California via Moldova on borrowed R1100GS binned it just before the crest on the next pic. He'll never read this so lets have a little ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Slippery when wet ![]() We got up, now its down ![]() More tomorrow..... ![]() |
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#6 |
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See, I knew there was a reason I was glad to have you back on the Org.
![]() Looking forward to the next installment, and it's given me an idea... ... just off to 'Forum Suggestions', be back in a min. ![]() |
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#7 |
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Well Rich, Ive just seen a bit of road in those pics the MoFo's would probably like to go up and down.. several times... with sick bags...
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#8 |
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SV'ers may be interested that it was almost exactly 1000 miles from Bristol to Pieve di Cadore (the way I went anyway
![]() I was beat after them. How I ever did the 660 in one day on the SV back from France including heavy rain most of the way I dont know (Eurotour 2004?). Perhaps and RT or a Pan is more comfy. Perhaps I'm less fit. Anyway..... K, thanks ![]() VB, I actually felt dizzy at times on this trip ![]() |
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#9 |
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Great pics
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