Swiss holiday on my Street-Triple
Tue, 16/06/2009 - 13:42
Hi All
I've just returned from my annual Swiss Passes trip and this year I had the good fortune to go on my Street-Triple. The poor thing's less than a month old and has done nearly 3800 miles!
Anyway, apart from the usual suspects pass-wise (Susten, St Gothard etc.) this year we also managed to get to the Stelvio Pass. What a cracking place that is!
If any of you are wondering whether you should/could go my advice is to just do it. Quite apart from the fabulous scenery your riding will benefit too! I've had quite enough haipin practice for the next 12 months thanks!
Wed, 17/06/2009 - 10:20
#2
Kevin, I really could not agree more. I went last spring/summer to the German/Swiss Alps with a friend and we headed toward Italy to go over the Stelvio Pass, which was still unfortunately closed with snow. However on that trip it threw up one instance which was a trouser filler for me. We swapped bikes whilst in the mountains and I took a shot of his Harley Road Kind Classic and he my Ducati ST. All was going OK until the first aforementioned hair pin. I nearly kacked myself and only just managed to stop myself heading off the edge of the mountain. The Harley turned like an oil tanker and whilst it is of course a different bike and simply needed re-calibrating to suit the required technique, it was a true trouser filling moment to find that out. It also explained, in stark clarity, why my mate had been riding at snails speed everywhere for the previous three days.
.
The trip was great and I would reccomend it to all and sundry but don't try new bikes for the first time on mountain passes!
Wed, 17/06/2009 - 12:41
#3
Oh and I forgot to add that I managed to fit a trip to the Moto Guzzi factory in as well. Very nice it was too. It was a good job we turned up at 14:45 though as it's only open from 15:00-16:00 each day...
Kinda makes me want a Guzzi now though!
Big trips on bikes are SO much more satisfying than going by car... the trip I did last week through the Dolomites on the Stelvio (funny enough) was fantastic, even though I flew out there, and things like hairpins are a proper test of skill rather than simply of how far you can turn a steering wheel. I'd recommend any of the Alps as a must do for any bike rider. And you can do it on any bike, it really doesn't have to be some purpose-built tourer or adventure bike or anything like that.
In the next few months I'll be making some changes to the site so you can post your own pics - your Swiss Passes trip is the kind of thing a lot of us would like to see.