Ducati Monster Forum

Currently in Oslo Norway, the stopintime S2R800 and in Yorkshire England (via Victoria Australia), the ungeheuer M1100s

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In a week or so we'll be boarding ships from Norway to Germany and from England to the Netherlands.  The fun will commence in Oisterwijk, NL before heading south through Germany, Switzerland and into Italy.

Lars, like most Scandowegians, enjoys sadomasochistic challenges and will seek to mercilessly extract yet more high speed kilometers from his well traveled Monster whilst riding folded in half between almost no luggage.  Luxury it aint.  I however own a perfectly comfortable 1260 Multistrada, ideally suited to trans-European travel complete with copious capacity for hauling baggage.  So, naturally I'll be riding my Monster - squashed between tank and tail bags capable of carrying sweet bugger all for the duration.  Bad decisions make good stories  8)

Let's see how it goes...  ;D

More pics of your Monster...please.

Bring on the shenanigans. [popcorn]

 [popcorn]

 [popcorn] [beer]

 [laugh] [clap]

 [popcorn]

I'll be in Biggelaar's workshop three days, while my significantly other(wise) riding buddy has booked a table here:

http://proeflokaaltgelagh.nl/whiskykaart/

http://proeflokaaltgelagh.nl/bierkaart/

 [shot] [drink]

What could go wrong? [laugh]

 [laugh]

Wish I was there [shot]

Sadly gesloten Monday and Tuesday nights  :(   Leaving us only Wednesday night to... um... properly sample the offerings.... before an earlyish start the following morning for a long ride of fast Autobahn thrash. 

;D

I may never leave  [shot] [drink] [laugh]

I've had trips like that. ;)

One of my other riding buddies now wants the same deal next year - three days in the "pub" while I play in the workshop.

My Monster?  

Here you have it, in touring configuration wearing it's Nathan B Weiner livery..

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One of us is now on the high seas...

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Lars dodged the rain and is now somewhere between Norway and Germany....  

Meanwhile... in the small English town where I live they were so pleased to hear that I'm leaving they threw a street party...  [shot]

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I board my ship tomorrow evening for an overnighter from England to the Netherlands.

Holy shit am I envious!

You guys have a blast and be careful!

Mark

Old port wine  [wine]

Careful?

Ride fast and take chances. [evil]

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Dang, that's awesome. Way to make some memories.

I gotta be honest, I really would have expected the ferries to have some sort of chock available.

Do you have to bring your own straps or do they provide those?

Mark

Wow you both have very nice bikes. Gonna get 'em dirty now. Enjoy and keep it shiny side up.

Ha, long time since I've swung through this forum. Looks like I did it at a good time.
You blokes are gunna have a ball! Enjoy

Waiting for a good write up from ungeheuer, I'll throw in a couple...

Define wet. Define miserable.
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...when this is next (Strvio and Gavia)(see the green machine doing some work?)(steep no?)
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So now, where's the bar [wine]

TBC

We're havin' fun now.

Back and forth day after day... they have it pretty much down.  Straps provided, tie it down yourself.  No chock necessary, just leave it in gear.  These are modern vessels, not so much pitching and rolling around.

Alright, let's start at the start.  

Our meeting place is Oisterwijk, NEDERLAND.
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We're here to visit one of Europe's best independent Ducati specialists, Toine Biggelaar - or as I prefer to call him, Juice.  Juice Biggelaar.  Ace Jiggelaar. If your Duc needs some jigglin'.  He's the bloke  ;D.   Some remedial work for Lar's bike including necessary fuel remapping after having new injectors fitted.  

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And.... a little Dyno time for my bike just to - after all these years - get an official report...

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Yup.  That's 91.4 HP at the rear wheel.   All my previous work, effort and expense bought me precisely 6hp  ;D  The pleasing thing is it's Autotune fueling, keeping the thing pretty much right where I want it - obviously it's dynamic and adjusts slightly after the fact which you can see in the bottom section of the graph - but it's working as intended.  "Nothing for me to do with this"  says Juice.  And that's cool with me and nice reassurance that... I did it right  8)

Must be some pretty bloody fearsome chooks here in the Netherlands.. :o
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Looks awesome!!  Have fun!!  [Dolph] [beer] [drink]

From Oisterwijk it's an uneventful, relatively uninteresting and - once we enter Germany - fast run down the Autobahn.  Autobahns actually.  Since we ended up getting split up and headed to the same destination on different routes.  In Victoria, Australia 160km/h will get you arrested, your fingernails pulled out and your bike crushed because "don't fool yourself speed kills".  But in Germany people drive with decent attention and proper lane discipline so driving fast isn't the death defying crime against humanity which Australians are conditioned to believe....   But at 160km/h you do have to keep close watch in your mirrors coz there's always somebody else in a Porsche coming up behind you doing 260km/h  :o  And yet they live to tell the tale  ;D 

Our overnight stop - before the real fun begins - is Baden Baden, DEUTSCHLAND.

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I'm already at the hotel having a beer, the dude in the mobility scooter is coming second... and in 3rd place here comes Lars  :D
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 [clap]

I believe speed never kills, it's the sudden stop. 

Trouble maker  ;D

Today the real fun begins to start.  We leave the suburbs of Baden Baden to ride the iconic B500 Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, the sweeping road that curves it's way through the Black Forest.  Over 200kms of joy all the way to the Swiss border.

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I ain't stopping for no bloody swiss customs  [evil]

Now that we're in Switzerland the scenery quickly begins to change... Sweeping roads give way to steeper climbs and tighter mountain turns.

And rain.  The kinda rain that has you thinking "it'll stop soon..... no need to stop to put on rain gear...."   The kinda rain that keeps on raining... until it's pissing down.  But by then you're wet through anyway, boots awash  8)

Wet or not, we're headed to Gotthard Pass, via Andermatt.

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Cold and wet, here we are high up on Gotthard Pass....  where hotel staff want our "documents" before they'll allow us to check-in.  Neither of us in the mood to be make the beast with two backsed about... we nevertheless toss soggy passports at them before squelching off to our expensive pine-lined rooms to change into dry clothes and look forward to beer and a hot feed.  

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For +/- $160 for the night we stay in this austere looking building....  but looks deceive because within it is modern, with all wooden Swiss-style luxury. And heating, so our riding gear can get dried overnight.  And an inexplicably bizarre method of key entry to the building and then rooms ... involving first inserting and turning the building key into a wall mounted locker in order to retrieve your actual... make the beast with two backsing room key  [bang]  Just what we can be bothered with.... arms full of wet bike baggage and riding gear  [laugh]

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The beer was cold, the food was basic but hit the spot.  Utterly knackered, it's time I wasn't  [wasn't]

Stunning!  [thumbsup]

Bravo gentlemen. [beer]

Lots of helmet giggling mountain roads, cuckoo-clock towns and no rain for the ride down through Switzerland to Glorenza (aka Glurns) in the Italian Tirol - where rather than Italian, they speak a strange kind of German.  

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Thanks for the updates.

Sunshine and a day off the bike for some R&R taking it easy and enjoying a wander around Glorenza/Glurns...  a lazy beer in the shade....  bratwurst in bread (yup, Italy... go figure)... 

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Yessiree, Stelvio on that sign...
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Stelvio Pass.  Today is the day  [evil] 8) [Dolph]

Stelvio pass and Gavia pass in the same day... Perhaps the motorcycling highlight of the trip.

And it's make the beast with two backsing raining  [bang]  So we wait.... and we wait.... hoping for the rain to clear.  But the rain continues to piss pour down and we have to make the decision to go.  Beyond Stelvio and Gavia we have some riding to do before arriving at tonight's accommodation in Tenno in the hills above Lake Garda.  So rain or not, go we must.  I really must've done something to piss the weather Gods off  [bang]

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When I think of summer motorcycling in Italy.... somehow 5 degrees of cold and wet in low visibility isn't it....  But we're 2700 metres up in Alpine country  and the only thing you know is that it's not possible to know how the weather will be.  Even cold and wet, this still beats working for a living  8)
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That's Lake Garda down there....  almost at out destination for today... and the rain is starting to ease...
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Cold, wet and dirty, riding bikes covered in 1000km of murky wet road grime.... we're still greeted at the Hotel like long lost family - or more accurately, Lars is greeted like long lost family.... I'm just the hanger on  8).  I don't care, I have beer.  The traditional, before anything else happens "well that was some make the beast with two backsing ride today" beer.  Then off to our rooms to shed the wet gear, and re-humanise before being allowed in the hotel restaurant to eat with the civilised people  ;D

Spectacular electrical storm last evening.   But.... sunshine today  8)

A not travel day today too, so job one is cleaning the bikes in the private garage for the family vehicles and.... our Ducatis.

all shiny again..
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With no destination deadline pressure, we have the day to enjoy riding the shores of Lake Garda and up into the surrounding mountains..

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Days like this, you wouldn't be dead for quids  [Dolph] 8)

Wish I could be there.

Borgo Panigale.

In 2009 my Ducati Monster 1100s was made in Borgo Panigale, Italy and shipped to Australia where - like me - it has lived most of it's life.  Now shipped back to Europe and today being ridden in Italy.... it would've been rude to not take the relatively small detour to take it.... home.

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Getting through the Ducati factory security gate was an amusing exercise.....  
"Nah, mate I can't let you in.... it's more than my job's worth"...  
"... just to take a photo. please? "  
"Sorry pal"....    
"...but I came all the way from Australia with this Ducati... just to come here..."
"Australia?.... ahh... Si  [thumbsup]"

And in we went  [Dolph]

Short video of our factory gate arrival here (I cant seem to post the actual video, only a link to the URL)  

https://clipchamp.com/watch/oueYBUtMN83 (https://clipchamp.com/watch/oueYBUtMN83)

Grazie tanto Signor Guardia Giurata.

You can  [thumbsup]

That video is priceless. "If I can't be King or professional footballer, I can at least be King of this little hill. It's small, but I rule over it." 
You'll find them everywhere and the first encounters leave an impression that the Italians are arrogant, but in fact are just desperate for attention and ackowledgement. If given a little bit of that, they immediately warm up and include you into their realm. Maybe just like people from many other places on earth, but the way the Italians do it, the style they do it with and how transparent it is - makes it into... a series of small operas.

Audi after Audi after Audi... in the Ducati car park... at least half of them with "IN" Ingolstadt German license plates (just in case we were wondering who's boss right now).

Who would have imagined that being allowed into a factory car park for two minutes to take a photo of your motorcycle in front of the factory wall .... would be such a buzz.  I needed to do it.  The pilgrimage complete. 

The "King" of his domain made my day  8)

Bravo to all the cast involved [clap]

After our flying visit to the Ducati factory we pushed on beyond the suburbs of Bologna to our destination - the small town of Castel del Rio.  Calling in at Mugello race circuit along the way...

Compared to the local 2 wheeled Bolognians... we're feeling a little over dressed  [laugh]
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Still a vehicular bridge... which we rode over
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and arriving at Castel del Rio
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Lars know the gas station owner in Castel del Rio.... the gas station owner has a couple of old bike to show us...
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MAGIC!  I love Italy!
Wife and i Have travelled twice from Australia. When I visited the factory they said "Welcome back Mr Rossi" hahaha  (thats my last name, but no relations in Italy)

I'm enjoying the photo's. Keep em coming.

This will throw you a little back and forth, but here are some of my pictures.

Bear in mind that while some of our pictures give a nice impression, the reality is of course even better.

Vai, vai, vai  [Dolph] the bucket list is written, it's up to you all to empty it  ;)


The historically significant Gotthard Pass. Oldest written traces are from ~1200 a.c.
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Garda lake sorroundings
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Italian AutoStrada over the Po plains and river Po is, in itself a little stressful, and has EVERY year been travelled in +/- 40 degrees plus sun. This year, just after an even hotter heat wave, it was +/- 30 degrees
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"My" little Italian town, Castel del Rio
If you forgot a prayer in the town church, here's another, 600m up the road
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My old bike-handwashing fuel station owner
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Over the hill, almost Firenze, Mugello, Scarperia, passes Giogo, Raticosa and Futa
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Last spring rain storms flooding and land slides, the week before we arrived a horrific heat wave
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Back north, to Cortina in the Dolomites
Giau
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Pordoi
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Sella
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Falzarego
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(from Cortina, Jaufen towards Austrian Innsbruck and my train north through Germany)
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Gelato break in Cortina, nicely parked outside the police station
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This year's last leather-suit-beer
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 [Dolph] [wine] [wine] [clap] [bacon] 8) 8) 8)

I love your bloke at the castel del Rio fuel station...

The dog?

Old war dogs. I have never communicated as well with anyone without a common spoken language. Except, perhaps, for the last few years with my demented father. Show me your scars and your emotions. From there it's simple, but not easy. Body language, open face and transparent heart.

Great photos, in one garage, 2 motorcycles were worth than the car in it and the other, the car could be as valuable as the motorcycles ... Wished I could do a trip like this

Is the trip complete?

Mark

You should! Italy is packed with all things interesting - people, food, wine, history(!), religion, drama, idiots, industry, roads a.s.o.


We're home, but the DMF story telling has a couple chapters more. Ungeheuer will stop by soon [Dolph]

While I was in Germany, early 90s, I went to Desenzano del Garda, an uncle lived there and we drove around, it was Dezember 1991-1992, so, lots of 'tourist places' were closed, but, I enjoyed it, specially the food(wonder why)

It would take me winning the lotto to be able to do something like this ... In a good way, I envy you both and happy for you ...  [beer]

Actually, if I go back to Europe, I would NOT come back to Panama ...

Thank you [thumbsup]

Flying in to any south German / north Italian major city. Rent a bike (from grown up Vespa to large Multistrada) ~3,000 600 - 1,300 a week. Depending on which standard (Air B&B to nice hotels) ~150 to 250 a day. Sleep, eat, ride.

Long hot ride from Castel del Rio, across the flat country of the Po Plain in the baking sunshine  8)  [Dolph]  Sharing - for want of a better word - the northbound Autostrada with Luigi and the entire family packed into the FIAT for their annual pilgrimage to the coast for the August ritual which is Italy on Vacation. All of Italy on Vacation.

And then - just like that - as soon as we headed away from the Venitian coast and back toward the mountains.... the sparring for a piece of precious bitumen became less frantic....  and more just the usual Italian semi-organised, more or less any speed, regardless of the posted speed limit (and in defiance of the dysfunctional and plentiful static speed cameras) driving behaviour  [Dolph]

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For the next couple of nights Cortina way up in the Dolomite mountains  - & one time playground of the jet set - is our home...

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Jet Set beware  [evil]
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I dare not imagine the purpose of this strange Italian bathroom appliance....  :o

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One of these is the Dream Car of Lars.... You be the adjudicator...
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the triwheeler!

 [bacon] [bacon] [bacon]

I think the stopintime custom built Piaggio Ape should become a reality!!!   Build it  8)

However, a short bloke Lars is not.  Maybe  this one would make a good basis for the build  ;D ;)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53202392495_d63904d5f4_c.jpg)

In my younger days I had a highly tuned and of course modified Mini Clubman Estate. When the seat was put where I needed it to be, I did most of the sideways viewing through the rear side window. An APE would have to be heavily rebuild, I think. Even a tiny Italian looks too large in them.

We'll see.

Extended wheelbase Ape roadster!

I just went through all your trip photos again.  Fantastic!

+1
I may never get back to Italy, so really appreciated you blokes sharing your adventure.

I was gonna say the Monkey, could NOT remember APE ...

More here (also a few links to single years) https://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=64052.15

Stop talking shite.  Free stopover here and an Italian motorcycle to ride to Italy too (downside is I come along too).  Bring the GLW.  I'm sure she'll get along fine with my pillion in a million  [Dolph]

Thanks Lars. :)

Sounds like an offer too good to refuse Ung. ;D

A huge day of Alpine riding today.  We're leaving Cortina to ride some of the best mountain passes in Europe:  Passo di Giau,  Passo Fedaia,  Passo Sella, Jaufenpass and Timmelsjoch hochalpenstraße.  All in the same day.  

And our last day of riding together.  

In Austria I head to Sölden, Lars to Innsbruck to board his train north through Germany to Hamburg and then ferry from Kiel home to Oslo.  But what a day of Alpine mountain riding it is.  A fabulous trip it's been (despite the sometimes torrential rain).  

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Just coming down from Timmelsjoch the road is closed due to a collision ahead... Air ambulance... we're told there's a motorcycle involved. I'm just 8km from my destination.  We're waiting an hour...  Lars still has an hour to ride to meet his train north. The train leaves with or without him in 90 minutes...

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As the time ebbs away I'd be getting stressed (there's no alternative route from these mountains to Innsbruck where Lars is meant to join his train) but my friend remains - outwardly at least - Scando-cool

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Finally the road is reopened and we're on our way.  I soon arrive at my hotel for the night where there's no time for proper goodbyes.  Understandably, stopintime has to get a wriggle on if he's any chance of getthereintime.

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I heard over my beer that Lars made his train!  So all's good.  So long mate and thank you for sharing your years of collected Alpine Europe  [Dolph] knowledge with me  [beer]

You're very welcome  [Dolph] Good to have a 'cultured' riding buddy to raise a glass with in the evenings :)

I hope the crashed motorcyclist survived. In that context, just a tiny inconvenience that we had to say goodbye in seconds instead of a proper debrief.

It was my fourteenth ride in these mountains. Still jaw dropping and equally fun every year. I value knowing the roads, barely having to stop at all - very convenient compared to having to spend hours looking at maps and navigating IN 40 DEGREES OR RAIN.

The Alps are in fact not 'that' big. The height is of course impressive, but we can ride East to West in two days or North to South in one day. It's when we start criss-crossing that this area really becomes impressive. Add history, culture, food & fantastic drinks on every corner = perfect travel  [thumbsup]

Thanks for allowing us to come along with you. Most likely it will be as close most of us get to these hallowed roads.

Cheers
Dave

Ain't that the truth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWalc5OfB7E

That's SOOOO me  8)

Things have escalated  8) 8) 8)

(https://i.postimg.cc/DzNh6dCK/Ape-camper.png) (https://postimages.org/)

 [laugh]

Me likey [thumbsup]

Me too ...

Cool, but might be a little tipsy.

So, you fall once and suddenly you're the expert?   [roll]

Good one ;D