Email Archives from Riding2up

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June 29, 2010, Switzerland

Become our 20,000 visitor since December 2008
 
Dear Family, Friends and Fellow Travellers,
 
After almost 10 months since we rolled into Western Europe on our trusty steed, Francois, it is time for a detailed update. It is not for the lack of news that we haven't sent out an update, to the contrary, the fact that we've not been writing is testament to how occupied we have been these past months. After the completion of our overland adventure arriving in Oslo last September we struggled to keep warm during an exceptionally cold winter in Europe. Ill equipped to handle the -18 degree deep freeze that was in store for us we kept challenging ourselves and our equipment. Francois got the first taste of the snow, ice and salt slurry on European roads and with this the first signs of the dreaded brown oxidation called rust! Together with the harsh salt and lack of undercover parking the rust ravages vehicles extremely quickly. Luckily the rust was superficial and with quick action, most of it was taken care.
 
Pascal took to skiing in (negative) -27degree temperatures in his motorcycle suit, why not after all if it could stand extremes of +47degrees in Pakistan and India, then why not -27degrees in the Swiss alps?
 
Courageous Arja for the first time tried downhill skiing (as opposed to Norwegian cross-country skiing) at the highest mountain resort in Switzerland during the coldest temperatures and without a beanie! Motorcycling half the way around the world is easy compared to the gripping fear of the enormous mountains throwing you out of control down a slippery slope with waxed planks attached to your feet and flimsy aluminium sticks as utensils.
 
In one way or another we all have our own fears to conquer and none are harder then the ones we put off until the morrow.
 
With the deep freeze over and the glimpse of a European summer on it's way it was time for Pascal to wake Francois from his hibernation and dust of the thin film of grit that had accumulated in a few short months. Francois was in need of some TLC so thinking ahead and with a couple of weeks of warmer weather Pascal booked Francois in for an overhaul. As the service date approached the weather deteriorated until on the day before the service it started snowing. By evening time when Pascal was due to ride Francois up to the top of Lausanne (alt 960m) there was a good 5cm of snow. This was perhaps the scariest moment Pascal & Francois experienced this year, shaken but not the worse for the slippery ice rink experience as it demonstrated that it is possible (but not recommended) to ride a motorcycle in light snow with bald summer tyres. We hope that they are now both the wiser.
 
Service done, the fair weather days of spring were nowhere to be seen, this would trouble most motorcyclists, but true to our form, we kept riding through the thick of it all, and believe us it came thick! First with rain so heavy we could bathe in our boots, then hail so hard it stung through our jackets and finally spring snow that coated mountain tops like icing-sugar atop of a delicious freshly baked cake.

More recently, the roads have turned from deserted weekend wonderlands (under rain and hail) to chaotic furious racetracks with the onset of summer and the hoards of weekend riders, caravans and weekenders seeking refugee from the heat in the mountains. It would seem that anything goes in Europe when on two wheels, especially if you're Italian. Just as in Australia and many other countries around the world, motorcyclists perform time and time again incredible acts of stupidity as if tantalising the unwary driver to send them to an early grave. The pace is fast, the speeds even faster and the stakes higher still. But if you're not a gambler then why ride? There are plenty of cheap tin-tops (also known as those vehicles with 6 wheels or cars) out there for those that want some security.
 
Then again, security is an attitude, one learns from experience, try teaching that to the youngsters of today! (Sounding old here)
 
But enough ranting, the past few weeks have been splendid and we've been blessed with some marvelous experiences. We've met several like minded motorcyclists and have enjoyed the splendor of the Alps. In a few words: bends, mountain vistas, expresso coffee, camping, fire, hiking and marmottes (lots of them). We even got our first sighting of an Ibex face to face, it was incredible to see the Ibex dart away and disappear entirely from view along a sheer cliff face.
 
Oh and for the record, when you want to light a fire but you don't have any wood to burn (because there are no trees) then dried cow pats work well. But (there's always as but) they don't smell so good ;-) See the photos from our recent camping trip in the French Alps where we made a cosy if small cow pat fire.
 
Nuts and Bolts Torque
 
Mechanically speaking all is sound. Pascal sort the help of experienced mechanices to perform the 60,000km service 6,000km sooner due to the increased usage and demand on the GS. Since the service some routine maintenance including changing tyres, adding oil and cleaning the air filter, the basics.
 
The numbers
Mountain passes in on day: 5 (highest 2770m Col de l'Iseran)
Riding in snow: 3 days
Riding in hail: 1 day
Speeding fines: 0
Website visits: 19,298 since December 2008

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