Accueil > Roadbook > Nos balades passées. > Via-raid 01 : Contact !

Via-raid 01 : Contact !

jeudi 2 septembre 2010, par Barry

Toutes les versions de cet article : [français] [français]

“Via-raid ???? What’s that ?
No, it’s not some cure for a stomach complaint, but the name of the journeys (or “raid ???) that my brother and I make across Europe’s roads (or “via ???).

For the first edition of the Via-raid, in 2005, we chose to fulfil one of the motorcyclist’s Ten Commandments : “Thou shalt tour Corsica ???.

Equipped with a Suzuki SV650S and a Honda VFR800 V-tec, we decided to discover the island’s motorcycling culture by trying to keep up with Dumé. Talk about hard work ! It wasn’t easy to let rip, what with the chaos on the roads and the various objects on the racing line, namely the local cagers – all members of the Jean Ragnotti* fan cub – and the unattended wildlife, some of which was very big (moo !). Truth be told, my clearest memory of Corsica is the rear mudguard of our Corsican guide’s Buell.

Corsica offers endless dream landscapes. If you leaf through the hefty “1000 natural landscapes that you must see before you de ??? guide, this beautiful island takes up most of the pages devoted to France. I invite you to take the D84 from Porto to Ponte Leccia in late afternoon. After having gone all contemplative over the Golo gorges, you’ll ask yourself “Who’s the head decorator ????

This year, we’re hitting the roads in a very ambitious way. Since Corsica – despite its atypical status – is still just a part of France, we decided to point our wheels at foreign parts and head south.

In order to avoid any arguments about the sensitive issue of riding styles, we’ll be riding identical bikes : a pair of fuel-injected Suzuki SV650S. No need to have them scrutineered before an impartial jury : a god standing-start quarter mile with throwover luggage should do the trick.

We’ll be under starter’s orders in a few hours’ time, but for now we’re doing the last bookings and sorting out the return trip. Therefore, today’s alarm clock was the Metzeler deliveryman hanging on the doorbell, bringing us our Sportec M5 Interact that will be fitted to the bikes in a fortnight’s time, after the 2nd Via-raid, which you will be able to read about in the days to come on the “Motards en Balade ??? website.

Guido du Bourdon nippon.

* Jean Ragnotti is a well-known (retired) French rally driver.

Portfolio