Vogesen fahrt, lang...

[caratz]

I finally found some time to do this write up.

Last weekend was a long one in Belgium. Two friends and myself decided we needed some R & R a few weeks ago, and convinced our partners to join us for 3 days in Gerardmer in the Vosges mountains in the Alsace. My wife and the SO of Rudy came there by car, taking the straight, fast shot motorway route.

We had a route that we rode last year, and I remembered it as being great fun.

Left in the morning around 10.30 and rode to Dinant, along the Meuse river bank. Had lunch there and hit the road towards Bouillon. On the way, it starting pouring buckets and it was not too much fun riding. My mates' visors started fogging up, and whilst my visor remained fog free, my spectacles started fogging. The reason for that may have been the addition of the Whisper Strip to my Shoei XR 1000. While it reduces noise immensely, it also prevents air from coming into the helmet and circulating. I'll have to check that one out.

The roads we took are great fun to ride, in normal conditions. Lots of fun sweepers, and in dry weather, the surface isn't too much of a problem. However tar snakes and a very bumpy surface demanded lots of caution in the wet with the GT. I set the ESA on comfort for that part. After about 50 KM, a warning started blinking on the dashboard. Something wrong with a light. It turns out my left side rear indicator bulb was gone. With a new bike, I didn't think of getting a set of spare lamps. We had to wait two and a half hours for our local version of ADAC to arrive, despite their promising me it wouldn't take longer then 45 minutes. I had already opened the casing, with the help of the small torx key. After the service car got there, it took all of 3 minutes to be on the road again, while the rain had increased in intensity, and the tension in my friends was palpable.

After 30 KM of further riding, we had a palaver and decided to abandon the original route, take the motorway towards Luxemburg, Thionville, Metz and onwards. Not the glorious way to go, but if anything, the rain had increased even more, so if we wanted to have dinner, we'd better get a faster clip. We finally arrived at Nancy around 1830, and then I missed the turn towards Epinal, which would have been the direct road to Gerardmer. By that time, I was ready to shoot the GT. I had set the ESA to normal, but the noise the screen was making was driving me nuts. Also, I had had a few twitches of the rear wheel which really undermined my confidence. I was overtense, and nervous. Riding in the dark is something that I really am not good at. I suffer from night blindness and absolutely wanted to arrive before night came. Alas, it wasn't to be. The last kilometers before getting to Gerardmer from the direction of Saint-Die are a mountain pass. Surface was in a deplorable state, it was pouring and dark. THE nightmare scenario for me. We crawled over the pass, and finally arrived at the hotel at 21.15 where we were originally told the kitchen had closed. Still, they rustled a superb dinner together for us. We were totally knackered and fell asleep like the dead.

Day two we rode off at 11.00 towards the Vosges, thinking that on the other side the weather would be better and we could get some good riding done. When we got on top of the first range, visibility was practically zero and decreasing on our side as well, so we cut our losses and returned to the hotel for a siesta, a session at the pool and sauna.

Day three, the cloud cover was higher and come hell or rain, we WERE going to take the tour we had had to abort the day before. What else can one say ? Peppi (my GT) and I were totally in tune with each other and starterd having a LOT of fun in the twisties. There are successions of turns there that are enormous joy to take at speeds that are way on the other side of legality. It's only in the real tight hairpins that one can feel the weight of the GT. For the rest, she's like a toy bicycle. I was leaving my friends on an ST and an RT way behind at times. The torque of the beast is just simply amazing. I was taking most of the turns in 5th. gear, not even realizing it. Going down, is a different kettle of fish. You really need to use the engine brake so gears 2 and 3 are required in the tight stuff, while using power to put the bike in the turn properly. We took the Col de la Schlucht a few minor ones and then we wound up on the Col du Bonhomme. That road is just amazing. It's wide, the surface is grippy as hell, and you have plenty of places where you can overtake cars. Motorcyclists Mecca. ENORMOUS fun and highly recommended to anyone visiting the area. Just be careful, the men in blue are there in numbers at times. Back at the hotel around 17.00 after a totally exilarating ride, and falling in love again with the GT.

Day 3, appalling rain in Gerardmer. Putting on my helmet, my glasses, ride to the petrol station, can't see a thing. Tank up, wait, clean and try to get out of town towards Epinal. Getting stuck behind a camper van, who's doing 30 KPH, no air, no visibility. At the first opportunity, I switch down 2 gears and overtake the idiot. One of my friends follows suit. With the speed increase, there is more circulation in the helmet, but but that time, I have opened the visor, and the Climacool frame gives me pretty good protection from the rain, combined with the screen in its highest position. Ride about 45 KM and stop to wait for our buddy who got stuck behind the camper. Take that time to wipe everything dry. The sun is out and we now set our way to Luxemburg city via Nancy.

Once we get to LUX, we take off towards Vianden on lovely small roads where again the torque of the GT allows to ride everything in 5-6th. gear totally without vibes or shaking of the bike. By that time we're navigating by GPS, the shortest way. It takes us through very small roads, and at a point, we encounter a loose young bull.. Decided to ride cautiously fast to get past it. More sweepers bring us to the outskirts of Vianden and its beautiful Castle. There, there is a succession of long hairpins that we take at fairly high speeds, cage traffic is preventing us to do anything silly.

Lunch there and a ride back home via St. Vith Great fun, and I'm in synch with my GT. Love that bike, except that I think the screen is in dire need of a redesign. Also the seat makes you feel like you're on top of the bike, instead of being integrated in it like on my RS. The other thing I will definitely change is the tires. The BT 020's are definitely past their prime. I wanted to get Pilot Power, but they aren't homologated yet on the GT.

The last touch was a truck crash on the motorway, about 25 KM from home. We bikes did a very long and cautious lanesplit, whereas the ladies couldn't in the car. We got home 1.30 hours before they did. They had laughed at us getting wet, now we were even.

A good ride, and more of them to come.