French Alps on the Triumphs

Nice one,stuff like this makes me want to go now!

We've just started planning next years jaunt.

 

Great stuff, same as roadrider, makes me want to get out there and do the same! Hmmm have to get the bike first!

 

Just done them couple of months back and yes I want to do them again. Like the 'Italian job 'theme!

 

Hi Richard and thanks very much for posting those beautiful clips. Re the music track on the first one - was it The Transitions?

And on the second, Matt Monro or Mel Tormé?

Both excellent choices anyway as they worked so well with the images. Well done !!!!!

@ Roadrider and Crispey - I wouldn't go back just yet, they had 50cms of snow last night !!!!!

 

The music on the first one is Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

 

Nice productions Richard, especially like the "On Day's Like These" video
Hummed that to myself round a few mountain bends.
After 15+ years touring mostly around the Alps (several Triumph Sprints + 2 yrs on Multistrada) I thought I'd had enough. The Multi kept going wrong so Sept i traded back to Triumph for a SpeedIIIR, fantastic for most of my riding, not so good for 2-up touring (we're of advancing years).
So now I know how drug addicts feel....I've got withdrawal symptoms already.
So what to do now? SWMBO won't be persuaded to take her Dayton675 abroad, so it looks like I'll be searching out a bike hire holiday next year. Any recommendations anyone?

Richard you're a bast**d ....just when I thought I'd kicked the habit.

 

Nice vids, that was our 2012 trip the Southern French Alps, Briancon was our base to ride all the Cols, late June/July, roads pretty quiet apart from cyclists as it was week before the Tour arrived.

Teejay

 

Beautiful scenery, and lots of fun, I'm sure!

 

He (the Fazer guy) doesn't have the same roll-on grunt as the 'Strada, that's for sure !

You were really using that v-twin though weren't you .

Can you remember where that was? It's VERY picturesque.

 

Strange about the Ducati, a mate of mine bought a newish tiger and every thing went wrong, he just got the conclusion that it was a 'Friday' afternoon bike. He sold itback to the dealer (cobb&jagger triumph and Ducati in West Yorkshire) and bought a 13 plate multistrada and now swears by it. His done the Alps three times on it now.

 

Ha ha! No excuses now!

 

Yes Richard/Tigcraft, I guess to some extent it's down to your luck but I've been thro' Sprint900, Sprint ST955 & Sprint ST1050, kept each one for 5+ years with virtually no problems. Got a bit bored of Triumph and fancied the Ducati, so bought '13 S Touring with the semi-active suspension from new, fantastic bike and to be fair it never left me stranded, 14,000mls including Alps and Tuscany. BUT an endless string of warranty problems (mostly minor, electronic & all common to other owners), by the end of the warranty period I worked out I'd covered over 1,000mls just back and forth to my nearest Ducati dealer (150ml - 3hr round trip each time).
As it was so good at 2-up touring I nearly kept the bike (with an extended warranty!), but made the "mistake" of having a test ride on the SpeedIIIR while I was waiting for the fuel gauge and heated grips to be fixed (again)............
.....And here I am.
Just browse the Multistrada forum and you'll see there's a load of common recurring problems, maybe I was just unlucky to get the full house.
Try here for the full sorry tale if you're interested:-
http://ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/just-like-rossi-in-my-dreams.36082/#post-622125

But I can't stop grinning now! .....(if only I could persuade SWMBO to get her 675 on the ferry.....)

 

Read it!! Very good post and very well put AND others are riddled in problems equal to you. That's a shame Col C.

This year I did the alps again only on a Chinese cf moto tr650 or wk over here just to take the piss really and prove you can do it. Fuel gauge played up slightly toward the back end of the ride and that's only because I messed with it previously but I went with a friend on a DL1000 v strom riding at sat nav speeds of 100+ mph and never missed a beat. The bike is a 63 plate and only cost £1800 used with 3300 miles on it. Puts others to shame
Ps mileage now is 10500 so that's 7000ish since March

 

Ah Champex Lac. I stopped there 3 years in a row. Its a fantastic location, must has been up and down that road 50+ times though always in a car. You rode right past the apartment I stopped in. The wooden building on the right opposite the shop.

 

Hi folks,
what's the forum protocol for videos, I've got a couple of the Stelvio and Grosglockner if anyone's interested but I'm not as clever as Richard, no fancy editing or sound-overs, just as it came out of the camera. They're nearly half an hour each (1GB) so doubt I would be allowed / want to upload to the forum server. I've already got them up on my Google drive so could post a link if that's normal practice?

Colin

 

Col Every pc or mac comes with simple editing software, give it a go! It'll be great to see it

 

Ok, so maybe sometime before Easter you might see a cool video production from me (then again maybe not , spend all day on CAD software so usually had enough come the evening).
So in the mean time here's some raw unedited stuff (if you have the stamina - beats EastEnders)

A ride up the Stelvio.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5DkXUYhhLCXMm9VUVRqanZFX2M/view?usp=sharing
Starts way down the valley, last 10 mins probably most interesting.

And here's some of the Grosglockner.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5DkXUYhhLCXMV93SDZoVDJkZWM/view?usp=sharing

Both were shot 2014 (did Tuscany this year) using a Drift Ghost S mounted on the right fork leg, bike was Multistrada S Touring, gear changes didn't sound that bad in real life, the mike was cable-tied to the rear sub frame which avoided the wind noise and picked up the standard exhaust nicely but also acted like a stethoscope on the gearbox.

Excuses for a few dodgy bends.... it was done 2 up with luggage and the wife was daft enough to be on the back one or no handed busy with the stills camera. ......You wouldn't get me pillion-ing on the back of me!

 

great stuff loverly roads