Tornanti road yarns...Parts 1+2

iffracem

The Phat Hairy Bloke
I don't mow my own yards mate.. so you got NOOOOO hope :lol:

I can't comment on the telelever, long term seat comfort etc, but you've confirmed the initial impressions I got from test riding a big beemer twin, not my cup of tea at all, I'd look at an SVthou, or trumpy tiger first.

Just like the mercedes off road trucks I worked on in the army, it all seems like technology for technologies sake... pity.

I agree KISS is the go, the less that can go wrong, the better :D

So, you looking at following Doit and leaving phpbb?

Looking forward to the rest of the (never ending) stoooory :chug:
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
That's exactly it...tech for the sake of wanting to be different or something...shame, really, the bike's got some decent strong points.

Yep, following Steve, just bought a copy of vBulletin and hopefully, hopefully, we'll get it across tomorrow night.
Might not look all that crashhot for the start, but that can be done after.
As long as it's stable...

Never ending story??? You haven't seen the start of it yet !!
Don't bloody whinge, when your modem finishes up a smoking plastic turd on yer desk :D :D




iffracem said:
Just like the mercedes off road trucks I worked on in the army, it all seems like technology for technologies sake... pity.

So, you looking at following Doit and leaving phpbb?

Looking forward to the rest of the (never ending) stoooory :chug:
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Long overseas flights are usually a pain in the arse….no exception here.
:roll:

The Dubai stopover was already too long at 2 hrs; due to the huge expansion program there are major works going on, the current terminal is way too small for the amount of travellers, it’s a slowly moving sea-of-heads moving in all directions….a place where Asia, Africa and Europe meet.
Jam-packed with folks from everywhere….and stifling hot. :shock: :shock:

Milano’s Malpensa Airport on the other hand is a big and breezy affair, well signed too, and it was easy to find the Malpensa Express, the train into the heart of Milano.

Not looking all that fresh :) , it’s a muggy, smog-filled mid-20s, too.

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Then the first stumbling tries in Italian to get some tickets for the local Metro out to the north-western area of Milano, the place of our first 2 nights of the trip…. at the Milano Youth Hostel (the only “hole” I could find that offered beds at reasonable rates this time of year in Milano, the city hosts lots of fairs around Sept/ Oct) with BiancoBlu, the bike-hire mob, not far away.

Asking around, we got a recommendation for some restaurant and walking down the leafy streets gives us a first taste of the place…. scooters EVERYWHERE, the pace frantic, every tiny gap an “opening” to stick the nose in front…NO MERCY, not a ¼ inch given !!

The eatery turns out to be a small sidewalk marque ringed by a few bushes, the beer is cold, comes at a decent size (1/2 ltr.), the food isn’t too shabby, either.
The long flight and travel fall away quickly…. we’re soaking it up!!

A couple of hours later, 5 half-dead-on-their-feet-Aussies shuffle back to their beds…what a start, we LOVE it already !!


WOT??? Morning already ? Oh shiiiite…. :cry: :? :shock:

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What’s up?

How about a day in Milano?
Go past BiancoBlu along the way, so we know where to drag our suitcases to the following morning when we pick up the bikes…

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Take the bus? Or this one… :muahaha:

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Let’s snoop around, check out the city, the streetmarkets, the city-park, the Milano Castle, the Cathedral and whatever else, grab a cuppa somewhere (or a ½ ltr. icecold Heiniken from a street-kiosk as it turned out)…let’s see where we’ll drift…snapshotting whatever catches the eye…

Look at those bike-shop opening hours, huh?

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She just might make that tram (with some help from above) :lol:

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EVERYWHERE !! :shock: :shock:

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Talking about TIGHT !! :wink:

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One day, when I grow up…. I wanna be a ….

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Let’s just walk down that way, eh?

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Whowha…there it is, let’s have a look… :shock:

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How about that road over there?….

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The markets… how about that LOG of cheese? :shock: :shock:

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iffracem

The Phat Hairy Bloke
:thumbs:


Good to see graffiti looks the same the world over.....

& I notice tassie tim got his mug in an awful lot of pics :lol:
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
iffracem said:
:thumbs:
Good to see graffiti looks the same the world over.....
& I notice tassie tim got his mug in an awful lot of pics :lol:

Not much graffiti around Milano though...some of the outer subs, the more industrial areas, but innercity it's pretty rare. A welcome change...
TT's got just one of those mugs...hard NOT to have it in a shot :p :p :p
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Around another corner…a Google satellite map of Milano and surrounds laminated into the floor of a huge, old shopping arcade

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Grind the heel in the area of the bull’s balls….for good luck ! :shock: :shock:

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More impressions…

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Lunch break? Let’s have some of that…

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Milano being one of the leading fashion-cities of the word shows everywhere.
No tracky-daks, tattoos and cap-backwards here…THIS is CLASS! 8) 8)
It’s not just the clothes, shoes, haircuts and accessories…. it’s just everywhere and everything.
Body-language, THE WALK, the talk….the lot !!!
Let’s keep strolling around…

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Ahhhh,….the WOMEN !! :shock: :wink: :lol:
Cute, aye??

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Our 2 bachelors fell in love instantly :lol: , vying for “backs to the wall” seats at every opportunity, just to make sure they had a clean field of vision (and clear space on the floor for the dribblings :p :p )

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Another “Tasty” … :D

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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Re: Tornanti road yarns...EuroAlps in OverDrive

More random impressions…

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Who couldn’t forgive our 2 “boyz” for just standing around, gazing ?
:glu:glu

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Watching, too….

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Trying to make a successful purchase at the tabacchieri :so

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The afternoon wore on…

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A car repair shop at street level of an apartment block….no cars they're working on?
Under the ceiling!

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On the way to our “resting place” for the afternoon, a Kiosk at the side of a roundabout with 6 roads feeding into it…

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The great equalizer.....The Scooter !!

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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Re: Tornanti road yarns...EuroAlps in OverDrive

Even a Diesel Cab flies with a #46 on the back !! :clap:
The yellow #46 is EVERYWHERE, even saw it flashing by stuck to the side of a stroller…

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There she’s AGAIN !! :glu

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Just around the corner now ....

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An “open” servo…just some free-standing bowsers backing onto a tram-stop, 2 older guys running from pump to pump filling up, the cash stowed in their leather pouches…

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We finally get to the small Kiosk selling ice-cold (rare around here, they usually like their beer cool, but NOT chilled) Heineken, right at the side of one of the main feeders of 6 roads into a roundabout…the heat, the walk, the impressions….and then the beer stopped further snap-shooting, but amongst our small group, fistfuls of Euro-Cents were won and lost betting on the hole-shotters of the scooter-drags.
:rofl:
Would it be the granny with the bunch of celery in the front basket of the Honda Helix…or the guy on the mobile phone casually and nonchalantly revving the crap out of the 400 Burgman??
Was he peeking right/left to check out the opposition for the flat-out chase for pole-position at the next set of light 50m down the road??
Or the holeshot on exiting between the Minivan and light pole at the next junction?

Perhaps they would all be cut off by the guy on the pushie, still pedalling frantically to clear the roundabout, trying to avoid the ruts of the tram-tracks before the next green light created another 50-scoots-at-once scare for him?
50 cents says the mum pushing the stroller will be bowled over by the middle-aged Lady-in-Green on the 3-wheeler Piaggio…

Cheers went up, arms waving, fists punching the air every 30 seconds when one of us got it right and the rest started scouring the next crop of scooters trying to squeeze into pole-position for the next change of lights…

It’s something, none of us will ever forget… what a bloody hoot !!
Oh maaaan, Australia’s is thaaaaat far behind, it brings tears to your eyes!!!

Milano??? SHITHOT !!!!!!



Next: Day 1 on the road

The BiancoBlu hire-bike fiasco
Alarm on the AutoStrada
An angel called Anna
Vino, Pasta...and at peace with the world


...and more....
 

motorradrudi

Tour Pro
Re: Tornanti road yarns...EuroAlps in OverDrive

Hi Pete,

89 pics for one day - :glu:glu:glu

How many will bring the next 35 days?

(Can't wait for the rest)
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Beste Greatings
Rudi
 
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