DAVE'S VIEWPOINT

Perspective of a motorcyclist – A travel diary

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Category: The Everyday Italian

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The Everyday Italian: 38000km Tyre Change

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The Everyday Italian: 1199 hits 30000kms

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Long time since I last rode on Putty Road, sparked by the recent bushfire disaster that's caused mass ecological destruction. Had the opportunity to meet Kim, the owner operator of Grey Gum Cafe which is located in the heart of Wollemi National Park, where almost 200000 hectares of bushland were razed by the Gospers Mountain fire. I have great admiration for how proactive she had been to ensure that the majority-volunteer firefighters were well fed and working overtime to ensure the best outcomes while they used the premises to set up a command centre in order to stand a chance against the massive inferno that crept up to the perimeters of the property. In other news, I've had awesome fun on the Vitpilen 701. Despite its Swedish Husqvarna parent's designation for its child to grow up into a city-dwelling, trendsetting fashionista, its Austrian KTM roots belie the hip looking clothing which attempts to conceal a brash and unsophisticated hooligan that demands to be unleashed. This is a machine that was meant for roads like these. #husqvarna #vitpilen #vitpilen701 #ktm #lc4 #caferacer #motorcycle #nswbushfires #bushfire #puttyroad #sydney #australia
Sold. Waved goodbye to the BMW S1000R this evening as I usher in a new phase of motorcycling. Lately I've become less excited about sport bikes. In fact, I've been on the edge of almost dropping the whole bike life thing in pursuit of other interests. With the funds I acquired from the sale of the BMW, I was in deep thought about what the future held for me. Well, that's until I found this 2018 Husqvarna Vitpilen 701 which I somehow negotiated down to a price that I could not resist. Suddenly, a new subgenre of the moto scene has emerged in my sights. Perhaps you'll be seeing a more hipster Dave in the near future? Uh ohh... 😅😅😅... #husqvarna #vitpilen #vitpilen701 #caferacer #bmw #s1000r #motorcycle #sydney
Long time no old road! An easy ride to Sydney's most notorious road for motorcyclists. Met up with my mate and one-time MotoGP road trip buddy @thevbruce who's about to move out of Australia indefinitely for entrepreneurial reasons. He'll be taking with him a part of what made this road so good. Proof of that lies within the last of the photo slide; an oldie, but a goodie from back when I used to shoot on the road often.. the good old days! Also, thanks to Jason from @zoomzoomphotography for taking a photo of me at Eddie's corner. Context of photo: I was yelling out "Jasonnnnnn!" in the hope that it would result in a guaranteed shot. It worked!! #bmw #s1000r #bmwmotorrad #makelifearide #adventure #motorcycle #sydney #australia #oldroad #oldpacifichighway
The fun stuff happens when compiling and analyzing collected data after the completion of a trip. I do like a bit of statistics, so here are the basics from the most recent overland journey. – Total trip time: 86 days – Distance ridden: 28400km – Longest distance travelled in a day: 1121km from Marseille, France to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Litres of petrol used: 820.51 litres – Average fuel consumption: 2.88 litres per 100km – Nights of indoor accommodation: 57 – Nights of outdoor camping: 28 – Number of tyre punctures: 2 rear tyre tubes, in Myanmar and Serbia – Number of tyre changes: 1 rear tyre at Osh, Kyrgyzstan – Coldest riding temperature: 4°C at Khunjerab Pass, Pakistan/China – Warmest riding temperature: 46°C at Agra, India – Number of foreign currencies: 24 currencies – Countries visited: 33 countries – Total cost: AUD $21482.92 #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #adventure #travel #scenery #nature #landscape #camping #roadtrip #sost #pakistan #asia #overland
I don't think that guy was happy about having to go around me 😆... Finally added up the expenses for the trip from Kuala Lumpur to London! Total for trip: $21482.92 (Australian Dollars) Below are categorised costs to give you an idea of what it takes financially for you to embark on a similar trip. I'll try and go through the expenses in more detail on my Facebook page later this week... ▪️-Accommodation: $729.62 ▪️-Communication: $434.75 ▪️-Food: $832.80 ▪️-Fuel: $1187.70 ▪️-Freight: $5568.47 ▪️-Insurance: $584.65 ▪️ -Maintenance: $647.02 ▪️ -Sundry: $234.46 ▪️-Tolls: $300.79 ▪️-Compulsory Guide: $8234.00 ▪️-Transport: $1548.83 ▪️ -Visa: $1179.85 ▪️...... #honda #crf250 #rally #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #overland #asia #europe #myanmar
I miss my old R nine T... Does anybody in Sydney wanna swap theirs with my S1000R?? 😝 p.s. I also miss northern Europe. I wish I had done a good recount about the 2018 trip, but life had gone far ahead of anything else I wanted to do. The 2019 trip is looking almost exactly like it will face the same fate. Haven't even posted anything about how much it costed 😔 Am I getting less in love with social media? #bmw #bmwmotorrad #rninet #rninetracer #racer #s1000r #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #europe #sweden #stockholm
I've been feeling less than happy about the shipping progress for the return of my CRF Rally back to Australia. It's not the fault of the shipping provider at all, but the fact that the shipment just left the Felixstowe port a few days ago, which is 6 weeks after I left the UK, got me thinking that I should have maybe left the bike in England so that I could maybe fly back early next year to ride around the UK/Ireland and Spain/Portugal regions 😅😅😅 Once the bike is unloaded in Sydney by late November, there will be lots of work required to get the bike back up to scratch and in adventure-ready condition. It's actually incredible that I managed to make it from Malaysia to the UK with minimal mechanical issues, particularly considering that the last proper service it had was in Kathmandu at around the 11000km odometer mark; the odometer currently sits on 33000km! From what I am aware, the bike requires an open-heart surgery. The lethally-worn sprockets, the floppy frame of the luggage rack and an exhaust that's rubbing against the rear tyre barely all even makes up the synopsis of what I am sure will be a storybook of parts to be repaired and replaced. It's going to be a busy Australian Summer with this bike! #honda #crf250 #crf250rally #rally #camping #adventure #travel #overland #uk #malaysia #theshard #london
2015 - Ducati Multistrada 2016 - Ducati Panigale 2017 - Honda Africa Twin 2018 - Honda CRF250 Rally 2019 - Honda CB125E Looks like I've been downgrading by the year everytime I visit the Great Alpine Road. Regardless of the bike of choice, it's always great to visit the snow on perfectly dry and clean roads this time of the year! #honda #cb125e #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #snow #camping #greatalpineroad #victoria #australia
.. Decision made for the long weekend. BMW can stay indoors while the econo-Honda is let out into the big world. Currently packing up the CB125E as I type this! What else is the little carby Honda capable of apart from contributing to global carbon emissions? Check out my IG Story to keep updated! #honda #cb125e #cb125 #carburetor #petrol #125cc #shitbox #motorcycle #adventure #travel #camping #carbon #pollution #climatechange #goodoldglobalwarming #bikelifethough #newcastle #australia
Long time, no post. Current status: Sydney, Australia.. and busy with work and life overall! What should I do this long weekend? #bmw #bmwmotorrad #s1000r #motorcycle #travel #adventure #sydney #sydneyharbour #sydneyoperahouse #australia #hashtags #because #instagram
Day 86 - 06/09/2019 – Shortened from original FB post - This is it. 27835km and 86 days are all I can and will do for the journey that I have taken from Malaysia to the UK. The day after my arrival in Sydney will be a quiet time spent at home to begin life as an adult in my 30s. For a few years, I have dreaded the point in time when I would have to bid farewell to my 20s. Perhaps the specific thought of having to act like a 'real' adult was something that I'd never be prepared for. The thought of dropping out of a younger demographic was terrifying to a mind that seems not to have established full maturity. Somehow though, as I sit here on the edge of the Thames in London, it all doesn't seem to matter anymore. I am just happy to be alive. Life is so short, holidays even shorter. There are many issues I have observed that others face on the daily around the world; my personal issues are trivial in comparison. The opportunity to even be able to have travelled on a motorcycle though tens of thousands of kilometres is one that I cannot be anything but thankful for. I have to acknowledge that this is all in part because I live in a beautiful country like Australia that financially and logistically allows me to travel through so many different countries without too many unreasonable restrictions. I can only be thankful for this opportunity, because the vast majority of the world does not have it as great. I hope that in this next decade in my 30s to expand my horizons and achieve more meaningful endeavours. Some day, I will grow up to be sensible, mature, forward-thinking and become some sort of practical inspiration to a group of a few mortals here and there who should know better. Until then, I guess motorcycles will continue to be a part of life. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #london #unitedkingdom #england #uk #europe #overland
Day 85 - 05/09/2019 - Barely over 24 hours of arriving in Germany, I had to get a move on with a revised final destination to end this journey. I had originally organised a German company to handle the freight for the return of my motorcycle to Sydney, but that fell through whilst I was in the middle of this journey. Thankfully, after a small moment of panic, I found out about Get Routed, an entity that specifically deals with bike freight between Australia and the UK particularly for the dates surrounding the Isle of Man TT events. I was lucky to have been informed that there was exactly one spot remaining for the return shipment to Sydney. Thus, my journey points towards London, and then finally the small port town of Felixstowe. Heading through Belgium, my journey still had new areas to be explored. Just like Slovenia from last year, Belgium was just a transit country between other main destinations, so I did not see anything apart from the motorway. After checking out the small stone marker at the borders where Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands meet, I made Brussels my major Belgian stop before getting to Calais where I had booked for the Eurotunnel shuttle service to the UK overnight. Reaching the Belgian capital, I utilised the very short time available to observe the seedy and the classy; two clear contrasts of the city. Perhaps the Dutch had something to do with the prominence of window girls at Rue d'Aerschot in the city central's north, while French influence may have had a hand with the amazing architectural finesse that is evident from the courtyards of Grote Markt. Whatever the reason, it was great to have visited Belgium and see a few more place than the last visit; a day not wasted despite now being more susceptible to laziness as I had already completed my original goal of reaching Germany. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #brussels #belgium #overland #europe
Day 84 – 04/09/2019 – Guten morgen, Deutschland! Oh Cologne. it's been just over a year since I visited. My European home away from home, Cologne was the heart and the centre of my road trips on the BMW last year. The city was the start point of the journey, purchasing my motorcycle at the BMW Cologne dealership within 24 hours of landing in Germany by plane. The city also represented a midpoint of that 20000km journey across Europe, before eventually spending my final night on the banks of the Rhine River where I spent time to contemplate the jubilation that resulted out of the whole process involved in making such a road trip a possibility. So much hard work and long hours were invested into the preparation of that trip, so much that I thought that it would have been easier if I just spent those two months of leave from work to stay within the bounds and familiarity of Australia. I once thought that a motorcycle trip around Europe was a step too far for me, both financially and mentally. I once was terrified about the prospect of dealing with foreign languages, a variety of currencies and a huge array of roads and landscapes, tens of thousands of kilometres away from home. When I finally went through all of that, I wish I had done the trip all over again. The exact same sentiments apply for this year's journey across Asia and the parts of Europe that I had explored this year. And really, who would have bloody known that I would return to Cologne, Germany after just a year, but this time the more difficult way? I could have just picked another destination for the end of this trip, but there was no way that I'd miss out on catching up with my best German mate, @konrad.dng , who made last year's road trip a seamless and fuss-free experience. I can't even express completely how grateful I am to have a friend like him. Gummersbach is just an ordinary town in the outskirts of Cologne. But with Konrad's abode up in the hills of the town, it's simply a special place. It is that place out of home that I feel the most comfortable. Welcome home! #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #rhine #river #cologne #germany #europe #overland
Day 83 – 03/09/2019 – A quick overnight nap before heading north from the coast of the French Riviera. Still a long way to go to reach Cologne in Germany, so I figured that a bit of fatigue is an acceptable trade-off for an earlier arrival at my mate's place in the small German town of Gummersbach. I was hoping to reach the hometown of @sebrdn , the French on the Royal Enfield whom I rode together with in few parts on the way from northern Pakistan to eastern Uzbekistan, before he reaches the European continent. Today, I am happy to have fulfilled that small goal, arriving in Lyon to check out its central city area which is the location of the confluence of two significant French rivers, the Rhone and Saone. If I had the time to relax in Lyon, I would have taken the effort to buy a bunch of croissants and French sticks to pose with them in front of a large Lyon sign with the intention of provoking jealousy and homesickness out of Sebastien. I'm in a hurry to get to Germany, alas I had to continue on with the ride to Luxembourg. My arrival in Luxembourg a few clicks before midnight marks the 49th country ridden on my own motorcycle. It's been a physically taxing journey, feebly depending on energy drinks and excessive sugar to keep me awake. There wasn't much to see or do without further research of the country, nor am I sure if there was much on offer anyway apart from the usual old European buildings that have by now lost my interest. On the plus side, Cologne is not too far from Luxembourg City. It's been a long journey, and I can barely remember everything that's happened in the Asian part of this adventure, but I am happy to say that I am less than a day trip away from my end destination! #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #scenery #landscape #lyon #france #luxembourg #europe #overland
Day 82 – 02/09/2019 – I’m getting worried now. I know that I was running out of time before today, but Monday has really hit me hard as I realise that I’m still in the southern part of the continent when I should have been up north in the weekend. With my post-holiday work schedule in effect starting next week, I must get the motorcycle cleaned up and prepared within this week and fly out of Europe before the end of the weekend. Despite the lack of time, Pisa was close enough to be visited after Florence. The Leaning Tower doesn’t seem too badly tilted from some angles; I reckon she’d be alright for another few centuries. What was more interesting were the surrounding landscapes that are partially walled. In the middle of the well-maintained lawn sits the Pisa Cathedral, which encompasses a floor plan akin to the shape of the crucifix. The nearby dome-capped Pisa Baptistery completes the grand scenery. I would have liked to have a tour around the city for longer, but separation anxiety leads me back to my motorcycle to continue the journey out of Italy. The highway system that links the coastal Italian region with the French Riviera is nothing short of an engineering marvel. Tunnels run through the many hundreds of kilometres of mountains that separate villages and towns that inhabit the valleys in between them in intervals of just a few kilometres. The ETA on Google Maps indicated that my journey from Pisa to the French border would have taken at least 10 hours using local roads, versus just 4 hours if I used the tolled highway. That 20-Euro toll fee was definitely worth the time saving. Just a moment from the border road sits a tiny but very wealthy country, Monaco. The visit to the city of Monte Carlo makes Monaco the 48th country that I’ve ridden on a motorcycle. I’ve never counted the countries I’ve visited until yesterday when I visited San Marino, and thought that it was interesting to have gone through three countries in one day. Should I try and push for a 49th country in Europe, just so that it gives me the excuse to visit the USA as the 50th country? You know, like the 50 stars on the US flag! #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #overland
Day 81 – 01/09/2019 – A surprisingly wonderful visit to the Republic of San Marino, a landlocked country that lays its claim within its much larger neighbour Italy. San Marino is believed to be the oldest republic in the world, established in the year 301. Its iconic mountain, Monte Titano, dramatically rises out from the middle of the beautiful tiny country, crowned with old fortresses and heritage listed structures. Surrounded by the rolling hills of the Italian countryside, entering the mountaintop city was like a step into the fictional Castle of Cagliostro, with parts of its walls almost protruding out of the vertical cliffs. Unlike many other western European historical sites, San Marino seems to have retained its small village atmosphere with only small groups of tourists exploring the area, possibly because it is so out of the way from other major Italian cities. Although the paths up to the very top of the eponymously named capital city of San Marino were steep, the city was genuinely a pleasure for me to explore even though I insist on doing as little walking as possible for this trip. I’d imagine a family tour in large Italian city would be chaotic for the inexperienced. A Sammarinese holiday should comparatively be a very relaxed and quietly uplifting one. Last year, the only taste of Italy was in the form of the incredible mountain roads of Stelvio Pass. This time, I’ve had the opportunity to make the detour through the urban regions of northern Italy. I needed to choose my battles in the pursuit for a time-efficient Italian trip. Florence is meant to be among the best European cultural destinations, but a complete experience requires time off the bike during normal daytime hours. I had to really get a move on towards the end of this motorcycle journey, so I only had the hours surrounding midnight to step into the city of Florence. Looking over the city from the lookout of Piazzale Michelangelo for a quick moment, I could see that all was well in Florence. Good stuff. Now time to move on with this road trip. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #scenery #landscape #sanmarino #florence #italy #europe #overland
Day 80 – 31/08/2019 – D-day is here; Deutschland Day. The end of the month has now come, but I am still over a thousand kilometres away from Cologne in Germany where I was supposed to arrive by today. Inevitably, I must readjust my travel schedule, and give it a few more days until I arrive safely in Germany and get to see my old mate Karl again who helped me out so much with a lot of the important paperwork for the BMW last year. On that note, I reckon I can fit a few more new cities on the way to Cologne. Starting my day early in Zagreb in Croatia, I immediately headed towards Ljubljana, another city that I couldn’t explore properly last year. The only place of interest for me in Ljubljana was the Dragon Bridge because, well, I felt that my cool travel story just needed some dragons to make it seem more legitimate. The arch bridge is guarded by four ferocious looking dragon statues, one for each corner of the bridge that crosses over the Ljubljanica River. I do indeed feel love when I see the natural beauty of SLOVEnia, particularly when I went up to the north west of the country. The naturally stunning landscape adorned with dreamy abodes, old churches and imposing castles make the whole area of Lake Bled seem as though it’s a town that belongs in a fairytale novel. Masses of tourists ensure that you’re not totally lost in your own imagination, but I’d imagine that a moment of escapism can be had by rowing a boat away from the crowded shores and to the opposite side where the body of water extends into deep forests. Just when I thought I was done with Slovenia, I approach another incredible sight. This time in the form of a castle partially built into a cave, Predjama Castle is not only special for its man-made component. A network of tunnels and cave voids remain perfectly in place which can be explored with a fully integrated rail tour. I’m positively satisfied today to have seen a few of the many beautiful aspects of Slovenia. The tradeoff has been to delay my arrival to Germany, but there are no regrets when a new experience has been gained. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #ljubljana #slovenia #europe #overland
Day 79 – 30/08/2019 – Rested up so well last night in the hostel at Makarska after 2 weeks spent, sleeping in not-so-normal locations. The last time I spent a night in proper accommodation was back in Turkey when the guy at Trabzon paid for a hotel room and forced me to rest for the night and not risk the journey in the dark over the mountains. Apparently, according to my room mates at Makarska, I fell asleep immediately after I turned on the laptop and closed my eyes while files were being transferred from the camera. I enjoy sleeping rough when travelling but I do need the extravagant luxury of an inner-city backpackers hostel once in a while. I even got to wash my riding pants; shocking to see how clean it was once I took it out of the washing machine! It was great to have met @jeniferandren in person with whom I were Facebook friends, initially added as friends as she needed some advice on travelling around Europe. I like to think that I inspired her to buy a bike in one of the EU countries, rather than bring over her Ducati from Sydney, and then plan to sell it, just like what I’ve done with the BMW last year in Germany. Whether or not she allows me to take all the credit for that idea, it’s nevertheless awesome to know that she’s had a fantastic journey so far, going through some beautiful routes from France, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. She’s got another month, maybe even two, left for her own journey across Europe. Feeling so jealous, as I’m now on my last days in this continent! Although I’ve travelled through Croatia last year on the BMW, I’ve had no time to explore the more interesting places apart from Dubrovnik. This year’s trip also doesn’t allow me to spend time and experience the country in depth, but the coastal route taken from Makarska to Split was enough for me to say that I’ve experienced another one very beautiful region of Croatia.Perhaps there will be more opportunities in the future for me to travel in Europe again. In due time, I might end up exploring many more regions of Croatia, one by one. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #adventure #travel #makarska #croatia #europe #overland
Day 78 – 29/08/2019 – My last day in Bosnia as I head towards the Adriatic coastline. Starting my day early by leaving Sarajevo at 1am, the aim was to make a detour to Tjentiste to end my run of Communist-era monuments. The Memorial Valley of Heroes is a tribute to a military operation during WW2 where the Axis forces attempted to capture the Yugoslav military leader in the region. The mission of the Axis was a failure but came at a massive cost of thousands of civilian lives. Like many other monuments built during the Yugoslav years, the Valley of Heroes exhibit an abstract style to deliver a message that is better understood once its history is closely observed. But even without any understanding of its message, there is an element of otherworldliness that makes a visit a memorable one. The towering monument stands on top of a hill overlooking forested mountains, providing an opportunity for momentary relaxation in a quiet, secluded place. Mostar was my last major town before heading into coastal Croatian territory. Another city that came under heavy fire throughout the Bosnian War, 70% of its buildings were damaged during multiple periods of military sieges. Like in Sarajevo, evidence of destruction across the city remains in plain sight. Stari Most, a 16th century Ottoman-era bridge, was blown up during the war, but has since been rebuilt using original stones retrieved from the river below. The bridge was the venue for the Red Bull diving competition just last week, where competitors would make the 30-metre fall, and it has been a regular annual venue since 2015. Reaching the beautiful Croatian town of Makarska, I got to get back on track towards my journey to Germany. A very long road remains until I get to Cologne, and there are many more amazing places that haven’t been explored in last year’s Europe trip. I must remain focused on my final goal, because work in Sydney is waiting for my arrival. The reality of life will soon sink in as another motorcycle adventure closes its chapter in the personal book of Dave’s Viewpoint. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #mostar #bosnia #europe #overland
Day 77 – 28/08/2019 – If it were any other Olympic podium, I’d be standing on that winner’s platform right now just for fun. Not this one though, with its gruesome history in mind. A sobering day as I reach the Sarajevo region in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the Siege of Sarajevo that occurred from 1992 to 1996, the former Winter Olympic venues was a significant conflict zone between the ruling government and opposing belligerents of Republika Srpska who wanted to create their own state within the newly independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. Where the world’s greatest athletes were once celebrated, the walls of the winner’s stage turned into a backdrop for the brutal civil war that costed so many lives and a great deal of city infrastructure. Repaired after the war to hide the damage from multiple gunshot executions, the Olympic podium remain today in the middle of a derelict venue up in the mountain ranges that surround Sarajevo, its facilities left unmaintained. Visiting the urban area of Sarajevo with fresh eyes and minimal prior research, I got lost on the way as the maps downloaded on my mobile failed to work properly. Using the back roads to avoid the motorway to Sarajevo that prohibits motorcycles according to the signs, I rode through small villages in the southern part of the city region where I observed countless homes littered with bullet holes. Residents live in freestanding houses and apartment blocks, some with obvious signs of repair attempts with concrete paste to cover up the remnants of the worst war that occurred in Europe since WW2. Others continue to live with the damage, a lasting reminder of the atrocities that occurred almost three decades ago. My time is seriously running out by this point of the journey, with just days left until I should end this journey. I don’t think there’s any way for me to achieve the planned arrival to Germany by Saturday. I’ll still try my best to get a move on, but this won’t stop me from visiting some beautiful Bosnian places such as the Pliva Waterfall in the central part of the country. #honda #crf250rally #motorcycle #roadtrip #travel #adventure #sarajevo #bosnia #europe #overland
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