Stelvio – riding to the Mecca of any motorcycle rider

Wouldn’t you love to wake up in the morning and ride to one of the 10 most difficult roads in the World? I mean what could be better in the morning than this road?

I’ve been in the area for the last couple of years, but never got to do Stelvio up until this year; it’s been said to me “don’t worry, go see the other things, you’ll surely do Stelvio at some points because any rider should do Stelvio at some point in their life”. And there were the stories how often there are crashes over there (we had 2 crashes from our group alone on the way up) and there it is, I had an anxious “can’t wait to get there” feeling in that morning.

I had to take this picture:

it was on my to do list and I couldn’t have it any other way. 26 minutes of joy going up” (yes, it includes waiting for a red light, but I didn’t cut the video so you could participate to the entire excitement and feeling).

and 25 minutes on the way down:

Then, of course, if you didn’t get enough of Stelvio, you could do it the other way around: going up from Bormeo:

then taking the Umbrail pass:

Pictures and video from 2011 Passo di Gavia Ride

Right, so that part of the year when you can only check pictures and watch youtube videos on motorcycle rides has just begun and I already feel the parked motorcycle syndrome (and my accident probably ads some more to it). So what better time to look on the hard drive and take some more pictures out from the summer rides than now?

Just by looking at these pictures and videos I put on my shopping list a Honda S2000 -- 241CP, man I just need to have this to compensate the need for riding during winter (so more work for me in 2012!). Let’s have a look at my 2011 ride to Passo di Gavia in Italy. Stelvio it’s known as being one of the 10 hardest roads in the World, but truly I enjoyed more Gavia because of the beautiful scenery.

Since the first few km you could notice that the road is very narrow -- at the top is VERY narrow. Listen to my engine. I did, and I felt alive; just for this sound alone I felt my autumn crash was a bit of bad luck; I’m still a rider and I will ride the hell out of my bike next year. And yeah, if you wonder I wasn’t going very fast on this one. I was enjoying and feeling the best time of my life. So I had no rush finishing off.

The last part to the lake is where scenery changes:

I know some of you might be dreaming of this and it might look so far ahead and impossible to accomplish. But look, I did this and so could you. And while you’re doing it, you might just get there a new meaning to life. You might be that humble person saving any penny for the rest of the year, but you can feel like being blessed by the Gods while riding here.

Riding down get’s to be even narrower. Truly an unique place to ride!

Top 5 polishes for motorbikes

You know the motorbikes that gleam in the sun or have that incandescent glow at night? That is courtesy of motorbike polishes that riders gloss onto the frames of their motorbikes. Other than making sure you have motorcycle insurance, because it is required by law to ride on the roads, some motorbike enthusiasts find polishing their bikes just as necessary!

When you buy a new motorbike, you should always strive to have that brand new look because it improves how you experience the motorbike as well as how it looks. Choose from the following polishes that are guaranteed to make your bike the best looking girl on road:

1.     Muc-off Miracle Shine: If you want your motorbike to have that supermodel glossy finish, you need to use this polish. Made from a mixture of unique ingredients, this miracle shine includes polymers, which are the particles used to create a high gloss finish. Use this shine if you want to have a glossy look, if you are taking your motorbike to a bike show for example.

2.     Finish Line Showroom Polish: Get that mega-watt look with this polish. Not only does it make your motorbike look brilliant in the light, it also protects your bike so it works as a double duty sealant and polisher. Choose this polisher if you are looking for value for money.

3.     Holts Motorcycle Chrome and Aluminimum Polish: For industrial efficiency, this is the polish that you should choose. If you use your motorbike every day to take you to work, you need to make sure it looks smart. You can get a lot out of this particular polish without using loads in one go because it is made from a rich blend. In particular, it definitely has value for money because it lessens the amount of oxidisation that chrome and aluminimum endure as the motorbike ages. Another fantastic element of this polish is it also minimises the effect of rust, which can affect how you can even use your motorbike. If you are on a budget, this is the perfect polish to choose for your motorbike.

4.     Autosol Metal Polish: Taking care of the stainless steel and copper parts of your motorbike will no longer be a strain when you choose this polish from Autosol. With a bargain price for such a fantastic product, your stainless steel bike parts will work beautifully as you take your bike out to ride it.

5.     Castrol Bike Polish Motorcycle Cleaner: Castrol is a brand that knows a thing or two about motors. This polish is no different – it protects the paintwork of your motorbike from weather and general wear and tear.