Upshift Issue 72 - August 2022 by UPSHIFT

August 2022

Issue 72

KISKA.COM Photo: R.Schedl

ADVENTURE EVERYWHERE The ride doesn‘t need to end when the road does. Now with more engine grunt, improved handling, added suspension adjustability and rider-focused technology, the KTM 890 ADVENTURE is the ultimate road and gravel traveler.

FIND OUT MORE AT KTM.COM Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

ISSUE 72

August 2022

Issue 72

y information: These drawings contain information y to Upshift. Any reproduction, orCover transmittal of this on without expressed written consent is prohibited by Olivier de isVaulx se partial or complete of the sord marks prohibited hable to the full extent of the law.

Design, Production Chris Glaspell

LOGO SHEET

Contributing Writers Pete Day Chad de Alva Olivier de Vaulx Travis Gill MotoMorgana

INSTA-ADV Instagram Travelers

THE INSIDER Where You At?

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Contributing Photographers Chad de Alva Olivier de Vaulx Travis Gill Syler Howes Drew Martin MotoMorgana Greg Smith

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CMYK: C40 M30 Y30 K100

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The Latest

WIDE OPEN

Views Through The Lens

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Technical Editor Chad de Alva

COMPARISON

Story Editor Stefanie Glaspell

KTM 890 Adventure R/Husqvarna Norden 901

Business Development Brandon Glanville

SWEDEN

Chasing The Midnight Sun

Want to advertise with us? Contact: Brandon Glanville brandon@upshiftonline.com

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SUSPENSION 101

Join us on Instagram at @ upshift_online

Learning The Basics

Join us on Twitter at @upshift_online

WORLD JOURNEY

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/upshiftonline

MotoMorgana’s First Stage

BOLIVIA PART 3

A Colorful And Salted Land

Upshift Magazine is published monthly by Upshift Online Inc. 2022. Reproduction of any material requires written consent from the publishers. All photos, editorial contributions and advertisements are accepted upon representation that they are original materials by the author and or advertiser. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the author and may not reflect the views and opinions of the editor, staff or advertisers of Upshift Online Inc. Advertisers assume full responsibility for the entire content and subject matter of their advertisements.

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INSTA-ADV

The mission is simple, if you want to share your adventures on “insta-adv” you’d better start following us! @upshift_online and use the hash tag #upshift_online on your photos

2O23

4-Stroke - 350 / 390 / 430 / 480

ITALIAN CRAFTED RIDEABILITY Go ahead...You deserve it.

» Rear Suspension Linkage » Twin Fuel Injectors

» On Demand Traction Control

» Diaphragm Clutch for Easier Clutch Pull

Off Road

LEARN MORE AT

» Electric Starter » Dual Map Choices

Ténéré 700. Find new horizons. www.YamahaMotorsports.com

Professional rider depicted on a closed course. Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long sleeves, long pants, gloves and boots. European spec model shown. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. ©2021 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

By Pete Day, Mosko Moto Here’s a sobering fact: everybody who rides offroad will eventually crash. Most times we’ll pop up, dust off, and keep on riding, but what about the other times? It’s nothing to ride a hundred miles into the backcountry on sketchy doubletrack, but how do you get back out with a broken pelvis? If you spend a lot of time off-the-grid, one of the best investments you can make for yourself, your friends & family, and potential first responders is a satellite communicator. With that you can send and receive messages to anyone from anywhere, even when you don’t have cell service. In an emergency, a satellite communicator makes life easier for everyone. The injured person gets help fast, their friends & family avoid a ton of stress, and the first responders know exactly where to go and what to bring. I use mine for lots of non-emergencies too, like meeting up with friends at a remote campsite. Satellite communicators are so small and affordable now, there’s no good reason not to pack one. If shit hits the fan, you’ll be glad you did. See ya out there!

Photo: Drew Martin

Mosko Moto Introduces The New Wildcat Backpacks The Wildcat Backpacks were created for riders looking for a premium level of durability, performance, and functionality. We designed the Wildcats to be ultra-comfortable and adaptable backpacks featuring 3 Liter / 100oz Hydrapak® water reservoirs with insulated hoses. The Wildcat Tech adjustable shoulder straps with 5-position options fine-tune the fit for a custom-tailored feel for different-sized riders and gear. Worn over a jersey, external armor, or a large ADV jacket, the ergonomics of the Wildcat Packs will evenly distribute the weight of the 3L reservoir, tools, and your essentials while avoiding pressure points and sore shoulders. The molded back panel and adjustable/removable sternum strap create maximum comfort and support for riding rough terrain in the backcountry. The optional Wildcat Chest Rig pairs with the Wildcat 8L and 12L Backpacks. The Chest Rig is equipped with two front pockets, one designed to provide quick access and secure transportation for a satellite communicator, like the Garmin InReach and InReach Mini. Opening the main storage pocket, you’ll find a removable Velcro panel with elastic webbing to secure small items such as a pocket knife or charging cables, plus room to store your phone, wallet, snacks, or other quick-access items without having to take off your pack. The Chest Rig back panel is also equipped with MOLLE for attaching it to other Mosko bags/luggage with MOLLE panels. Please note: the Chest Rig add-on is only available in Black. All three pack colors share the Black Chest Rig. Made of 100% recycled 630 high-density nylon, the Wildcat Pack can take the abuse of grinding against dirt, stones, and trees, and will wear the scars of many tough battles just as proudly as you do. Stash your goggles and spare lens in the fleece-lined pocket, throw your Allen wrenches and pliers in the front tool organizer, and clip your InReach mini to the shoulder strap for fast on-body access to be ready for long-distance, multi-day trips. In comparison to the larger 12L Wildcat, the lighter-weight, smaller volume 8L bag is stripped down to carry the essentials. A more minimalist backpack for the necessities of fuel, water, and tools. Price 12L: $219.00-$269.00 with chest rig. 8L: $199.00-$249.00 with chest rig. Go to moskomoto.com to pre-order yours today. *Pre-order to reserve this limited inventory new product and be the first to receive delivery in August 2022. If you plan to purchase Pre-order products and regular in-stock products, please place two separate orders so your in-stock items ship now.

12 Liter

8 Liter

Motion Pro Trail Task ADV Chain Tool The Trail Task ADV Chain Tool is lightweight and ultra compact for those long trips where self reliance is critical. Price: $109.00, available on the Upshift Store. Here • Versatile, light and super compact chain tool for adventure touring and long distance trail riding • Complete tool weighs only 230 grams (8 oz) • Will break 520, 525, and most 530 chains and master links (maximum link width of 20 mm) • Included steel press plate for removing and installing clip style press-on master link plates • Innovative dovetail closure provides ease of use and superior strength • Tough and strong machined 6061 billet aluminum body • Hardened steel thread insert on body provides strength and durability • High quality blue anodized finish and black oxide coated drive components • Includes durable cloth pouch for easy transport on your adventure • Requires use of 12 mm and 14 mm wrenches (not included) • Does NOT rivet master links. We recommend using the Motion Pro • PBR Chain Tool PN 08-0470 if you have a rivet style master link

Cyclops Rally Light So you say you want more light for your dual sport? Give this 7”DOT legal Rally light a try and light it up like a freight train! HIGH/LOW operation and SAE/DOT/E4 approved. • Hella reflector, made in Germany stamped SAE/E4 • Lightweight Aluminum Frame • Plug and Play for Bikes with H4 Bulbs. • Mounting plate for computer/speedo and or GPS. No pre-drilled holes provided. • Easily converted to HID if desired, uses an H4 bulb • For bikes that are not H4 (XR650R), a simple H4 plug available at any auto parts store will allow you to use this light. • Now the panel on top of the light for mounting speedos/gps’ etc is included, (This is a platform, not actual GPS mount.) • Optional 10.0 Lumen LED High/Low Upgrade and now the Phoenix LED complete headlight for the ultimate DOT headlight. The stock lamp that comes with this rally light is great, but you can get well over double the brightness with the LED upgrade at a substantially lower power draw. Note if your bike is ac powered at the headlight you will need the rectifier for the LED option.. AKA carbureted KTM’s CRFX and XR400/650.. others may apply. Included with the Right light 4 - Stainless aircraft worm clamps for mounting. Starting at $475.00. www.cyclopsadventuresports.com

CHOOSE TO HAVE IT ALL

The new Tiger 1200. It’s the world’s most capable, agile and maneuverable large capacity adventure motorcycle. It’s also significantly lighter and more powerful than its closest competition, with class leading handling, capability and specification, plus all of Triumph’s T-plane triple performance advantage. All of which combine to deliver exceptional capability and performance on the tarmac, and the most dynamic, exciting experience off road. The all-new Tiger 1200 family. Now with every advantage. From $19,100 MSRP.

Find out more at triumphmotorcycles.com

NEW PRODUCT | AVAILABLE SEPT. 2022

DUCATI Multistrada V4/V4S Upper & Lower Crash Bars • Skid Plate

OUTBACK MOTORTEK UPPER CRASH BARS

OUTBACK MOTORTEK LOWER CRASH BARS

OUTBACK MOTORTEK SKID PLATE

Rushing parts to the market has never been our goal. Hence we spent nearly a year developing and carefully testing our 2021-2022 Ducati Multistrada V4/V4S products. The greatest challenge was designing and developing a set of properly performing crash bars!

Please visit our YouTube channel for the official DropTest video!

WIDE OPEN

BOLIVIA

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

WIDE OPEN

IDAHO

PHOTO: CHAD DE ALVA

WIDE OPEN

ALBANIA

PHOTO: MOTOMORGANA

WIDE OPEN

WYOMING

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

WIDE OPEN

UTAH

PHOTO: SKYLER HOWES

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations. The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

Photo: M. Campelli, Fotografie Mitterbauer

husqvarna-motorcycles.com

Go anywhere. F E

Possessing the strongest engine in Husqvarna Motorcycles’ dual-sport lineup, the versatile FE 501s is designed to deliver strong, controllable power that assures the most comfort on extended rides.

5 0 1s Strong, controllable power

Swedish inspired graphics and trim

Counter balance shaft

WIDE OPEN

COLORADO

PHOTO: CHAD DE ALVA

WIDE OPEN

AUSTRALIA

PHOTO: GREG SMITH

WIDE OPEN

WYOMING

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

WIDE OPEN

BOLIVIA

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

WIDE OPEN

ALBANIA

PHOTO: MOTOMORGANA

WIDE OPEN

ARIZONA

PHOTO: CHAD DE ALVA

WIDE OPEN

BOLIVIA

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

WIDE OPEN

ALBANIA

PHOTO: MOTOMORGANA

WIDE OPEN

COLORADO

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

PROVEN PERFORMANCE FOR THE LONG HAUL

The DR-Z400S. Arguably the most proven on- & off-road motorcycle ever created. Built to thrive in any terrain. Experience the machine that literally defines the word DualSport. This ride needs no introduction, its 400cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine produces predictable, tractable power for any road or trail. You won’t think twice about your line thanks to its light yet rigid frame coupled to a fully-adjustable suspension. And its unwavering reliability means you can ride everywhere with complete confidence. With the world at your tread, enjoy adventure on a bike that has stood the test of time — and keeps asking for more.

EXPERIENCE THE CAPABLE DR-Z400S AT

SUZUKICYCLES.COM

Along with concerned conservationists everywhere, Suzuki urges you to Tread Lightly!® on public and private land. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. © 2022 Suzuki Motor USA, LLC

The Husqvarna Norden 901 and the KTM 890 Adventure R are both outstanding motorcycles. They’re based on the same platform, yet there is enough difference between them that they are unique motorcycles made for different types of riders. Staring at both bikes side by side on the showroom floor, these differences may not be obvious. It’s only when you get out and ride the bikes side by side that you can really take measure of what makes these bikes unique. For the last couple of months we’ve been doing exactly that, all to help prospective buyers make the best choice for themselves between these bikes.

WORDS AND PHOTOS: CHAD DE ALVA

COMPARISON: 890 ADVENTURE R•NORDEN 901

At first glance, the KTM 890 Adventure R looks like a big dirt bike. Its high front fender, angular design and big block knobby tires exude off-road performance. KTM calls this bike a travel capable off-road motorcycle and their marketing material is spot-on. If there is an adventure bike that is targeted squarely at off-road performance out of the box, it’s the 890 R. It’s easy for your mind’s eye to conjure up images of such off-road hoonery: wheelies on the beach in Baja, powerslides on dirt roads, jumping bar ditches in the Rockies, and all other sorts of stand-up attack-mode riding are what the 890 R was made for. The Husqvarna Norden 901 on the other hand just looks great from any angle. The bike is a unique variant of the 890 platform that’s tailor made to excel at traveling and exploring – and that includes riding both on and off road. Husqvarna’s branding shows the Norden exploring exotic locations like Iceland and the Northern most parts of Sweden. It’s easy to take these cues and imagine exploring similarly awesome places in North America: remote points on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, forging a path to a high alpine lake, or riding to the North Slope of Alaska. The bike is a fusion of capability and comfort rather than being focused on off-road performance.

Throw a leg over the 890 R, and you’ll begin to recognize how the bike’s cockpit is optimized for off-road riding. The seat is narrow and designed to stay out of the rider’s way when standing, but it’s certainly not something that I would describe as comfortable when you’re actually seated. While you’re sitting, take note of how little motorcycle is in front of you, making the bike feel small and more agile. The tradeoff here is that the bike has less wind protection. At highway speed you’ll be catching the airstream coming over the bike’s windshield with some part of your helmet and torso. Yet when you stand on this bike up, it’s remarkable how agile the bike feels. Next, have a seat on the Norden 901. You’ll instantly notice that the 901 has a much more comfortable and supportive seat, and it’s important to note that it can be set at two different heights. In the lower position the seat is a full inch lower than the 890 R, making the bike more approachable to shorter inseams. Taller riders will appreciate the high position, which also shortens the seated to standing transition. Sitting on the 901, there is more bike in front of you, and combined with a wider seat and tank, the net effect is that the bike has a larger presence than the 890 R. This also translates into better wind protection, which makes hanging out at highway speed more appealing. To be clear, you’ll still catch wind on your visor, but it’s better than the Kato. Jumping back and forth between the two bikes, the difference in forward visibility is noticeable and the Norden feels like a larger bike than the 890 R. Now let’s talk about how these two bikes actually ride.

COMPARISON: 890 ADVENTURE R•NORDEN 901

Both motorcycles are deceptively good road bikes. Their shared powerplants will make your face hurt from grinning with the way they pull increasingly harder all the way to the top. When it’s time to check your speed up, powerful brakes and impressively smart traction control and ABS do a great job of keeping things in control. Any rider who points either of these bikes into a series of twisties with panache will come out the other end a smitten kitten. Seriously, these bikes are awesome ripping canyon roads and paved mountain passes. The Pirelli Rally STR tires on the Norden will provide more on-road performance than the TKC 80s that come stock on the 890 R, which is just another nod to intended use. Tuned in riders will notice that the Norden carries its weight higher than the 890 R, so there is more side to side weight transfer present. Both bikes deliver miles of smiles when you’re linking corners on road. Riding standing up on high speed dirt roads, both the 901 and 890 R are brilliant. Here is where you can begin to enjoy the awesome ride modes on these bikes. Explorer mode on the 901 and Rally mode on the 890 R are dealer unlocked optional ride modes that provide nine levels of traction control intervention that you can adjust on the fly. Level 9 is the most aggressive, and it’s a lot like riding in rain mode. As you move up to level 1, the traction control gets increasingly more relaxed, which lets the rider dial-a-powerslide or use the system to help climb up a slippery slope. Once you get the hang of how Explorer / Rally mode works, expect to start consuming tires more quickly, but I’m sure that has nothing to do with wanting to powerslide in every corner.

COMPARISON: 890 ADVENTURE R•NORDEN 901

TAP THE MAP FOR YOUR NEXT OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE Explore thousands of miles of interactive trails for 4x4, SxS, ATV, and dirt bikes across the nation. Color-coded trails let you see which are open with just a glance. Tap on any trail to access details like difficulty rating, clearance level, duration, open and close dates, trail photos, and more. Your paper maps can’t do that.

Download the app: onxoffroad.com

COMPARISON: 890 ADVENTURE R•NORDEN 901

Whether you’re blasting a dirt road or working your way through a more technical trail, the 890 R feels capable and agile. KTM’s fancy saddle fuel tank and a very wellengineered chassis make the bike incredibly light on its feet, so the rider feels very confident off-road. Only when the bike is really tipped over will you be reminded that you’re on more than 450 pounds of motorcycle. Yet with good technique, the bike just feels like a large 100 + horsepower dirt bike, which means it’s pretty damn awesome. In short, with the 890 R the game becomes “where can I take this thing off-road?” The Norden provides a similar experience in the dirt, but it’s well described by saying that it’s eight tenths of the offroad performance of the 890 R. The seat and fuel tank make for a wider bike between your knees, restricting your range of motion more than the orange bike. Likewise, the bike is a little heavier and it carries its center of mass higher up. That’s the price you pay for the additional travel/long distance comfort. Riders will still find the Norden quite capable off-road thanks to its great chassis and stock tires that do better than expected in the dirt. There’s something quite fulfilling about getting less capable bikes to the same places as more off-road oriented bikes. Suspension is arguably the big differentiator between the 901 and the 890 R. The WP Apex suspension on the Norden provides 220mm of front travel with compression and rebound adjustment. Out back, the WP Apex shock provides 215mm of rear wheel travel, but the only adjustments are preload and rebound damping (Dear Husky: Please give Norden the 890R rear shock). The 890 R on the other hand sports 240mm of front and rear travel with full adjustment. Plush is a great way to describe the Norden’s stock suspension, and this setup helps out tremendously with rider fatigue. In other words, the bike doesn’t beat you up as much. Setting the 890 R’s suspension to the comfort setting provides a more compliant ride, but the orange bike can’t compete with the plushness of the Apex suspension.

When it comes to riding aggressively off-road, the 890R has the legs to hold up to much more than the Norden. The Achilles heel is the shock, and jumps, G-outs, or even really smacking into a trail obstacle with the rear wheel will cause the Norden to find it’s bumpstops. Riding the bike through a short section of mellow whoops, the back end cycles through its travel like a stapler. While the bike does stay composed while doing this, it’s an obvious reminder that you’ve reached the limits of what the stock suspension can handle. The 890 R on the other hand, almost looks back at you and asks; “so why aren’t you a good enough rider to hold a wheelie through all of those whoops?” Adventure bikes are a compromise, and the 890 R delivers outstanding off-road performance at the cost of travel comfort. The Norden gives up offroad performance to provide a more plush and comfortable ride. So how do you know which one is the right bike for you? Choosing the right bike for each unique rider requires being honest with yourself on what you want out of an adventure bike. You also need to consider how much additional time and effort you want to sink into making the bike exactly what you want it to be. If you are new to this adventure thing, or you want to use your adventure bike to travel and explore and ride a mix of dirt and pavement while remaining comfortable the whole way, the Norden is a great way to go. Its comfortable suspension does a great job on road, and it’s certainly up to off-road riding, you just need to remember where its limits are. The good news is that thanks to its shared platform, both WP Xplor and WP Pro Components suspension can be fit on the Norden 901, so the bike’s off-road performance can grow with the rider.

COMPARISON: 890 ADVENTURE R•NORDEN 901

CMY

COMPARISON: 890 ADVENTURE R•NORDEN 901

If you’re an experienced off-road or enduro rider, and you know that the most important thing for you in an adventure bike is off-road performance, consider the KTM 890 Adventure R. The stock suspension is quite impressive off-road, and while the bike is certainly less comfortable than the Norden when you’re cruising or sitting down, when it comes time to stand up and play in the dirt, you’ll be a kid in a candy store. Comfortable seats are easy to install, and if the wind protection thing really gets to you, installing an aftermarket windscreen is certainly an option too. The KTM 890 Adventure R and the Husqvarna Norden 901 are both outstanding motorcycles. Thanks to an amazing platform and a robust ecosystem of OEM (KTM Powerparts, Husqvarna Technical Accessories, WP Suspension) and aftermarket parts, both of these bikes can be fine-tuned into the perfect adventure bike for so many riders. From Lyndon Poskitt exploring Iceland and Sweden on the 901, to Chris Birch riding an 890 R like it’s a 100-plus horsepower dirt bike VIDEOS – both of these machines are awesome and capable of enabling so many great rides. Just be honest with yourself when you are shopping to get started in the best way possible.

WWW.SEATCONCEPTS.COM

By Travis Gill of viajarMOTO.com

Have you ever wanted to experience 24 hours of daylight and the natural phenomenon of the midnight sun? For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, the opportunity to encounter this celestial event is as easy as pointing your handlebars North and riding above the Arctic Circle during the summer solstice. If you live in North America, Canada and Alaska are the best opportunities to ride into the summer sun that never sets. For Europeans, the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Finland, and Sweden are even more easily accessible. After enjoying a three-week jaunt through Denmark (UPSHIFT Issue 71), we were excited to be continuing North in our quest for the midnight sun. After crossing the Øresund Bridge, that connects Denmark to Sweden, we still had a long road ahead of 1,180 miles (1,900 km) in order to reach the Arctic Circle – especially with all the interesting things to see along the way. Trans Euro Trail (TET) Are you interested in publicly available offroad adventure tracks in Sweden? You’re in luck! The TET includes more than 1,760 miles (2,830 km) of small tarmac and gravel roads that connect the TET in Denmark and Norway to the TET in Finland. The Swedish TET Lineman, Jonas Bergh, recommends riding in the dryer and warmer seasons from May to September. However, if you want to experience the midnight sun, you’ll only have a 7-week window from the end of May to Mid July. The TET also features ample opportunities to enjoy what the Swedish call Allemansrätten. Allemansrätten – The Freedom to Camp One of the biggest complaints about Scandinavian countries is that they are some of the most expensive to travel. However, we felt that we could counter the high cost of food and gasoline by enjoying what the locals refer to as Allemansrätten. In Sweden, and in many other Nordic countries, people have a right to explore the beauty of nature and camp in the wilderness. We found many remote spots, and even some travelers’ cabins, that were freely available for camping each evening. Just be sure to pack some repellent and wear long sleeved shirts and trousers to avoid the legendary Nordic mosquitoes and midges.

“Northern Sweden will be boring.” We were warned by a few locals that “Northern Sweden will be boring, with nothing more than endless roads and pine trees.” However the TET offered a nice break from the mundane, where we experienced well maintained gravel roads, lakeside views, fields of summer flowers, forested single tracks, riding with reindeer, and even a ferry crossing where we had to row across the river in a tiny row-boat called the “FART RAT”, load our bikes onto the ferry barge, and then manually pull them across the river using a cable. Not boring at all! Home of the Famous Furniture Company Most readers of UPSHIFT have undoubtedly heard of the furniture company IKEA. Perhaps you’ve even had the “pleasure” of piecing together and fumbling with the iconic S-shaped hex key found in their ready-to assemble furnishings. This multinational conglomerate now sells home accessories, kitchen appliances, and furniture in over 50 countries throughout the world. However, IKEA originated from much more humbling beginnings when 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad of Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd, (IKEA is his initials and the first letter of the farm and town where he was born), started a mail-order sale business. In 1958, Ingvar opened his first furniture store in Älmhult, which has since been converted to a museum in 2016. While visiting the IKEA museum, we learned about the history, design, and manufacturing of this global company housed under the distinctive blue and yellow colors that represent their Swedish origins. We even enjoyed some Swedish meatballs in the attached restaurant. For those looking to stay a night near the museum, there is even an IKEA Hotel. Apparently, you don’t even have to worry about building your own bed before sleeping there!

Swedish Parts on My German Motorcycle My BMW G650GS motorcycle started acting up a bit during our ride through central Sweden. It felt as if there wasn’t enough fuel getting to the cylinder with occasional misfires and rough idling, especially after starting it in the morning. I suspected a clogged fuel filter. Fortunately we carry a spare. Unfortunately, the three original hose clamps are ear-type clamps that cannot be reused, and I only had two adjustable hose clamps to replace them. I didn’t discover this until we had the motorcycle apart on the side of the road, all while being overcome with tiny midges that were swarming into our ears, nostrils, and eyes. Super frustrating! I decided to put everything back together, set up camp to get a good nights sleep, and make our way to the nearest auto dealer the next morning. 35 miles (56 km) later, we arrived at the Volvo dealer and parked in front of the service garage. As we were removing our helmets, the owner came out to greet us with a puzzled look on his face, “Are you here for service? Volvo doesn’t make motorcycles.” We explained that we just needed some adjustable hose clamps and a place in their parking lot to put in a fuel filter. He happily walked us inside their parts room and said, “Take whatever hose clamps you need. It’s on us. We’ve never had a motorcyclist come in before and it’s our pleasure.” We were extremely grateful for the hospitality and a parking lot where we could work in peace without the annoyingly menacing midges. After replacing the fuel filter, with Volvo hose clamps, we were back on the road and happily heading to the symbol of Sweden.

THIS SUMMER, WATCH THE ENTIRE BDR FILM COLLECTION, FREE ON YOUTUBE

We are excited to announce that starting in late June, all eleven BDR Expedition films will be available to everyone, for free! Watch BDR grow from just a few riders and a big idea back in 2009 to a respected, non-profit organization that has become a household name in the ADV community today. Downloading or streaming the films commercial-free is still available on Vimeo for a small donation to BDR. Some titles are also available on Amazon. Follow our social channels for exact YouTube release dates. It’s because of your support over the years that we could make this happen. Thank you.

youtube.com/RideBDR

vimeo.com/RideBDR

An Authentic Symbol of Sweden Egypt has the pyramids of Giza, Rome has the Coliseum, India has the Taj Mahal, but Sweden has the Dala Horse! In fact, it has the world’s largest Dala Horse that stands 42 feet (13 meters) tall and weighs 67 tons. To be fair, we had never heard of a Dala Horse before we ventured into Sweden, but after experiencing the world’s largest, we decided to learn more at the Dalarnas Museum in Falun. At the museum we discovered a lot about the importance of horses to the Scandinavians and their 3,000 years of history since they’ve been domesticated. Scandinavian horses tended to be small but strong, and were used for clearing land, hauling heavy logs and stone, and for ploughing the fields. Viking soldiers in the Dalarna region would hand-craft wooden horses as gifts for hosts that would offer shelter during the harsh winters. These horses were painted in bright colors with traditional markings for the bridle and saddle. In the museum, we enjoyed the various displays and styles of Dala Horses to include the world’s smallest, and even one riding a motorcycle!

Unique Accommodations While in the capital city of Stockholm, we enjoyed two very unique and inexpensive hostel-type accommodations. The first was aboard a three-masted ship named the Af Chapman, docked at the island of Skeppsholmen. This fully-rigged steel ship was built in 1888, sold to the Swedish Navy in 1923, and became a training ship that sailed several times around the world. Today it serves as a pier-side youth hostel, providing a perfect launch point for touring the sites of Stockholm, and enjoying the sunset views of the Royal Palace from the relaxing lounge area on the ship’s bow. If you’re an aviation fan, then a night aboard Jumbo Stay Hotel is not to be missed. This Boeing 747-200 jumbo jet, originally built in 1976, and operated by Swedish airline Transjet, has been converted into a hostel-type experience. The original 450 seats were removed so that the fuselage, engines, and cargo areas could all be converted to rooms. Jumbo Stay offers 33 rooms, a café and bar, and even a cockpit master suite which features two adjustable beds, a private bathroom and shower, and the instruments, control levers, and fuse panels of the original jet. A unique accommodation for sure! A Hotel Made of Ice The highlight of our three weeks in Sweden was the day we crossed the Arctic Circle, observed the midnight sun, and spent a night at Icehotel 365 in Jukkasjärvi. This region of Northern Sweden is where the first ice hotel was created in 1989. Each November, Icehotel is reconstructed using 900 tons of ice, harvested from the Torne River, to create a 64,000 square foot hotel with a bar, reception, main hall, church and suites specially designed by artists from all over the world. In April, the Icehotel melts and returns to the same waters from which it was born. Since we were there in July, we enjoyed the relatively new experience of Icehotel 365. Opened in 2016, Icehotel 365 has nine art suites and nine deluxe suites that include an attached private bathroom and shower at warm room temperatures. Each individually themed suite is hand carved from snow and ice and regulated at a constant 23° Fahrenheit (-5° Celsius) all year round. Guests are provided an expedition-styled sleeping bag and plush pillow that made for an extremely comfortable night of sleep on a reindeer hide covered mattress. The experience was worth the indulgence and felt like living a childhood memory of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Reaching an Iconic Geographic Extreme After riding nearly 2,250 miles (3,620 km) of gravel and forested roads, we had finally reached the border of Finland! We only had another 325 miles (522 km) before crossing into Norway and reaching the iconic globe monument at North Cape (Nordkapp). More adventure awaits… About viajarMOTO Travis and Chantil Gill started full-time motorcycle overlanding in early 2020 with the hopes of seeing and experiencing the different countries and cultures of the world. You can follow them on their website at www.viajarMOTO.com.

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TECH

BY CHAD DE ALVA

SUSPENSION 101 Motorcycle suspension is something that seems to have a limitless ability to be misunderstood and perplexing to riders both new and old. Yet the suspension on your bike makes all the difference in how your bike rides, so it’s something that all riders need to understand. When set up and adjusted correctly, your bike is fun to ride, confidence inspiring, and able to handle most anything you point your bike towards. Suspension that isn’t set up properly, on the other hand, can be dangerous. It can significantly impact the bike’s handling, its ability to handle obstacles, and it makes the motorcycle much less fun to ride. To ensure that your suspension is properly set up for you as a rider, de-mystify suspension terms, and help you make the correct adjustments for what you are experiencing while riding, here is Upshift’s suspension 101. Before we get started, we need to get one thing straight: suspension DAMPS. It does not DAMPEN. Suspension does not make things wet, which is what the word dampen means. It’s compression damping and rebound damping. Proper grammar matters. Suspension is a system that’s carefully designed to work in concert with the rest of your bike to make the bike fun to ride, handle well, and do a good job absorbing all of the bumps on the various surfaces that you ride over. If one or more of these other components in the system is not properly set up, it could cause other problems that no amount of suspension tuning can solve. So before we start nerding out on preload and clickers, we need to make sure our bike is in good mechanical order. Whether you’re working with a brand new bike, or a new to you bike, it’s always a good idea to make sure that the following bike checks have been completed.

BIKE CHECKS The first thing to check is tire pressure. Make sure that your tires are correctly inflated if you’re running tubes or Tubliss. A tire that’s overinflated will want to bounce off of everything, and a tire that’s underinflated is going to feel mushy and create other handling issues. Tire pressure is absolutely something that should be tailored to the surface that you’re riding on, but it’s important to keep it constant while testing suspension settings. Next you need to ensure that your front wheel is properly installed in your forks, as an incorrectly installed wheel can cause fork binding. Follow the procedure in your manual and use a torque wrench. With your front wheel properly installed, ensure that the bolts on your bike’s triple clamps are properly torqued to their respective specs as well. If these bolts are too tight, they can cause problems with fork operation. SAG Setting sag is critical to proper suspension performance and bike handling. There are two types of sag: Rider Sag and Static Sag. Rider sag refers to how much suspension travel is used when the rider wearing all of their riding gear and any luggage are on the bike. Static sag refers to how much suspension travel is used by the weight of the motorcycle while it’s standing upright on a level surface. To set your rider sag, you first need to put on ALL of your riding gear. If you wear any sort of pack, load it up with water and anything else just like you were about to leave on a ride. Now go hop on a scale and record your weight.

SUSPENSION 101 Most owner’s manuals cover how to set sag on a bike, but here is the general idea: first, measure the suspension fully extended (bike on a stand) from the rear axle to directly above it on the plastics. Then, pull the bike off the stand, park it on a level surface and have the rider hop on with all of their gear and any luggage. Next, support the bike so it’s perfectly upright (trackstand or get a friend to hold the bike upright) and bounce the suspension a couple of times to let it settle, then measure again to see how much suspension travel is used up. Your owner’s manual should provide a specific target, but a general target is 1/3 of the travel. If you’re off by a few mm, adjusting the spring preload should be sufficient to reach your target sag. If it’s significantly off, you will need to look into different springs. Cranking your preload up too far can lead to coil bind and other problems, so don’t do it. Some owner’s manuals will have charts that list a spring rate for a certain rider weight (you did record your rider weight, right?), but if your manual doesn’t, a suspension tuner or your dealer can get you sorted out. For a deep dive on sag and chassis tuning, check out Chassis Set-Up in Upshift 44. It’s important to check your sag from time to time to make sure that you’re still on target. If you’re going to add luggage for a trip, you’ll need to add some additional preload into the mix, which is why many adventure bikes have hand adjusters for their shock preload. Keeping your bike set at the correct sag will enable the chassis to perform at its best, so it’s critical to have your sag set properly before starting to play with other suspension adjustments.

If you’re working with a used bike that was set up for a different rider, it’s important to determine if the setup will work for you as well. If your rider weight and the previous owner’s rider weight are within a few pounds, you may be okay, but don’t assume – take the time to check. If there is a significant difference in rider weight or skill level, expect to change springs, and/or valving. To get the most out of your suspension, it needs to be set up for your weight and rider ability level. SUSPENSION TUNING The best way to tune suspension is to identify a test track, such as a section of trail that you can ride again and again to evaluate how changes impact performance. The idea is that with a consistent test track, you’ll be able to really understand what difference a setting change makes. If you try and adjust more than one setting at a time, it can be very hard to pinpoint exactly what each change is doing, so take your time and play with one setting at a time. Before you start sessioning a test track and turning clickers, it’s important to record what your starting settings are. To measure this, turn each one of your adjusters in (clockwise) until they stop (GENTLE – don’t force ANYTHING) while counting the number of clicks or turns. Then, count the number of clicks or turns back out (turning counterclockwise) to return to where you started. Settings are expressed in clicks or turns out. If you end up at the end of an adjuster’s range of travel, it’s time to look into a valving change. Depending on your particular motorcycle, you may have some or all of the adjustments covered here, and you may have other settings that aren’t covered. The goal of this article is to provide baseline knowledge, not a master class in tuning your particular suspension setup.

SUSPENSION 101 SHOCK SETTINGS Compression damping adjusts the shock’s ability to absorb energy while the shock is getting compressed. On many bikes, there are two compression damping circuits: High Speed and Low Speed. High speed compression damping comes into play when your rear tire smacks into an exposed root, embedded rock, whoop, or other obstacle on the trail that causes the shock to compress at a high rate of speed. The shock doesn’t care how fast the motorcycle is moving, it only cares how quickly it’s being compressed. Low speed compression comes into play when the shock is compressing at a slower rate, like when you’re loading the bike up in a bermed corner or going through a dip in the road. Rebound damping controls how quickly the shock can extend after being compressed. If a shock has too much rebound damping (shock extends slowly) the shock will not be able to extend between bumps, and this leads to suspension packing up where the shock is stuck in a compressed state. Too little rebound damping (shock extends quickly) will cause the rear wheel to want to jump off the ground or the bike will feel like it wants to throw you off when the rear suspension extends. The ideal amount of rebound damping is as quick as possible without causing the rear wheel to bounce or leave the ground. A common misconception with shock settings is when the rear end kicks back after running into a large obstacle like a big root or embedded rock. Many riders assume that this is their rebound damping being set too fast / soft (shock extending too quickly), but it’s commonly a symptom of the shock not having enough high speed compression damping. What’s really happening is that the shock is unable to absorb the hit, so it’s blowing through all of its travel and bottoming out, causing the rear end to kick out. To diagnose this, find an obstacle that causes the problem, then try adding more high speed compression damping and hit the obstacle again in the same manner. Remember, suspension tuning is all about balance, so don’t pursue ultimate big hit absorption performance at the cost of performance everywhere else. If at any point you reach the end of an adjuster’s travel, you need to consult with a suspension tuner about suspension re-valving. There is also nothing wrong with bottoming out your suspension on occasion – you want to use all of the travel that you’re carrying around after all. FORK SETTINGS Depending on the motorcycle that you’re working on, your front suspension can have a number of different adjustments. It’s a great idea to dive into your bike’s manual to understand exactly what can be externally adjusted. There are many tuning changes that can be accomplished internally, but for the purposes of this article, we will focus on what can be adjusted without cracking your forks open. If your bike has external spring preload adjusters, know that they are helpful for maintaining chassis geometry when loading additional weight on the front of the motorcycle. For example, I routinely carry a chainsaw in a fork mount on one of my bikes, which adds 22 pounds to the front of the bike. By clicking in some extra preload, I can maintain the same suspension geometry (my fork isn’t sagging too much) when carrying this extra weight. If your bike has an air fork, like the WP AER forks, adjusting the air pressure is essentially the same as changing the spring rate. More air pressure is like having a stiffer spring in a coil-spring fork. Your bike’s owner’s manual will explain how to set your fork’s air pressure, and guess what, you’ll need to know your rider weight to do this properly.

SUSPENSION 101 Compression damping on your fork determines how your fork absorbs impacts. Less compression damping will cause your fork to use more of its stroke (travel) when hitting a given obstacle, and more compression damping will have the opposite effect. As with every other adjustment, there is a balance here. You want the forks to be able to hold up to big hits and remain compliant on the little bumps and trail chatter. If your front suspension feels harsh, or deflects off of obstacles, try reducing your compression damping by a few clicks. If the fork feels mushy, or is bottoming out, try increasing the compression by a few clicks. Again, clicker adjustments are measured by turning the adjuster all the way in, and counting the number of clicks back out. Rebound damping works exactly the same on your forks as it does on your shock. This adjustment controls how quickly your forks can extend after being compressed. If your rebound is too fast (too little rebound damping) your bike’s front end will feel like it’s trying to pogo stick off of every obstacle. Too much rebound damping will present as your fork packing up, where once you start hitting obstacles, your fork will never have a chance to fully extend. Try adjusting your rebound damping to the point that it’s just short of pogoing or costing you traction; this will allow it to extend as quickly as possible so that your forks have as much travel available as possible for the next obstacle without causing the front wheel to lose traction. Again, the name of the game is to test, tune, and test again. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Suspension tuning is a process that takes time, so don’t expect to find your best settings in five minutes in the parking lot before your next ride. To really find the settings that work best for you as a unique rider, you need to put the work in at home and out on the trail. Start by ensuring that your bike is set up correctly with the right springs for your rider weight, and that your bike has the forks, front wheel, and its tires set up correctly. Get your sag set correctly. Record your starting settings. Then find a section you can ride again and again, and make one change at a time to see how it changes things. Don’t be afraid to experiment either – this will only improve your understanding of how things work. Once you get your head around what all of your adjusters do, it becomes an easy process to make adjustments as needed on the fly for different riding surfaces. If you ever get stuck or need help, a good suspension tuner can help get you sorted out and get the most out of your motorcycle’s suspension.

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MOTOMORGANA

WORLD JOURNEY ::: STAGE ONE :::

Riding forbidden tracks in Croatia

DC10 at the border between Croatia and Bosnia

THE ROUTE It won’t surprise anyone that these days we face particular challenges when traveling. While Covid-19 may have moved to the background in most western countries, there’s plenty of places that stubbornly cling to closed-border policies and have Covid-19 measures in place. In our initial plan, our first big stop would have been Mongolia, but Azerbaijan is still closed for overland travel and some crazy Russian dictator won’t

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Caroline on the track in Bosnia

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allow us to enter his country, at least for the time being. On top of that, China is not letting anyone in through land borders. Unless Putin suddenly turns into a Zen Buddhist, we will have to settle with the ‘-Stans’ as our first major stop. From there we plan to go to Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal, after which somehow we’ll have to find a way to get to the Arabian Peninsula. We have some time to figure out exactly how we will get there – maybe through Iraq, who knows what the future will bring. That’s when we’ll make the choice to either travel down along Eastern Africa, or ship our bikes to Australia or Brazil. The pace of our trip has been a bit slower than we expected up until now. The original plan was to ride in the Balkans for three weeks. We are now through our sixth week in this amazing part of Europe. Riding the tracks kind of limits our daily mileage and the area is just way too beautiful to rush through at high speed. And the whole idea of our trip is to admire the beauty of different regions as we encounter it. Although our route and timeline is flexible, we should leave Turkey by the end of June if we don’t want to risk extreme winter conditions somewhere in the Nepalese Himalayas. And of course, Turkey itself is also extremely beautiful. So many countries, so little time.

Caroline on the Trans Euro Trail in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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THE BIKES Just like on our first trip, Husqvarna 701 Enduros are our trusted travel machines. The spicy single-cylinder is a true joy to ride. We have made a few adjustments to make life on the bikes just a tad more comfortable: a windshield, modified suspension, heated grips for the cold days and a luggage rack for all our stuff. The extra Long Range tank extends our range to

OFF WE GO The time has come. We finally left our home country Belgium behind us. The administrative hassles and obligations in Belgium just didn’t seem to end. We had sold and emptied our house a week before we left, so we camped in an empty living room, slept on our inflatable mattresses, and were impatiently looking forward to our departure. Monday would be the day. Or Tuesday… Maybe Wednesday then? On Friday afternoon, we finally headed towards the big unknown. Our first stop was in a remote town in the Belgian Ardennes, under threatening thunderclouds. A dry fish burger and a lukewarm beer in a substandard snack bar disguised as a brasserie made us realize that we had left all luxury behind. But oh my, did it feel good. Excited to get back to basics for another three years, back to the ultimate freedom! After three years without bikes and travels, it felt like coming home again.

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problem. Never change a winning strategy!

miles around the world without any major

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The Huskies have taken us more than 60,000

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in less than 20 minutes.

long and if an oil change is necessary, it is done

roughly 320 miles. Maintenance intervals are

Caroline on the Trans Euro Trail in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Filter cleaning time in Mostar, Bosnia & Hetzegovina

Enjoying a beer after a long riding day, Montenegro

The original route, subject to change…

Snow capped mountains in Kosovo

Caroline on the Tra

Switzerland and Austria, which were suffering from severe thunderstorms, and decided to go to France and Italy. After 500 miles of motorway, we were finally riding the lovely twisties along the Route Napoléon in Haute Provence (France) and in Piedmont (Italy). We camped with a view over the vineyards and enjoyed pizza like pizza should be. La dolce vita! THE BALKANS But for us, the real adventure only started in the Balkans, a part of Europe that was still at war only 30 years ago. People had warned us that it

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We plotted a tar free route on our map and worked our way through

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the touristy coastal region, we stubbornly stayed inland and sudden-

search to reach civilization after yet another dead-end track, we did not

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sun awaited us, that much was certain.

would be rough and inhospitable. Merciless dirt tracks under a burning

ans Euro Trail in Serbia

The original route we had designed did not last very long. We dodged

Slovenia into Croatia. While everyone was keen on sending us off to ly found ourselves in a crazy labyrinth of tracks. Finding a road that actually led somewhere proved to be quite a challenge. In our hurried really pay attention to signs decorated with skulls that were pointing us in the other direction. Duuuuh! Those are probably just saying that it might not be the best idea to drive here with a luxury sedan. But with our Husky 701 Enduros… Honey, come on! Well, we made it through safely, but it came as quite a shock when a local strongly advised against ever doing that again. There are still some 17,000 landmines scattered around Croatia and the risk of getting one under our wheels was very real, so he assured us. Oops, better watch out next time. Our off-road boots may be full-on protective, but I don’t see them surviving a landmine. Our ride ended up in a godforsaken hole, where an overworked engineer and motorbike enthusiast had exchanged the hustle and bustle of everyday life for the peace and quiet of nature. He gave free rein to his enthusiasm when we entered his property and made us play the lead role in his YouTube videos. With the camera on our faces, he gauged our experiences in ‘Chalaska’ or ‘Anchola’. How he would have loved to travel, but he couldn’t afford it because his career move hadn’t exactly proved profitable.

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Outdoor cooking, done with the luxury.

A bit of mud every now and then. Serbia

Tom on the track in Croatia

You shall drink slivivitz! Serbia.

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Camping with a view over the vineyards. Italy.

Caroline on her first stretch of Albanian dirt.

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We proceeded our way past Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo, avoiding the tar roads as much as possible. This part of the journey went well, aside from a mud pool here and there, some dead-end tracks or the time when we were almost forced to swallow two full glasses of slivovitz if we didn’t want to be lynched by a gang of overenthusiastic drunk Serbians somewhere deep in a forest. We had a lot of fun and it certainly made for a great warm-up for what was yet to come.

We had just crossed the border when the first herd of gaping cows took us off the paved road and into the mountains. Lately Caroline has taken up the role of route planner and excels at picking the spiciest of tracks, which she often regrets later. We drove through the rocky Valbona riverbed and set course for Theth in Northern Albania. The weather was lovely and the condition of the tar road exceptional by Albanian standards. The way back was unpaved though and according to the locals it would take at least 6 hours by 4WD without stops. The first few miles were nicely maintained flat gravel, but

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heat and cold, about bears and wolves.

have been conquered, about crashes and exhaustion, about

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else. We read the heroic stories about Albanian tracks that

Albania

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country has more little grey lines (dirt tracks!) than anything

We faced our first real challenge in Albania. The map of the

ALBANIA

soon it went steep up and down over a very bumpy surface, past mini villages with maybe a dozen inhabitants. We wonder how they don’t go crazy of loneliness here in the middle of nowhere. Imagine traveling to the nearest shop - that only sells crisps, chocolate, beer and cigarettes - and having to suffer for three hours in an old rusty 4WD, before bumping back home for another three hours, hoping you haven’t forgotten anything. You would drink a bottle of locally distilled raki for less than that, which many of them surely did. The paved road to Theth, Albania

The Valbona riverbed, Albania

Caroline on the Theth track, Albania

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Tom on the Theth track, Albania

It was getting narrow along the abyss every now and then. Caroline, Theth, Albania.

Tom on the Theth track, Albania

Camping with a view while Caroline is planning the tracks for tomorrow. Albania.

Was it a short leg or a tall bike? Serbia

Berat, the city of a 1000 windows. Albania

Caroline in Albania

Lurë National Park, Albania

Time for a break. Albania

Road maintenance was onl

ly for the first 3 miles. Tom, Albania.

Caroline needed some encouragement every now and then. The sight of yet another pile of thick loose gravel or a washed-out dirt track made her desperate a few times. But my motarda recovered masterfully and finally found her footing: she rode the stone slopes as if she had never done anything else and overcame her fear of heights on the many narrow paths, close to the deep abyss. After 4.5 hours, we finally found ourselves back on the tar road. Theth valley: check! This is going well! Full of enthusiasm and in an adventurous mood, we decided to camp and we both stank like a skunk. But the view was stunning and we were so close to our next “Caroline’s choice” dirt ride: Lurë National Park.

fore entering the national park. From that point on it quickly became

can’t even walk here.” Just as often, I replied to Caroline, “Honey, it will

clear that no local Albanian had traveled the road in at least 10 years. Countless times I heard behind me: “This really can’t be the track, you only be a small part that is bad. Soon there will be nice and flat gravel for sure.” I had to take my words back though. Instead, we saw big boulders as far as the eye could see. The track merged into the river (or vice versa) and I had to check the feasibility of it on foot to make sure

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we didn’t get hopelessly stuck. The idea of plodding on for another 30 miles under the blistering heat of the Albanian sun with a water supply

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It took us 10 miles of easy gravel road to the last remote village be-

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in the field of a friendly local farmer. There was no water nor bathroom

12 miles we decided to relinquish this impossible challenge. This track

that had already shrunk considerably did not seem to be the best idea. I could see the despair in Caroline’s eyes. She was exhausted. After was not feasible with our heavily loaded motorbikes. We decided to go for our brilliant idea to follow the only way out on the GPS, a shortcut to some remote village with water and food and people who know the way… we hoped. And indeed, as it turned out, the road was shorter. But that was about it. A half-dry river bed full of large, slippery rocks that descended steeply. It seemed like those Albanians have a rather broad interpretation of the concept ‘road’. With my legs wide open and a lot of cursing and huffing, I managed to steer both motorbikes down the river without any damage, although not without a few brown traces in my pants.

It became clear that we had to stop track riding - at least for a while - if I didn’t want to be left alone with two bikes in this crazy country. A small interlude took us past a chunk of culture and good food in Berat, the city of a thousand windows where we could catch our breath. We then took the winding road along the Adriatic coast and then - albeit faster than expected - mercilessly hit the rocky slopes again. One hundred km of thick gravel along breathtaking landscapes, and judging by Caroline’s facial expression, it was a good idea to take the tar road to Northern Macedonia afterwards. Well, tar... Albanian standards, you know… Next up: Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Iran. Or something else, who knows.

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Fresh GPS batteries for the next part of our journey!

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A COLORFUL AND SALTED LAND

WORDS AND PHOTOS OLIVIER DE VAULX

Leaving Quetena at 7 am in 5F makes us feel the toughness and the resilience of the people living here all year long. We don’t complain, at least openly, about the shivering cold, and start the last leg of our loop through Bolivia. Today, we’ll go in the direction of the border with Chile to see some of the most visited lagunas in Bolivia. Soon after leaving town, and after having navigated through a majestic canyon, we reach a high-altitude plateau. There, we’re blessed by a powerful palette of saturated colors. Around us, it’s only turquoise waters and red mountains. The colors are so intense that a few miles further we encounter a place called Dali’s Desert, named after the famous Spanish surrealist painter. As we stop to snap a quick picture, a fox appears suddenly, maybe curious about our Fox head logos on our gear. Not afraid one bit, he stares at us riders as if we were little princes ready to adopt him… alas, we read the book and we’re not falling for the little redhead. Instead, we push further South toward Laguna Verde.

After riding across vast plains covered in salt, we descend on a rocky trail toward the distant lake. There’s a bunch of 4x4s coming in the other direction, which means that tourists are leaving... nothing to complain about! Since it had been too easy so far this morning, a flat tire tries to slow us down for a few minutes, but we won’t let it and we just tie it down to the rim with the help of three Upshift utility straps; a good trick to keep going when you don’t want to waste time waiting for the chase truck! There’s nothing to do against the wind, though, and we reach the shores of the green laguna wishing for some kind of wall to protect us. There’s nothing out there in terms of shelter, but the view makes up for it. We ride slowly around this jewel, alone, not speaking since our voices can’t cover the wind noise but taking it all in with our eyes wide open. It’s time to go back 30 miles to pursue our journey but this time with the gusty breeze on our backs. We’re not on bicycles but it still makes a difference! Pumped by this easy way out and the absence of tourists, we decide to stop by the hot springs. There’s no one in sight and we have the place to ourselves. The water in this natural spa is warm, a perfect temperature that would incite us to take a nap. Yet we can’t get enough of the million-dollar view from this natural pool and we all laugh like kids, perfectly aware that at this instant we are the luckiest gringos in the world! Staying on the topic of geologic wonders, we start our bikes and head toward a canyon full of geysers. A cloud of heavy smoke is coming out of the earth, spreading the smell of sulfur as if it was the devil’s breath. In big mud holes, boiling water lets go of huge bubbles of gas finding their way from far below. Once again, the large palette of colors catches the eye, like a little Yellowstone without the tourists. We keep going, following a trail that brings us just above 16,000ft.

S end t he sea rc h

This is the highest any of us have ever ridden a bike or walked. We’re getting used to these extreme elevations but nobody would dare to try a pair of running shoes here: we’re all short of breath with just high-fives. It’s time to go down towards our next stop, the Laguna Colorada. It seems close by when looking at the map, but the trail has been literally destroyed by an armada of 4x4s. On the soft terrain, deep ruts, berms of soft gravel, and washboards are putting our motorcycles to the test. With the lack of oxygen, this brutal ride brings us close to getting arm pump and blisters on our hands! Stopping at the only authorized parking in the area, we walk at a close distance from the abundant wildlife. Flamingos, llamas, and vicuñas all live together in perfect harmony here, and the scene is reminiscent of a lost paradise. The vibrant color of the red water, caused by the shrimps and contrasting with the green algae on the shore, makes the scenery look even wilder. However, the clock is ticking and we leave this lost world reverie, riding around the laguna to exit this national park. It takes a while to circumvent the reserve, but it gives a better idea of the size of this incredible laguna. The dirt road we try to follow is still a mix of sandy, silty, and rocky sections, and we sometimes just ride a few hundred feet on the side, where the dirt is softer and untouched by the four-wheelers.

From Villamar, we start a long day on the pavement to reach the Salar of Uyuni. The uneventful hours pass slowly, and we resist the urge to take a nap as we’re surrounded by the raging sound of the mono-cylinders revving at 80mph against the wind. Grilled meat at Uyuni to feed the riders and gas in the tanks, the troop is ready to try the crossing of the famous Salar at the end of the day. In front of us is a slightly worrying flat and seemingly infinite white surface of salt that we need to cross for about 60 miles. A granite slab carved on a rock reminds the travelers of some recent accidents and gives everybody pause. Riding on this dry lake is easy, there’s nothing much to do but open the throttle. Yet, disorientation is a threat here, and the distances and speed are pretty difficult to evaluate. Before any change of direction, it’s wise to check your surroundings for another rider that might be in a crossing path. Then, leaning the bike to circle back to some friends riding somewhere behind your back, you end up doing a huge radius, at first unable to close the distance with the tiny dots appearing far away, and suddenly being so close you need to make an evasive move. This is a very peculiar feeling, like being free and lost at the same time, safe and unsafe at once. Accelerations are felt but not seen on this white vastness, and without the speedometer, we couldn’t guess our actual speed. This exhilarating experience suddenly stops when the dry lake finds itself progressively covered with a thin layer of water. It makes for nice reflections in the settling sun, but it also creates a lot of salted projections on the bikes. A quick stop shows the intensity of the problem: even while riding at low speed, the engine gets literally showered by the front wheel, and an incredible amount of salt already covers the exhaust and the cylinder fins. The sunset is long past now and the darkness around us is total. Our headlights barely light up a few yards in front of us, and even though we’re still on a fully open surface it would be easy for claustrophobic people to feel trapped. There are four inches of water now and we ride at 10 mph to preserve the bikes as much as possible. This is an excruciating pace, especially since our boots are leaking which make our feet swim in what feels like a couple liters of salted water. Getting cold, a bit anxious, we aim toward lights that shine weakly on the horizon, like mariners looking for a safe harbor. Our situation is not really different from sailors, especially when Maurice explains that we can’t go in a straight line to the lights, but need to follow some kind of an S-shaped line to avoid muddy areas where we could lose our bikes. What started like an enchanted journey is starting to look more and more like a horror show!

We finally reach the shore, leave the bikes in the backyard of our lodging, and discover the warm universe of the legend of the Salar herself, aka Doña Lupe. This short woman, dressed in the traditional costume and the round hat, has the skin of a two-century-old person, but the smile, the energy, and the kindness of a young lady. She welcomes us with hugs as if we were long-time friends, installs us in our rooms whose walls are made of salt, and prepares the unavoidable soup. In the morning, the decision is taken to avoid going back on the Salar. The poor Suzuki’s are clogged with salt, and since there’s very little water in Jirira, there’s no way we can clean them up. After playing a bit with a young vicuña fed with a baby bottle by Lupe, we go explore the backcountry. The trails are silty, and there are some more little salty lakes to cross, but our air-cooled engines handle the ride with no protest despite the salt covering every inch of metal. When we reach the bottom of a small hill and swap our boots for a pair of hiking shoes, we’re suddenly reminded of the altitude. Climbing on foot is not easy, but we’re rewarded by the ruins of an old village, with small houses built without doors! People probably entered using the small windows. Realizing that the place was probably left untouched for centuries, we are almost not shocked to discover mummies around the corner. The bodies are undisturbed, still with some skin on the bones. The locals come here on weekends and have parties and celebrations around these centuries-old corpses. The culture here is not about hiding death but more about keeping the dead close to the living. Anyway, since going down is easier than going up, it’s time to go back to Lupe’s.

For our last day on the road, it’s almost only pavement up to La Paz. After having been cleaned up at the next village, the DR650s are once again pushed to their maximum, their riders using the fact that speed limits and radars are irrelevant in Bolivia. Still, one would be foolish to relax their attention too much: there are holes on the road, and one bent rim is here to prove that they are no joke. Arriving at the Bolivian capital, the journey seems to be complete. But the city is spread out on miles and miles, and there’s still a fair amount of slaloming to be done. From these large boulevards we see the mountains surrounding the city, and try not to smell too much of the exhaust gas from the diesel engines. After crossing the whole length of El Alto, we descend toward downtown La Paz. We’re not in a cable car this time, and that’s a good thing since the winding road unfurling their tight corners through the city is worth a supermoto track. The big trucks are slow on this downhill and we overtake with ease, leaning our nimble bikes like jet fighters in a dog fight. The last dinner at Maurice’s house is the opportunity to debrief the trip. Enjoying an indecent amount of meat and french fries, followed by the inescapable Rocky ice cream, we all look for superlatives to describe our experience. Alas, our vocabulary doesn’t include words that can fully transcribe the diversity of landscapes, the vastness of the sceneries, and the range of extreme temperatures we encountered during three weeks. On the other hand, these moto adventures endured all together made a lasting impression in our group, that one could easily describe using common words such as friendship and… gratitude! Our stomachs are full and just a few hours before our boarding time back to the USA, our only conversations are about when, not if, we will come back to this enchanted land.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO

FOR MAKING THIS ADVENTURE POSSIBLE

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RIDING IN BOLIVIA Flying to La Paz from the USA requires at least one stop, usually at Bogota or Columbia, since the airport can only be reached by night because of the elevation. Visa requirements depend on the country of origin, with US citizens having to pay a $100 fee. It’s easy to change cash at local ATMs, with one dollar being roughly equivalent to 7 bolivianos. High elevation, temperature change, and rough terrain are reasons why these motorcycle adventures are not for beginners but rather for experienced riders. The bikes are Suzuki DR650s in perfect condition and equipped with Trail Tech Voyager Pro GPSs. A 4x4 vehicle driven by two mechanics follows the group to provide assistance and carry the rider’s luggage. All information can be obtained on Moto Trails Bolivia’s website: www.mototrailsbolivia.com/en

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