Alps 2011 + 3
We arrived at Stelvio under a beautifully blue sky and took a break for an hour or so.
This is a fabulous place to take a rest and take in the view and though I bought myself some food from one of the many outdoor barbecue type portable stalls I do feel it's a shame that the Stelvio has become so commercialised. Atop the Pass there are numerous gift shops, most selling tat, food stalls, many motorcycles and an equally large number of cyclists. I admire these cyclists for their levels of fitness as these twisting winding roads offer very little respite from the bottom of the Pass all the way to the top.
Cyclists - take a virtual pat on the back from me!
We shot a small amount of panoramic video before continuing on our way down the Pass in the direction of Bolzano.
This is a fabulous place to take a rest and take in the view and though I bought myself some food from one of the many outdoor barbecue type portable stalls I do feel it's a shame that the Stelvio has become so commercialised. Atop the Pass there are numerous gift shops, most selling tat, food stalls, many motorcycles and an equally large number of cyclists. I admire these cyclists for their levels of fitness as these twisting winding roads offer very little respite from the bottom of the Pass all the way to the top.
Cyclists - take a virtual pat on the back from me!
We shot a small amount of panoramic video before continuing on our way down the Pass in the direction of Bolzano.
The F650 was still giving occasional starting problems and so when parking up it was decided that if I was to switch the engine off then make sure I had a hill to roll down for bump starting - the Stelvio served a purpose!
The bike spluttered into life but not too long before a new issue would rear its ugly head, and one with potentially lethal consequences!
We took a steady scenery absorbing ride down the 48 hairpins when all of a sudden I felt the front brake lever coming in close to the bar when applied. The rear brake didn't appear to have too much bite but would suffice with the single cylinder engine braking, even so, I prefer to have all brakes doing what they are supposed to be doing.
The bike spluttered into life but not too long before a new issue would rear its ugly head, and one with potentially lethal consequences!
We took a steady scenery absorbing ride down the 48 hairpins when all of a sudden I felt the front brake lever coming in close to the bar when applied. The rear brake didn't appear to have too much bite but would suffice with the single cylinder engine braking, even so, I prefer to have all brakes doing what they are supposed to be doing.
With 29 hairpins to go I managed to get the bike to a halt because by now the lever was against the bar and with no front end breaking whatsoever.
I gradually went down through the gears until I was in 1st just at the approach of bend 29 so as to give the brake fluid enough time to cool down.
Jo went into artistic mode with her camera whilst we waited for the brakes to come back.
Other than this short lived , never to return, brake issue and the poor starting the F650 was riding very well considering what was being asked from it - fully loaded with pillion and taking on whatever mountain Pass was in our path.
I gradually went down through the gears until I was in 1st just at the approach of bend 29 so as to give the brake fluid enough time to cool down.
Jo went into artistic mode with her camera whilst we waited for the brakes to come back.
Other than this short lived , never to return, brake issue and the poor starting the F650 was riding very well considering what was being asked from it - fully loaded with pillion and taking on whatever mountain Pass was in our path.