After many many many kilometers of tour riding and guiding we have had time to sort out what type of gear and brand is good in regards to the equipment. But as this is not a product review I will go down to one element no one ever talks or even considers testing in magazines : the underwear !

As a man I can only write about our male butt situation and will let the ladies comment about their own issues.

This topic is just set aside by everyone. Ron Ayres in his Going the extra mile, Insider tips for long distance motorcycling and endurance riding on page 23 writes a couple of lines about the materials and the sewing but nothing about the shape.

Sewing is an important discomfort factor and can after a few hours ride get you to dream about a huge ice cube to sit on.

But there is one thing you never think about when you go for a ride: the shape! You may have your own favorite one: briefs, G string, underpants etc… and go for the one you are used too. But if, like me, you like the briefs “holds the whole pack together”, you will end up in a very uncomfortable situation while the borders slowly get their mark on your soft baby butt skin.

On the other side underpants will not have the border right where you sit but may need some adjustment to feel comfy and avoid misplaced folds. You may also have to fight against a certain level of freedom and moving parts.

After many different testing I ended up with a mixed solution of underpants crossed with briefs: boxer briefs. Sewing is no more under your buttocks and the material holds what should be well maintained.

Just an advice but comfort is paramount isn’t it?

Funny how many "interesting" personal philisophy coments one can collect while riding motorcycle tours.

About what is necesseray in the early morning to start a good day I could hear:

A coffee, a smoke and a good sh... is all you need!

Ahhh bikers ;)

We are going during the next couple of weeks to test the Tripy, a GPS based on a road book logic, vs. the usual GPS solution every one knows.

The Tripy has been developped for motorcycle riders and should be an interesting solution for motorcycle tour operators to transfer tour knowledge to one guide to the other.

First reaction when we received the test package: that thing is VERY ugly! An big but looks very solid and well adapted to motorcycle riding in all weather conditions.

We also received the Road Tracer Pro which the complete road design software that allows you to design your roads on your PC and transfer the road bokk on your Tripy. Not that intuitive to use for the first minutes because you try to use it as a standard GPS software (like map source from Garmin, for example) and miss some handy functions. But after 5 mins you get used to it and it took me less than 10 minutes to plan a whol 1243 km ride in the Alps.

You will have to be patient to know what happened during the test as we will test it for two weeks! Riding the twisty Alpine roads.

One good riding while on a motorcycle tour is Ted Simon’s “Jupietr’s Travels”.

Starting in 1974, Ted rode 65.000 miles during four years on his 500cc Tiger Hundred Triumph. He went through many many adventures you will read in his lovely book but the one that stroke me is that in, what we “civilized” people consider as pretty uncivilized countries, Ted met the most fantastic people. I stay convinced that even twenty years later it stays the same (see the lastest long ride adventure of Boorman and McGregor).

As much as I hated the “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance” pseudo biker way of thinking mixed with crazy people’s philosophy, as much I like what Ted came out, as a philosophy, over his journey. It is real, based on a real period of his life, and has definitely has some impact on him. Would love to meet that guy one day.

Here are some sentences from his book I would like to write down:

• Does it rain because you carry your umbrella, or because you don’t? It’s a personal matter depending on how you remember it.
• There is nothing left for me to do but gather up my souvenirs and fly back to Nairobi. I wonder, would it have been like that if I had arrived on my motorcycle? I am sure it wouldn’t.
• Instant information is instant obsolete. Only the most banal ideas can successfully cross great distances et the speed of light. And anything that travels very far very fast is scarcely worth transporting, especially the tourist (TT’s note: that is why when you travel on your motorcycle alone or in a group you aren’t seen as a turist but more as a person trying tgo learn and blend in, in most regions).

There are many more interesting ideas and thoughts in Ted’s book but I suggest you discover them on your own.

Thanks Ted for being one of those who learn the world at a human speed, on two wheels.

Yesterday I went to Gonfaron (Provence) by car. Why not riding? Because I went there with my baby (9 months old) to visit the Turtles Village (how was the visit? Zen!!!). Maybe one day manufacturers will design a specific baby seat for the motorcycles… or finally do I have to buy a sidecar?!!!

Close to Gonfaron, I saw the beautiful grassy vineyards as far as visible, huge and heavy bunches of purple grapes. It reminded me Alsace and our walks in the vineyards where we ate the hardly picked grape. But yesterday I didn't want to do the same. I didn't know how the grape owner could react if he found me eating the fruit of his work. I couldn’t imagine a fast run with the baby stroller in the grapevines, a man more than unhappy behind us… not serious at all!!!

While driving on the small roads I had the pleasure to dive into the wine universe. Big domains, grapevines everywhere, beautiful big houses of character. Tractors and their trailer completely filled with grapes. Agriculturists greeting themselves cheerfully on the road, even stopping frankly to chat a while. Don’t you think that in the town where we live everybody would have been pretty angry with such a situation? But there, everything was different, quiet and fun. It matched with the scenery and the atmosphere. And in the air I could identify the smell of the young wine. Pretty nice…

The season of wine-harvest just began. There is something to organise pretty quickly to live once again all these moments. But this time, by motorcycle!

Hier je me suis rendue à Gonfaron (département du Var, Provence) en voiture. Eh oui, pas de moto pour parcourir ces 50km depuis Saint-Raphaël puisque j’emmenais mon bébé visiter le Village des Tortues (zen, la visite !!!). A quand les super sièges moto pour les bébés ? Ou bien dois-je résolument me mettre au side-car ??!!!

Près de Gonfaron, des vignobles verdoyants à perte de vue, des pieds de vigne lourds de grappes de raisin. Hummm, ça m’a rappelé l’Alsace et les balades dans les vignes où l’on mangeait le raisin à peine cueilli… mais bon, là, je ne voulais pas recommencer. Je ne sais pas comment pouvait réagir le propriétaire s’il me trouvait à grignoter le fruit de son travail ; et s’il le prenait mal ? Vous m’imaginez à courir avec une poussette dans les vignes, un homme plus que mécontent à mes trousses ?? Non, ce n’est vraiment pas sérieux !

En roulant sur la nationale j’ai eu le plaisir de me plonger dans l’univers vinicole. De grands domaines qui bordent la route, des vignes partout et de belles bâtisses de caractère. Sur les petites routes, des tracteurs et leur remorque remplies à rabord de grappes de raisin pourpre. Des agriculteurs qui se saluent gaiement lorsqu’ils se croisent, s’arrêtant même carrément sur la route pour échanger quelques mots… intra muros on se serait déjà énervé, mais là, tout est différent ; ça cadre bien avec le décor et l’atmosphère. Dans l’air, l’odeur du vin jeune… c’est très présent, et agréable...

La saison des vendanges a commencé. Une balade à organiser très vite pour revivre tous ces moments… cette fois en moto !

I guess that one day you experienced situations which demonstrated that riders are completely scary…

It’s absolutely funny to notice that when a person stands close to his/her motorcycle, the helmet on the saddle, people seem to be less nervous. It is even possible to see in their eyes something like “how lucky is this guy/girl ” or ” What a great style !”.

But as soon as the rider wears the complete gear, the gentleman aspect disappears at once and the mutation starts. And the result is pretty far from the Cinderella context, you know, the poor pumpkin that becomes a gorgeous coach … the most appropriate image is rather Davy Jones and his army of sea-phantoms in Pirates of the Caribbean!!! To summarize, the one who had a real positive image becomes a perfect enemy who scares everybody. Absolutely incredible!

I remember a motorcycle trip two years ago. We left Alsace to go to Corsica. It was about midnight and we felt tired enough to decide to stop for the night. We looked for a hotel but we got lost, that is the reason why I decided to ask someone to help us. There was only one young woman in her car, close to us. My man told me it was useful and that the woman would not answer me. But I was so optimistic that I decided to ask anyway. I was so surprised! The woman got me out of her sight, ignoring me ; of course she could not guess that the person under the helmet was another woman, quite polite and kind. As soon as there was the green light she disappeared, quickly.

I was so angry ! Because of the reaction of the woman, but also because my man added « I told you that it was useful »!

Je suppose que vous avez déjà vécu quelques expériences qui vous ont montré que le motard fait peur ?

Il est amusant de constater que lorsque le motard est debout à côté de sa moto, casque posé sur la selle, les gens semblent moins nerveux. On peut même noter dans leurs yeux un regard qui dit à peu près « il a de la chance » ou encore « il a un sacré style ce motard ».

En revanche, dés lors que le motard revêt la combinaison complète, le gentleman se transforme. Et on est loin de la pauvre citrouille qui se transforme à minuit en magnifique carrosse… on se rapprocherait plutôt des potes de Davy Jones dans Pirates des Caraïbes II !!! Du coup celui qui, quelques minutes plus tôt, jouissait d’une image très positive se transforme en ennemi notoire qui effraie tous les gens autour de lui. Absolument incroyable !

Je me souviens d’un trajet en moto il y a deux ans. Nous quittions l’Alsace pour rejoindre la Corse. Vers minuit nous étions assez fatigués pour décider de trouver une chambre d’hôtel et y passer la nuit. Nous étions un peu perdus, alors je décidai de demander notre chemin à une brave jeune femme au volant de sa voiture. Mon pilote me dit "laisse tomber, elle ne te répondra pas". Gonflée d’optimisme, je demandai quand même. C’est avec stupéfaction que je vis la jeune femme tourner la tête du genre « je ne vois pas que ce motard me fait des grands signes» (puisque bien évidemment, le casque et la nuit n’aidaient pas à montrer que la personne qui faisait des signes était une jeune femme plus qu’affable et courtoise…) et démarrer au quart de tour dés que le feu passa au vert.

Cette situation m’a vraiment mise en colère ; sans parler du « je te l’avais bien dit » de mon pilote qui était un peu de trop !

Motorcycle riding means helmet. At least, I hope so! The helmet is a must. It is personal and each one has a precise style.

How is yours? Full face or open face helmet? Transparent or opaque and shiny protective visor?

And regarding the design? Are you sober enough, with one colour as simple as possible, without flourishes? A reasonable price and only one important thing : the functionality? Or maybe is your helmet a “nationalism tool” (I say that as a joke, of course!), with the colours of your country flag on it ? Are you attracted by the item signed by a famous designer? Or by the fashion accessory that suits the motorcycle jacket or even the motorcycle itself? Or by the promotional helmet with the logo and/or the slogan of any brand?

As far as I’m concerned, mine is a kind of second hand helmet. I found it in the garage of my beloved man, when I used to ride as a pillion, and it is still the same. But I added two doggies ears that float in the wind as soon as we ride. And I’m so happy when I can see a child looking at me with a huge question mark in his/her eyes ; or when people smile or laugh as soon as they see me. And I love when someone calls me as I’m waiting for the green light and has a joke about my (helmet) ears.

A helmet provides protection, is a tool to identify the riders style… and to make laugh. An accessory that covers multi functions !

Qui dit balade à moto dit automatiquement casque. Enfin, j’espère !!! Le casque est l’accessoire indispensable. Chacun le sien. Chacun son style.

Vous êtes plutôt casque intégral ou jet ? Visière transparente ou visière opaque et brillante ?

Et côté déco ? Plutôt du genre sobre, couleur unie, sans fioritures, celui dont le prix est raisonnable et dont le rôle n’est que fonctionnel (rien à faire du style) ? « Nationalo-patriote » (je plaisante, bien sûr !), votre casque arborant les couleurs du drapeau de votre pays ? Etes-vous attiré par l’objet signé par quelque designer connu ? Ou par l’accessoire de mode assorti à la veste ou à la moto ? Ou encore par l’article publicitaire porteur d’un logo ou d’un slogan d’une marque lambda ?

Pour ma part je suis plutôt casque de récupération. Je l’ai trouvé chez mon homme, lorsque j’étais encore passagère et ne l’ai toujours pas changé. Par contre je l’ai agrémenté d’une paire d’oreilles noires qui flottent au vent dés que nous roulons. Et quel n’est pas mon plaisir lorsque je vois un enfant qui regarde ma tête avec un énorme point d’interrogation dans les yeux, ou des personnes qui sourient ou même éclatent de rire à mon passage, sans parler des gens qui, au feu, m’interpellent et plaisantent gaiement.

Comme quoi le casque protège, permet d’identifier le style des gens… et fait rire. Un accessoire multi casquette en somme !

There is a motorcycle tour organised to ride through the main French wines regions, that is the reason why I want to give you a few details. Let’s start with the treasures of the beautiful Bourgogne.

From Dijon to Santenay, prestigious wine grower village, the Vintages Road is the thread tourist driver through the Côtes de Nuits and Côtes de Beaune and their Hautes-Côtes. There are at least 33 villages or small cities on this route with a lot of opportunities to taste wines (be careful !) and promises to discover incredible treasures of art and history.

The famous Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune as well as the Clos de Vougeot castle are the best known. From villages to hamlets, while snaking between the prestigious vineyards, while reaching the Hautes-Côtes plateaux through the picturesque combes, you can discover an infinity of washers and chapels, of villages, of wine growers houses, with all around them the most beautiful vineyards that everybody knows all around the world.

Bourgogne is a land that first evokes wine under its most refined shape. But Bourgogne is also a land that evokes gastronomy, this region offering a multitude of exception products.

In Dijon, for instance, besides the mustard, the blackcurrant and the gingerbread are the inescapable specialties. Added to the white wine, the blackcurrant cream gives birth to the famous kir, a classic of the aperitif (or the royal kir if you choose crémant or champagne instead of the white wine). It is really nice to drink it with some gougères, these delicious small cheese puffs.

Regarding the gluttonous entrées, Bourgogne offers three specialties: the escargots (snails) of course, known all over the world for their subtle taste (the snails are cooked with a sauce based on parsley and garlic), l'oeuf en meurette (egg poached in a red wine of Bourgogne) and finally the jambon persillé (marbled ham), also named jambon de Pâques (ham of Easter). The custom requires that the pig has to be killed after November 11th ; the ham refines itself therefore during the winter period so that the amateurs can finally savour it during the holy week.

Regarding meat, the charolais beef is the leader of the list. But there is also the charolais lamb, the Bresse chicken (a tasty poultry that was one of the first products of France to get an A.O.C. in 1957 and remains today the only one in the world). The pig is also important in the recipes of Bourgogne ; for instance the andouillettes of Chalons or those of Chablis, without omitting to mention the rosette of the Morvan.

The trout remains more or less the only reference of fish on the Bourgogne table. But it’s still possible to find in the region the delicious frogs thighs. Yum !

What about the cheese tray of Bourgogne? It is clear that it doesn't have the wealth of its neighbours (Auvergne or Franche-Comté), but it has also its stars as the Epoisse (cheese with soft dough, made of cow milk, which is rubbed during the refinement process with a solution of Marc de Bourgogne), the Citeaux, the Saint-Florentin and other Claquebitou. To finish this tasty meal, we can taste a Flamusse, a sort of pumpkin flan, or also pears called " Belles dijonnaises " poached in wine and served covered of a blackcurrant syrup.

If you enjoy discovering tasty wines and good gastronomy, you will adore Bourgogne.

Puisqu’il existe un circuit à moto permettant de visiter les principales régions vinicoles françaises, voici un premier aperçu des trésors de ces magnifiques régions françaises : la Bourgogne.

De Dijon, où les Marcs d’or témoignent encore du passé viticole de la capitale de la Bourgogne, jusqu’à Santenay, prestigieux village vigneron, la Route des Grands Crus est le fil conducteur touristique à travers les Côtes de Nuits et de Beaune et leurs Hautes-Côtes. Pas moins de 33 localités, villages ou petites villes jalonnent cet itinéraire de plusieurs dizaines de kilomètres qui associe d’innombrables possibilités de dégustations (à consommer avec modération…) et la découverte d’inestimables trésors d’art et d’histoire.

Le célèbre Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune et le château du Clos de Vougeot, lieux emblématiques de la Bourgogne, de ses vins et de son histoire, n’en sont que les jalons les plus connus. De villages en hameaux, en serpentant entre les clos prestigieux, en gagnant les plateaux des Hautes-Côtes par les combes pittoresques, vous découvrirez une infinité de lavoirs et de chapelles, de villages, de maisons vigneronnes, le tout entouré de crus à la réputation mondiale. Car la Bourgogne est une terre qui évoque d’abord le vin sous sa forme la plus raffinée.

Mais la Bourgogne est une terre qui évoque également la gastronomie, tant cette région offre une multitude de produits d’exception.

A Dijon, par exemple, outre la moutarde, le cassis et le pain d’épice sont les spécialités incontournables de l’ancienne métropole des ducs de Bourgogne. Mariée à du vin blanc, la crème de cassis donne naissance au fameux kir, un classique de l’apéritif (ou au kir royal si le crémant ou le champagne se substituent au vin blanc) que l’on aime déguster avec des gougères, de délicieux petits choux au fromage.

Au chapitre des entrées gourmandes, la Bourgogne offre trois spécialités : l’escargot bien sûr, connu dans le monde entier pour son goût subtil (l’escargot est cuit avec une sauce persillée à base d'ail), l’œuf en meurette (œuf poché dans le vin rouge de la région) qui sait ravir les palais les plus exigeants, et enfin le jambon persillé, également appelé jambon de Pâques (la coutume voulant que l’on ne tue le cochon qu’après le 11 novembre, le jambon s’affine donc au saloir pendant l’hiver pour que les amateurs puissent enfin le savourer au cours de la semaine sainte).

En matière de viande, le bœuf du charolais arrive bien évidemment en tête. Mais il y a également l’agneau du même nom, le poulet de Bresse (volaille savoureuse qui fut l’un des premiers produits de France à bénéficier d’un AOC en 1957 et reste aujourd’hui la seule au monde). Le cochon sait aussi se mettre à l’honneur avec les andouillettes de Chalons ou encore celles de Chablis, sans omettre de citer la rosette du Morvan.

Si côté poisson, la truite reste plus ou moins la seule référence de la table bourguignonne, il est à noter que l’on trouve encore dans la région de délicieuses cuisses de grenouilles, à s’en lécher les babines… !

Quant au plateau de fromages il est clair qu’il n’a pas en Bourgogne la richesse de ses voisins d’Auvergne ou de Franche-Comté, mais il a ses vedettes telles que l’Epoisse (fromage à pâte molle au lait de vache qui est frotté au cours de l’affinage avec une solution de marc de Bourgogne), le Cîiteaux, le Saint-Florentin et autre Claquebitou. Pour terminer votre savoureux repas, vous prendrez une Flamusse, cette sorte de flan au potiron, ou encore des poires « Belles Dijonnaises » pochées au vin et servies recouvertes d’un sirop… au cassis !

Vous aimez la bonne table, vous adorerez la Bourgogne.