I did it! I promised myself I would give it a second try and read M. Pirsig’s book to the end. Have then a review written on the blog in case it could help people select some reading for the times after a good day ride on a Unicorn Adventures Ltd Motorcycle Tour.

Yes I gave it a second try as the first one was a fiasco after some 100 pages. With courage and patience I took the book again and decided to read it from the start to the end! Write down the most interesting sentences (from my perspective) and finally join the millions who got inspired by that book!

If you are in love with M. Pirsig’s work it will be better you skip what is going to follow!

From that last sentence you can easily figure out my position about that book! But first lets list the very few sentences I wrote down as making some sense in regards to motorcycles and touring and some others:

• “You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through the car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame”. Full agreement on that one and that is why we like motorcycle touring that much.
• “But over the miles, and I think most cyclists will agree with this, you pick up certain feelings about an individual machine that are unique for that one individual machine and no other.” We can all agree on that one, just think about how you name your motorcycle.
• … that’s it!

Some of the thoughts about quality and gumption made sense but for the rest I just found that book boring! Oh I know, many will say I didn’t read it the right way, I didn’t open my soul to the hidden meanings etc…

Maybe it is the fact I am a former scientist, or because I am all to my family and business but I just couldn’t understand why that book did influence that many people! Or why some think (MBI guys we have to talk!) this book had a positive impact on how people do see motorcycles! Well I would say: now I know why they all think we are nutcases!

Any way some who haven’t read it yet may want to, at least just to prove they are patient. For those who liked it: please explain to me how it influenced/changed your life!

Nice weather, nice twisty French Riviera inland roads, birds are singing, I am in a good mood and have the chance to take the brand new F800S for a test ride!

Launched less than a month ago the new BMW twin comes with a nice mix of features. Yes it is a twin engine but for once not a flat! BMW had a parallel twin developed by Rotax with a 360° setting and an innovative anti vibration balance arm, to avoid “bad vibrations”. The tank is, like on the F650 GS, under the saddle and like the F650 Scarver the secondary transmission uses a belt drive.

Contact! The dials run from one end to the other one, the digital dash board and its computer start to list numbers and info, plenty enough! For me, I am 1.85m tall, it is a bit low and I will have to look down, away from the road, when I have to get some data from it. A good point: the mirrors are wide and let you see the road and not your elbows, this will be confirmed during the ride! And they don’t vibrate! Nice job!

First surprise at the first strong breaking: the breaks do work! And well! But for a guy used to the telelever/paralever and the senatorial stability of the motorcycle with those systems, having the F800S, with standard front suspension, dive on the front wheel is surprising. This will definitely not be such a new situation to the customers this BMW targets: those used to the Japanese production.

The engine is dynamic and won’t let you down when needed! Plenty of power and grunt for such a light bike. Light! Like the handling! Having to ride through some nice traffic jams is easy, but needs some attention as the mirrors at the height of the car ones (this applies for countries where you can still ride in the middle of traffic lines).

With a low and thin saddle the legs get easily on the ground. The large curves in the fake tank allow for a very nice leg position and ease to keep the F800S tightly between your legs. It also allows the heat of the engine to keep you warm, which on the French Riviera is not always a plus. I couldn’t test the F800ST and can’t say if the framing will have an impact on that.

Finally, after some motorway, the twisty roads are running under the tires. No need to fight the bike, the F800S dives from one curve to the next one with ease and pleasure ensuring you will grin all the long! The one I was testing was brand new and the tires on their outer side weren’t worn which gave some wobbly feeling, not compensated by the fork shock absorber. Confusing.

I had to check the speedometer on a regular basis as I always fought I was riding too fast! In fact it nearly never happened (I swear it!)! The short fairing, nice engine noise make you think you are way faster! Which, considering the amount of cops, radars etc.. is a positive point as you can have a lot of fun and legal speeds! Saves your driving licence!

BMW proves with that bike that 800cc (like the VFR best seller) is a nice engine size! The twin (many think it is the best engine architecture for a motorcycle) has a lot of character and ensures pleasant riding!

The F800ST, compared to the S, comes with a fairing and higher handle bar (for more comfort in the position) and will for sure add a “touring” aspect to that nice motorcycle. A Motorcycle Tour Operator like Unicorn Adventures Ltd could make good use of such a machine, and will for sure as of 2007.

I wrote a note couple of months ago about the commonalities one can find in bikers and politicians.

But considering all the current crap taking place in politics at the moment in many European countries I have to come back on that comment and have to say that if we share the same way to over exaggerate stories and behaviours, bikers don't have that super ego centric attitude! I am talking about normal bikers not GP ones who, for some lose it from time to time.

Bikers can stick together to defend a cause or to help the group. Even though the stories about waving or not to other fellow bikers will go on for ages and ages at least we can talk about saying hello!

So this brings me to the thought that: Bikers are a good specy! Politicians ... well it gos without saying it!

As Coluche (who died 20 years ago on his bike) said about crap music: "if you wouldn't buy it, it wouldn't sell!" this works for politicians too.

To help people organise their 2007 vacation and motorcycle rides here is the list of the Unicorn Adventures Ltd 2007 motorcycle tours.

Corsica Tour
• April 14th to 21st
• May 26th to June 2nd
• July 22nd to 29th
• August 17th to 24th
• September 22nd to 29th
• October 16th to 23rd

The Napoleon Road
• April 22nd to 25th
• May 19th to 22nd
• June 24th to 27th
• July 10th to 13th
• August 22nd to 29th

The Alpine Passes
• June 4th to 7th
• July 17th to 20th
• August 5th to 8th
• August 26th to 29th
• October 10th to 13th

A Ride in Provence and Camargue
• April 5th to 8th
• May 6th to 9th
• June 10th to 13th
• September 2nd to 5th
• September 30th to Oct 3rd

The Mediterranean Coast
• April 28th to May 5th
• June 15th to 22nd
• September 8th to 15th

Nortern Italy
• April 10th to 13th
• July 4th to 7th
• July 31st to Aug 3rd
• September 17th to 20th
• October 12th to Oct 15th

Wines Tour de France
• June 9th to 23rd
• September 1st to 15th
• October Sept 29th to 13th

Looking forward to riding those great tours with you!

Attention: dates can change, make sure to visit our website for the final ones.

Um Euch ihren 2007 Urlaub und Motorradtour organisieren zu helfen, hier ist die Liste von Unicorn Adventures Ltd 2007 Motorrad Touren.

Lire la suite

Pour vous aider à organiser vos vacances et circuits moto en 2007 voici la liste des circuits moto 2007de Unicorn Adventures Ltd.

Lire la suite

This may sound harsh but recently saw the result of a scooter crash with, luckily no serious injuries (bits and parts of the scooter on the road and a shaken young guy), and the only thing I could think first “Hope this will teach you a lesson young guy!”.

Here in the south of France, from where our Unicorn Adventures Ltd Motorcycle Tours start from it is common use to ride a scooter with the top safety gear:

• Shorts,
• Tee-shirt, or open shirt (super safer),
• Sport shoes ,
• Helmet? Oh yes! Of course: either hold by the arm, the seat or for some on the head but…not locked in position.

Considering the scooter rider has the top notch gear described above you can expect to scooter to have the latest safety devices:

• Blank blinkers,
• Exhaust pipe (if any) without any silencer,
• Shity stereo with max sound,
• Modified engine to get 2 BHp more

Thanks to an extensive training those pilots are able to overtake on the left, on the right, in heavy traffic, drive through red lights, speed through pedestrians packed streets, and of course hit the ground!

Some of them may end up on a motorcycle (lets hope real motorcycle driving license training will show them how it really works on the road) and may change their style to a safer (for them and others) one but most may end up in a hospital!

What really made it was the fact that the guy, the one who crashed, had that “I am a hero” look on his face! (but as soon as his friends went to check what was left of his piece of s…..cooter, pain was there)! And his friends were all smiling! We all know that “guess who gets the biggest road pizza” is a funny game…duh!

Recently reading some papers about the new Derbi Mulhacen 659 raised some questions.

Even though Derbi is not a newcomer in the two wheels world as they produce scooters for ages, bringing on the market a motorcycle is new for them. The Mulhacen 659 is a brand new concept and development for them and, as such, a major challenge.

It is rare to see new comers on this very challenging market dominated by Japanese machines. Not saying that the European production or the USA one are not active. On the brand novelty the European one is even a very active one. The recent years have seen Voxan coming out on the market and now Derbi.

When you read papers on the Mulhacen you will notice that they present the machine, test results and comments about the machine. Like any other motorcycle presentation or test.

If you read a paper about any new Voxan coming out, I am talking here about the French press, the paper always spent pore time evaluating the chance of success of the company than focusing on the bike!

I am not defending Voxan in anyway and couldn’t even talk about their production as I never tested one. I am more interested in understanding the press attitude.

Due to some major failures (check books about this) the French motorcycle production has not been the most successful one during the second half of the 20th century (first part was brilliant). It seems that due to this the French press is now open to kill or at least use the “French loser” attitude: if you try it, it won’t work! And thus kill the brand before it demonstrated its abilities to succeed.

Why not say that Derbi has no clue about the motorcycle market? That they have no idea what a biker wants, compared to a kid riding a scooter? That bikers expect a service level no scooter rider wants?
Because there is no need to say so! Because Derbi like any other one have for sure made a good analysis of the market! And it seems the press understands that.

Do they really?

Well considering all the industrial productivity and market analysis experts you can find in the motorcycle related press (yeah sure!) it seems that Voxan didn’t! Funny enough when Voxan tried to launch bikes on the French market, first times in the press the journalists where not that neutral and really LOVED the bike (Voxan Roadster), even though some already started to write about the past and the dead French brands. Then over time, like many companies Voxan hit some walls, and our favorite motorcycle journalists became super-duper industrial experts!

I guess it isn’t that easy to stay neutral when passion shows, but why shoot oneself in the foot? Maybe this comes from the saying “Who loves well, chastise well” (“Qui aime bien, châtie bien).

Finally a bit pf fresh air in the motorcycle world!

Most of the motorcycle technology used nowadays is aged more than a century or so, in regards of the motorcycle dynamic logic. Even though BMW came out with some innovative ideas on the latest K series (K1200S, R, GT) it still stays a bit on the mellow side. If you have a look as some of the scooters in the plans there are some more interesting things taking place.

But the good news can also come from the motorcycle world thanks to people like Geir Brudeli who started developing his concept in 2001 and is now close to launch it in the market (first orders should be taken for 2007).

As you can see the beast uses a funny front part allowing to take a crazy angle without that many risks! The rear part belongs to the KTM 625 Supermoto, the front…is new!

On the Brudeli web site the beast is really fun to ride and allows terrific slides!

We may consider this machine for Motorcycle Tours in the future, could be fun!

Reading travel or motorcycle catalogs is always a nice way to drift away during a rainy day (nice jazz music theme by the way) or when you aren't riding. They also help to imagine some new trips.

One which is close to be a bible (from the thickness) is the Touratech one.

The most amazing is that they send you that thing for free! Pages of motorcycle accessories, pictures of long distance rides accross the world... Even though you take it to select the stuff you will need for a new or existing bike you read it and read it and read it again just to see if you didn't miss a thing. Like a kid in front of a candy shop!

Bankers don't like that kind of catalog as your bank account always dives a couple of weeks after you've received it!

No going here into the abyss of philosophy like the one presented in "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance" '(which I try to read to the end, even though I think this is a boring book), but ain't it interesting to see one can travel with a piece of paper? In fact it is better for Motorcycle Tour Operators like Unicorn Adventures Ltd to have people avoid travelling on catalogs! Lets get it real!

Not that easy to blog when you are over busy. We are currently a bit behind our writing desires as we are very busy getting ready to attend the BMW Biker Meeting on July 7th to 9th as well as launching our new Motorcycle tour the Wines Tour de France.

But the week end is approaching and all our topics will show up...or at least we expect so!

We will soon test the BMW F800 S/ST, the Tripy GPS solution, and I have to admit that today I let my personal R1200RT in front of a second hand vendor shop as if it was an old sock...remember what I wrote about bikers being unfaithful...

Lazily lying on the beach with some friends we had a talk about motorcycles (yes what a surprise). One of the currently rides a nice Suzuki Bandit 1200 and starts considering changing it.

Easy equation to solve: what do you like, how do you ride, what is your experience = solution. Unfortunately in his case it isn’t that easy because:

• He is very experienced,
• But no more single…you can start to see where the equation gets more complex,
• She has her driving license for ages,
• But did never ride a motorcycle,
• And they want a bike both can ride and enjoy.

He thinks a 600cc will do the job, I am not convinced especially if they want to go together on the same bike on vacation or if he wants to have some fun alone (always high up in the revs) as he is used to more than 1000cc. He is also a big Honda VFR fan. Makes sense. In fact that need of his is a tough equation to solve and some how got me wondering about what is the best solution if you want a bike able to cope with many parameters!

There are of course bikes out there able to solve a big part of the equation for their owner, those bikes won’t be the best on the track, or in the mud or, to commute every day but they will be able to do everything properly. But, again, they sort the part of the equation for ONE owner only.

Is the answer: get two bikes? Well from a motorcycle manufacturer point of view for sure! But from our wallet’s one I don’t think so.