Uncategorized | Moto-Abruzzo

15/06/201315/06/2013

A Futura dashboard from over the pond

Last winter and again a few weeks ago, I put an advert on the AF1 ‘Aprilia Parts Wanted’ forum for an RST Futura dashboard or inlay and other than a very tedious (and obvious) spammer, it was deathly quiet. I kept scouring Ebay and numerous on-line for-sale sites but it seemed like the world’s supply of Futura dashboards had vanished into thin air ……… until Arv (Picky) sent me a PM through the Aprilia forum.

He had a Futura dashboard that didn’t work and had a broken lens but was fine in all other respects. This sounded just what I was looking for because in reality I ONLY need the inlay anyway. So we swapped emails and Arv sent photo’s and a video. Total cost …… p&p only, I could have the dashboard for free!! USPS said 6-10 working days …. it was on my doorstep in 5, now that IS service. Read it and weep DHL!!!!! 👿

And so I’d like to thank Arv, not only for his generosity and honesty, but for getting the thing packed and away in the mail before I’d even got the payment to him. Arv it turns out, hails from White Plains, New York and fills his days with computer wizardry and his spare time travelling on his beautifully sorted Futura with is wife.

Today I’ve fitted a small piece of his Futura into my hybrid dashboard and as I finished the job off, I felt it was also fitting that a part of his bike had found a new lease of life and returned home to Italy. Arv you are a credit to yourself, your family and the AF1 community and although we’ve never met, or spoken, one day on that round-the-world trip I’d like to buy you a cold beer and shake your hand.

31/05/201326/05/2016

Someone watching over us……

Jan and I took a run up to Mosciano Sant’Angelo in the Range Rover today and everything was peachy until the run back down the Autostrada. There’s a long, tight, right hand bend as you pass the Città Sant’Angelo junction and we’re sailing a touch north of the 130Km/hr limit, but no sweat, I’ve run this bend hundreds of times at this speed and the Rangey handles it just fine.

Until a near-side tyre catastrophically fails mid corner that is.

Range Rovers are tall old beasts and have to be eased into any manoeuvre, you can’t just throw them around will-nilly or the whole thing starts to sway and roll like a drunk elephant. A flat tyre on a sharp bend certainly qualifies as a destabilising influence! How we didn’t roll I don’t know. But it was close and I mean pit-of-the-stomach close.

13/04/2013

The Best Bar in America

Best-bar-in-America Saw a trailer for this and simply loved it. A film by Damon and Eric Ristau, 11,000miles over 93 days in the making. It’s due out on June 14th 2013 on DVD and download. I love independent films and the effort and determination they take to produce. I really do hope this is as good as it looks. Pop along to the website at www.bestbarinamerica.com and register your interest.

15/01/201326/05/2016

You are what you are

Someone close to me once said;

“You’ll never be riding motorbikes when you’re 30”

A simple statement I’ll grant you, but among the endless conversations that spiralled into arguments, the tone of voice, the inflection and the derisory look, all combined to weld that moment into my mind for eternity.

Today I am 50 …… I first rode a motorbike at 7. I’ve had my licence for 34 years and been lucky enough to earn a living from riding one for over 50% of that time. 7 accidents, over 50 bikes, and ridden almost 946,000 miles in all weathers and through many wonderful countries.

Today, I think am a biker.

Yep, who would have believed it … I’m 50. More to the point, I’ve made it to 50! It only seems minutes ago I was sitting at home reading ‘On Two Wheels’, a sweaty-palmed teenager eager for life to get a move on. But it was in my late 20’s that the innocuous statement was made ….. what did she mean? As a full-time dispatch rider I wasn’t going to survive? Or that I had no conviction in anything I did? She certainly didn’t believe I was much good at anything. As a rider I was an accident waiting to happen in her eyes, so I took my ‘Institute of Advanced Motorists’ test and passed first time – but the bar was simply raised in her mind.

I think it’s fair to say that praise didn’t come easily, hell, it never really came at all. But I plodded on. Over the years I became a professional rider, earning a living from the one thing I love doing ……. I was still never good enough though. In the end, we parted our ways and life went on. Our paths haven’t crossed in the past 15 years and it’s now 12 years since I qualified as a motorcycle instructor and 5 years that the Capo and I have worked together.

Mother, you were wrong then, you’re still wrong now …….

I am Karl Robert Bianchini. Today I am 50. Today I am a biker, I always was and always will be. I think I’ve earned that right.

11/09/201209/09/2017

Continental blast and re-reg at last!

Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 Rally-Raid - Passo del Gottardo

It’s 24hrs since the Capo and I arrived home from our 3,500 mile, three week trip to the UK and bits of me are still aching in new and novel ways. It’s not the Capo’s fault, the day after the trip over to the UK I was up and running around like a spring lamb with a caffeine boost. The return trip was different though, maybe not enough rest prior to the trip, I don’t know. I felt fine throughout the ride, just tired when I arrived. The next day was a different matter. My old right wrist injury, dormant for the past few years, decided to make itself known by swelling nicely and hurting like hell. So I named it ‘Paracetamol Monday’ in honour.

The trip went like a well-wound Swiss textbook, the Capo averaged 48mpg with a gold medal peak of 51mpg and a bronze medal low of 45mpg on the homeward leg – nice.

The tyres (Michelin Anakee 2) are wearing brilliantly, now with 7,500 miles under them, they still have 2.8mm front and 3.6mm tread left to the 1mm wear limit, that’s 25%/45% part worn from new. At this rate the projected life is well in excess of 12k for the rear, unbelievable. The amazing thing is that with so much profile-killing motorway work, they haven’t started to square-off, only the front shows early signs of ‘cupping’ on the rear edge of the central blocks. On paper, tyres that last this long and hold on to the profile would be so hard as to have sod all grip – not the case with the Anakee’s ……. have I really stumbled on the nirvana of long life and high grip in these tyres? Looks like it!

Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 Rally-Raid - back on UK registration The trip was for multiple reasons, friends, family, a little rider training and not least because I’d decided to return the bike to UK registration. I couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was. One MOT (cheers Dave Clarke Motorcycles – Oxford), Insurance cover and one simple form. Pop into the local DVLA office and 10 minutes later and just over a hundred quid lighter I had a tax disk and a V948 authorisation certificate so I could go and get a number plate made. I had this done by North Oxford BMW (thanks Matt) as they could do it with the ‘GB’ logo. The day I was leaving the V5C registration document turned up to complete the set, so FX**G** and I were good to go.

So by the statistics on ‘howmanyleft.com’ there are currently 6 Rally-Raids declared SORN (off road) and 9 taxed and presumably rumbling around our fair green land …….. as of 2012 Q3, make that 10 on the road!

Finally a few thank yous …….. Jan for holding the fort and doing an amazing job, to Jim at AMI who again managed to keep me topped up with some CBT & DAS rider training, to Lucy and Emidio my in-laws who looked after me, the chap who parked the grassy-Smart car and last but not least there was to be a sarcastic ‘thank you‘ but Jan censored it! Damnation ……

21/06/201226/05/2016

A grand day out

Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 Rally-Raid - Lago di Capotosto Yesterday we went for a picnic. I loaded up the sandwiches, Spanish omelette, water and squirrelled the nibbles and ground blankets away in military fashion, so that by 10am the Capo was fit to burst and ready to roll. We’d decided on a nice lakeside lunch at Lago di Campotosto with a side order detour to the top of the Campo Imperatore and a look at the observatory and cableway as well. The return would include a little light shopping excursion for Jan at Castelli and hopefully home in time to watch the sunset. All very nice.

As always the Capo performed flawlessly despite the humid 36c as we left. The miles rolled on and the GPS rhythmically counted up the altitude as we headed up the Gran Sasso. Here it was a far more civilised 24c with a nice breeze, smashing! On the way, Jan had plenty of opportunity to practice the royal wave as a steady precession of like-minded bikers passed the other way, no doubt heading for lunch at Santo Stefano or a fountain side coffee in Castel del Monte.

We topped out at 2,150m as we parked up at the end of the line – the car park at the Observatory. Built in 1951 it now runs the CINEOS program (Campo Imperatore Near Earth Object Survey), started in 2001. Standing next to the observatory is one of the oldest ski hotels in Italy. Built in 1921, it was used to imprison Mussolini and in 1943 saw him rescued by German commandos without firing a single shot.

We then headed the last 30 miles or so to Lago di Campotosto, a man made lake built in the 1930’s. It sits at about 1,300m above sea level and is used for hydro electric power generation. The road that runs around it is about 23 miles long, but you can cut that significantly if you use Ponte delle Stecche – The Bridge of Sticks. The road to the North is fine, but to the South, water frequently drains across the road carrying silt and sand with it. I could see clear evidence of bikers pushing their luck in bends and ending up with intimate knowledge of the unforgiving nature of crash barriers, trees and very big rocks!

Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 Rally-Raid - panoramic of Lago di Campotosto

We finally found a nice little spot that suited us just dandy. Amid the periodic calling of frogs or toads down at the waterside and a cool breeze, we nibbled and munched our way through a king’s dinner. After a couple of hours rest we set off back down the way we’d come until we intercepted the SS80. Here we turned towards Teramo and hopefully a fuel station! We eventually stopped off at Montorio a Vomano for a refuel – bike and us as the temperature was back up to the mid 30’s again. Next, we swung South East back into the mountains and Castelli, home of ceramics.

While Jan scoured through the acres of shop shelving, looking for that just-right little something for the house, I caught up with events back at the training school in the UK, then sat and sipped water as the sun dropped behind the mountain and the forest took on a whole new darker and foreboding mood. Time to move on. Finally, with a big smile and a small package beautifully finished with a gold ribbon tucked safely in the top-box, Jan hopped on board and we set off home.

At about 7.30pm we rolled into the barn, cut the motor and sat for a moment exhausted as we contemplated emptying the bike, getting changed, washing all the stuff and putting it away ……. but that’s after the sea of expectant little faces, feathery and furry get fed!

All together we covered about 170 miles between 350m and 2,130m above sea level and with wholesome home produce, a frugal Caponord, Jan’s present and a couple of pit-stop coffee’s, we did the lot for less than €60! Bargain.

28/03/2012

Mileage poll closed, luggage poll open!

Firstly a big thank you to everyone who voted on the mileage of their Caponord. However, not many surprises really ……. 100 owners voted their Capo mileage, 63% have covered between 10 and 40,000 miles with the greatest percentage (25%) in the 30-40,000 mile range. At the bottom end, 8% have barely seen the first service and must be riding the shiniest Capo’s of all, while at the other end we have 4% with over 90,000 miles and and 3% with 100K+ miles.

If the 100K+ owners ever read this, drop me a line would you I’d love to do a post on your high mileage bikes. So now onward to a new poll …… What luggage do you use? …. from bin liners to gold plated titanium panniers hand rolled by presidential candidates, your call!

23/02/201201/05/2015

Packt full of great information!

After 11 days off the Net and a further week sorting out the aftermath of the snow, I’ve finally got a few minutes to start looking at the Caponord Wiki – or ‘Capopedia’ as it’s now called …. original eh?

Well I’m still struggling with the new syntax and layout of the thing, when all of a sudden help storms over the horizon. You see, Jan has been reviewing books for a UK publishing house and as a ‘thank you’ gets the odd free Ebook. So she rather cheekily asked about a Mediawiki publication she knew would be right up my street.

And so I’m delighted to say a big thank you to Richard Dias of Packt Publishing for not only graciously giving Jan the book, but doing it by return email, talk about quick! And of course Jan, for doing the deed in the first place …. air kisses & über hugs!

It has already helped me out immensely and I’m looking forward to having a rummage under the bonnet of Mediawiki over the coming weeks and getting a look and feel that’s just right for the Capo content.

Ta very muchly everyone!

28/11/201102/12/2011

Red Dog has his day

Some songs, films or books can touch you deep where no other can, why – I’ve no idea, they just do. A book that did that for me was a Christmas present many years ago. A small unassuming book, the sort you’d read in an afternoon. The title – ‘Red Dog’. Written by Louis de Bernières after a trip to Australia where he came across the statue of a dog outside Dampier mining town in North West Australia. Like so many others he became enthralled with the story and what it meant to have known Red Dog between 1971 and 79.

Now adapted for film the story of Red Dog will spread further still and hopefully enthrall a new generation about friendship, travel, love and grief. Usually I’m disappointed with film versions of books, but they did a fantastic job here … all the humour of the anecdotes shine through and make Red Dog as vibrant as the characters and background around him. We even get to see a tidy Honda 750K thrown in – so in a small way it’s a biker movie as well!

Ok, it has to be said the film is a version of the story – with characters added or removed to make it movie entertainment. But Red Dog was real and his travels well-known … as to his international travels, hmmm, maybe just spinning out a good Aussi yarn – who knows!

One day, if I do the big trip I promise myself, I’d like to see that statue and raise a cold beer to a most amazing dog.

‘ …… he’s been everywhere mate’

26/07/201126/07/2011

Joe 1997 – 2011

Those of you that knew us in the UK, or have visited us here in Italy, could not have missed Joe, our venerable old cat-about-the-house. For 14 years he’d lived comfortably, only picking up a couple of minor battle scars along the way. For the past 4 years he’s enjoyed his daily wanderings into the valley, snoozing on the bed or inspecting my handiwork whenever I ventured into the barn.

On Sunday as I returned home on the Capo, I saw him lying near one of his shaded resting places … but I could tell it wasn’t good. His time had come, it was natures way …. but we miss him terribly.