The second Umbrian motocamping quest.

By sheer luck I managed to find myself with a free weekend in early September, when the weather was still very hot around here, but the crowds had started to dwindle. 

Uninspired by the usual one-night outings that are available in the vicinity, it was instead Sandro who came up with a gorgeous itinerary this time, so all I had to do was enjoy the ride and see how the bike was behaving. 

Fresh from a basic but thorough servicing, and perhaps more importantly from an extremely deep cleaning to get the desert out of every nook and cranny, the GS was ready to go. I left the panniers in the garage and only took a few light items with me in a backpack to make things as easy as possible.

The GS' last outing was towards the end of June for a quick visit in Narni, so it sat for about two and a half months without being ridden after that. It fired up with the predictability of a contemporary daily rider, something that is designed to go unnoticed, but that should never be taken for granted. I maintain that back in the late 60s with the introduction of the /5 series, an effective and reliable electric starter must have felt like science-fiction technology.

the GS in Narni

"oh so smooth!" I jokingly say out loud after just leaving the little dirt lane that leads to the main road. But it's true, the flat twin is smooth and makes getting underway very easy.

After the initial warmup to reach Vicovaro, where I was to meet with Sandro, I start to notice how nimble the GS is on its refreshed suspension, also helped by having no luggage to deal with. While the front fork is definitely happier after a careful oil change, the steering head itself could probably do with a checkup and possible adjustment. Something to do this winter, together with a valve clearance adjustment I think.

We take off towards Riofreddo and Orvinio, along one of those silent country lanes that seem to be there waiting for you, our motorcycles two of likely very few vehicles crossing it. Our next heading was Rieti (more or less) so we could find the SS4bis and attack the climb up the Terminillo mountain, somewhere I hadn't been in a very, very long time. Truly impressive once the highest peak comes into view as you're accelerating up the narrow mountain lane, with its barren flank to the right and a drop over a bright panoramic view to the left.

The descent towards the town of Leonessa makes you actually feel when you dip below the tree line again, and everything changes to a calmer, quieter ride. A road closure had us scout around for a bypass we just couldn't seem to find. Like an episode of the twilight zone, we kept returning to the same spot even though we couldn't tell how we could possibly have looped around. We eventually found a ramp to an overpass, hidden behind overgrown bushes and shrubs. 

Once on it, it was a quick blast westwards until we crossed into Umbria and approached Terni. Up there on that wide dual carriageway, I was annoyed by how this bike can feel underwhelming and almost seem to struggle past a certain top speed. The handling as expected of a pure street bike leaves a lot to be desired... something's off. Until you remember that this is not where this bike can really do its thing. It needs long distances and a good mix of on and off the road, then it makes sense. Otherwise if you confine it to the tarmac and expect a high level of street performance, you will be disappointed.

I was pondering all this, with slight disappointment, as I reached an indicated, optimistic 130kph and the bike began to noticeably struggle to go faster. It felt like the engine could rev higher if I pushed it, but the aerodynamic drag was tangible and enormous (and I didn't even have the panniers!). I had to remind myself that this isn't an R100RS, and though the engine is a strong unit, it's unfair to expect an actual 150kph cruising speed out of this big goofball of a bike.

It doesn't owe me superbike performance, rather I owe it some proper offroad trails; days and days of the stuff, with panniers, the yellow Touratech or MotoFizz bag on the rear seat and a full camping set complete with cooking gear. That's where this bike shines.

With that reverie out of the way, I see Sandro peel right onto the off ramp and immediately join another country lane where all traffic vanished, until we reached the minuscule little hamlet of Macerino. Incredible that these places exist at all, and it always makes you wonder what life must have been like when they were built... or even now for that matter.

Another location we wanted to see is the church of Sant' Erasmo, perched above the small town of Cesi. We didn't quite make it but the place is a bit of a hidden gem nonetheless. There is an interesting-looking dirt road that starts from the hilltop observatory and that seems to traverse the sizeable hilly area above, something I would like to explore with better tires fitted.

The rest of the itinerary is a bit of a blur I must admit, as I just enjoyed the ride and only saw the signs for the towns of Cesi and Amelia as we coasted by, then Castel dell'Aquila and Melezzole.

We stopped to refill somewhere along the way and based on the speedometer reading, I calculated fuel consumption was around 17km/l, which is just about acceptable. I specifically mention the speedometer because it's obvious that the instrument and the gearing that controls it is a little bit optimistic (remember what I said earlier?): an indicated 60kph is closer to 50 in reality.

Once at our destination, we dropped off our backpacks and rode to the neighboring town to stock up for the evening's barbecue. We made the classic mistake of shopping for food when hungry, which led to a dinner that could have fed an extra person. Still, all delicious and the local red was just right.

Our return the following day, after a quiet night' sleep among the hills and greenery, was basically the long stretch of the Flaminia down to Narni, Orticoli and beyond until the capital comes into view, monstrous and crowded. Each mile gets harder and hotter, traffic intensifies and riding seems almost a slog. We part ways on the G.R.A. and I head back home, making mental notes of the next maintenance items for the ever-capable BMW R100GS.