Advice needed - prepping for Stella Alpina

[bun lovin' criminal]

GS virgin here with bog stock 1150 going to Stella for first time this year (probably followed by a few days off-roading afterwards) - I have some ideas of what extra protection is required (for the bike ) but thought I'd access the greater wisdom of this forum for some suggestions.

Any thoughts?

 

[Udders]

Hi mate, it'll be my first time this year too! Bog standards GS for me with Tourances and BMW engine bars. Not too bothered about anything else cos if I drop it it'll only be at low speed. Hopefully.

 

[bun lovin' criminal]

Yup, I was thinking engine bars would be a definite.
Also wondering if it's worth splashing out on headlight & oil cooler protection.

 

[Udders]

Ah, I forgot about them! I've already made (last year) an oil cooler guard and headlight protector!

 

[Udders]

Actually, I could send you (free) an oil gooler guard the same as mine if you want cos I made a couple of spare ones when I did mine.

 

[bun lovin' criminal]

Actually, I could send you (free) an oil gooler guard the same as mine if you want cos I made a couple of spare ones when I did mine.

That would be great mate - I'll pm my address & buy you some beer at the stella

I see you have the best colour as well

 

[stolzy]

You will fall off, but the most likely place is on an uphill hairpin in neutral at 0 mph.

You'll feel a tit, but probably won't damage anything other than your ego

I did it on tourances, but knobblies would have been better - on the other hand there were plenty of scooters and step thrus when I was there.

 

[Udders]

It's a bleeding long way on a crunchie from here!
Graphite ones are the fastest.

 

[turnipbmw]

I wouldnt worry too much - you may well see 5' 4" dutch girls on 80 cube Harleys with trailers, Goldwings and sports bikes.

I was overtaken on a dirt hairpin by a couple of Germans on a K100RS one year, trying to get their knees down !

(unfortunately they hit a rock later on a broke the sump - looked like a long push back to town !)

My young nephew is coming with me on his Bandit this year - havn't told him about the 20km off road bit yet

 

[andy malton]

stella

Done it on my 1150ADV a few years back fitted with tourances,the only thing that stopped me getting to the top was the size of the boulders,i just couldn't physically man handle the bike round them.
And the lack of oxygen in the air made it hard for me,but i managed 6km past the check point which i was really pleased with.Andy

 

[bun lovin' criminal]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.
Think I'll invest in some engine bars & a dark visor for those inevitable low speed demonstrations of incompetence.

 

[Udders]

That would be great mate - I'll pm my address & buy you some beer at the stella

I see you have the best colour as well

All packaged up ready for wifey to take to the post office tuesday!

 

[bun lovin' criminal]

Cheers mate

 

[Grazoid]

Buy engine bars but don't fit them... mine sat in the garage for about 5 years before fitting them before last years Stella ... came off twice on the way down!

It's a piece of the proverbial really , just keep the bike moving stand up when you can and use engine braking on the descent.

Street Triples made it to the snowline last year with no issue, after all it is just a local back road

I would only advise taking one extra item other than what I would normally take on a summer tour.. a warm jacket if camping at the rifugio, as it gets nippy when the sun goes down

 

[kwallace21]

I find comedy breasts never go amiss!

 

[Naim]

been there on my Rockster, Just fitted the sump guard of a gs,
just do it, Gs is perfect as is

 

[bun lovin' criminal]

Well, got up it & down it without any real problems apart from both me & the bike getting a little breathless near the top.
Embarrassingly, the bike had a little lie down the following morning on the campsite as I was packing up.