But the real surprise of Il Buono Il Brutto The bikers were the 40 motorcyclists who decided to be part of it: they made it a real success.
The requirements to participate in the event, on which the organizers were immovable, was 3: a passion for two wheels, curiosity for territories of rare beauty and great skill in handling fork and knife. In return, the guarantee of living a rewarding motorcycle experience full of moments to remember with nostalgia.
The particularity of this journey/adventure was the freedom to live it each in its own way. For this it is worth leaving the world who participated in the zero edition, otherwise, the risk would be to make a boring history.
Andrea was part of the group of motorcyclists who enjoyed the roads and landscapes of Abruzzo traveling on asphalt: “It is strange how circumstances sometimes lead to a completely different path if not opposed to what you have always imagined as an ideal path, of friendships, motorcycles, and ROADS.
“A few sentences were enough around a table during the wonderful experience of ‘the Renaissance in motion’ to tease my imagination. “We will go to the places where they turned Trinity” fantastic. “We will go to Abruzzo to Campo Imperatore” fantastic. “We will make country parties” fantastic. “We will all be endurists and we will also do off-road” sorry again ?! I have an HD! And here is a smile appearing on the corner of Andrea’s mouth. He tells me that there are two groups, one road and one off-road, we will be separated in the routes but united in the moments in which we stop for the second breakfast, the snack, the lunch, the afternoon break, and the return. Practically always divided but always together. I’m a Harley sat, I like clean motorbikes and chrome, dry and rubbery roads … But ok. I participate!
Upon arrival at the base camp of Il Buono Il Brutto The biker, I had the morale under my heels, I saw motorbikes coming with tires that were so tessellated that they could plow the fields, technical clothing to make dreams road envious and talk about tire pressure it was appropriate to the dirt road to face. All.
Then I discovered at the start that the road group was in any case numerically adequate and we had a great time. It was nice to listen to the comments and slip into the speeches of a completely new world for me and discover that at the same time there was also interest in motorcycles like mine: “you have music”, “to have an HD you bend ugly”. It is clear that a couple of times Amedeo had to load me as a passenger so that I could admire landscapes and landscapes that could only be reached with the plug.
A black sheep in a white flock? No, one of the groups, like many others, who chose the “clean” alternative, road, which gave fantastic moments, curves and breathtaking routes with moments of pure enjoyment.
I can safely bet that the last sentence, apart from the adjective road, was written identically also by my off-road alter ego. Then it really means that we did the same tour! ”
The group of the “offs” was much larger than the road group, about thirty motorcycles, but after the mid-morning break, it split between “kicking” and “moderate”. Great way to experience this event: free, each according to their abilities, but strictly together in the highlights. The refreshments pause of conviviality and sharing of the respective experiences.
Meeting all together with the bean, like at a coffee break or at lunch, has also allowed participants to move from one group to another in total freedom, because it happens to get tired, have physical problems or simply want curves in full to relax.
Enzo, defined by all the Japanese of the group, given his strong passion to photograph at a very fast pace, was part of the “moderate off”, the largest group. Composed of those that “off is fine but calmly”, “wait let’s stop here that I want to take the picture” and “say that I can do it with my bike?”.
“As often happens this wonderful experience at the BBB starts like this, by chance.
Valerio, my friend, and Biker has always been my friend. He sends me the link to Il Buono the ugly the biker and asks me if we go. I reply that the organizers are already a guarantee since I have already done with them “the Classic 2017”.
I read the program The good The bad The biker and I am immediately attracted by the enduro route, even if in the notes they write that it is challenging (my first bike I took in 2015) and I am not an expert motorcyclist. However, without too many hesitations we sign up. Valerio with a bike that he brings everywhere, his Kawasaki voyager 1700 Vulcan (440 kg of Hardware), me with a bike that takes me everywhere (Africa Twin DCT 2018).
We count the days and finally, the moment of departure arrives, the rain keeps us company but we are so charged, in all senses, and equipped that we don’t even feel it. Towards the evening we arrive at the “base camp” with a splendid welcome.
Taking possession of the room and washing the “meat” without the suits on (at different times, not even in the shower), we go down for dinner. More than dinner, I would say New Year’s Eve dinner: the courses never end, but it’s all so good, beautiful and drinkable (BBB) that we eat and drink everything.
After the splendid dinner, it is time for the briefing, where the routes of tomorrow, both enduro and road, are explained to us by a thread and by the sign. It seems to be a challenging path for a neophyte but I am reassured by the organizers: we are here to have fun, not to compete.
Departure in the morning with a great desire to travel and be in the game, it’s really a beautiful group. From the first km the scenarios are fantastic and the caravan well guided.
Let’s start the dirt road and I’m busy trying to figure out how to keep the bike standing. The organizers do not miss anything, so at every opportunity, they find the right time and advice for everyone. Man, it’s like being at a course in a fantastic place. So I start to improve, to enjoy myself more and more and in complete safety.
Climb, descents, gravel, puddles (beautiful and so many) between fantastic panoramas. What an incredible experience. No matter the level of experience you are in, there is room for everyone.
The other days are no less both for the places we visit and for the breathtaking routes that the organizers let us know and discover. We also had time to play tug-of-war, to prepare kebabs and to eat the mythical beans in a place I would dare to say almost “sacred” and to dance Cowboy style in an ad hoc party.
In short, days fly by, experience increases, and amusement and amazement are the constant strands. The passion that the organizers have emerges in every little thing and in every single gesture, and time flies too quickly which makes it too painful to leave friends. Yes, friends, because this is it. Many thanks to everyone and to the next edition of the BBB “.
Great offspring from the moderate offsets. Great job of the carers, who between a “Gaaassss, from the gaaassssss” and a “The brake behind” have never lost sight of anyone and have always been ready to worry for everyone. Also having fun first, and a lot.
The “kicking offs” immediately felt the desire to go and explore Abruzzo in their own way, with their rhythms, obviously supported by the tracks provided, with the recommendation not to leave the tracks for which the authorization was requested to the authorities.
However also the friends of this group, as we had expected, we found them all, punctually, in the edible breaks. On the contrary, they have always strategically arrived before, which is why they paw so much.
Giorgio is one of those who has experience in off-road vehicles, but he enjoyed the routes with the big group.
“The fact that in the weeks preceding this trip Amedeo had transferred so many expectations to me through his stories and various posts about the views and the” Abruzzese “sensations, he suggested to me that behind his Suzuki I would taste something special.
And so, at some point, 10 meters on our left, here it is … the wolf! He looked at us for a moment and then splashed on the mountain ridge. What an emotion! This meeting alone was worth the 1,100 km round trip from my residence in Treviso.
With Amedeo we had already experienced a great off-road ride on the Balkans a couple of years ago (from Trieste to Tirana) and, at some point, I seemed to see some plateaus of Bosnia again but I must say that the Parco del Gran Sasso leaves you breathless. The off tracks were intriguing but very affordable for those who had a fairly good heuristic practice and, in fact, the group proved to be absolutely up to date even if on one occasion we had to go behind the front because the big twins like my GS do not they made it climb on a steep slope with the deadly “rough stone”.
For us kicks there have been several stretches where those who had a surplus of adrenaline could have fun but always in safety with lots of leader (Amedeo) and broom (Baldo) constantly attentive and professional and in the end, even rain, large puddles, and a Much mud has been found to have contributed to that sense of adventure that basically every biker is looking for.
Of course, I would have gladly spared myself that nasty flight that dazed me (Saint Schubert!) And that left me black bruises on my arm but, we know, we endurists then love to show signs from hard men to friends left at home.
Super organization! An example for everyone: catering at high altitude with fantastic bean and sausage soup just a stone’s throw from Bud Spencer’s legendary bean sprout!
I discovered the offspring for only two years (neglecting a brief period of cross with the Caballero 50) when the number 6 appeared before my age, but at Il Buono Il Brutto The biker I found many other “seniors” who have me confirmed that the passion for off-road and for the emotions that it gives in being always close to nature has no age, and these places of Abruzzo seem created for a perfect union.
One last mention to hospitality: the hotel was absolutely ok but the ‘problem’ was the dinners. I brought home a couple of kilos more, with all the goodies that presented us at the table!
And if I can, I’ll do the next year’s encore. “
When Claudio Andrea Amedeo and Baldo thought The good The bad The biker, they did it with the style that distinguishes them and with the precise idea of creating an event made of motorcycle passion in all its nuances, to live in a fascinating place like Abruzzo and capable of giving wonder to its landscapes, its people and good food.
At the base the desire to be together and have fun.
The satisfaction was that of having transmitted the sense of this adventure journey in the correct way, so much so as to have found in the participants of the very valid allies to the success of these 3 days of western on the road.
There will be a second edition for The Good The Bad The Biker? Obviously yes, to relive the beautiful emotions of the first and savor new ones. Convinced that next year we will be surrounded by old friends and new BBB addicts.
We thank Suzuki Italia for making available the two adventure models V-STROM 650 XT ABS and V-STROM 1000 XT ABS.
The former performed very well along the off-road routes of the event, showing the ease of use even in the most challenging sections. Its reduced weight, of about 216 kg in running order, has been of great help especially in the sections with a steep uphill gradient.
The older sister in the 1000 cc displacement has been used in the road route, guaranteeing excellent comfort, combined with a truly enjoyable riding experience on hilly sections. The front axle with fully adjustable upside-down forka guarantees the driver a great feeling both when braking and when cornering, powerful but perfectly adjustable brakes, brilliant and elastic engine but never too exuberant: the excellent combination for those looking for a motorcycle suitable for traveling with safety and comfort.
