What an event it is?
The Sardinia Grand Tour it is a tourist raid or rally that, if you prefer, has the particularity of offering two routes “parallel”, one totally street and one on / off instead, both to follow with a track on your navigator at your own pace.
To organize it is Adventure Riding team led by Renato Zocchi who, in addition to his well-known rally skills, can boast a long experience as organizer of the Rally of Sardinia.
Unlike this one though, the Sardegna Gran Tour is a touristic event dedicated to common riders and not necessarily to riders. As I described in the article in which I announced my participation, it has no classification and allows mere mortals to bring their maxi enduro to magnificent places and on dirt roads often closed to motor traffic. Last but not least, these dirt roads are defined as “easy”, but I will return to this below.
How it takes place?
The departure is from Milan (but others have joined along the way according to convenience) and already the first stage to reach Livorno is not a simple transfer. On the contrary, in hindsight it was perhaps the most challenging perhaps because we had the ferry countdown to reach and the muscles to warm up. From Piacenza to La Spezia it was practically all off road and in case you had any doubts… it was very nice.
Once in Sardinia we start with a stage that this year crossed the whole island from north east to south west up to Arborea. On the third day there was a circular route in the Iglesiente and the Campidano d’Oristano and on the fourth day the stage to the north first and then east to return to Olbia.
Once back in Livorno, and then, everyone is free to go their own way. For example, with a small group that was in no hurry to return to normal occupations, we climbed Liguria up to Lavagna, then Rezzoaglio, Val D'Aveto, Val Trebbia and Passo del Penice, a classic for the Milanese who fall under this directive.
At the start, all members receive stickers to attach to their motorcycles as happens in rallies, to be recognizable. They received the tracks in the previous days and the interesting thing is that it does not matter whether you are subscribed to the ON or the OFF, you will always have both paths. This allows anyone for any reason to abandon one track to take the other. The important thing is to warn the organizers with a message because around us there is a whole moving machine made up of a doctor, rescue, assistance vehicle and baggage transport vehicle.
How did it go?
This was the third edition of the Sardegna Gran Tour but for me it was the first. I participated in the saddle of one Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports, the flagship of the Honda maxi enduro. The Japanese manufacturer is a partner of the event so much so that those who participated in the saddle of an Africa Twin or an X-ADV were entitled to a discount of even 50%.
I will talk about the bike specifically in another article, for now it is enough to know that the Sardinia Gran Tour is designed specifically for maxi and you cannot participate with specialist enduros. First because it wouldn't be fun at all, the paths are not narrow mule tracks but white and dirt roads, second because there are also asphalted sections full of curves and the daily kilometers are many. In short, it is the ideal terrain for handymen.
The X-ADV group was also well fed. Among them there were those who followed the road track but there were not a few who followed the off road track, testifying to the versatility of this hybrid between motorcycle and scooter.
I mainly followed the OFF track while allowing myself some ON sections when I had to recover ground (not just because I'm slow, but because I positioned myself to make the videos and so I lingered) and when I started accusing a little’ tired or I wanted to have a coffee.
But I come to the question everyone is asking, especially beginners: this Sardinia Gran Tour is easy or difficult?
The answer lies in the name: it's a Grand Tour. It is not a trip, it is not a tour, but it's a great tour. So the stages are longer and more intense than a normal ride with friends – of course it depends on what friends he has… – and the difficulty lies in knowing how to manage. The first concern of those who sign up should therefore be: “I am able to stay in motion for about ten hours following a track that takes me on bumpy sections?“.
If the answer is positive, you can then move on to consider the driving aspect. Driving a maxi enduro on dirt if you have no experience and the slightest knowledge of what to do can become dangerous. As much as this off-roader is labeled as “facile” it is still out of the way and presents the unknowns of the case, from the moved, to mud, to the accumulation of sand which is frequent in Sardinia. On off road there are no motorways and a storm the day before is enough to change many things. In simple terms you don't need to be a driver to have fun at the Sardegna Gran Tour but you have to be ready.
The most important point, a mio modesto avviso, regardless of the event and concerns the choice of the right bike. Buy the “best enduro on the market” it does not always equate to the best bike for itself. Events such as the Sardinia Gran Tour allow you to understand this, to get excited about your purchase or even have some disappointment.
In my case I can say that it went great with the Africa Twin which is definitely a lady motorcycle. Adventure Sports is too big and heavy for my off-road skills, but I already knew this before leaving. However, the electronics helped me considerably in getting out of any situation both in traction and braking. The Africa Twin scooter can be sweet and calm when needed, the active suspension is simply incredible and the comfort on the road sections is worthy of a real tourer.
And where the bike wasn't helping me, the tires did Metzeler Karoo Street 3. At first I was worried because they were more street and not very sculpted, but in the end I think they were a good choice. On asphalt they go like road tires maybe just a little bit’ louder at high speeds, but the hold of their compound is excellent and the profile allows for nice creases. On dirt they are sincere, they go well on the compact and fear only sand and mud. Traction on the scree is not great, but in the end they never made my life difficult. In short, they are a good compromise for those who do 70% street e 30% ground.
What I liked and what I didn't
I immediately liked the Sardinia Gran Tour tourist and non-competitive spirit which resulted in a pleasant harmony between all the participants, united by the desire to have fun each in his own way.
Groups soon form and even if you start alone, the pace will allow you to choose your fellow travelers. For off-roading it is important not to be alone because a trivial loose stone can make us lose our balance and lift a motorcycle from beyond 200 kg can be a problem.
I also liked the tracks, really all very nice both off and on road where there was certainly no shortage of curves to close the tires.
What I didn't like is hard to say, perché I was very satisfied. For my way of going I would have preferred less stretched and more relaxed stages with more frequent breaks or more information on places of interest while the focus has always been driving.. However, this is a personal taste and I certainly cannot blame the organizers for that, on the contrary, they played an excellent job in the pre, during and after the event always making us feel followed, this aspect is not negligible.
Who I recommend it to?
I feel I can recommend it to all lovers of long raids, to those who want to test themselves without overdoing it, to those who drive a road enduro, has taken a driving course and wants to put into practice what he has learned in an event that also allows him to look around in one of the most beautiful places in the world: Sardinia.
I do not recommend it to those who have never ever ever gone off-road. As far as the level is accessible, leave totally fasting, maybe without the right tires, it's unconscious.
For what concerns the road route I would say is recommended for everyone, even here it is enough not to be afraid to spend the whole day in the saddle. The group on is really within the reach of anyone with any bike and the right spirit.
I am convinced that an informed motorcyclist is a more aware motorcyclist and in his own small way he will act for a better world. For this reason, the articles and videos that I publish on Motoreetto.it are accessible to everyone and without advertising banners because the information must be open and shared.
I am doing it independently and it is allowed by the people who have decided to join my CLAN.
It would be fantastic if you also considered being part of it.
Foto Scrambled Eggs Media
