Posted: 26 March 2012 at 5:33am | IP Logged

Last Saturday afternoon I went "abroad" to a Swiss german city to pick up my certification (in fact a medal, bronze, silver or gold, depending on your points) of this trip, which I did last year.

Thinking it may be of interest to our community, always keen for good rides, this was certainly a worthwhile one!

This ride was initiated by the Swiss Motorbike magazine, which went through many consolidation etc .. over the last years. So to cut a long story short, now a retired biker backs the organisation, although it still wears the magazine flag.

http://www.motosportsuisse.ch/artikel.html?id=1586

http://www.ryter-hermann.ch/motorrad/paessefahren.html

To resume my experience, timewise it took around 20 days of my life in 2011, planning, doing the ride, collect pictures, etc .... ; half in organising, half in riding. 

For the passes where I couldn't return home in one day, I left them out till I could take 6 days off and did between 10/15 per day. The bike "was" (as it got stolen!) my KTM 990 SMT and a real joy to drive. I did the trip in spring and fall, avoiding summer for the traffic and did all the 111. It was a real eye opener for me and I live here over 30 years now

Voilà, I recommand the ride to all! you'll find all the details on Herman's website (roads aproching the top, pictures, loging the tops and various other details, ...) although in German. It's got a forum and he will certainly help out if he can.

Posted: 26 March 2012 at 7:11am | IP Logged

Well done Philip, sounds abit like a Grim challenge on steroids

Off subject a little but if you ride through Switzerland in a day do you still need to buy the "vignette"?

Posted: 26 March 2012 at 7:47am | IP Logged

Slow Poke wrote: Off subject a little but if you ride through Switzerland in a day do you still need to buy the "vignette"?

Yes you do.

Actually I realised yesterday that they are sold at a petrol station on the E17 near Gent   . Yes, in Belgium!

Posted: 27 March 2012 at 2:57am | IP Logged

All that was said about the Swiss vignette is correct. The price is CHF40 and I've stuck it on the back of my bike plates as we can switch plates between two bikes/vehicles of the same kind. Which is my case since I've received my KTM 690 Enduro R last week  and now tinkering on it to make a decent trail bike of itpending the KTM 1290 coming in '13 or '14¨

Just watch out when coming into switzelrand (Basel, Geneva) on the highway because than there is no way you can avoid buying it! You are to stick it on a permanent piece of the car/motorbikes although they are flexible for the bikes. Some smart guys stick it on piece of transparent double face sticking scotch so they can take if off! It is the same for the Bregentz tunnel (CH-A)! you have to buy an Austrian vignette although it takes 20min at the most to cross Austria at that spot.

Posted: 27 March 2012 at 8:07am | IP Logged

phisdelo wrote:  It is the same for the Bregentz tunnel (CH-A)! you have to buy an Austrian vignette although it takes 20min at the most to cross Austria at that spot.

But don't worry - they take credit cards for the fine that I want to think was almost 200 euros!

Buy the vignette....