1
Cordillera cantabrica with K75GS Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:30 am
jbt
Life time member
After months and months of lockdowns, I felt a serious need for riding far and long. So I escaped in the beginning of august for a 6 days journey, alone, to compensate the forced immobility of the past years.
No highways, no hotels, just a tent and stuff to sleep on the bike and friends to visit on the way.
Starting from Savoie, at the east of France, I crossed the country to the south, with a right line on the map but very twisty roads in real life.
First stop after 500kms in Belcastel, Aveyron, to camp under un nicely preserved medieval castle:
Day 2: To the south until I reach the Pyrenees, that I cross through the Aubisque and Pourtalet passes, with a funny fight against a Ducati Multistrada pilot, with much more horsepowers than I had but a donkey riding, unable to corner fast.
I calmed down after he refused priority to a sheep crossing.
Once in Spain, I stop for the night in Jaca, after 450 km more, where I see for the first time these weird clouds, cumulus mammatus.
Day 3: I follow the Aragon river and reach a fantom town, Esco, probably abandoned when the dam lake drowned the fields of its inhabitants. Sad, but beautiful.
Then, I reach Logroño and follow another river, the Ebro
But...a journey with no mechanichal tragedy is not a journey. Suddenly, the K75 engine refuses to rev more than 2000 rpm. The engine shokes if the throttle is wide open. The afternoon air is very hot , but the temperature gauge invalidate the hypothesis of vapor lock, and the cooling system is very efficient on the bike.
I had once this problem, it was a leak in the fuel line into the tank. So i go to the next town, searching an open bike garage. I found one, but never was allowed to get the bike into to search for the failure under shadow. Thanks mate...
So I settled in front of the shop, to share with him fuel fragrance and potential fire damage, to dismantle the fuel pump and found a tiny leak just after the fuel pump.
I bought half meter of new fuel line, fixed the failure, started again...but the problem remained the same.
Then I decided to aim the nearest BMW shop, in Bilbao, on the north coast, 80km from there. Not very confident in their ability to solve the problem, but if I have to stop my journey there and go back home by plane, it will be more practical to come back to pick it up with a trailer.
So I hit the road again, reaching almost 70km/h on flat roads, and taking patiently my time at 20km/h in hills...
Then, the engine started to emit "pops", that made me suppose that it was another cause.
I suspected a faulty Hall sensor. So I stopped at the first welcoming place, with a very adequate name for a failure: Ungo.
I'm a farseeing man: I had a spare Hall sensor with me. So I settled again, dismantling tank, radiator cover and front plate to change the sensor.
I'm a farseeing man BUT visually impaired. I noticed that, through the plasticpackaging, nothing looks more to a K's Hall sensor plate than an airhead starter brush plate.
Well. So I put the old -and only Hall sensor in place and reset my mind to the previous plan, to reach Bilbao.
But after I plugged the old sensor, I started again and the engine was reving up to the red line. Probleme solved. Bad connection? I shaked the electrical harness, once it works, once not. Then a more accute visual inspection revealed the real reason of the malfunction:
Did it burn? No. No black dust, no burn evidence: the harness was very, very close to the radiator fan...Note that it only cut one copper wire, all the others were stripped down, but uncut.
A few centimeters of insulating tape later, everything is OK, adios Ungo, go! It's late, the first camp will be OK, only 380km today.
Day 4
Foggy morning. I'm not far from the ocean, and moisture had penetrated the land other the mountains during the night. Even farseeing, I can't ride, so I stop in a fuel station for a solid breakfast, waiting to be able to see something.
Then gradually, I can pass over the clouds on the hills
Luckily, mountains have holes at the top to drain the fog more easily, and local people have set giant fans to ventilate dry air. Or is it wind turbines?
I cross the Ojo Guarena natural park, spotted by the astonished gaze of local cattle that were persuaded that BMW never made GS with K's, to reach the Ebro river at its dam lake, on roads and tracks
My place is named Clermont, so when I see a signal indicating Montes Claros, i detour to see how it is there. Nice monastery, full of hippies meditating in lotus position, absolutely not concerned by the GS version of K.
Then, I reach the Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre natural park, in the montañas Palentinas, to Triollo
Beautiful scenaries, the road follows the dam lake, cows and sheep are free so watch out!
In case of crash, eagles and vultures will take care of your remains.
Exiting the park, next step is the unmissable spot in the area: Riaño.
A version for those who don't like K75 nor GS:
I can't get rid of this view. It's my 5 ou 6th visit there...
After direction the San Glorio pass through a green rock valley, a lichen colouring the rocks.
At the top, a little trail allow to climb some more to pass on the other side and to watch the picos de Europa, the biggest summits.
Then, I passed through Potes to the Desfiladero de la Hermida, a very pretty canyon with sharp rocks, and aims to east in very wild valleys. So wild that I had to search for 3 hours to find a place to sleep: all the campings ares overbooked. I could have camped into the wild, but with bears and wolves...and natives. Eventually I found a room in a creepy and intolerably expensive hotel. Bad ending, but what a day, 400km of pure hapiness!
Day 5.
I start at dawn, but the fog is there , again, until Santander.
Then i go to Gernika (the town that inspired Picasso its famous painting) and ride to the East along the shore, on very small and very, very twisty roads, inte eucalyptus forrests. Cloudy today, bad luck...
In San Sebastian, I quit the shore and come back to France to visit a friend, then takes the road to home until the Lot. Long day today I'm exhausted, 13 hours riding, 550kms on curly roads.
I found a camp, raise the tent at night.
Then I realize that I raised it at the wrong parcel, number 51 instead of 54.
I dismantle the tent, take it to the 54, raise the tent again.
I bring the bike from the 51 to the tent, then goes back to 51 to pick up the matress and sleeping bag.
Then I realize that the central stand sank in the sandy ground and the bike lies on the tent.
I lift the bike and raise the tent one more time.
I sleep...at least.
Day 6
Last stage , crossing France through the Massif Central with very high temperatures that made me pluge fully clothed in a stream to refresh a bit.
Haaaaaaaah!
I visit friends on the road, admire the BMW Magni that one had just purchased, then arrives at home after another 13h stage and 650 km more.
One day off, then I left again, with my wife, to visit the chateaux de la Loire, on a R1150RT. Ready for the Iron Butt Rallye!
No highways, no hotels, just a tent and stuff to sleep on the bike and friends to visit on the way.
Starting from Savoie, at the east of France, I crossed the country to the south, with a right line on the map but very twisty roads in real life.
First stop after 500kms in Belcastel, Aveyron, to camp under un nicely preserved medieval castle:
Day 2: To the south until I reach the Pyrenees, that I cross through the Aubisque and Pourtalet passes, with a funny fight against a Ducati Multistrada pilot, with much more horsepowers than I had but a donkey riding, unable to corner fast.
I calmed down after he refused priority to a sheep crossing.
Once in Spain, I stop for the night in Jaca, after 450 km more, where I see for the first time these weird clouds, cumulus mammatus.
Day 3: I follow the Aragon river and reach a fantom town, Esco, probably abandoned when the dam lake drowned the fields of its inhabitants. Sad, but beautiful.
Then, I reach Logroño and follow another river, the Ebro
But...a journey with no mechanichal tragedy is not a journey. Suddenly, the K75 engine refuses to rev more than 2000 rpm. The engine shokes if the throttle is wide open. The afternoon air is very hot , but the temperature gauge invalidate the hypothesis of vapor lock, and the cooling system is very efficient on the bike.
I had once this problem, it was a leak in the fuel line into the tank. So i go to the next town, searching an open bike garage. I found one, but never was allowed to get the bike into to search for the failure under shadow. Thanks mate...
So I settled in front of the shop, to share with him fuel fragrance and potential fire damage, to dismantle the fuel pump and found a tiny leak just after the fuel pump.
I bought half meter of new fuel line, fixed the failure, started again...but the problem remained the same.
Then I decided to aim the nearest BMW shop, in Bilbao, on the north coast, 80km from there. Not very confident in their ability to solve the problem, but if I have to stop my journey there and go back home by plane, it will be more practical to come back to pick it up with a trailer.
So I hit the road again, reaching almost 70km/h on flat roads, and taking patiently my time at 20km/h in hills...
Then, the engine started to emit "pops", that made me suppose that it was another cause.
I suspected a faulty Hall sensor. So I stopped at the first welcoming place, with a very adequate name for a failure: Ungo.
I'm a farseeing man: I had a spare Hall sensor with me. So I settled again, dismantling tank, radiator cover and front plate to change the sensor.
I'm a farseeing man BUT visually impaired. I noticed that, through the plasticpackaging, nothing looks more to a K's Hall sensor plate than an airhead starter brush plate.
Well. So I put the old -and only Hall sensor in place and reset my mind to the previous plan, to reach Bilbao.
But after I plugged the old sensor, I started again and the engine was reving up to the red line. Probleme solved. Bad connection? I shaked the electrical harness, once it works, once not. Then a more accute visual inspection revealed the real reason of the malfunction:
Did it burn? No. No black dust, no burn evidence: the harness was very, very close to the radiator fan...Note that it only cut one copper wire, all the others were stripped down, but uncut.
A few centimeters of insulating tape later, everything is OK, adios Ungo, go! It's late, the first camp will be OK, only 380km today.
Day 4
Foggy morning. I'm not far from the ocean, and moisture had penetrated the land other the mountains during the night. Even farseeing, I can't ride, so I stop in a fuel station for a solid breakfast, waiting to be able to see something.
Then gradually, I can pass over the clouds on the hills
Luckily, mountains have holes at the top to drain the fog more easily, and local people have set giant fans to ventilate dry air. Or is it wind turbines?
I cross the Ojo Guarena natural park, spotted by the astonished gaze of local cattle that were persuaded that BMW never made GS with K's, to reach the Ebro river at its dam lake, on roads and tracks
My place is named Clermont, so when I see a signal indicating Montes Claros, i detour to see how it is there. Nice monastery, full of hippies meditating in lotus position, absolutely not concerned by the GS version of K.
Then, I reach the Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre natural park, in the montañas Palentinas, to Triollo
Beautiful scenaries, the road follows the dam lake, cows and sheep are free so watch out!
In case of crash, eagles and vultures will take care of your remains.
Exiting the park, next step is the unmissable spot in the area: Riaño.
A version for those who don't like K75 nor GS:
I can't get rid of this view. It's my 5 ou 6th visit there...
After direction the San Glorio pass through a green rock valley, a lichen colouring the rocks.
At the top, a little trail allow to climb some more to pass on the other side and to watch the picos de Europa, the biggest summits.
Then, I passed through Potes to the Desfiladero de la Hermida, a very pretty canyon with sharp rocks, and aims to east in very wild valleys. So wild that I had to search for 3 hours to find a place to sleep: all the campings ares overbooked. I could have camped into the wild, but with bears and wolves...and natives. Eventually I found a room in a creepy and intolerably expensive hotel. Bad ending, but what a day, 400km of pure hapiness!
Day 5.
I start at dawn, but the fog is there , again, until Santander.
Then i go to Gernika (the town that inspired Picasso its famous painting) and ride to the East along the shore, on very small and very, very twisty roads, inte eucalyptus forrests. Cloudy today, bad luck...
In San Sebastian, I quit the shore and come back to France to visit a friend, then takes the road to home until the Lot. Long day today I'm exhausted, 13 hours riding, 550kms on curly roads.
I found a camp, raise the tent at night.
Then I realize that I raised it at the wrong parcel, number 51 instead of 54.
I dismantle the tent, take it to the 54, raise the tent again.
I bring the bike from the 51 to the tent, then goes back to 51 to pick up the matress and sleeping bag.
Then I realize that the central stand sank in the sandy ground and the bike lies on the tent.
I lift the bike and raise the tent one more time.
I sleep...at least.
Day 6
Last stage , crossing France through the Massif Central with very high temperatures that made me pluge fully clothed in a stream to refresh a bit.
Haaaaaaaah!
I visit friends on the road, admire the BMW Magni that one had just purchased, then arrives at home after another 13h stage and 650 km more.
One day off, then I left again, with my wife, to visit the chateaux de la Loire, on a R1150RT. Ready for the Iron Butt Rallye!
__________________________________________________
Let us enjoy the transient delight
That fills our fairest day.
K1100RS/LT - R1200RT - R1100RS - Cagiva SST 350 Ala Verde - K75LT project - K75 Schurgers - K75S - K1100RS - K75RT - K75C
I wish I could have joined you. That's a great part of the world for traveling on two wheels.
