GIVI Magazine - Novembre 2016

ENGLISH TEXT The 4th edition of the Annual GIVI tour was hosted this year by Colombia. The 1.450 km long itinerary was traced inside the Cauca Valley, a true motorcycle riding paradise. One of the peculiar features of any GIVI tour is the international attendance, with participants who arrive from every corner of the globe: Italy, Spain, England, Slovakia, USA, Argentina, Venezuela, China, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and of course Colombia. There were 24 motorcycles provided by the promoter (plus two 4x4 support vehicles) with displacementsrangingfrom650to1200cc,pickedbytheriders based on their needs and skills. These were the motorcycles to choose from: BMW R1200 GS, F800 GS, F700 GS, Kawasaki KLR 650, Suzuki V-Strom DL650, Yamaha XT660R and the new queen of the Adventure segment, the Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin. Every motorcycle has been equipped with hard luggage, soft bags and accessories, in order to test their construction and functionality. Every rider received a complete set of technical riding gear. The itinerary was divided into 7 stages (+ 1 rest day), for an average daily ride of 250 km, and the group stopped overnight in Cali, Salento, Honda, Neiva, San Agustin, Popayan and back in Cali. The GIVI Andes Tour traveled on different terrains and throughout different areas, immersed in the beauties of the South American Country: the heights of the volcano and glacier Nevado del Ruiz (over 4.000 meters of altitude), the hot and humid valleys of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers, the long road that takes to the unbelievable Tatacoa desert. They rode perfectly smooth paved roads and challenging dirt sections, crossed rivers on makeshift ferry boats and faced rain and darkness a few times. All in the true spirit of Adventure. Small crashes and technical difficulties did not compromise the ride or the group’s safety at all. Dust, dirt, mud, potholes, west and slippery asphalt have been easily handled by the performance of the motorcycles and the gear. In exchange for these small challenges, Colombia delivered big emotions and beautiful views: the green coffee region around Salento (Colombia is the 3rd largest exporter after Brazil and Vietnam), the twisty roads up and down the Andes, the wilderness of the Cauca valley, the muted colors of the Tatacoa desert, the ancient statues in San Agustin, the colonel “white city” of Popayan. Last but not least the warm welcome of Cali, designated as both start and finish of this memorable tour. GIVI EXPLORER ADVENTURE OVERVIEW COMMENTS ZamaniIbrahim GIVI Explorer Tour Member Malaysia TheGiviAndesColombiantouroffersdifferent terrains. Switchbacks, highways, villages, big cities mountains up to 4000 meters of altitude and desert. The promoter did an excellent job offering all the different type of riding available here. I’ll be back in the future, for sure. Stephen Townsend ADVMoto Magazine Journalist USA Riding fromHonda south toNeiva. The ride was spectacular. We started off through the mountains south passing through each small town. Passing through the ruins from the Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano. It took you back in time and how much it has impacted the local towns today. Moving south we road parallel to the Magdalena river. The views were breath taking as if it were a painted picture of the mountains touching the ski. With every kilometer ridden the mountains ranges never seem to end. As we get closer to our destination the roads became smoother and flatter. We have entered the desert area. Kilometer after kilometer you see farms and cattle take over the surrounding lands. 50 kilometers later we stop for water. 1 small hotel for travelers, and only a few places to get water. This small village couldn’t have been anymore than .5 kilometers long but in the high heats it was a necessary stop. Finishing out trip into Neiva the sun setting to our backs we roll into rush hour traffic. Locals waving and honking as if was an unplanned welcome party. Sergio Tamayo Claudio Israel “Right from the moment of our arrival we were impressed by the organization of the GIVI ANDES TOUR. Every detail has been taken care of, a fact that became evident as we received the motorcycles: brand new or very recent, fully equipped with GIVI bags and accessories. We can’t find the words to describe the beauty of the roads and views we’ve encountered, together with riders coming from all over the World sharing the same passion: enjoy the ride on their motorcycles. One piece of advice: if you come to Colombia you don’t want to miss the Coffee Region tour! I also want to spend a few words on the Hevik gear, comfortable andmade with quality materials. It kept me warm and dry. Thank you GIVI, thank you Colombia!” Ciaran Perucca GIVI Explorer Andes Tour Member United Kingdom I have been lucky to ride inmany Countries throughouttheworldandColombia,myfirst in SouthAmerica,hasnotbeenadisappointment. The roads winding, the scenery beautiful & theweather even remindingme sometimes of home in the UK... The trip has been fantastic, reminding me of my time working with Givi in Asia. Work colleagues from around the World gathering for a combined passion & creating some unforgettable memories. My face hurts from smiling so much and we still have 3 days of riding to come !!! Thanks to all involved in making this such an epic adventure. A THANK YOU NOTE Joseph A Perucca GIVI EXPLORER PROMOTER Here we are, this fabulous adventure is just finished and we are already working on the next one: every year we raise the bar and challenges and expectations become higher and higher. During this 4th edition and again at the end of the experience, we are asking ourself can we do better than this? It is certainly a hard task: the scenery we have seen, the challenges whichwe have experienced, the problems that we have overcome, are perhaps replicable in a different part the world, in a different language and culture. Instead, the arduous goal is to replicate during every trip the sense of comradery and the forming of new friendships without any barriers of culture, languages and habits. This time we had 16 nationalities, 8 different languages, different culture and religions, all mixed and held together by the passion toward the unknown, united by the spirit of freedom of the two wheels. This is perhaps the most resonant and important achievement of the GIVI Andes Tour and, more importantly, in line with the spirit of GIVI as a Company and a group, which retain the Italian spirit for design, innovation and a strong passion for the two wheels. All this today hasmorphed into a truly international Company, acquiring knowledge and assimilating different cultures by spreading his wings to reach all the corners of the world. I would like to send a personal thank you to all the people who as always worked really hard behind the scenes andmade this trip another epic experience! Until the next adventure… Ride safe! Givi Magazine Novembre 2016 - Givi Explorer Andes Tour 17 captions 1) GROUP PICTURE IN FRONT OF THE WATERFALL SALTO DEL MORTIÑO. 2) EVERY TIME A GROUP OF 24 FULLY LOADED ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLES GETS GOING IT’S QUITE A VIEW, ESPECIALLY OFF-ROAD. IN THE SAMLL PICTURES: SMALL REPRODUCTION OF THE MYSTERIOUS MONOLITHIC STATUES FOUNFD AROUND SAN AGUSTIN, IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. FARMERS IN THEIR TRADITIONAL ANDES COSTUMES (VERY MORNING THEY LEAVE THEIR VILLAGES TO SEEL PRODUCE AT THE TOWN OF SILVIA’S MARKET). WITH ITS DESOLATE LANDS HIGHLIGHTED BY CACTUSES AND BEAUTIFUL RED CLAY CONCRETIONS, THE TATACOA DESERT IS ONE OF THE MOST SUGGESTIVE PLACES TO VISIT IN COLOMBIA. 3) SOME OF COLOMBIA’S WATER CROSSINGS CHALLENGED BOTH RIDERS AND THEIR BIKES. NO WORRIES, THOUGH, THE GIVI TREKKER OUTBACK CASES ARE FULLY WATERPROOF. SPECTACULAR VIEW OF THE PURACÉ VOLCANO, STANDING AT OVER 4000 METERS OF ALTITUDE. IS ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE VOLCANOES IN THE COUNTRY. ITS LAST ERUPTION DATES BACK TO 1977. EVERY CORNER IN COLOMBIA OFFERS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR A MEMORABLE PICTURE. EVEN A QUICK STOP FOR A SIP OF WATER INVARIABLY REVEALS SOME HIDDEN BEAUTIES. 4) RIDING IN COLOMBIA REQUIRES THE UTMOST ATTENTION: ALWAYS BE ALERT BECAUSE ANY TYPE OF VEHICLE CAN COME OUT OF ANYWHERE AT HIGH SPEED, EVEN OFF- ROAD. BELOW, ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL VIEW IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ANDES MOUNTAINS. San Agustin to Popayan, the “ciudad blanca” - the white city. The 135 km ride seems rather short, but more than 50 of those are off-road and will take the group along the forests at the feet of the Andes, at more than 3000 meters of altitude. It’s a little bit of a challenge, with ensuing crashes and technical difficulties, like flat tires and some minor failures. But it’s a beautiful day and the following 85 km through a breathtaking landscape quickly erase the struggles of the morning. Popayan gets its nickname of “white city” from the color of most of its colonial buildings and churches downtown. It is home to the oldest and most famous Colombian univer- sity - the University of Cauca - and contributed heavily to the political scene of the Country: 17 Colombian presidents were born here! Popayan was founded in 1537 by the Spanish Conquerors on the site of an ancient indigenous village. Lately the city was issued a few rewards by the UNESCO, for its traditional food and for some folkloristic events like the world famous Procession of the Holy Week. A trained eye notices that most of the city buildings are rather clean and new, even if they keep that colonial feel. That is because the city was rebuilt from the ground up after a devastating earthquake tore it down in 1983. Popayan remains a magical town, lively and youthful, whose symbols are the Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción church and the Humilladero bridge. 7th Day “ SATURDAY Today the group is riding the last 230 Km of the trip. The road is full of be- autiful twists and turns that take the riders to the village of Silvia, famous for its colorful inhabitants. They are members of indigenous tribes who live up in the mountains and, mainly on Saturdays, come to town to sell their produce at the local farmers market, dressed in their traditional costumes and hats. They are very reserved and shy, but they seem to be attracted by the view of such a giant group of shiny motorcycles, and some of them even agree to be part of our pictures. From Silvia the group finally heads back to Cali, origin and final destination of the 2016 GIVI Explorer Andes Tour. The grand finale is a gala dinner where every participant is given a traditional Colombian overall and enjoys a salsa dance show coor- dinated by the local office of the Pro Colombia association. Tomorrow is time to go back home.