EXPLORING RUSSIA MOTIVATION: to explore Russia and introduce it to riders from all over the world. PARTICIPANTS AND MOTORCYCLES: Yuri Kalika. BMW R 1200 GS THE TRIP IN NUMBERS: 700 km in 5 days (from Moscow to Saint Petersburg); 11,200 km in 19 days (Trans-Siberian Highway) GIVI ACCESSORIES USED: Trio of aluminium Trekker Outback Black Line cases (37, 48 and 58 LTR), Tanklock EA123 tool bag, engine guards, S322 additional LED spotlights, X.33 Canyon full-face helmet Yuri is a 33-year old motorcycle touring enthusiast who loves Russia, his home country. Founder of the UVENTURE portal, which proposes and organises motorcycle trips on Russian soil, this young explorer has completed two adventures as a GIVI ‘ambassador’ aboard his faithful BMW R 1200 GS - specifically, the 700-km route that links Moscow and Saint Petersburg and then a more extreme journey, lasting 19 days, along the legendary and icy TransSiberian Highway. The first enjoyable itinerary we are considering takes five days and touches on various historic cities, including Moscow, Rzhev, medieval Ostrov, Pskov, Pskov Krom, Peterhof (the tsar’s palace on the Gulf of Finland), as far as the ‘Venice of the North’ Saint Petersburg. The second, on the other hand, presents an ideal opportunity to practise what Yuri likes to call ‘motorcycle meditation’, miles of semi-deserted roads, relaxed riding, and the natural landscape of Siberia, as enchanting as it is desolate, particularly when covered with 10 cm of September snow. Both motorcycle tours are characterised by a combination of extreme temperatures and volatile, rugged nature in which the traveller can fully immerse themselves because they are on a motorcycle. There are many opportunities for off-road riding, as well as encounters that enrich the soul and an age-old culture that each large city and small town oozes from every pore. What is clear to those who, like us, are not just spectators to this kind of trip, is the unconditional love a young man has for his home country. 21 Givi Magazine December 2021
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