Stelvio Pass Daily Crazy…Instagram

[chuck peterson]

I can’t stop watching this guy…he parks outside of a notorious corner and just videos everyone falling over while putting their foot downhill. Hesitation to pull the throttle at the right moment accents the destruction…

Right turns, left foot down leaning uphill

Left turns, right foot down again leaning uphill

Pretty sure there is zero relationship between cost of motorcycle and ability, as shown

Enjoy

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMs_8IEONNk/?igsh=MWV1cm40MTN1MWp3bw==

[Dirk_S]

I was watching his videos recently as well. I just don’t get it. I’m not a great rider, but when I rode similar switchbacks in Chile (Passo Los Caracoles), Spain, and Turkey, I never got close to getting hung up like these folks. I mean sure, switchbacks are not always easy, but those are the unpaved kind. It’s like some riders forget that two wheels require some degree of balance.

[PJPR01]

Many of them are getting stuck because of oncoming traffic coming down and the corresponding traffic jam that occurs at the corner...some folks try to swing wide and realize there's an oncoming car, so they go narrow and get stuck.

[Motormike]

Having ridden Stelvio a few years ago, it's a very busy road.  Cars (everything from Ferraris to antique roadsters) Motorcycles, and bicycle riders.  Lots of bicycle riders! I was on a rented Trumph Tiger 800.  Going up I had no problems, but on the way down, as I went around one of the many hairpin turns, two bicycle riders abreast of one another, were struggling up the grade. They were right in the middle of the narrow road.  I had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision.  I almost dropped the bike, it was a close call.  Glad I wasn't on anything heavier.  So yes, because of the sharp bends and high stone retaining walls, oncoming traffic can cause problems.  Still worth it though.  The summit is an incredible circus, bikes, cars, food and souvenir vendors everywhere.

[Huzo]

Many of them are getting stuck because of oncoming traffic coming down and the corresponding traffic jam that occurs at the corner...some folks try to swing wide and realize there's an oncoming car, so they go narrow and get stuck.

Done it many times and it does take most of the skills you’ve accumulated over the years.
Depends on the bike of course, but a fully loaded Norge doesn’t leave much margin for innattention.

[yrunvs]

Busy places are way overrated. Last summer we rode from Minnesota southeast and rode the BRP south to north.
The best riding was on the backroads of W Virginia and we had the roads all to ourselves. The Tail of the Dragon was a let down it was so busy.

[Dirk_S]

Done it many times and it does take most of the skills you’ve accumulated over the years.
Depends on the bike of course, but a fully loaded Norge doesn’t leave much margin for innattention.

Anytime I’ve done a series of hairpin turns, it’s always been with low to moderate traffic. I guess if I were forced to stop mid-turn at an incline, I could see some hairy slow-speed maneuvering challenges. Luckily at the Los Caracoles, which had moderate traffic coming down the switchbacks, was open enough—and the country allows motorbikes passing—that I simply and smoothly went around all the cars and trucks who were in my way. Better that than constant stop and go.

[Wayne Orwig]

The best riding was on the backroads of W Virginia and we had the roads all to ourselves. The Tail of the Dragon was a let down it was so busy.

Bingo. It is time to plan a fall trip to WV.

Deals Gap is like a carnival.

[brider]

I have never ridden switchbacks like that, most challenging I've done is Mt. Washington in NH on a Cal 2 Auto. I would imagine hairpins in that kind of traffic would require a fair amount of clutch-slipping? At least on the uphill direction.

[yrunvs]

Hairpins are nowhere as fun as low to no traffic unending sweeping curves you can find in backroads Americana.

[Scott Carpenter]

Was pretty hairy when I did it in 2019 but the Breva 750 was well up to the job. There are campervans, cyclists, semi-trainers, busses, lorrys, you name it its there. Saw a HD come to grief on a hairpin. A lot of times it is indeed the oncoming traffic that will do for you; stopping mid hairpin, swinging wide with no regard for who is there. The circus at the top is interesting but not my scene. The bratwurst gave me a dodgy tummy for the rest of the day.

Now St Gotthard, or Sustenpass, thats more my cup of tea. Loved them both.

[Huzo]

I have never ridden switchbacks like that, most challenging I've done is Mt. Washington in NH on a Cal 2 Auto. I would imagine hairpins in that kind of traffic would require a fair amount of clutch-slipping? At least on the uphill direction.

The thing is to look through the corner as you are coming up to it on the climb. Stay off the clutch and drive on the throttle from the moment you commit to the corner. If you pull in the clutch on the climb, your bike will stop in 2 feet…!
On the descent, the drop away is severe, especially so on corner #27, my mate dropped my Suzuki Bandit 1200 there due to dithering and being too close to the car in front that stopped.









Have a look from 1:00 hr onward
https://youtu.be/hvPPh4q_qgY?si=3aG_Y-vlLEa091SW

[Huzo]

Just watched the video…
God they’re hopeless.

[Pescatore]

I watched yours, Huzo.
The turns don't look as daunting and found myself swinging
my head as if I was on the bike.
I can see how you have to wait for the car ahead
to clear the curve.
Your comment about not having breaks and toppling over is freaky though.

[Moparnut72]

I was a victim of this kind of thing, caught off guard. I was riding the PCH when I needed a bathroom break. I pulled into a state park where the parking lot was on the side of a hill. It was crowded, so very few parking spots available. I got to the very top when the car in front of me stopped unexpectantly apparently to wait for a spot to empty. Down I went. The Audace I had at the time wasn't easy to control at slow speeds to start with. The guy who helped me pick it commented about how heavy it was, of course lying down hill made it much worse and all my camping gear didn't help.
kk

[nwguy]

Busy places are way overrated. Last summer we rode from Minnesota southeast and rode the BRP south to north.
The best riding was on the backroads of W Virginia and we had the roads all to ourselves. The Tail of the Dragon was a let down it was so busy.

I rode the whole length of BRP and Skyline Drive a few years ago in May. There was pretty much no traffic. I spent most of the days enjoying the curves in a spirited manner on my Norge.

[Huzo]

I watched yours, Huzo.
The turns don't look as daunting and found myself swinging
my head as if I was on the bike.
I can see how you have to wait for the car ahead
to clear the curve.
Your comment about not having breaks and toppling over is freaky though.

I think you mean brakes, but you never need them if you look through the corner before committing.
There aware gouge marks on the road on every corner, the Transfagarasan Pass is the same, but not quite as daunting…(mostly).

[Motormike]

Hairpins are nowhere as fun as low to no traffic unending sweeping curves you can find in backroads Americana.

Indeed.  The funniest description of riding in the Alps I ever heard was (from an American rider): "First gear turn, drag race, First Gear Turn, drag race..."  Now having ridden in the Alps, I'd say that is a slight exaggeration!  And does a disservice to the stunning beauty of the place.  Still, it is kind of funny.

[Huzo]

Hairpins are nowhere as fun as low to no traffic unending sweeping curves you can find in backroads Americana.

Have you ridden in…
Lichtenstein ?
Northern Italy ?
Spain ?
Norway ?
German, French, Italian Alps…?

[yrunvs]

Have you ridden in…
Lichtenstein ?
Northern Italy ?
Spain ?
Norway ?
German, French, Italian Alps…?

No, I'm sure they are nice. Just pointing out how fun it is to ride sweeping curvy roads of which we have thousands of miles of in the USA back country. No need to mess with planes, trains and crowds to get to.

[Bulldog9]

I used to like the tight switchbacks, and did the circuit of roads around the Tail of the Dragon (including 129) annually for the last 30 years. Now, I much prefer roads like the Cherohala Skyway, BRP, and the many amazing roads around it.  I normally do the TOTD mid week, but a buddy wanted to go down last weekend for the Vintage Yamaha Rally. He was recovering from shoulder surgery so we caged it. Drove the tail out and back at 7am and was perfect., did it again at 11 and then followed up with the Cherohala and about 3 hours more on other great roads for a total of 275 miles for the day.

I will do the Stelvio Pass one day, but likely not on 2 wheels...... I just don't have the balance and skills or interest anymore.

I miss the sleepy old days when all there was was the ratty little motel at Deals Gap. Now, it is a circus of idiots, but there are some great cars that run it. Saw this when going through the pictures to find my run.....






 

[MerleLowe]

Sounds like a real cluster over there.  Think I'll skip that until I've at least made it out to Montana.

Managed this local version 2-up on a Burgman going downhill. 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/u4hemXqqui4CDiiz6

[PeteS]

I suspect most here could navigate those curves if they weren’t forced to come to a complete stop. On the other hand I doubt many could stay up if they did have to stop given the extreme camber unless you have a 40” inseam.

Pete

[PJPR01]

I used to like the tight switchbacks, and did the circuit of roads around the Tail of the Dragon (including 129) annually for the last 30 years. Now, I much prefer roads like the Cherohala Skyway, BRP, and the many amazing roads around it.  I normally do the TOTD mid week, but a buddy wanted to go down last weekend for the Vintage Yamaha Rally. He was recovering from shoulder surgery so we caged it. Drove the tail out and back at 7am and was perfect., did it again at 11 and then followed up with the Cherohala and about 3 hours more on other great roads for a total of 275 miles for the day.

I will do the Stelvio Pass one day, but likely not on 2 wheels...... I just don't have the balance and skills or interest anymore.

I miss the sleepy old days when all there was was the ratty little motel at Deals Gap. Now, it is a circus of idiots, but there are some great cars that run it. Saw this when going through the pictures to find my run.....

Is that for real?  Steve McQueen's 917?  That's an almost $30M piece of history there!

[Kildareman]

I suspect most here could navigate those curves if they weren’t forced to come to a complete stop. On the other hand I doubt many could stay up if they did have to stop given the extreme camber unless you have a 40” inseam.

Pete

If you put the correct foot down and lean appropriately it's no different stopping on a hairpin bend than a normal road. It's all in the head - don't want to drop it, don't want to drop it. Yup you dropped it

[PeteS]

If you put the correct foot down and lean appropriately it's no different stopping on a hairpin bend than a normal road. It's all in the head - don't want to drop it, don't want to drop it. Yup you dropped it

Sounds good if you have encountered turns like this and had to stop in the middle of it. I have ridden many roads with turns as tight as the ones shown there and never had to stop in the middle of it. A trials rider I am not.

Pete

[Bulldog9]

Is that for real?  Steve McQueen's 917?  That's an almost $30M piece of history there!

No idea, I just found the picture when scrolling through the paparazzi sites.  Unlikely it is THE car, probably a painted replica, but that 917 was always one of my favorite race cars..... LOVED the center mounted cooling fan so much I put one on my 912  .

[Dirk_S]

Sounds good if you have encountered turns like this and had to stop in the middle of it. I have ridden many roads with turns as tight as the ones shown there and never had to stop in the middle of it. A trials rider I am not.

Pete

Stopping or even just slowing unexpectedly in the middle of a banked turn with little practice, not knowing that you need to suddenly transfer enough weight over to the high side of the bank with a loaded bike…definitely gotta think ahead a few seconds on those types of maneuvers. But hey, motorcycling does require skill and forethought.

[Tkelly]

Mt Magazine AR is one of those .Luckily we did it when traffic was light.Cant say those roads are fun on my old Stelvio,big relief to get through.

[PJPR01]

No idea, I just found the picture when scrolling through the paparazzi sites.  Unlikely it is THE car, probably a painted replica, but that 917 was always one of my favorite race cars..... LOVED the center mounted cooling fan so much I put one on my 912  .

Very nicely done!