GS VINTAGE RIDE: PURE VINTAGE MOTORCYCLING

Lifestyle
L
WITH GS VINTAGE RIDE, THE FAMOUS CÔTE D’AZUR
SOMETIMES REVEALS ITSELF IN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LIGHTS.
AN INDIAN SUMMER IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS.
L  AVEC GS VINTAGE RIDE, LA CÉLÈBRE CÔTE D’AZUR SE DÉVOILE
PARFOIS SOUS DES ASPECTS INÉDITS. L’ÉTÉ INDIEN DANS LE SUD
DES ALPES.
GS Vintage
Ride: Pure
vintage
motorcycling
BETWEEN FRANCE AND ITALY, PURE VINTAGE
MOTORCYCLING GEARED FOR THE EPICUREAN, FOR THE CURIOUS
AND FOR LOVERS OF MECHANICAL ANTIQUES, WITH SUBLIME
LANDSCAPES AND GREAT FOOD.
T
he story begins with an
internet contact, followed by
a pleasant conversation just to
tie up the final details. I am
going to go, with a certain apprehension,
on an old-style motorcycle ride. We are
going, as I won’t be alone, to travel
between France and Italy, astride BMW
R80G/Ss, those famous machines that
used to win the renowned Paris-Dakar
Rally at the beginning of the 80s. Rest
assured, it is not a question of turning
this ride into a sort of race, but rather
of enjoying these fabulous motorbikes
in extremely beautiful countryside and
on roads that are hardly frequented by
the average tourist.
But before telling you any more about
our expedition, I need to give you a
little presentation explaining what GS
Vintage Ride offers its clients. First of
all, it is a long friendship between two
enthusiasts, Fred and Raph, who have
been criss-crossing the roads of the
Southern Alps for more than 15 years
on their old 800 cm3s. Although their
region no longer holds any secrets for
them, they still marvel at it as if on
their first day and speak about it with so
92
HORS LIGNE – Summer 2015
much enthusiasm and love that you are
left with only one idea when listening
to them—to jump on these more that
30-year-old motorbikes and follow them
blindly through their countryside.
The spirit of GS Vintage Ride is, and
I say this deliberately, to savour each
moment. The idea, the concept cannot
be summarised as a “simple” motorcycle
ride. It is described as a sensory journey
that will stimulate all your senses. First
of all, there is this new sensation, and I
speak from my experience, of being in
command of a motorcycle without any
electricals—no ABS, anti-locking break
system, automatically adjusting shock
absorbers. In short, motorbikes that
require a minimum of concentration and
respect—they are rather like old ladies…
Next, there is the discovery of riding
along very narrow and tortuous roads,
often in a very poor state of repair. That
is when you understand the practicality
and performance of these R80G/Ss.
They can go anywhere without the
slightest effort, so that it is tempting to ask
yourself if today’s motorbikes are just a
clever marketing ploy? Then, there is the
countryside, where gastronomy is taken
93
Lifestyle
L  1_ THE VILLAGE OF VINADIO, IN ITALY.
2_ SUBLIME VIEW OF
THE ITALIAN ALPS. 3_ SWIMMING POOL ON THE ROOF OF A PALACE
IN CANNES, THE FIVE SEAS. 4_ GOURMET STOPOVER IN THE COUNTRYSIDE BEHIND CANNES. 5_ THE MANY FACETS OF PROVENCE.
L  1_ LE VILLAGE DE VINADIO, EN ITALIE. 2_ SUBLIME VUE SUR LES
ALPES ITALIENNES. 3_ PISCINE SUR LE TOIT D’UN PALACE CANNOIS, LE
FIVE SEAS. 4_ ESCALE GOURMANDE DANS L’ARRIÈRE-PAYS CANNOIS.
5_ LA PROVENCE SOUS SES MULTIPLES FACETTES.
4
2
very seriously. Indeed, Frédéric Ruiz,
the initiator of GS Vintage Ride, is also
a genuine epicurean, who has worked
for many years among winegrowers in a
universe where taste is king.
On the first day of the adventure, it was
he who was at the Nice Côte d’Azur
airport to welcome the little group of
journalists, who were coming to share
in the experience of these four days of
emotion. By way of immersing us right
from our arrival, the transfer to Cannes
took place in a VW Combi from the
70s. After a night at the Grand Hôtel
with a dinner in its famous restaurant,
we got down to the nub of the matter.
The following morning, the motorbikes
awaited us in the hotel’s outside carpark,
while our luggage was loaded into a
service vehicle.
During breakfast, Fred and Raph gave
us a short briefing on this first day of our
journey. Not more than 170 kilometres,
but already the promise of grandiose
1
5
3
94
HORS LIGNE – Summer 2015
scenery and wonderful sensations riding
our 80GSs. Of course, even though
we were all used to riding motorbikes,
Fred and Raph gave us some basic tips
that they considered helpful for us.
They would enable us to savour every
moment, be relaxed and carefree and
enjoy everything to the maximum.
Our little convoy comprised five
motorcycles, including those of our two
guides. An almost ideal number, so that
we didn’t look like a pack and could
expect a friendly reception, whenever we
rode through a remote village. During
the journey, there were moments of
laughter and smiles, with photographs
and appropriate breaks for a meal or
simply to drink a cup of coffee and share
our first impressions. The first night was
spent in a mountain guest house, situated
at an altitude of over 1,700 metres, the
GS VINTAGE RIDE
IS A SENSORY
JOURNEY THAT
WILL STIMULATE
ALL YOUR SENSES.
Ferme des Louiqs. A place I enjoyed for
its simplicity and its authenticity, as well
as for its generosity and the kindness of its
owners. Then a surprise! Before dinner,
a winegrower, Thomas Merle from the
Bouisse-Matteri Domain of Hyères in the
Var, came at the express invitation of GS
Vintage Ride to organise a wine tasting.
This was one of the incredible moments,
when the sensory impact of the journey
was relished with even greater intensity.
95
Lifestyle
L  1_ THE FRENCH MEDIEVAL VILLAGE OF ENTREVAUX. 2_ POETRY
OF THE ROAD. 3_ A BMW R80G/S IN ACTION.
1
L  1_ LE VILLAGE MÉDIÉVAL FRANÇAIS D’ENTREVAUX. 2_ POÉSIE
ROUTIÈRE. 3_ UNE BMW R80G/S EN ACTION.
The dinner was “Pantagruelian”,
delicious and warming, and it is difficult
to put into words the feeling of wellbeing
and sharing that we all experienced. The
night was good but short. At 7 o’clock,
Fred was already there with Jérémi, the
mechanic, inspecting the motorcycles. A
quick polish and check to make sure all
was in order for this great day, with more
than 350 kilometres on the agenda.
It is impossible to give a full account, as
there was so much to wonder at. We
went from surprise to surprise, sometimes
quite unbelievable, like that gourmet
break at the summit of an Italian pass,
where the GS Vintage Ride organisers
awaited us with finely sliced fruits, little
fluted Bordeaux pastries, vanilla creams,
all home-made by Fred and Raph’s wives
and served with tea or coffee. And then
the brunch at a master cheesemaker’s,
which enabled us to enjoy a fantastic
tasting of the local cheeses. You could
easily forget that the journey’s “motor”
is, no pun intended, the motorcycle.
However, for Fred and Raph, it is the
ideal way to live this experience, the
magnificent pretext that makes the trip
perfect. A trip that was to wind up in
a marvellous winegrowing domain, the
Commanderie de Peyrassol, where it was
all about gastronomy, art and, of course,
wine.
In four days, we had crossed a dozen
passes at an altitude of over 2,000 metres
and, astride our extremely endearing
motorcycles, driven over 1,000
kilometres—an experience that would
have been impossible without Fred and
his formidable team of assistants. n
2
3
MAXENCE GRÉGOIRE
INFORMATION
www.gsvintageride.com
[email protected]
The BMW R80GSs of GS Vintage Ride are all
in excellent condition and rigorously maintained
by a professional mechanic, employed by the
company. The oldest is a 1981 vintage model,
and the youngest is from 1993.
96
HORS LIGNE – Summer 2015
RANDONNÉE À
MOTO PUR VINTAGE
L’
histoire débute par un contact électronique, suivi par
une conversation histoire de broder les derniers points
de détail. Je vais donc participer, non sans appréhension,
à une randonnée à moto ancienne. Nous allons, car je
ne serai pas seul, voyager entre la France et l’Italie en
chevauchant des BMW R80G/S, ces fameuses machines
qui avaient remporté la célèbre épreuve du Paris-Dakar au
début des années 80.
Il n’est cependant pas question de faire du séjour une
espèce de course de vitesse, mais de profiter de ces
fabuleuses motos dans des décors d’une grande beauté
et sur des routes peu fréquentées par le touriste lambda.
GS Vintage Ride a été créé par deux amis, Fred et Raph, qui
sillonnent depuis plus de quinze ans les routes des Alpes du
Sud au guidon de leurs vieilles 800 cm3. Leur concept ne se
résume pas à une «simple» balade à moto, mais propose un
voyage sensoriel où tous les sens sont allumés. Il y a d’abord
cette sensation de s’installer aux commandes d’une moto
sans la moindre électronique: pas d’ABS, d’antipatinage,
de réglage automatique des amortisseurs. Bref, des motos
qui réclament un minimum de concentration et de respect:
ce sont de vieilles dames… Ensuite, il y a la découverte,
rouler sur des routes particulièrement étroites et torturées,
et souvent en très mauvais état. C’est là que l’on comprend
l’utilité et l’efficacité de ces R80G/S. Elles passent partout
sans le moindre effort; on en vient presque à se demander si
nos machines modernes ne sont pas qu’un savant discours
marketing! Et puis, il y a le terroir. La gastronomie est ici
prise très au sérieux.
Au premier jour de l’aventure, Fred accueille à l’aéroport
de Nice Côte d’Azur la petite troupe de journalistes venue
vivre ces quatre jours d’émotions. Le transfert jusqu’à
Cannes se fait dans un Combi VW des années 70, manière
L  MAGNIFICENT
PASTORAL SCENE AT AN ALTITUDE OF OVER
2,000 METRES.
L  MAGNIFIQUE SCÈNE PASTORALE À PLUS DE 2000 M D’ALTITUDE.
de nous mettre dans le bain dès notre arrivée. Après une
nuit au Grand Hôtel et un dîner au restaurant étoilé,
nous voilà dans le vif du sujet. Le lendemain matin, les
motos attendent dans le parking extérieur pendant que les
bagages sont chargés dans un véhicule d’assistance. Petit
briefing sur cette première journée de roulage. Pas plus de
170 km, mais la promesse déjà de paysages grandioses et
de belles sensations au guidon de nos R80G/S.
Notre petit convoi est constitué de cinq motos, comprenant
également celles de nos deux accompagnateurs. La journée
sera ponctuée de rires, de sourires, de photos et de pauses
judicieuses pour se restaurer ou simplement boire un
bon café en partageant nos impressions. La première nuit
se passe dans une maison d’hôtes de montagne située à
plus de 1700 m d’altitude: la Ferme des Louiqs. Avant le
dîner, un vigneron, Thomas Merle, du Domaine BouisseMatteri situé à Hyères dans le Var, est venu spécialement
organiser une dégustation. Un moment incroyable où le
voyage sensoriel prend encore plus de sens. Dès 7 h le
lendemain, Fred était déjà là avec Jérémi, le mécanicien,
autour des motos. Rapide nettoyage et petite vérification
pour cette grande journée qui comprend plus de 350 km.
Nous avons été de surprise en surprise avec cette pause
gourmande au sommet d’un col italien ou encore ce brunch
chez un maître affineur qui fut l’occasion de faire une
fantastique dégustation de fromages locaux. Le séjour s’est
terminé dans un superbe domaine viticole: la Commanderie
de Peyrassol.
En quatre jours, nous avons franchi une dizaine de cols à
plus de 2000 m, réalisé au guidon de nos motos, terriblement
attachantes, près de 1000 km. Une expérience qu’il aurait
été impossible de vivre sans Fred et ses formidables
complices. n
97