As I stood on top of Furka Pass in Switzerland, I could see the road snaking into the valley below. It then crosses a small bridge and starts the upward climb of Grimsel Pass. I could still not believe I am finally here. The only sounds around me were from cars and bikes going up and down the pass. I wanted to stay in that spot and not return to my hotel. To be here was a blessing.
But, let me rewind a little so you can understand what a journey it was until this very point. Back in 2019, I undertook a tour of the northern parts of Italy and the Dolomites on a motorcycle. I did it all through Edelweiss Bike Travel, and my son accompanied me at the time as a pillion.
On returning to South Africa, I immediately started planning the next one, as there were still a few outstanding passes in Europe that needed riding. I had it all planned, booked and paid to commence in September 2020. And then the world stopped. In 2021, there were still travel restrictions, and by 2022, I was not sure I wanted to do this anymore. But, as time went by, I realised that I needed to do this while I was still in good health, and could somehow still afford it. I then started planning my tour for the first week of June 2023.
One pass that was still on my bucket list was Stelvio Pass. I posted a photo of Stelvio on my Facebook page, and then I got a curious message from Riaan Neveling, Head of Global Marketing for KTM. It simply read: “Your bike is waiting.” I rode with Riaan and KTM through Lesotho and around Kyalami, so it was only natural that if I was going to tour Europe, I do it on a KTM. At the time, there was still no indication that KTM was due to launch the KTM 890 SMT, so I was lucky to have planned my trip not long after the international launch of the SMT. Riaan had one ready for me in Mattighofen, the home of KTM.
Day 1 – Mattighofen to Zell am See
I flew into Vienna and took a three-hour long train ride to Mattighofen, where I was collected by another South African, Gareth Davidson. He took me to KTM’s impressive House of Brands building. Here I saw the prototypes of many of the Pierer Mobility group’s products and even got up close and personal with Pol Espagaro’s GASGAS MotoGP bike. I had to tear myself away from all the eye candy, as I still had a way to go today. I planned to do a short ride on the first day, just to get away from Salzburg and get myself acquainted with the bike and riding on the other side of the road.
I was introduced to my steed for the week and transferred seven days’ worth of luggage into the bike’s panniers. The panniers are remarkably spacious, even if the right side pannier is compromised as it has to wrap around the exhaust. They attach and detach with ease and they mount on a frame that has a small amount of movement. Apparently, this makes the bike more stable at high speeds.
I set my route for Zell am See to avoid all toll roads and highways, and took the scenic route south. As it happens, there are very strict speed limits in Austria, so progress was painfully slow. I was starting to doubt whether my planning for this trip was done right. Fortunately, during the summer, the sun sets very late, so I still had some time to take a walk down at the lake. On my way back to the hotel, I saw a very unique Vespa. As it turns out, this Vespa belonged to Markus Mayer who took 80 days to travel around the world on small-capacity Vespas. I wish I could have chatted to him. I turned in early to officially start my journey the next day.
La Vida Vespa – 80 Days Around the World by Markus Mayer
Day 2 – Zell am See to Trento
Breakfasts in Europe are normally cold meats and various types of bread. Fortunately, my hotel made a proper breakfast with bacon and eggs. I was feeling good as I pushed the KTM out of the garage. The weather was playing along as well and I headed towards my first pass: the Grossglockner high alpine road. Even though this pass was one I rode in 2019, I wanted to get as many passes in to really enjoy the SMT.
KTM deems this bike to be a sports tourer, and what better place to test this than in the spectacular alpine passes? Grossglockner is a toll road, and at €30, it had better deliver. And deliver it did! Because I left early, I had the pass mostly to myself. This pass does have a few switchbacks but is mostly long sweeping curves, and the SMT was the perfect bike for this stint. With snow-capped mountains all over, I really had to concentrate as I did not want to make any mistakes at this early stage of the tour.
I stopped a lot and was eventually joined by Gary on his Triumph 1200. We stopped at the top of the pass and had a quick cup of coffee. What is it about bikers that can chat as if they had been friends for life? From the top of the pass, I said goodbye to Gary as I was heading to Italy and he was planning to spend most of the day on the Grossglockner. As I crossed into Italy, I am forever grateful that Europe does not have border posts anymore. You simply pass a sign that tells you that you are now in Italy. I spent the night on a working wine farm in the town of Trento. The owner of the establishment, Matteo, had some interesting suggestions for the next day.
Day 3 – Trento to Tirano via Strada della Forra
Not far from Trento lies Lake Garda, a large expanse of water, with some amazing roads hugging the shoreline. What Matteo suggested though, is a very short inland road called Strada della Forra. Even though it is a mere 5 km long, this was the most rewarding road I had ever ridden. It is a narrow road, snaking its way through tunnels and massive cliffs. The cool, fresh smell was only beaten by the spectacular scenery.
I stopped at a Pizzeria at the end of the pass for some coffee and as I headed back, I was told that the road has now become a one-way. It only allows two-way traffic through Strada della Forra till a certain time. Slightly bemused, I headed back and then got completely lost on yet another spectacular mountain pass that spat me out on the road next to Garda.
Being in traffic is never pleasant, as I did not know whether I could lane split or not. Soon, some two-stroke Vespas showed the way and I followed the fumes out of the bustle to a small country road. The KTM performed as it should. This bike is seriously comfortable as a tourer, crawling through traffic and also proved that you can really hustle it on tight twisty roads. My next overnight stop was the in the town of Tirano.
Day 4 – Tirano to Disentis
Tirano, Italy is the starting point of the famous Bernina Express train. This train takes passengers along a very scenic route into Switzerland. It also crosses a few bridges that link tunnels carved into sheer cliff faces. I had the privilege to ride this train back in 2018, and this time I was going a similar route, but by road.
You are barely out of Tirano when you cross into Switzerland. I was not even up to speed when the beauty of Switzerland took my breath away. I was raving about yesterday’s trip when Switzerland said: “Here, hold my beer. Let me show this Saffer something.” I rode the Bernina pass slowly, taking in the amazing views. Somewhere along the pass, motorhomes were parked and I wondered what it must be like to just park next to the road and know you are safe.
As I approached St. Moritz, I was behind a family on two bikes. Father and son on a BMW K 1600 and mom on a Ducati Streetfighter. I just followed them all the way, and as they turned off into town, I headed to Maloja Pass. I thought I asked a lot of the KTM through the twisties but soon realised that my skill level is way below what this bike is capable of. Even with two fully loaded panniers, the SMT just stayed true and planted. At the bottom of Maloja, I stopped at a ruin of the church, turned around and headed back up the pass. This time with more enthusiasm.
As Riaan pointed out, the SMT can be ridden as a tourer or in full attack mode. Either will deliver satisfactory results. Next up was Julier Pass, also a very rewarding road to ride. At the kiosk at the top, the lady behind the counter wore a Sharks apron. Turns out she was born Swiss but lived in South Africa for 30 years. We had a chat and I could not help noticing the heavy German accent. Why do foreigners living in South Africa for years, not lose their accents, but a South African has a 3-hour stopover in New York and they come back with a Yankee twang and interject the word “like” after every two spoken words? The mind boggles. I reached my overnight accommodation around lunchtime, and by now I was tired from all the riding. I decided to call it a day, even though the other passes were not far from where I stayed.
Day 5 – Disentis
The day started with a drizzle. I was regretting not going out the previous day because I was not looking forward to wet roads. The KTM is fitted with Michelin PowerGp tyres, and they are nothing more than slick tyres with a few shallow grooves. Not what I needed now. I went for breakfast, and thankfully the weather started to clear. The KTM was now free of its luggage, so I headed out on fast-drying roads in the direction of Gotthard Pass. But first, I had to traverse Oberalp Pass and soon realised that I needed to watch out for some really exotic cars in my rear-view mirrors.
Every so often a Lamborghini or McLaren will loom large in my mirrors. I let them pass and they provided aural delight, crackling and burbling their way to the top. I stopped next to the road where a BMW K1600 was admiring the view. The rider was a local named Roger and we chatted about all things biking. I felt sorry for him as these roads were only accessible for around six months of the year. The rest of the time they are covered in snow.
From Gotthard Pass, I headed to Furka Pass. At the top, you can see the pass cascading into the valley, only to meet up with Grimsel Pass which takes you up the other side. From here I wanted to circle back to Disentis via Susten Pass, but this pass was still closed because of snow.
As I said in my opening paragraph, here it dawned on me where I was, and how incredibly lucky I was to be standing here. I became rather emotional and I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay here, listen to the bikes and cars and just sniff two-stroke fumes all day. To say this is riding heaven would be underrating Furka and Grimsel. It must be one of the most beautiful pieces of tarmac I have ever seen. But, back in Disentis, I saw the mangled wreck of a Yamaha XSR900, and it just reminded me that this beautiful road can bite you if you are not careful.
Day 6 – Disentis to Bormio
I left Disentis on a Sunday under the chiming of church bells. I wondered if going to church was still a thing in Europe. The streets were quiet and the roads were empty. Even though I was sad to leave Switzerland, my credit card rejoiced. Switzerland is not for the thin-of-wallet. I rode in the direction of Davos because I wanted to ride a specific piece of road that is one of those hidden gems.
On the way there I stopped at a place called Solisbrüke. As I sat down for coffee, a friendly ginger cat saddled up to me. I heard birds chime notes I have never heard before. This was solace. This was peace. This is what I ached for. Switzerland was simply a sensory overload and it felt almost like I could not take in any more.
I crossed another two passes, the Albula and Fuorn Pass and then onto Umbrial Pass. This pass goes straight to the top of Stelvio, yet the road was quiet and I could once again revel in the stunning views and utter enjoyment of the KTM. Where Umbrial Pass connects with the Stelvio road, I had to turn right towards Bormio where my accommodation was booked, but instead, I headed to the top of Stelvio. Big mistake. This time of day the pass is a traffic jam of note. On top of that, it started to rain. I turned around to go check into my hotel in Bormio.
The road from the top of Stelvio towards Bormio was yet another breathtaking road. Long sweeps and gentle hairpins meant I could wind the SMT up a bit. I am not a fast rider by any stretch of the imagination, but there were some seriously slow riders there. Decked out in leathers and very fast bikes, the SMT with me at the controls made light work of them. But on the flip side, there are also some very fast riders there. I was overtaken by a 790 Duke, the rider waving at me, giving the SMT a nod of approval, and then he was gone. I tried keeping up, but his pace was terrifying and I decided to back off and roll gently into Bormio.
After freeing the SMT of its luggage once again, I headed up to Stelvio later in the afternoon. The roads were still damp from the rain, but the rain did chase away most of the traffic. The view over Stelvio is certainly magnificent, and as I looked down at one of the hairpins, a rider was picking up his Honda that tipped over. I decided not to risk it and rather went back to Bormio to tackle Stelvio the next day.
Day 7 – Bormio to Vipetino
The penultimate day broke, and today I was going to ride the infamous Stelvio pass. I left early, so I could miss the traffic. As I rolled out of Bormio, a trio of bikers lead the way at a brisk pace. I felt comfortable staying behind them. As I crested Stelvio, the endless curios shops and overpriced souvenirs lured me in. So, I got the T-shirt. Stelvio is truly an engineering marvel, and with more than 40 tight hairpin bends to contend with, this pass is not fun. Especially near the top.
People were dropping their bikes, Ferraris were getting stuck because the corners are too tight, and all the while, I was just trying to make my way down in one piece. I don’t know what was sadder, my slow pace or the guy on a SuperDuke duck-pedalling his bike around a hairpin. Stelvio is definitely not what I had pictured. Fortunately, the sensory onslaught continued on my way to Vipetino with the beautiful Jaufen pass, and by the time I reached Vipetino, my entire being called: “Enough now! Enough!” There were still sights to see and passes to ride, but I was totally content to call it a day.
Day 8 – Vipetino – Mattighofen
Just as I left Italy, Brenner Pass offered me two more hairpins as a last hurrah as I pointed the SMT north to Mattighofen. I chose the highway this time, and for a brief moment, I was on the German Autobahn. I tentatively urged the SMT on and it delivered. But even at high speeds, I simply had to retreat to the slow lane as cars were passing me. I covered over 1800 km in the 8 days, and the bike returned a respectable 3.8 l/100 km. KTM launched the SMT to be a sports tourer and I must admit, they got it just right. This bike gives you the performance and agility of the 890 Duke but with the comfort of the 890 Adventure. The KMT 890 SMT was the perfect companion for this trip.
For anyone who is even thinking about doing something similar: beg, borrow, save or get a government tender, but whatever you do, touring through Europe on a motorcycle is one thing you have to do!
Even though I covered all the costs of the trip myself, I am eternally grateful for the South African connections heading up the marketing of the KTM brand. To Riaan Neveling, Diete Engelbrecht and Gareth Davidson, thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me with your bike. One day I might forget my name, but I doubt I will ever forget this trip!
