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Dear
all, Welcome to the sixth edition of the Unicorn Adventures Newsletter! Enjoy your reading! If you need more information about a topic, drop us a line : contact@unicornadventures.com Have fun,
drive safely! Unicorn
Adventures Ltd Team |
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1. Events
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4.Cultural drops
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2. Unicorn Adventures Ltd tour tips
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5. The Ladies news |
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3. Bike test
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6. The techie tricks and tips |
| 2007 special offers |
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We like to collect nice quotes during our tours. This time the winners are two Canadians who survived the Alpine passes tour: Bill and Rob. Here are their thoughts :
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Good readings When you join a motorcycle tour you may have some time over the day to relax on the beach or at the hotel swimming pool and may want to read a good book while roasting in the sun. Of course this section will have a look at motorcycle touring focused ones (not all). Riding from 4 to 8 hours a day on a Unicorn Adventures Tour seems too short for you? Read one of Ron Ayres books like "Ride against the wind", his first time in the Iron Butt Rally. You may enjoy the "Longway round" by Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor. It is the story of their ride around the world, written in a very nice style and full of great human moments. Another long rider is Ted Simon who rode more than 60.000miles around the world in the 70s on a Triumph. He tells his story in "Jupiter's travels", a book you just can't stop reading. Lovely! And with nice thoughts about life and people. Finally for those in love with philosophy and deep thoughts there is a book called "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig, which is …well, a philosophy book. It's nice to see that biking has brought people to write! |
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Group
riding hand signs Group riding requires some discipline to have a safe and comfy ride. At Unicorn Adventures Ltd, we try to adapt the hand signs our guides use to the experience and motorcycle culture of our customers but some signs are standard and useful.
A sort of minimal basis made of 6 easy signs (4 for the guide, 2 for the group riders).
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As you can see they are easy to remind
! But never forget to wave "hello" to the other bikers on the road!
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| Speed touring : the K1200GT
F800S (c) Unicorn
Adventures Ltd |
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The speed feeling implies one will have to check the speedometer on a regular basis! The short fairing, nice engine noise make you think you are way faster! Which, considering the amount of cops, speed traps etc.. is a positive point as you can have a lot of fun and legal speeds! Saves your driving licence!
BMW proves with that bike that 800cc (like the VFR best seller) is a nice engine size! The twin (many think it is the best engine architecture for a motorcycle) has a lot of character and ensures pleasant riding!
The F800ST, compared to the S, comes with a fairing and higher handle bar (for more comfort in the position) and will for sure add a "touring" aspect to that nice motorcycle.
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Andorra
The "Mediterranean Coast" tour covers a great distance as it rides to one of the tiniest countries in Europe, sitting in the Pyrénées mountains between France and Spain: Andorra.
Roads to this tiny state were only opened in 1913 on the Spanish side and 1931 on the French one. 468 km² of stunning sceneries, ski slopes and ….duty free shopping!
Andorra became a free state in … 1993 when its approx. 65.000 voted the new constitution. Andorrans are calling themselves as "eager, proud and jealous" of their freedom! They speak Catalan as the country's official language but are often fluent in French and Spanish. Among the very positive sides to the life in Andorra are: no income taxes, no military service and some other nice advantages.
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Entering the country is always surprising as one hits kilometers of duty-free shops! But be aware that the French customs keep a very tight control and won't let you drive away with tons of drinks or cigarettes!
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(C) Caves CRTL
You should always use a clear glass to taste wine, never filled more than the half as you will have to turn the glass, move it to analyze the color. The shape of the glass should be rounded to catch all of the aromas. Of course if you want to compare wines, identical glasses are necessary. Shapes will vary with the type of wine, as you will see during the two weeks of the tour.
Tasting is the art of observation with Taste, Smell and Sight with the
ability to describe perceptions as well as comparing. |
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(C) Moto Raleuses |
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Place several men inside the group, and have a look: all the rules I talked about previously will disappear pretty quickly in a noisy buzz and an endless race. For sure we are numerous to have experienced such an adventure. The group that spins top speed, the excited "XY" that attack frankly in every curve, and us, poor ladies, desperately behind, mixing some attempts of good piloting and accelerations unwanted but indispensable if we want to follow. As a result, a few beautiful frights and a nightmare assured!
The solution for you, ladies: Unicorn
Adventures Ltd decided to offer you motorcycle tours for women only
from April 2007. Groups composed solely of women, with a feminine
guide, idem for the driver of the support vehicle; unless you prefer
that the person in charge of your luggage is a man... didn't you ever
dream to have a man at your service? Just kidding. (or maybe not…
it's up to you after all! ;-) ! |
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This topic is just set aside by everyone. Ron Ayres in his Going the extra mile, Insider tips for long distance motorcycling and endurance riding on page 23 writes a couple of lines about the materials and the sewing but nothing about the shape. Sewing is an important discomfort factor and can after a few hours ride get you to dream about a huge ice cube to sit on. But there is one thing you never think about when you go for a ride: the shape of your underwear! You may have your own favorite one: briefs, G string, underpants etc… and go for the one you are used too. But if you like briefs "holds the whole pack together", you will end up in a very uncomfortable situation while the borders slowly getting their mark on your soft baby butt skin. On the other side underpants will not have the border right where you sit but may need some adjustment to feel comfy and avoid misplaced folds. You may also have to fight against a certain level of freedom and moving parts.
After many different testing it seems the best solution is a subtle mix of underpants crossed with briefs: boxer briefs. Sewing is no more under your buttocks and the material holds what should be well maintained.
Just an advice but comfort is paramount
isn't it? |
