Back in 2002 I entered my first event on a Moto
Parilla. Not only my first event but my first in Italy & also the
first time I'd ridden my 175 MSDS more than a handful of miles. After a
week on the bike I was smitten by the event, the bike & the country.
Since
that time I've ridden the MSDS at several events & been back to
Italy too but never & taken part in a Giro style competition
anywhere else. In 2007 the organiser of many MotoGiro D'Italia UK
entries, Chris Bushell, set about replicating the Giro style event in a
UK setting. Unfortunately I was unable to take part in the inaugural
event but I made sure that in 2008 I would.
The main event in any Giro is the riding -
that's obvious - but the social side is equally important. A fine hotel,
a good meal & a "parc ferme" to display the bikes &
chew the fat adds to the enjoyment. To say we had all these in 2008
would be an understatement; the venue was stunning ; the meal a joy ;
the "parc ferme" spacious & connected to the public road
by a mile of private black-top to test & warm up the bikes on.
We
arrived the evening before the event in our camper van. The van has been
converted in such a fashion that the Parilla will slide into the back of
it & slot into a removable clamp for transport. Better than towing
on an open trailer & once the bike is unloaded the camper can resume
use as a "race base" & sleeping accommodation - ideal at a
race circuit but not at this venue though as we were booked into a room
at the hotel.
The next morning we signed on & thankfully were
spared the traditional Italian Giro pastime of incessant form filling,
stamping of said forms followed by technical inspection, further forms
& ritual sealing of the machines headstock. What takes a day in
Italy was done in 10 minutes in Oxford. Fab.
It would be very boring to recount the
event blow-by blow so lets just say its a great introduction to the Giro
experience over a two-day, 200 mile road run. If you harbour ambitions
to take part in a MotoGiro D'Italia then try the UK version first. The
Italian is 5 days of the same pleasurable experience with the possible
bonus of better weather, a bit less traffic out of the towns & some
direction arrows to make navigation even easier.
The Moto Parilla content of the event was unfortunately
curtailed by the fact it was the weekend before a renowned Spanish event
in Colombres . I was heartened to see another Parilla in the parc ferme
when I arrived. Unfortunately it suffered ignition problems before the
event & didn't make the start. Its owner Dirk took part as one of
the event officials & had a consolation ride on my bike.
So no event report to speak
of but a few pix to look at instead
Sorry about all the pix of me but I was the only Parilla on
the event.
