This year the appointment of the HAT Series of Sestriere, acronym of Hard Adventure Touring, has a special flavor. An event able to grow quickly has just ended, so much so that from this year it involves not only Suzuki, the absolute pioneer in this membership, but also almost all the other motorcycle manufacturers and various brands involved in the field of clothing and components close to the world of adventuring, increasingly appreciated by us motorcyclists.
It is a discipline that moves the concept of tourism a little further, bringing it closer to that of adventure. Marrying the initiative of several organizations, HAT Series is perhaps the most titled among them, you can live driving experiences in beautiful places, breathtaking views along roads normally closed to transit, all far from the asphalt roads.
For Suzuki, participating in this event is also a complement to the learning path that has as its foundation the educational experience of the V-Strom Academy. The school in Suzuki, which this year has had a very significant success in terms of attendance and which, for those interested, has the latest dates available on 14 and 15 September on its calendar. If learning how to handle a bike weighing over 200 kilos off-road is one of your goals, well… know that the V-Strom Academy is the right place to do so.
New this year, fans who came to Sestriere also to escape the heat that has made them feel more ferocious these days, have been able to take advantage of the introduction of numerous Demo Ride. Of course, Suzuki lined up a fleet of V-Strom 1000 and V-Strom 650s equipped with tires (Anlas Capra X), ready for a nice ride in the most characteristic places of the Alps on the border between Italy and France, but many bikers were also able to get their hands on Katana and the GSX-S750 to taste their performance on the perfect asphalt of the magnificent areas around Sestriere.
For our tour everything is ready to live this experience to the fullest. The V-Strom 1000 that I have been entrusted with is properly clawed, the Traction Control is off and the ABS is off. Ready to go, after a few kilometers of asphalt here is the first attack on the peaks that surround Sestriere. I must say that this bike never ceases to amaze me, both for the goodness of the powerful and negotiable twin cylinder, both for the performance of a very sincere chassis, even off the road.
Despite being the result of a project a few years ago, the V-Strom 1000 does not regret more horsepower, but rather is appreciated for a constant torque value to ensure a beautiful ride in fluency. The suspensions are also at the height of this type of course. Simple Carraie and fast dirt roads are his bread, only exaggerating on the most pronounced bumps is easy to get to “package” so better not to overdo. Strict stop in the restaurant typical of the area and away for the second part of the tour, even more tasty than in the morning.
And then, there it is, the brilliant idea of a colleague who decides to cross an unlikely area to say the least muddy, to understand something that would discourage even a few steps on foot. Et voilà! motion blocked, spirit of collaboration endurista that blossoms, some joke comrade and so on. This is the right spirit, almost next year I’ll come back.
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