Motorcycle touring in Sweden

 Spending a small fortune on a motorcycle just before moving to a big city to start university probably wasn’t the smartest move. So, when autumn break came around, I knew I’d better get some of my money’s worth. My experience riding a motorcycle is (or should I say was) quite limited having gotten my license less than four months ago. This was evident in my early route planning thinking I could cover more than 3000 kilometers in less than a week. Ultimately, I managed to do about 1200 kilometers in a five-day trip around southwestern Sweden and I am truly glad I adjusted my ambition. Riding a motorcycle can be just as tough as it can be fun. 

I got a late start on the first day which I had to make up for by covering a lot of distance on the highway. This may sound fun in theory opening the throttle as much as you can and passing every vehicle like a game but honestly, it gets boring after a few minutes. Especially when a wall of rain came beating down causing all the other cars to step on the brake while I just wanted to get the hell out of there. Not because I got wet (with the proper attire you do not feel the rain that much) but because the droplets on my visor impaired my vision while the road was running with water and the danger just doesn’t seem worth it if it is not fun. When the sky finally cleared up, I turned off the highway and followed winding forest roads painted golden by the late afternoon sun the rest of the way before reaching my bed for the night.

After a cold night in an old barn attic, I spent a couple hours gaining warmth in front of an open fire drinking hot coffee and chatting with my host before hitting the road again. Another late start meant more time on the highway but it also allowed for the Earth to heat up a bit. Armored with long underwear, thick gloves and heating in my handles, Swedish autumn still managed to numb my toes and fingers and stopping for gas was a much-needed break from the cool, pounding air resistance. Nonetheless, with a change of weather, autumn also brings its change of color, its beloved palette of shimmering red, orange, yellow and green. The last hundred kilometers that day were pure magic driving through forest-covered hills and along perfectly still mirror lakes. I was treated to one final shower which made the colors that much brighter when the sun came back out.

 

The next morning, a cool mist covered the valley. Sunbeams pierced through the mist and reflected off the dewy roads and the chill made the inside of my helmet all foggy so for the first hour, I had to drive with my visor open to be able to see. With the heavy rainclouds gone, the temperature dropped making me extra careful on the damp roads. Luckily, I did not meet any ice and my fingers began to tickle as the high noon sun brought them back to life. Reaching the west coast, I turned south and followed the rugged shoreline through picturesque farms and quaint little fishing villages. I gave myself an easy day with less than 200 k’s of riding (sitting too long on the bike, your butt turns to concrete) and saw the day fade away from the top of a patch of rocks overlooking the serene landscape with Robert M. Pirsig and a cup of coffee for company.

The chain on my bike was starting to sound kinda sad in the lower gears so I swung by a mechanic in Gothenburg to get it fixed before the final leg back to Denmark. What I thought would be a quick tightening and greasing became a brand new chain. An expensive procedure but she sounds happy now. Going to my last stop before heading home, I had to cross a lot of dirt roads. Now, I initially learned how to ride a motorcycle on a farm in New Zealand practicing on muddy roads and bumpy fields but that was on a 125-cc bike that weighed just a little more than a hundred kilos. Madam Blue (yes, that is her name) has an 800-cc engine and weighs just shy of 200 kilos with a full tank of gas. For every km I went, I build up a little more courage but I still have some practice to do.

On my final day, I knew I eventually had to get back on the highway to cross the bridge to Zealand but I wanted to hit as many twisting backroads as possible before that moment came. That is where riding a motorcycle gets fun. I spend the first few hundred meters on a new road getting to know it. Developing a feel for how sharp the turns are and how wide it is. The amount of opposite traffic, wet leaves or dirt on the road, the texture of the surface. Once I feel comfortable, I get to play with torque and forces. I am not going to bore you with the physics of it so let my just say that when making a turn at high speeds, in order to keep the motorcycle balanced, you gotta lean it and making a turn to the right, you gotta push the handlebar to the left and vice versa. Counterintuitive I know (it is actually called counter steering) but that is how it works and that is when riding a motorcycle gets fun. Gliding in and out of turns, leaning the bike at just the right moment to hit that ideal line, feeling that tug in your stomach as you push out your knee to keep your balance. Doing this in a beautiful setting is just the cherry on the cake.