A true motorcycle traveler Gianclaudio Aiossa, with a Honda Monkey 125, started from Reggio Calabria and arrived at the North Cape (and back).
Everyone is good at traveling with today's maxis… but with the “minis”? Who would dare to travel over 2019 km in 10.000 days in 18 along state and secondary roads only?
The motorcycle traveler Gianclaudio Aiossa proposed to Honda at the beginning of the summer to embrace a challenge he had in mind for some time. Accustomed to big raids on super bikes (with Honda due Gibraltar Race riding theafrican twin and a tour of Iceland starting from Reggio Calabria with the NC750X), this year the idea was to do something even more extraordinary: reach one of the mythical destinations for motorcycle tourists from all over Europe, North Cape, not with a big one motorcycle touring, but with a small and city-friendly motorbike!
Yes, because the Monkey 125, with its 12-inch wheels, the almost 10 HP engine, the comfortable saddle and the large handlebar, inspires sympathy and great fun from the first glance, but certainly not a 10.000 km raid in just over two weeks! Yet the Calabrian rider did it and the little big bike did not lose a spark, moreover consuming very little, asking only three small top-ups of oil and "blasting" a rear tire. Problems? Nobody. Fun? So much, especially in the face of the incredulous and admired looks of those who "up there" arrived with real touring bikes. Here is his story.
The arduous challenge began on July 5th at sunrise. I loaded my 40 kg baggage on the Monkey and left for the coveted destination, the North Cape. The few days available to cover the over 10.000 km planned required great driving resistance and a safe and regular pace, which allowed me to resist the fatigue that accumulated day after day, always starting at dawn to cover daily distances. between 500 and 700 km with peaks of up to 900 km!
The small displacement of the Honda Monkey, 125 cc, did not allow me to travel on highways and fast roads for almost the entire trip, with the exception of some states that have regulated the access of motorcycles below 150cc, thus rarely allowing me to advance at a cruising speed close to the maximum speed which is approximately 100 km / h.
The demanding distance to cover every day put a strain on Gianclaudio, who defined his travel companion as follows: The Monkey can only be stopped under a tank! He never gave up on anything, he was truly indestructible. I took advantage of the great comfort of the saddle and the riding position. Its strong points are certainly reliability and consumption. I was able to ascertain 55 km / l full load, that is me plus a bag of almost 40 kg.
Gianclaudio Aiossa has already accomplished other feats with the support of Honda – in 2015 he reached Iceland riding a Honda NC750X. 2016 saw him protagonist at the Gibraltar Race riding the Africa Twin which, before returning home to Reggio Calabria, accompanied him around the entire Iberian peninsula. In 2017 he once again competed in the Gibraltar Race, again with a african twin. Finally, 2018 is the year of national challenges, with participation in the "20.000 Pieghe" and the "Hard Alpi Tour Sanremo - Sestriere", riding the Africa Twin Adventure Sports.
Finally, a spectacular start of 2019 with the participation in the Honda Adventure Roads raid in South Africa in March. And here we are, again around the world with the fantastic Monkey 125. Is exactly thanks to this last, tough challenge, that today I definitely feel like a real Honda Adventure Rider - adds Gianclaudio after having listed his companies.
After starting on July 5 at dawn from Reggio Calabria, he traveled two stages in Italy, then two in Germany, one in Denmark and two in Sweden to reach the desired destination of the North Cape with a last night pull. We asked him if he had rested during the final rush: Mi I rested for a couple of hours leaning against a table during a stop at a petrol station and then at the North Cape, after the usual photos in front of the globe symbol of the place, I rested another 2 hours, also because it is day there at night ! "
Having reached their goal, the Monkey and Gianclaudio still had the long journey back to face together. Restarted clockwise, it passed through Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria to then return to Italy reaching Ravenna where he rested over the weekend before reaching the Honda Motor Europe headquarters in Rome aboard his now inseparable Monkey 125 cc with 10.100 km more on the odometer.
Special thanks to Honda Motor Europe - Italy, who still believed in me, providing me with a Honda Monkey and supporting me in the best possible way. I really feel part of a team, and their warm welcome at the Rome office confirmed it to me!
For those who missed the company, it is possible to relive the adventure of Gianclaudio Aiossa on his social profiles:
- https://www.facebook.com/gianclaiossa
- https://www.instagram.com/aiossadventure
