Riding to the World's End

This year the Norwegian Moto Guzzi Club spring rally was held at Verdens Ende…

 


 The End of the World...

That is the name of the town on the rocky tip of the peninsula that begins in Tønsberg on Oslo fjord. I don’t know the true origin of the name, but it is probably not because the good people of Tønsberg didn’t get out much.

Tønsberg is the oldest established town in the country and its people have been travelers and vikings at least as long as recorded history.

My guess is that The End of the World is where voyages to points unknown began. But for us from an island on the extreme west side of the country, our ride took us to the End of the World and back… and that should be far enough for anyone.

 


Google Earth Map of the trip

 

 

The Norwegian Moto Guzzi Klubb Spring rally 2008

Photo album

The Ride report

Of the 11 who had planned to make the trip, 5 actually turned up at the ferry landing in Vik on Friday morning


That was still a record turnout from our small hometown island of Austevoll. Add to that number the guys who started a day early so they could spend time on the small gravel roads in Telemark and Buskerud and it was a very respectable group. It doesn’t matter at all that there were only 2 Guzzis in the pack – a Cali special and a Centauro. The rest were a smattering of Indians, BMW, Triumph and a lonely Japanese bike.

The Indians insisted on following the coast. That route had almost exclusively long straight roads, double lanes, lots of traffic, lots of restricted speed zones, hundreds of kilometers of extra-heavily police patrolled ‘Highway Watch’ zones… and to top the matter off as far as the Guzzis were concerned…. 2-3 extra hours of it to suffer through.

Instead of the long, slow coast we chose the narrow roads cutting directly across the mountain ranges as much as we could. We road some extra kilometers to find the most scenic routes the ride could offer. And this area probably has the second best MC roads in the country stretched out, waiting for a bike that enjoys itself on twisting, steep mountain roads.


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