We set off from Spöck today as planned at 6:30 AM. Our usual strategy: a break every hour or after every 100 kilometers, whichever comes first.
Initially, everything went smoothly. However, after the third break, around 300 kilometers in, problems began. Matthias tried to start the XSR: the display briefly showed an error and then went off. The motorcycle didn’t make a sound. Fortunately, Dirk had a jump-start power bank with him, and with this, we were able to start the XSR again. But now the check engine light was on, and the engine wasn’t running smoothly.
During this whole ordeal, the rain kept getting heavier. It was a terrible feeling, and everyone thought the trip was doomed. We searched for a nearby workshop. Matthias stumbled upon “Motorrad Laaks” online, which was about 30 minutes away. Matthias called them directly and asked if they could look at the problem. They agreed. We just had to get there.
So, we gave it a try. Matthias had to keep revving the engine at traffic lights, and we slowly made our way to the workshop. 5 kilometers before reaching the workshop, all the warning lights on the XSR came on, and it finally broke down completely. We called the workshop again. Margarete Laaks, the owner herself, asked where we were and drove out with a transporter to pick up the XSR.
At the workshop, the mechanics found that the battery was completely dead. They installed a new battery and reset the control unit. The motorcycle was running perfectly again. What a relief! We had lost three and a half hours but were able to continue the journey. Thank you, Margarete Laaks. Such service is outstanding!
Today, we covered well over 800 kilometers and were on the road for a total of 14 hours. Now, we’ve checked into the Hotel Ustpann in Schafflund and are finally relaxing.
We drove the following route today:
Max elevation: 499 m
Min elevation: -1 m
Total climbing: 5862 m
Total descent: -5966 m
Total time: 14:03:26