We’ve had a lot of weather in Sardinia these past two weeks. Enough so that when a really nice day finally made an appearance on Weather Underground it got our full attention. Sun means play. Time to tap into our nomad privileges. There would be more than enough rain to keep us glued to our desks the very next day.
Choosing our next destination is part whim, part science. This time the emphasis was as much on exploring some beautiful new country as it was on finding a decent patch of dirt. No ruts and sand. Just something that would give Min a chance to get to know the MT450 a bit better. She has considerable dirt experience, including some tricky BDRs in southern New Mexico, but this bike is a whole new beast. It took me two years to make the transition from a light dirt bike to a mid-weight ADV. It’s only been two weeks since she’s gone from the KTM390 to the bigger, heavier MT.
Mission defined, I poked around a few maps and came up with a route that would take us on a big loop rounding the southern coast of Sardinia and through the Sucis Mountains. Roads hugging a coastline are like catnip. The mountains would provide the dirt, also addictive.
Google’s estimated time for the whole route was just over 3hrs. My gut was telling me that the app was misjudging the dirt section. I figured it would take us five. Turned out that I was both right and wrong.
Knowing it would be a long day, we set out a bit earlier than usual. Earlier usually means cooler, but I overdressed. By the time we pulled up to a beach in Pula to say hello to the flamingos half an hour later, I was sweating.
Min watched me gear up that morning with a healthy dose of skepticism. She got off the bike with no wardrobe adjustments necessary. While I regeared, she put on her Tokyo cap and called a cappuccino break.
Later she told me that as I was ordering the coffees one of the patrons had trudged over to look at the bikes. ‘Sette cento’ he uttered, his lips puckered in approval as he stopped in front of the Tenere nodding. He then turned to look at the CFMoto, paused for a beat and left without a word. Min was amused.
We reached the southern coast half an hour later.
To do so, we had to give up Nora, a major archeological site a stone’s throw away from Pula. Although not nearly as well known, some consider it as significant as Pompeii. Barumini would have to do as our cultural visit for the week. We had a lot of ground to cover.
And that turned out to be the right call. Soon, the wind was chasing the cumulous away, the sea was busy choosing between aqua marine and turquoise and each new little bay we passed offered even better views than the one before.
Needless to say, we were still riding along the coast 3 hours and 8 minutes after departure, Google’s estimated time for the entire trip.
When we finally reached Teulada and picked up a bottle of water around 1:30pm Min asked me how much time it would take us to get back. Hour and a half, I answered rounding up the 1:28 I saw on my phone.
But I had doubts. Dirt was still ahead.
Dirt can take time. Sometimes lots of time. We only allotted five hours for the ride. What’s worse, Min was discovering that the ergonomics of the handlebars on the MT were beginning to work against her.
Fortunately, dirt also encourages standing as you ride. That would help.
We pushed on and shortly later the gamble began paying off. The first long section of dirt simply vaporized. Pretty sure I saw dirt on satellite between Teulada and Santadi, but no matter. To our advantage now. Dobra nasza, as we say in Polish.
The single lane SS195 from Teulada quickly climbs up into the mountains then levels off. The turns are long and sweeping and once in a while you still get a peek of the Mediterranean.
Foothills. 360 Video
Once west of Santani, the endless rolling hills of farmed land which later transition into the regional park of Gutturu Mannu are quite beautiful and relaxing. In the second week of February, spring was at its most vibrant. Flowers in full bloom, grass almost florescent green. Eager to grow, eager to live.
As we started entering Gutturu Mannu, the seasons began rolling back with each meter of altitude gained. More like early spring, deciduous trees still leafless.
SP1 Gravel. 360 Video
The transition from asphalt to dirt is sudden and a little sketchy. One moment you’re on a half decent tarmac, the next you’re navigating water filled potholes. The dirt surface itself isn’t much of an ADV challenge, you’re just not mentally prepared and so the entry happens at highway speeds, not ideal for dirt.
That said, the dirt section turned out to be quite quick and pretty well maintained. It reminded me of gravel roads in southwestern Colorado. Not quite as immaculate – which makes it more interesting – but certainly fast and wide. Plenty of room for Min to get used to the MT450 and the pretty aggressive Mitas that come with the bike.
And that was our second lucky break.
Highlighted section is 2/3 dirt in the middle.
I estimate that the gravel road was about 1/2 hour long. It took us about half hour to reach it from Teulada and it would take another half hour to reach Calgari once tarmac resumed. This put us back home right at 5hrs and 7min. Which is how I managed to be both right and wrong guesstimating the length of our outing. I assumed that Google would be optimistic about the dirt. Instead, it was I who was optimistic about how little time we’d spend admiring the views. Everything else added up.
I ended up being just 7 minutes off for all the wrong reasons.
Here’s a one minute edit summarizing the whole ride. Minus the beginning and end, both about half hour long and leading through windy open spaces and industrial sites. Not a fan.
One last thing. I classified this ride as Full Day because it should be. Whether you decide to spend more time taking in the sea views, having a proper meal or visiting the archeological sites along the way, it will easily take a good long day. It will be worth it.
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