The Deus Swank Rally - Milano Rumble

May 03, 2017

One milion four hundred thousand square meters of industrial archeology on the outskirts of Milan, the area of the former Lombardy “Falck” steel and iron works, founded in 1906 and among the oldest in the world; buildings that are so extraordinary that they are on the shortlist to become UNESCO World Heritage Site. This epitome of 20th-century Italian industrial history, crowned by the A4 motorway and the Lambro River, was the outstanding and post-atomic location for the first leg of the Deus Swank Rally. The special trials were designed by Sandro Tramelli’s exceptionally experienced Jolly Racing Team, a true institution in the enduro world, which since 1984 has won 20 world titles and over 100 individual Italian and team awards, counting Muraglia, Grasso, Rossi , Merriman, Ahola and Salvini among their most titled riders. We had hard ground with rock and stones on one side and endless mud on the other, just to keep everyone happy! The weather did not cooperate the days before the event making logistics and organization difficult. On the morning of the Milan Rumble we were lucky for a few hours, but then rain showers soaked all of the swankers, none of whom were discouraged and all of whom carried on giving the gas! Indeed there were some exceptionally beautiful, funny and interesting bikes to be seen. As well as the bikes and their stylish riders there were several other vehicles with four, six and eight wheels such as the vintage Land Rover, the wonderful school bus belonging to Officine Vivaldi or our friend Riccardo Tosi’s (MilanoGarage) amazing “Leopard 8”. The formula chosen for the friendly championship was not only fun but its spirit was fully respected by all competitors. It meant that everyone timed themselves, starting the stopwatch at the beginning and stopping it at the end of the special trial. With such varying types of bikes which in some cases were not even suitable to the terrain, it was all down to human elegance: everybody timed their own lap and put their time on a magnetic board in the Parc Fermé. And between a ham sandwich and a Deus Cafe beer, set up as always ad hoc by 100 Fa friends, there was a very relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, a different “flavor” from normal motorsports and the controversies that every now and then inevitably arise. Everyone gave gas to their maximum ability. It may only have been a friendly championship, but there were some of the most impressive performances ever seen! Photo: Marco Renieri, Marco Campelli, Francesco Ferrari -------- Unmilionequattrocentomila metri quadrati di archeologia industriale alle porte di Milano, l’area delle ex Acciaierie e Ferriere Lombarde Falck, fondate nel 1906 e tra le più antiche al mondo; costruzioni candidate a diventare Patrimonio dell’Umanità dell’UNESCO, come straordinario palcoscenico. Questo simbolo assoluto della storia industriale italiana del XX secolo, coronato dall’autostrada A4 e dal fiume Lambro, è stato l’eccezionale e post-atomica location per la prima tappa del Deus Swank Rally. Le prove speciali sono state tracciate con l’eccezionale esperienza del Jolly Racing Team di Sandro Tramelli, una vera istituzione nel campo dell’enduro, che dal 1984 ha vinto 20 titoli mondiali ed oltre 100 italiani individuali ed a squadre, contando Muraglia, Grasso, Rossi, Merriman, Ahola e Salvini tra i propri piloti più titolati. Abbiamo avuto terreno duro con sasso e roccia da una parte e fango a volontà dall’altra, per non scontentare proprio nessuno! Non ci ha proprio aiutati il meteo, ostico fin dai giorni precedenti l’evento, rendendo impegnative la logistica e l’organizzazione; la mattina della Milano Rumble ci ha graziato solo per qualche ora, per poi regalare qualche doccia ad ognuno degli swanker, che imperterriti hanno continuato a dare del gran gas! Infatti si sono viste moto eccezionalmente belle, divertenti e interessanti; oltre alle moto e ai concorrenti di grande stile, si sono fatti ammirare altri mezzi a quattro, sei, e otto ruote, come le Land Rover d’epoca, il bellissimo scuolabus di Officine Vivaldi, o il meraviglioso “Leopard 8” del nostro amico Riccardo Tosi (MilanoGarage). Divertente e pienamente rispettata nello spirito, è stata formula del campionato amichevole, che prevedeva che ognuno si prendesse il tempo, facendo scattare il cronometro prima di partire per fermarlo una volta finita la prova speciale. Con moto così eterogenee e in alcuni casi inadatte, è stata l’eleganza anche umana a farla da padrone: ognuno ha cronometrato il proprio giro, esponendo il tempo su una lavagna magnetica nel parco chiuso. E tra un panino alla mortazza e una birra del Deus Cafe, allestito come sempre ad hoc dagli amici di 100 Fa, si è respirato un clima molto rilassato e piacevole, un sapore certamente diverso dal normale motorsport e dalle polemiche che ogni tanto inevitabilmente si vengono a creare. Tutti hanno comunque dato gas al massimo delle proprie capacità; campionato amichevole sì, ma si sono viste alcune prestazioni di assoluto rilievo! Foto: Marco Renieri, Marco Campelli, Francesco Ferrari

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Sabtu pagi, 17 Juni 2023, menjadi hari yang ditunggu-tunggu oleh 250 peserta reli sepeda motor dan 80 kontestan flat track race di Bali. Itu merupakan acara Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure keempat yang diselenggarakan oleh komunitas pecinta motor trail vintage yang lebih dari sekadar menggemari motor dual purpose era 80-90-an. Dikenal sebagai Trail Asik Adventurer, AKA… Tasik Adventure yang telah menunggu setahun untuk merencanakan dan mengerjakan nya demi tidak mengecewakan siapapun yang ikut berpartisipasi.

Coba kamu bayangkan , ada dua sisi koin berbeda pada event kali ini. Yang pertama adalah Reli. Mereka memberi nama Challenge "Tantangan", menjadikan setiap peserta sebagai "Penantang" Challenger. Jadi, di tempat parkir Sangeh Monkey Forest, sambil menikmati keteduhan pohon jati raksasa yang awet muda, 250 Penantang parkir untuk menerima kode QR untuk etape pertama rute reli. Seluruh perjalanan adalah 3 etape dengan 3 titik pemberhentian. 4 jika Anda menghitung tujuan.

Ada beberapa motor keren di sana, Honda XR, Yamaha DT, Suzuki TS, Suzuki DR, dan beberapa custom modern, motocross dan scrambler. Sekitar sepuluh atau lebih, mereka berbaris di titik start dan memulai rally dari sana. Misi setiap orang adalah menyelesaikan setiap tahap dan berhenti di 3 titik pemberhentian untuk mendapatkan kode QR untuk bagian berikutnya. Keindahan Bali selalu menjadi pendamping, saat kami terbang di sepanjang kombinasi jalan aspal, jalan pedesaan, dan jalan tanah di daerah Tabanan. Kami perlahan-lahan terbang tinggi dan semakin tinggi ke perbukitan dan pemandangan sawah dan hutan akhirnya habis, sebenarnya lebih seperti perlahan menjadi satu ketika kami sampai di tujuan. Bali Outbound Farmstay (BOF) yang juga menjadi tempat berkemah semalam. Jika Anda mengumpulkan semua kode QR Anda, Anda mendapat medali Rally sebagai bentuk penghargaan.

Sisi lain dari koin yang disebutkan sebelumnya, atau event kedua, adalah balap jalur datar (flat track). Atau dalam hal ini jalur dengan landasan yang tidak rata karena tempat mereka membangun jalur itu berada di atas tempat yang dulunya terdapat dua sawah terasering. Jadi titik start finish lebih tinggi dari jalur lurus pertama dengan penurunan pada tikungan pertama dan sedikit menanjak pada tikungan kedua. Saat kami masuk ke BOF, kami sudah bisa mendengar suara motor flat track dan sorakan penonton yang berkumpul. Kami parkir dan membuat jalur jalur seperti lebah.

Keseruan seutuhnya pada acara, disaat tingkat kesulitan tambahan dimasukkan ke dalam jadwal sore hari menarik perhatian yang sangat luar biasa. Mereka berhasil menarik sekitar delapan puluh peserta, terbagi dalam 4 kelas: Kelas Mesin Horizontal, Kelas FFA 4T Max 250cc, Kelas FFA 2T Max 250cc Flat Track, dan Kelas FFA Big Bore.

Antusiasme untuk balapan flat track sangat terasa. Kegembiraan tumbuh saat kami melewati babak penyisihan dan membangun sesuatu yang luar biasa untuk final setiap kelas. Tidak ada kata menahan, mereka hadir untuk memenangkannya. Pembalap dari setiap komunitas bersaing sengit di setiap kelas. Nama-nama seperti Maulana Sandi, Dewa Dimas, Harris Manasi Ride, Nova Rider Sing Mebekel, Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel, Bontok Giga MX, dan lain-lain tak main-main, sebagian besar dari memamerkan skill mereka tanpa mengesampingkan sportifitas dan keselamatan.

Trek dengan permukaan tanah liat merah keras yang kering memberikan tantangan. Di awal, para pembalap disuguhkan dengan bagian menurun pada tikungan pertama, setelah itu mereka memeras gas di bagian trek lurus sebelum berputar ke kiri lagi tapi kali ini menjadi bagian menanjak pada tikungan kedua. Itu memaksa mereka untuk menggabungkan keterampilan balap trek datar mereka dengan banyak teknik motocross. Pada akhirnya, semua pembalap bersenang-senang dengan debu tanah liat merah yang menutupi segalanya dan semua orang.

Saat matahari terbenam ke arah cakrawala, saudara dan sahabat motoran kami meraih pecahan cahaya terakhir untuk mendirikan tenda mereka dan dalam persiapan untuk berkemah malam. Matahari menghilang di balik Gunung Batukaru memberi semua orang pemandangan yang menakjubkan, tetapi segera menyelimuti kami dengan udara yang jauh lebih sejuk dari dataran tinggi di Baturiti Tabanan ini.

Percakapan tentang rute reli dan balapan flat track mengalir dari pintu tenda semua orang yang berkemah, yang lain membaringkan tubuh mereka yang lelah untuk mengantisipasi perjalanan keesokan harinya, perjalanan yang relatif santai ke Pantai Pasut.

Dengan begitu, acara Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure 2023 pun berakhir. Sampai bertemu lagi tahun depan, salam untuk semua penantang, pengalaman yang luar biasa.

Berikut daftar pemenang Kelas Flat Track:

Flat Rack Horizontal Engine Class Winners:
1. Chiko GTT Bali
2. Panduk Pisaga Delodan
3. Andika Monkey Brothers

Flat Rack FFA 4T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Nova Rider Sing Mebekel
2. Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel
3. Bontok Giga MX

Flat Rack FFA 2T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Sandi Maulana
2. Dewa Dita
3. Eponk Road Country

Flat Rack FFA Big Bore Class Winners:
1. Dewa Dimas
2. Haris Manasi Ride
3. Sandi Maulana

Saturday morning, June 17, 2023, was a highly anticipated day for 250 motorcycle rally participants and 80 flat track race contestants in Bali. It was the Fourth Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure event organized by a community of vintage trail motorcycle enthusiasts who love more than fanging about on their dual-purpose motorcycles from the 80s and 90s. Known as the Trail Asik Adventure Community, AKA… Tasik Adventure people had waited a year for the follow up and none were disappointed.

Just so you can get it straight in your head, there’s two very different sides to this coin. The first one was the Rally. They hung it under the banner of “Challenge”, making each partaker a “Challenger”. So, in the carpark of Sangeh Monkey Forest, which enjoys the shade of giant ageless teak trees, 250 Challengers parked up to receive the QR code for the first leg of the rally route. The entire ride was 3 stages with 3 stop points. 4 if you count the destination.

There were some amazing bikes there, Honda XR’s, Yamaha DT’s, Suzuki TS’s, Suzuki DR’s, and some custom modern motocross and scrambler bikes. In lots of ten or so, they lined up at the starting point then let them out for the event. Everyone’s mission was to complete each stage and stop at the 3 stop points to get the QR code for the next bit. Bali’s beauty was the constant companion, as we flew along a combination of asphalt roads, rural roads and dirt tracks in the Tabanan area. We slowly winded up high and higher into the hills and the views of rice fields and forests finally ran out, actually, it was more like blurred into one when we reached our destination. Bali Outbound Farmstay (BOF), which was also to be the overnight camping spot. If you collected all your QR codes you got a Rally medal as a form of appreciation.

The other side of the aforementioned coin, or second event, was the flat track. Or in this case staggered track because where they had built the track it was over a spot that had once held two rice terraces. So the Start finish straight sat higher than the return straight with a drop on the first turn and an uphill bit on the second. As we were pulling into BOF we could already hear the flat track bikes and the assembled crowd cheering. We parked up and made a bee line track side.

What an absolute corker of an event, the added degree of difficulty jammed into the afternoons schedule made for the most marvelous distraction. They’d managed to attract around eighty participants, split over 4 classes: Horizontal Engine Class, FFA 4T Max 250cc Class, Flat Track FFA 2T Max 250cc Class, and FFA Big Bore Class.

The enthusiasm for the flat track races was palpable. The excitement growing as we whittled down through the heats and building to something of a crescendo for the finals of each class. There was no holding back, they were in it to win it. Racers from each community fiercely competed in each class. Names like Maulana Sandi, Dewa Dimas, Harris Manasi Ride, Nova Rider Sing Mebekel, Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel, Bontok Giga MX, and others were letting nothing slip, flaunting their skills without compromising sportsmanship and safety. Mostly.

The track, with its dry hard red clay surface, presented challenges. Off the start, the racers were presented with a downhill section on the first turn, they hit the gas on the bottom straight before spinning left again but this time into an uphill section on the second turn. It forced them to combine their flat track racing skills with a slew of motocross techniques. In the end, all the racers had fun with the red clay dust lay across everything and everyone.

As the sun dipped towards the horizon, our compadres and accomplices grabbed the last shards of light to set up their tents in readiness for a night of camping. The sun disappeared behind Mount Batukaru affording everyone a magnificent view, but immediately enveloping us in the much cooler air of these high grounds here in Baturiti Tabanan.

Conversations about the rally route and the flat track race flowed out of the tent flaps of all those who camped others bedded their weary bodies down in anticipation for the next day's ride, a comparatively leisurely meander down to Pasut Beach.

With that, the Rally & Camp Tasik Adventure 2023 event came to an end. Until we meet again next year, greetings to all challengers, what an amazing time.

Here is the list of the days winners:

Flat Rack Horizontal Engine Class Winners:
1. Chiko GTT Bali
2. Panduk Pisaga Delodan
3. Andika Monkey Brothers

Flat Rack FFA 4T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Nova Rider Sing Mebekel
2. Ferry Rider Sing Mebekel
3. Bontok Giga MX

Flat Rack FFA 2T Max 250cc Class Winners:
1. Sandi Maulana
2. Dewa Dita
3. Eponk Road Country

Flat Rack FFA Big Bore Class Winners:
1. Dewa Dimas
2. Haris Manasi Ride
3. Sandi Maulana