Sweden’s wildest Motorbike rides
- Torbjörn Öberg
The fantastic Brudfjällsvägen route runs between Högsbyn and Håverud. It’s a stretch of road that’s more reminiscent of a rollercoaster than a country road, and it’s a total trip for bikers. The whole of Dalsland is crawling with curving roads and light traffic, beautiful scenery, and nice places to stop for a coffee. A paradise for a road trip, in other words.
We’re here at last! After a couple of dozen miles of gorgeous country roads, we’re ready to get to grips with the legendary Brudfjällsvägen road.
We – that’s Björn, Steen and I – are all sitting astride our own fully laden heavyweight bikes, so keeping an eye on your balance is going to be key here. I engage first, and then second – which turns out to be my highest gear for the miles ahead.
The stretch between Håverud and Tisselskog is probably one of Sweden’s wildest tarmacked roads. There are more curves than you can count and they come one after another. Straight stretches are more or less non-existent and even the hills are a bit unusual, with gradients of up to 21%.
The curves never stop coming and forward visibility is seriously limited, so it’s vital to have a built-in margin if the curve is tighter than you expect.
And then there’s the sign warning of a 21% downhill gradient. Seconds later, I ride over something that can best be described as a precipice, or the start of the Helix ride at the Liseberg funfair. My stomach tightens and a quick check in the rear view mirror shows that Björn and Steen are with me.
The twists and turns continue and I get used to the feeling of constantly swaying from side to side. Everything’s going fine, and life feels pretty much perfect. But all good things come to an end, and we come to the end of Brudfjällsvägen right next to the Håverud Aqueduct.
Time to share the experience over a coffee at the cosy café underneath the aqueduct, then it’s back onto the Brudfjällsvägen road again, this time in the opposite direction.
Ed – worth a detour
Eds MC- & motormuseum. If you love motorbikes, a visit to Ed’s MC- & motormuseum is a must. Cast your eyes over 150 veteran bikes, mopeds and autocycles from several countries. The particularly unique items on display include a complete set of swedish rex bikes from 1923 to 1953 and foreign rarities such as a 1912 Wanderer, a 1919 Cleveland, a 1927 Indian Scout, and a 1929 Raleigh.
Information: mc-dalsland.se
