Episode Six, Season Two of ‘Behind the Dream’ leaves the MotoGP paddock to follow a group of HRC staff as they take the motorcycle trip of a lifetime through Italy. A passion for racing brought them to work together and a love for motorcycles made a dream adventure happen.
Albanese, Barbiani, Jordi, Charlie, Rodo and Max have all worked together for many years inside HRC and the Repsol Honda Team. Their roles differ from mechanic to engineer and coordinator, but all six share an incredible passion and enthusiasm for a uniting force – the motorcycle. An intense calendar doesn’t always allow for much down time, but when a break after the French GP in 2023 emerged a dream trip became reality.
With support from Honda Italy, the troupe mounted a fleet of Honda CRF1100L Africa Twins – the perfect motorcycle for the mix of riding conditions ahead of them. From long stretches of highway to gravel tracks, the Africa Twin makes it all easy thanks to long ravel suspension, light weight, and honed chassis geometry. “You can do like 300km and when you arrive at the hotel, you’re relaxed,” said ‘Max’ who did most of the logistics and route planning for the trip. “The bike reacts really good no matter what you are riding on,” continued ‘Charlie’ who frequently rides off road in his free time.
The unique experience of a motorcycle trip turned co-workers into friends and continued to show that ‘you meet the nicest people on a Honda’. “I thought we all were totally different people,” said Rodo – usually part of the coordination team inside the Repsol Honda Team, but the common interest of motorcycling, and food, quickly proved that there was a lot in common among the group. “In my memory it’s the first time we have been able to mix the two sides of the team,” declared ‘Barbiani’ who has been with the Repsol Honda Team since 2019 after working inside LCR.
“The travel was nice, but the people were better” – Jordi
As the Repsol Honda Team prepare for an important 2024 campaign with Joan Mir and Luca Marini, the bonds inside the team have only continued to strengthen. Motorcycling is more than a job for those inside HRC, it’s an all-consuming passion, a way of life. This is the Power of Dreams.
The full episode is available on the Honda Racing Corporation YouTube page, along with all previous seasons and episodes of Behind the Dream.