A special journey

“This idea was born during the pandemic. Always super busy, with Covid I found myself locked up at home, like everyone else, and slowly I began to appreciate those moments of ‘tranquility’, without the stress and daily anxieties normally transmitted by life. I told myself that when the pandemic was over I should start living life in a more relaxed way and from there I started planning this trip in ‘slow motion’, without having to be accountable to anyone“. This is how Matteo di Fazio, a young Roman photographer, told us about his journey to one of the most sought-after destinations for travelers on two wheels: North Cape. Unlike many, he wanted to reach this goal with a vehicle that we love so much: “I looked for a vehicle that reflected this state of mind, this type of experience, because I wanted to disconnect from normal life: a journey without stress, without hurry. I was browsing the internet and among the various vehicles the one that immediately struck me was the Ciao. I immediately fell in love with it. So I started looking for an old Ciao to fix.“

The dedication

Matteo wanted to give a name to his curious travel companion: “I gave the name Peppino to my Ciao in honor of my grandfather, and I also dedicated the trip to him, because he was the one who passed on this passion for travel to me” on the road”. He was afraid of flying and always told me to travel overland so as to admire the various landscapes and meet new people. With this excuse, 10 years ago I found myself accompanying him to England by train, over 30 hours: it was a unforgettable journey. From there I began to understand what he wanted to convey to me and I started traveling around the world by land (when it was possible for me).“

From an idea to success

“Malossi was the first company I contacted for support, because as a kid I too was obsessed with engines and modifications. It was a dream to mount Malossi components or simply have a sticker attached to the bodywork. Slowly from there other local companies they gave me support with this project. While I was travelling, the news spread on social media and took an unexpected success. In fact, on my return my country organized a party for me, several local and national newspapers such as Gazzetta Dello Sport spoke of this trip and finally also some TVs like Tg3 and Rai1 on the program Unomattina.“

The story

Matteo is also a photographer for the Trofei Malossi and he set off right from the Pomposa stage with his Ciao towards the North Cape, stopping at the company for a small pre-departure check. He told us about the main stops and the curiosities he faced: “It was a journey full of emotions, full of adventures and misadventures, I have some memories of every place that I will carry with me for life. In Italy I spent my days traveling the morning and enjoying the various locations for the rest of the day, I didn’t cover many kilometers because of the heat.When I left when it was over 40 degrees, it was the hottest week of the summer, and in order not to risk doing damage I traveled with the fresh in the morning. I put Peppino to the test but he came out with his head held high. Only in Austria did I have to change the rollers because there were too steep climbs for the setting I had set. From Germany onwards the bad weather started: for days I traveled in the rain. In Sweden and Finland it was not possible to plan the travel days because the forecast changed from hour to hour. Some days I traveled for more than 4 hours wet from head to toe. I must admit that Norway it was the most exciting and most anticipated nation of the trip. In the end, the biggest unforeseen events were the weather conditions, because I wasn’t equipped with the right clothing. Before leaving I was worried about the Ciao, but in the end it didn’t have any major problems. The Malossi components were super reliable and held up great all the way.“

Mopeds always give emotions

“The trip lasted 20 days, I left alone because it’s something I felt like doing and I also needed to disconnect from this frenetic life. I met so many people along the way. Every day I had onlookers who stopped me to have a chat and compliment me. The rumor was going around among the various motorcyclists, in fact when I arrived at the North Cape someone recognized me and came to ask me for photos. I certainly won’t stop here, I have many travel plans for the future: I’m already starting to plan other trips, some with Peppino too.“

Malossi Gas always gives emotions, as does the Ciao on the other hand. What will be the next adventure?