ALBANIA SH31: Perfect OFFROAD MOTORBIKE ADVENTURE 🇲🇰 🇦🇱 | W.BALKANS Ep.#4

Join us on an epic journey along the Old SH31, a hidden gem gravel road from Peshkopi to Kukës in Albania, perfect for all off-road enthusiasts! In this Episode #4 of our Western Balkans series, we tackle this rugged, scenic route along the Drin River, showcasing why it’s an ideal starter off-road adventure. Whether you’re new to off-roading or a casual traveler, this video guides you through the best spots, tips, and challenges of the Old SH31 trail.

🔧 Why Old SH31?
• Perfect for beginners with manageable gravel terrain
• Stunning views of the Drin River and Albanian landscapes
• A hidden off-road route in the Western Balkans
📍 Route Details:
Discover the unpaved Old SH31, connecting Peshkopi to Kukës, known for its adventurous gravel paths. This beginner-friendly off-road trail offers a thrilling yet accessible experience, ideal for 4x4s, motorcycles, or off-road bikes.
🎥 What to Expect:
• Scenic highlights along the Drin River
• Beginner off-road tips and safety advice
• Travel insights for Albania off-road trips

👍 Like, Subscribe, and Hit the Bell!
If you enjoy off-road adventures, beginner travel guides, or Western Balkans exploration, subscribe for more! Drop a comment below—tell us your favorite off-road moment or if you’ve ridden the Old SH31!

👉 Check out the WESTERN BALKANS MOTORCYCLE DIARIES series:

DISCLAIMER:
Drone Shots in forbidden areas in the moment of shooting were purchased as stock footage from Envato Elements.

00:00 – Intro
00:30 – Overview from Saint Naum Monastery (MK)
01:28 – Plan of the day and total km while driving
02:23 – Coasting Lake Ohrid and Drin Nero River in Macedonia
03:46 – Drone shots on Drin Nero and Lake Globochica
04:25 – Back in Albania & crossing wood paved bridge
04:51 – OFFROAD START on Old SH31
05:53 – Close Call with Orange Pick-up
07:00 – Comment on why Old SH31 is a good starter for all
08:12 – T7 and Ducati pushing on the gravel
09:08 – Considerations on navigating using phone in Offroad
09:35 – Drifting and pushing a moment to remember
10:58 – Aerial shots of Drin river valley and Drone Crash
11:59 – Descent to Wood Paved Bridge on Drin River
13:41 – Second Bridge Crossing
15:33 – Trail toward third Bridge on Drin River
16:40 – Third Bridge Crossing
17:38 – Pushing in the last stretch behind the Ducati
18:57 – Leaving our signature before offroad ends
20:06 – OFFROAD END & Considerations
21:29 – Snack break before moving toward Lezhe
22:02 – Back on the road for the last stretch
22:46 – Arrival on the Hotel & Wrap-up

🏍️FEATURED MOTORBIKES:
-2023 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid
-2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700
-2022 Ducati Desert X

🧤RIDER GEAR:
-RST Adventure-X Airbag CE Jacket
-IN&MOTION Airbag CU (2 Modes Street and Adventure)
-REV’IT Pants (I forgot the model)
-ARAI Tour-X4 Detour (Yellow)
-GAERNE Fastback Enduro Boots
-RST Fulcrum CE Waterproof Gloves
-FLY Patrol XC Lite (90% of times)
-KLIM Aggressor -1.0 (Pants+Jersey)
-FLY Hip Protection Under-pants

📱PHONE AND RELATED EQUIPMENT:
-APPLE iPhone 14 Pro Max
-QUADLOCK Magsafe Case for iPhone 14 Pro Max
-QUADLOCK Mirror Mount (mounted on GPS bar over speedometer)
-QUADLOCK wireless charging pad with vibration dampener
-RAM MOUNT Handlebar mount with quadlock mount
-QUADLOCK Action Cam adapter
-INSTA360 & DJI Quickrelease mounts
-CHINMOUNT for Arai Tour-x4

🎬FILMING HW & SW:
-DJI OSMO ACTION 5 PRO (+OEM ND FIlters)
-DJI FLIP + DJI RC2
-DJI Mic Lavalier
-DJI Mic Mini Wireless
-Freewell Filter set for DJI FLIP
-INSTA360 GO3S
-INSTA360 X3
-INSTA360 GPS Remote
-GO PRO Hero 10 (Ciccio)
-GO PRO Hero 7 (Wonder)
-Apple Final Cut Pro X
-Apple Motion
-MacBook Air M3

🎒LUGGAGE & RACKS:
-DONNERTECH Handles and luggage rack
-ENDURISTAN Tornado 2 M (32L) Pack Sack
-ROKSTRAPS Black 025 60″
-TOURATECH Additional Bag Extreme x2 (3L each)
-SW-MOTECH Pro-Daypack Tank Bag (5-8L)
-DOUBLETAKE Mirrors

#Adventure #Albania #motovlog

[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] Good morning, dear viewer. Check this out. We woke up to a peacock belting tunes outside our window at Saint Nam Monastery, right on the shores of Lake Okrid in North Macedonia. This place has some serious vibes. Yesterday’s exhaustion from the grind just melts away, turning into pure excitement for today’s fun. Tweaked the plan a bit, but I’ll spill the details later on the ride. For now, we are gearing up for a beginner friendly adventure with epic views, ending with chill time at a seaside hotel in Lee. Ready to dive in? Let’s make it happen. Easy fix of quadlock. Magic place. Really magic. This morning slight change of plans. Yesterday we really came at the hotel cooked. We did uh more than 12 hours ride. And so we decided this uh this morning for this day instead of going to the off-road alp section which is uh 100 kilometers and we don’t know how much would be the average speed we switch plans. So instead of going to Ted uh on the mountains, we will go to Scoder, but uh we will do the SH31 uh which is the um previous highway. It’s a gravel road. Uh should be kind of a fast fast off road so that we can let’s say rest a little bit in the afternoon. They go sympatico. Good boy. Officers are on the scene. Hold up. Being called four times is no joke. Shivers on my spine. Suddenly, I felt the distance. At the end, it was a false alarm, but the feeling remained for a while. Anyway, let’s go back to our adventure costing the Dero River, thousands kilometers from home. Those views are unreal. Perfect spot to soak it in, keep it smooth, and enjoy the ride. You’d fit right in. How is the vibe hitting you? Let me know in the comments. Hey, gliding past Globo Chica Lake. Check that dam. It’s manmade. Should be 12 km long. Sweet view for today’s ride. Keep it rolling, folks. back in Albania. Welcome back to Alania. We were close to the old SH31 and man, this bridge with wooden planks initially scared me for a second, but as soon as the bike went over it, the fear disappeared. I was listening to the noise of moving pieces beneath the tires while enjoying the view. Ideally, this was the gate for the off-road stretch to start. All right, here we go. The off-road kicks off on this flat stretch, and I’m buzzing with excitement. Pushing my skills a bit, but it’s key to balance speed with what my body can handle. Run out of juice too fast, and we are toast. Another one bites the dust. That’s me. The Italian bite the dust. Yeah. For this first phase, we are dialing in the right pace. Stay with me. Keep it smooth and let’s nail this. Hello, sweeties. [Music] Want to rinse boot at night? No. So, lift your feet. said to me, “This is a proper normal road.” Everybody here doesn’t care. Just doesn’t care. You die. I don’t care. [Music] wasn’t joking also saying this was the Albanian old let’s say proper road main road because yeah see this straits that are still cars that are going here. I hope that you can see something. I barely [Music] wa we are singing Italian style pure fun side races style. Watch the full video and let me know in the comments who is the winner. [Music] Hey, notice those local cars zipping around. Yep, this road is still alive. Sure, crossing can get dicey, like that orange truck scare earlier, but that’s a plus if something goes wrong. Help is never far, and you’re not totally alone out here. That’s why this trail is a solid pick for new off-roaders like me. Piano What a nice couple. We call them the twins. So, let’s go. Looks like the twins are having fun. We’ll wait for you on the crossing or, you know, when the road splits. Yeah, [Music] whatever. Of course you do. [Music] Let Let him go a little bit. I don’t want to Eat the dust. Is it right? Yep. Yeah. Osman on the phone is not the best thing because first of all, it’s a very complicated for a newbie like me. Second of all, the phone the screen covered in dust. So, you should get a proper, you know, tablet if you want to do that on a consistent basis. Of course, if you are with friends of which you have one that navigates for you, that is no problem. [Music] This trail holds us tight. Drifting through this curve, it’s like time is slipping away. Feels like kids lost in a playground. But the memory is already fading into gold. This day will linger in our hearts long after it’s gone. As for me, this strip of gravel slices between mountain and ravine. A sight that steals my breath away. I’m trailing the dust kicked up by my two twin paths, watching their path fade into the air. It’s a moment etched in time, slipping through my fingers. See, they’re there. [Music] when Juliano Yeah. All right. Piano, [Music] beautiful, beautiful Albania really. It’s a paradise for off-road. [Music] That drone scare strong wings nearly took it, but luck pulled it through. Makes me think twice about using it here. All those video could have been gone. Now I’m lost into this view. The dream river throwing closer as we descend from the heights. That turquoise gleam finally breaks into sight. A memory worth keeping. Stay steady. Let’s take it in. [Music] might be puddles. Ooh, nice. Heat up here. It’s like every wooden bridge I conquer, confidence surge like wildfire. Mastering the pavement ignites a leap in my spirit. A rush of pure power. Feel the fire building. Let’s push the limits and soar. [Music] My ass is on fire. It was not like that. Are you set up from there? That’s wonderful. Where are they coming from? Where’s Julian? Nice. Let’s see if Luca is there. [Music] Look at this. Heat. Heat. [Music] Oh, wow. Nice. We are nearing the end of this off-road stretch. There is the finish inside. Each wooden bridge tightens the bond with this bike. A conquest that lifts my spirit higher. The rhythm is electric. Let’s ride in this last wave with pride. Okay. Heat. Heat. [Music] That’s That’s heat. And here we are, three friends mid journey, carving gravel strips between mountain rocks and ravines. Each dust trail we kick up marks the sky like our signature. Carry a bit of speed. Oh wow. Nice and plushy. Oh yeah. Yeah, baby. After all that foot massage. Yeah. Looks like it’s not over. The foot massage. I mean, not to mention the off-road. Party is over. Asphalt just entered the room. Nice stretch on off road. Approximately 65 70 km. And for sure the the enduro training helped a lot. And I mean a lot. It’s really the same movement, the same exact skill that you have to use. It’s just get used to your bike, the weight distribution, the way the bike handles. But then after that, just in few kilometers, you’re on top of your office. I would say this is a such a great bike, but you have always to invest in yourself before. So would I recommend all the H31 for a newcomer’s balcon road trip? Absolutely shortlist it wide path pew holes no rats and locals around if help is needed. Plus speed freaks can push it while soaking in this valley breathtaking river panorama with epic bridge crossing. A day to remember no matter your level. Let’s call it epic. The airport of cookies. It’s like it’s like brand new to me. Let’s eat something, right? Where are you from? Italy. Italia. Italia. I always Mario. First part of the day is our concept of relaxing and second part of the day is the other side of relaxing. So stay tuned. Very good. [Music] Good parking. Nice. [Music] [Music] Wow, look at this. Adriatic sea shining on the Albanian side. What a way to end this amazing day. Time to eat, drink, and splash by the pool. All welld deserved. Tomorrow, Montenegro’s roads are calling with new adventures. The future is looking sunny. Stay tuned.