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RIDING ITALY


Remo

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  • 4 weeks later...

I need some advice, can you help?

I'm planning 8 weeks unpaid leave, probably next year, to ride Italy: my wife will be on her Thruxton and we plan to visit Mandello del Lario, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples etc. For us both it will be a pilgrimage: for me to see ancient Roman sites and for her to see Renaissance art.

 

I don't want to ride in the hottest (V11 doesn't like it) or wettest (we don't like it) part of the year but we can manage cold and dry.

We are allowing 3 days through France at each end to get to and from Italy. 

 

So it looks to me like I have two options:

Option A: start in the Spring to Early Summer... Genoa to Palermo ferry, Sicily northwards to the Alps or

Option B: start in Late Summer to Autumn... Alps southwards to Sicily, then Palermo to Genoa ferry

 

What would you advise to be the best start date for each option in order to get the mildest weather?

 

Andy

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry AndyH if I did not read this till today....

 

We had an ugly spring, until last week, with a lot of rainy days and too much cold to travel.

 

NOW it's a good period to visit Italy, June is a nice month, with right temperatures and sunny days.

 

In september it will be amazing to visit Italy too but probably only in the early days, the first two weeks...

 

This kind of trip usually deserves surprises and loss of time because of the many things to see not considered at the start....

 

If I were you I'd take the ferry Genoa-Palermo and then up the Appennines to the Alps, from the warming south to the chill north :rolleyes:

 

if you need I will be happy to send you detailed maps at least as regards the central Italy... :thumbsup:

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Thanks Remo for your PM.

 

Sorry the weather has also been so bad in Italy. It has been an unusual year for weather across the globe.

 

Our ugly spring ended only a few weeks ago and has turned into glorious summer... Better than normal in June. In the UK the time of year for motorcycle touring is a complete gamble: we can offer few rules for a dry and happy experience and you take your chances whenever you travel.

 

So perhaps a May start, running into June for an 8 week tour is better than an April start, south to north as you suggest.

 

I happily accept your advice not to stick to a tight schedule: exactly what I was thinking. We plan to camp which should give us flexibility. I am hoping that camp sites are easily found all through Italy, are generally good and we will not usually need to book in advance at that time of year?

 

I work with a Sicilian colleague, who has given me good advice on the south. Thank you for your offer of guidance on central Italy: it will be really useful for our general planning.

 

Thanks for your help

 

Andy

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Went to Italy for two weeks in May. I can verify the weather was cool and damp with some beautiful days interspersed within.

 

Rented a pair of Stelvio's for my friend Cory and myself and enjoyed the rain of Como very much! Very first view of Mandello was at the FIM monument in Civenna (stopped there entirely by accident). How cool was it that my first time to see Mandello that there is a helipad in the foreground!

 

Anyone who knows any information about the FIM monument I would appreciate it if you could share that here. I would really like to know more about it's history.

 

First view of Mandello ...

 

bl7o.jpg
 
 
FIM monument in Civenna
 
l2qz.jpg
 
 
The shore of Lake Lugano
 
fz9o.jpg
 
 
Lake Lugano
 
2biv.jpg
 
 
The road uphill from Nesso.
 
c5gj.jpg
 
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I really, really enjoyed the Stelvio. Very comfortable seat, and very, very good low end power. The bike handled very well considering most of the roads were first, second and maybe third gear roads. No problem on the tight switchbacks either and when it rained the windshield was very effective at keeping rain off my face plus it  reduced wind noise when it was adjusted properly.

 

However next time I will rent a V7. I have ridden a Breva 750 and a bike like that would have you laughing and laughing and laughing as you ripped up the roads. I now understand what that bike is meant for ..... mountain roads!!

 

Still hoping someone knows something about the FIM monument in Civenna -

MONUMENTO DEI MOTOCICLISTI a CIVENNA 

 

There is an event there on November 1st called the MotoRaduno but that is all I have discovered so far.

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I was also thinking of getting a V7 for the planned trip next year.

 

While I love the V11 for touring in the UK, a V7 will be more economical to run and lighter, so is much more manageable when wheeling around with a load of luggage on board.

 

I'll be outclassed for power by the wife's Thruxton but I can live with it. That's not what I'm going touring in Italy for.

 

Andy

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Nice pics!

 

Civenna...

Usually in november riders climb to that monument to pray for they who lost life on a bike...

A memorial day, with hundreds of bikes and bikers (5000 in year 2011) in front of the bronze flame erected half a century ago on the most panoramic of the legendary circuit of the lake and delivered December 9, 1961 with a solemn ceremony by the Italian Motorcycling Federation, the City of Civenna because the safekeeping...

 

88vu.jpg

70.000 for my V35C :thumbsup:

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