Tag Archives: Great Roads International

2019 International Tour Company Guide

March 8, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Ayres Adventures Switchback Challenge Dolomites — With its countless hairpins, riding in the Dolomites will put any rider’s skills to the test. Photo taken on Ayres Adventures’ Dramatic Dolomites Tour, by Greg Drevenstedt.

Have you ever read one of our international tour stories and thought, “Wow, I’d love to do that…but I don’t know where to start!” Well, we’ve got you covered! For our 2019 International Tour Company Guide, we’ve compiled this handy list of tour operators that will help you find your perfect two-wheeled trip abroad. All of the operators listed here offer multi-day, fully guided street and/or adventure bike tours on their own rental motorcycles, employ English-speaking guides, and include accommodations while on tour. What’s not included in this list? Single-day tours, self-guided tours, chartered group tours and tours that require you to use your own bike.

Keep in mind that prices may not be directly comparable. Some companies include things like the motorcycle rental, meals, tolls, fuel, excursions and even drinks with dinner, others don’t. There may be a surcharge for a single rider in his or her own hotel room (as opposed to sharing a room), and the charge for a passenger can vary from company to company. Also pay attention to the currency in which a tour is priced. Exchange rates can fluctuate, so your final cost can depend on when you pay for the tour.

Before you book, make sure you know how much insurance coverage you’re required to have or pay for. Some operators will put a multi-thousand dollar charge on your credit card to cover possible damage, which is refunded after the tour. Make sure your personal travel insurance covers motorcycle riding, and it’s a good idea to have supplemental insurance that covers repatriation, medical costs, trip cancellation and personal liability. Medjetassist.com, medexassist.com, travelguard.com and geobluetravelinsurance.com are great places to start.

Finally, make sure your passport has at least six months left on it–from the date of travel, not when you book! Check with the tour operator to see if you need a visa or an international driver’s license (available at your local AAA). Oh, one more thing–have fun!

Adriatic Moto Tours

Base: Slovenia

Tours Include: NEW Europe Royale, NEW Bonjour Provence, Romania to Istanbul Adventure, Greece Tour, Alps Adriatic Adventure, Czech Hungary Tour, and more

Accommodations: Comfortable hotels, usually 4-star

Length of Tours: 9-18 days

Rental Options: BMW, Ducati Multistrada, Suzuki V-Strom, Honda Africa Twin, Harley-Davidson Road King and Superlow

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: April-November

Typical Cost: 9-day Sardinia & Corsica, 3,340 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license, touring experience required

Tel: 011 386 30 465 555

Web: adriaticmototours.com

Adriatic Moto Tours has been in business for fifteen years in the heart of southeastern Europe, and from its base in Slovenia has tours that fan out over Europe and now Thailand and Laos, offering new experiences for even the most jaded moto-traveler.

Read about our experience on the Adriatic Riviera Tour with Adriatic Moto Tours here.

Bosnia Croatia Slovenia by motorcycle — Adriatic Moto Tours’ Adriatic Riviera Tour takes you from Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, through Bosnia and Croatia on “roads less travelled.” This village is typical of what you’ll encounter riding in the region. Photo by Primoz Brec.

Asia Bike Tours

Base: New Delhi, India, and Vienna, Austria

Tours Include: Bhutan, Myanmar, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam

Accommodations: Comfortable middle-class hotels, guesthouses, houseboats, tent camps

Length of Tours: 9-24 days

Rental Options: Royal Enfield Bullet, Yamaha YBR250 & XT600E, Honda CRF250

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 12-day Nepal Magic Mountains, 2,850 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: Varies by tour

Tel: 011 91 93 12433859

Web: asiabiketours.com

Asia Bike Tours started in 1997, and has a team of locally based guides that provide plenty of local knowledge for its tours. Motorcycles available for rent vary based on location, and riding difficulty also varies with the tour.

Ayres Adventures

Base: Plano, Texas

Tours Include: NEW Cape Town to Victoria Falls, NEW Berlin to Budapest, Japan, Russia, Iceland Adventure, Dramatic Dolomites, Australia, Empire of the Incas and more

Accommodations: Comfortable middle-class hotels on Club Class tours, 4- and 5-star hotels on Premium Class tours

Length of Tours: 7-69 days

Rental Options: BMW motorcycles

Equipment: Support vehicle and trailer

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 15-day Berlin to Budapest, $9,500

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license & touring experience required; for off-road adventures, off-road training or experience required

Tel: (877) 275-8238 or (972) 635-5210

Web: ayresadventures.com

Ayres Adventures offers tours on every continent, with something for every budget and imagination. From a weeklong Club tour to the 69-day, transcontinental Riga to Hong Kong Epic Journey, Ayres will take you on an unforgettable trip.

Read about our experience on Ayres Adventures’ Dramatic Dolomites Tour.

Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures

Base: Grand Island, New York

Tours Include: Maori Meander, South African Saunter, Alpine Adventure West, Adriatic Ambler, Island Interlude and more

Accommodations: 3-5 star quality hotels

Length of Tours: 8-15 days

Rental Options: BMW motorcycles

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: February-November

Typical Cost: 15-day Alpine Adventure West, $7,510

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license required, minimum age on Alpine tours is 18.

Tel: (716) 773-4960

Web: bmca.com

The Beach team offers European, New Zealand and South African motorcycle and sports car tours. Beach’s slogan: We don’t go everywhere, but everywhere we go we travel in style.

Read about our experience on Beach’s Alpine Adventure West Tour here.

Compass Expeditions

Base: Victoria, Australia

Tours Include: Mongolian Magic, Wild Patagonia, Sydney to the Outback, Complete Cambodia, Tasmania and the High Country With Charley Boorman and more

Accommodations: Hotels when possible, some yurts and in-home stays in remote regions

Length of Tours: 5-108 days

Rental Options: BMW motorcycles, Suzuki DR650 (Australia)

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 14-day Mongolian Magic, $6,050

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license required, 2 years’ riding experience recommended, some off-road experience helpful

Tel: 011 61 3 9747 2379

Web: compassexpeditions.com

The secret of enjoying yourself on tour, according to Compass Expeditions, is this: “A flexible attitude is required, as service may not be what you are accustomed to.” Stay flexible and have fun! Each tour is graded for degree of difficulty, from 1 to 5.

EagleRider

Base: Los Angeles, California

Tours Include: South Africa Tour, Canada to Yellowstone, Baja California, The Italian Job

Accommodations: Motorcycle-friendly hotels

Length of Tours: 1-16 days

Rental Options: BMW, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Honda, Triumph, Can-Am

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 13-day South Africa Tour starting at $3,850

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license required, minimum age of 21.

Tel: (888) 900-9901 or (310) 536-6777

Web: eaglerider.com

EagleRider is one of the biggest names in the bike rental business, and the company expanded into tours years ago. Its international tour list is growing, with new tours in Africa and Europe.

Edelweiss Bike Travel

Base: Meiming, Austria

Tours Include: NEW Balkan Adventure, NEW Captivating Cuba, NEW Andalusia Unpaved, Mysterious Asia, Colorful Morocco and more

Accommodations: Varies by tour; usually carefully selected middle-class hotels

Length of Tours: 7-80 days

Rental Options: Varies with tour; may include BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Vespa or Honda

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 14-day Balkan Adventure, $5,300

Age/Experience Limits: Minimum of 5,000 miles of riding experience, minimum passenger age 12

Tel: 011 43 5264 5690

Web: edelweissbike.com

Thirty-eight years in business, 2,350 tours in over 180 destinations—no questioning those numbers. The most experienced motorcycle tour company on the planet offers tours all over the planet.

Read about our experience on Edelweiss Bike Tours’ Best of Europe Tour here.

This was our view of Mount Etna as we emerged from the forest near the village of Cesarò. The statue atop the rocky hill, which from a distance looks like a zombie, is actually Jesus Christ with outstretched arms. — This was our view of Mount Etna as we emerged from the forest near the village of Cesarò on Edelweiss Bike Tours’ Around Mount Etna tour. The statue atop the rocky hill, which from a distance looks like a zombie, is actually Jesus Christ with outstretched arms. Photo by Greg Drevenstedt.

Ecuador Freedom

Base: Quito, Ecuador

Tours Include: Off-Road Ecuador, Special Women’s Tour: Andean Roads, Inca Royal Roads, Cloudforest Coast and Craters and more

Accommodations: 3-4 star hotels, B&Bs, bungalows and cabins

Length of Tours: 4-12 days

Rental Options: A variety of modern ADV motorcycles

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 10-day Inca Royal Roads starting at $4,150

Age/Experience Limits: Riding experience required, varies with tour

Tel: (603) 617-2499

Web: freedombikerental.com

Ecuador Freedom would love to show you why some of the best riding is in Ecuador. From its base in Quito, at any time of year, Ecuador Freedom can show you newly paved roads, beautiful scenery and the diverse cultures and altitudes that make Ecuador a motorcyclists’ paradise.

Read about our experience on the Andes, Amazon and Pacific Coast Tour with Ecuador Freedom here.

Hear The Road

Base: Nepi, Italy

Tours Include: Amalfi Coast & Southern Italy, Magical Italy (Ladies Only), Italian Motorcycle Dream, Tuscany, Corsica and Sardinia and more

Accommodations: 3-4 star family-run hotels

Length of Tours: 8-12 days

Rental Options: BMW, Ducati, Moto-Guzzi, Harley-Davidson

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: March-October

Typical Cost: 8-day Amalfi Coast & Southern Italy, 3,880 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: Recommend experienced, “confident” riders with at 3,000 miles of riding experience.

Web: motorcycletoursitaly.com

Discover the lightly traveled roads of rural Italy or experience the rush of the racetrack, all in the company of Italian guides who know the best roads, the best places to stay and most important, the best places to eat!

Hispania Tours

Base: Málaga, Spain

Tours Include: Morocco, Andalusia Touring Center, Pyrenees, Culture and Curves, BMW Motorrad Days, Portugal: Castles and History and more

Accommodations: 3-5 star hotels

Length of Tours: 6-15 days

Rental Options: BMW motorcycles

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 15-day Morocco tour on BMW F 700 GS, 4,095 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: Varies based on tour

Tel: 011 34 952 172 172

Web: Hispania-tours.com

Experience the wonderful roads, scenery and weather of Portugal, Spain and Morocco with Hispania Tours. Tour on marvelous roads, watching history unfold under your wheels.

IMTBike

Base: Madrid, Spain

Tours Include: Southern Spain & Andalucia, Central Spain, Northern Spain & the Pyrenees, Best of Portugal, Morocco, Italy, France & Alps and more

Accommodations: Hotels, converted castles and paradors

Length of Tours: 8-17 days

Rental Options: BMW motorcycles

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: February-December

Typical Cost: 12-Day Best of Portugal, 4,100 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: 25 years old, 2 years and 3,000 miles of experience

Tel: (412) 468-2453

Web: imtbike.com

IMTBike was established in 1997, and now has more than 100 late-model BMW motorcycles in its fleet, including R 1200 GS and GS Adventure models, in eight separate locations. IMTBike boasts an 80-percent repeat rider rate.

Read about our experience on IMTBike’s Portugal & Southern Spain Tour here.

It’s one thing to read about the history and beauty of Spain and Portugal—such as the pueblo blanco of Arcos de la Frontera—but riding through these countries is another thing altogether, providing an intimate connection that touches your heart and lifts your soul. (Photos: the author) — It’s one thing to read about the history and beauty of Spain and Portugal—such as the pueblo blanco of Arcos de la Frontera—but riding through these countries is another thing altogether, providing an intimate connection that touches your heart and lifts your soul. Photo by Ken Lee.

Leod Motorcycle Escapes

Base: San Francisco, California

Tours Include: Italian Dream to Mugello, Sachsenring & Italian Alps, Australia Curves to Phillip Island, Spanish Pyrenees to Aragon and more

Accommodations: 3-4 star hotels

Length of Tours: 9-10 days

Rental Options: BMW, Ducati and Moto-Guzzi

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: June-December

Typical Cost: 10-day Sachsenring & Italian Alps, $6,300

Age/Experience Limits: Tours include track time; contact Leod for experience recommendations

Tel: (866) 562-6126

Web: leodescapes.com

Leod Escapes offers getaways that combine a week of twisty road riding with track time on some of the world’s best racetracks. Not for the faint of heart, Leod’s tours will provide a unique and unforgettable experience.

Read about our experience on Leod Motorcycle Escapes’ Mugello & Italian Back Roads Tour here.

MotoDiscovery

Base: Bulverde, Texas

Tours Include: Bhutan Thunder Dragon, Baja & Copper Canyon, Iran, In the Shadows of Mount Ararat and more

Accommodations: Varies according to tour; from luxurious to quaint

Length of Tours: 7-42 days

Rental Options: Suzuki V-Strom models, Harley-Davidson Touring models, Royal Enfield Bullet, BMW GS models, Honda Africa Twin

Equipment: Support van

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 14-day Baja & Copper Canyon, $7,638

Age/Experience Limits: Recommend “experienced motorcycle touring enthusiast.”

Tel: (830) 438-7744

Web: motodiscovery.com

MotoDiscovery offers motorcycle tours around the world, including such unexpected destinations as Cuba and Iran. Previously known as Pancho Villa Moto Tours, the company has been riding off the beaten path since 1981.

Read about our experience on the Tierra del Fuego Tour with MotoDiscovery here.

MotoGreece

Base: Athens, Greece

Tours Include: Tour of Peloponnese, Tour of Crete, Central-Northwest Greece Tour

Accommodations: Hand-picked hotels with local flair

Length of Tours: 12 days

Rental Options: Honda CB500X, BMW GS models

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: April-October

Typical Cost: 12-day Central-Northwest Greece Tour, $3,330

Age/Experience Limits: Minimum age of 26.

Tel: 011 302107255040

Web: motogreece.gr

MotoGreece was founded in 2015 with one goal: to highlight Greece as a motorcycle destination and show riders what a fantastic time they’ll have while touring Greece. Come see what it’s all about!

MotoQuest

Base: Long Beach, California, and Anchorage, Alaska

Tours Include: Best of Baja, Peru Machu Picchu Adventure, Romaniacs Experience, India Touch the Sky, Japan Three Island and more

Accommodations: From rustic to elegant, depending on the tour

Length of Tours: 9-16 days

Rental Options: BMW, Suzuki, Royal Enfield, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 12-day Japan Three Island, $8,450

Age/Experience Limits: Not specified, contact MotoQuest for details

Tel: (800) 756-1990 or (562) 997-7368

Web: motoquest.com

From its base in Long Beach, California, MotoQuest conducts tours around the globe, offering something for everyone on two wheels, from the bucolic roads of Wales to the top of the world in India—and many more!

Read about our experience on MotoQuest’s Japan Three Island Tour here.

A pause to admire the cherry blossoms on the last riding day. — A pause to admire the cherry blossoms on the last riding day of the MotoQuest Japan Three Islands tour. Photo by Mark Tuttle.

Mototouring

Base: Milan, Italy

Tours Include: Dolomites Riding Center, Sardinia, Tuscany, Italian Factories, Benelli Vintage Tour and more

Accommodations: Comfortable hotels

Length of Tours: 6-18 days

Rental Options: BMW, Honda, Ducati and Suzuki Bandits

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 9-day Dolomites Riding Center, 2,950 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license required, average experience

Tel: 011 39 02 2720 1556

Web: mototouring.com

Mototouring has been organizing tours since 1990, and is located in Milan, in the heart of Italy’s motorcycle production area. Hence the factories tour, which visits factories and private museums dedicated to Italian machinery.

Peru Motors

Base: Aerequipa, Peru

Tours Include: Classic Inca Peru, Maya Adventure, South Pan-American, Touch the Equator, Trans Andes and more

Accommodations: Tourist-class hotels

Length of Tours: 9-38 days

Rental Options: BMW GS models, Suzuki DR650, Honda Africa Twin

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 9-day Classic Inca Peru, $3,075

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license required

Tel: 011 51 959 373 203 or 011 51 959 781 158

Web: perumotors.com

You’ll find a great diversity of roads, scenery and culture in Peru, and how better to experience it than on two wheels?

Reuthers

Base: Germany, USA and New Zealand

Tours Include: New Zealand Paradise, Europe Berlin-Moscow, Europe Ireland, South Africa Wild Garden, South America Patagonia and more

Accommodations: Midrange to top-class hotels

Length of Tours: 7-22 days

Rental Options: Harley-Davidson, limited availability on BMW, Triumph, Indian and others

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 8-day Europe Ireland Tour, GBP 3,495

Age/Experience Limits: Minimum age 21, motorcycle license required

Tel: (800) 838-3162

Web: reuthers.com

Reuthers is a global entertainment, travel and leisure company, which began offering guided motorcycle tours in 1997. It partnered with Harley-Davidson in 2006, and now provides tours in North America, Africa and Europe.

RIDE Adventures

Base: Bend, Oregon

Tours Include: Patagonia Experience, Essential Colombia Adventure, Thai-Laos Experience, Top 7 Highlights of Bolivia and more

Accommodations: Hotels and cabanas

Length of Tours: 9-20 days

Rental Options: A variety of appropriate ADV models

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 9-day Essential Colombia Adventure, $1,899

Age/Experience Limits: Varies by tour

Tel: (458) 202-0462

Web: rideadv.com

RIDE Adventures wants to make motorcycle travel in South America as easy and accessible as possible. Tours range in difficulty from Level 1 (all paved) to Level 5 (single track, extreme terrain).

Ride High

Base: Kathmandu, Nepal; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Vershire, Vermont

Tours Include: Nepal to Bhutan, Mustang Nepal, High Roads of the Himalaya, Thailand to Laos, Northern Thailand and more

Accommodations: Hotels, guesthouses, lodges

Length of Tours: 11-16 days

Rental Options: Modern and classic Royal Enfield models

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 14-day Mustang Nepal, $4,895

Age/Experience Limits: Internationalmotorcycle license required, comfortable on 500cc and larger bikes, under age 21 requires accompanying parent or guardian

Tel: (802) 738-6500

Web: ridehigh.com

Ride High says it was the first registered touring company in the Kingdom of Nepal, and for 30 years has provided travelers the chance to experience some of the highest roads in the world on classic British motorcycles.

Riders of the Sierra Madre

Base: Jalisco, Mexico

Tours Include: Hub & Spoke, Mountains & Beaches, Coast-to-Coast, The Double Devil

Accommodations: Best available accommodations

Length of Tours: 5-13 days

Rental Options: BMW F 650 GS, F 700 GS and R 1200 GS

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: October-March

Typical Cost: 5-day Hub & Spoke, $2,297

Age/Experience Limits: Contact Riders of the Sierra Madre for details

Tel: 011 52 1 376 766 0160

Web: ridethesierra.com

This Mexican company was built and is run by Canadian and American riders who settled in Mexico (for the warm weather of course!). It will make riding in Mexico a friendly and approachable experience.

Ridden Earth Tours

Base: Tuscany, Italy

Tours Include: NEW 6-Country Alpine Tour, Turkey Sea to Sky, Rome to Prague and more

Accommodations: High quality, family or boutique 4-5 star hotels

Length of Tours: 9-21 days

Rental Options: Suzuki V-Strom, BMW, Ducati and KTM 1190 Adventure

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 9-day Rome to Prague, 4,080 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: Minimum age 21, intermediate to advanced riding skills

Tel: 011 447973 315679

Web: riddenearth.com

Two legs move the body, two wheels move the soul. Tours cover much of Europe, Eastern Europe and Turkey; guides are qualified motorcycle safety instructors.

South Pacific Motorcycle Tours

Base: Christchurch, New Zealand

Tours Include: Southern Alps Spectacular, Burt Munro Challenge

Accommodations: Premier hand-picked hotels

Length of Tours: 12-16 days

Rental Options: Various BMW, Honda, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Suzuki and Royal-Enfield models

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: December-April

Typical Cost: 16-day Southern Alps Spectacular, NZD$10,184

Age/Experience Limits: “Competent motorcyclist,” minimum age 21 with motorcycle license

Tel: 011 64 3 312 0066

Web: motorbiketours.co.nz

With a fleet of government-inspected rental bikes, and some of the best roads in the world to ride, South Pacific Motorcycle Tours prides itself on excellent customer service and professionalism.

Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours Ltd.

Base: Christchurch, New Zealand

Tours Include: Golden Week, Tour of the Mountain Kings, Streetmasters

Accommodations: Pleasant hotels and lodges

Length of Tours: 1-2 weeks

Rental Options: Various BMW, Honda, Harley-Davidson, Suzuki and Triumph models

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: February-May

Typical Cost: 2-week Tour of the Mountain Kings, NZD$11,035

Age/Experience Limits: Minimum age 21, ages 21-25 restricted to 650cc or less

Tel: 011 64 3 372 3537

Web: motorcycle-hire.co.nz

Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours started in 1987, making them one of the most experienced companies around with many hundreds of satisfied tourists.

The French Ride

Base: Aix-les-Bains, France

Tours Include: Alps & Jura: The Lakes, Northern Alps Wonders, French Riviera & Provence and more

Accommodations: Hand-picked hotels and B&Bs

Length of Tours: 6-16 days

Rental Options: Suzuki V-Strom 650 and 1000

Equipment: None

Dates: April-October

Typical Cost: 10-day French Riviera & Provence, 2,790 Euros

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license required, minimum age 23

Tel: 011 33 6 77 77 54 28

Web: thefrenchride.com

Make your dream a reality by exploring the best scenic roads of France, Switzerland, Italy or Spain, all from Aix-les-Bains, located in the heart of the French Alps.

World on Wheels

Base: New South Wales, Australia

Tours Include: Royal Rajasthan, Inspiring Iceland, Spectacular South Africa, Tacos ’n’ Tequila, Dalmatian Delights and more

Accommodations: Midrange or better, cheerful hotels

Length of Tours: 3 weeks

Rental Options: Varies by tour

Equipment: Support vehicle

Dates: Year-round

Typical Cost: 3-week Moroccan Magic Tour, $7,500

Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license required

Tel: 011 61 2 9970 6370

Web: worldonwheels.tours

Mike and Denise Ferris have been running their motorcycle tour business out of Australia for 24 years now, and are proud to say that they still lead each and every tour themselves. In fact, they’ve never hired a guide to take their place.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

Motorcycle News, News

A Taste of the Best on Edelweiss Bike Travel’s Best of Europe Tour

February 11, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Edelweiss Best of Europe motorcycle tour — What comes to mind when you imagine a European motorcycle tour? Great roads, beautiful scenery, history and amazing food? If that sounds enticing, but you’re not ready to commit to days of hair-raising Alpine passes or two weeks away from home, the Best of Europe Tour with Edelweiss Bike Travel might be right up your alley. Photos by the author.

Booking your first overseas motorcycle trip can be stressful enough, but that first day in the saddle in an unfamiliar place, on an unfamiliar bike, on unfamiliar roads marked by unfamiliar and probably unintelligible signs, can be a little overwhelming. Fortunately everyone (with the exception of yours truly) on my recent Edelweiss Best of Europe tour was in the exact same boat, something Ursula, our lead tour guide, didn’t find at all surprising.

According to her, the Best of Europe tour is extremely popular with first-timers, and for good reason. It’s an ideal introduction to riding in Europe: smooth, not-too-technical roads that allow you to focus on enjoying the quaint villages, spectacular scenery, delicious food and castles everywhere you turn. I recognized it for what it was immediately. This was a gateway drug, what the savvy dealer gives you to get you hooked. (Given how many hands went up at our farewell dinner when Ursula asked who would return for another tour, I’d say the hook was firmly planted.)

As for me, the Best of Europe tour was my pick for a variety of reasons, but a large part of the decision might surprise you: genealogy. Genealogy is a hobby of mine and over the years I’ve traced back both sides of my family to some specific areas, including southwestern Germany, Alsace (now a part of France) and Switzerland–all of which we’d be visiting on the tour.

I’m probably preaching to the choir, but if you’re going to visit Europe, doing it on a motorcycle is the way to go–with the possible caveat that you choose the right tool for the job. European roads tend to be narrower than what we’re used to in the U.S. or Canada, especially in villages and cities where cobblestones and tight turns are common, and they’re rarely straight.

For these reasons, I opted for a BMW F 800 GS with its ready-for-anything suspension, lighter weight and nimble handling. My tour-mates also chose wisely: there were several R 1200 GS models, a couple of R 1200 RTs, and one-up riders on the Triumph Tiger 800, Honda NC700X and BMW R 1200 RS. Two couples traveling together from Pennsylvania opted for big Harley touring bikes–ideal for wide American roads, but as they learned as the week went on, a bit of a handful on our brief Alpine sections.

The Best of Europe route was thoughtfully designed to incorporate progressively more technical roads, allowing riders to get accustomed to their bikes and the foreign surroundings before hitting the serious twisties on the last few days. Our tour would loop us out of Erding, north of Munich, through undulating farmland and along river-carved valleys west and then south to the famous Black Forest, before ducking into France for a rest day. Refreshed, we’d then head back east into Germany, slip into Switzerland’s impossibly green hills studded with jagged gray peaks, then finish with a day of endless curves in Austria before returning to Erding.

The gently rolling farmland we encountered on our first two days, from Erding to Rothenburg and then on to Heidelberg, reminded me why German immigrants to the U.S. felt so at home in places like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Well, apart from the castles. They’re everywhere it seems, from 11th century ruins to gilded 18th century monuments to excess. Our first night’s stop was in Rothenburg, a beautifully preserved medieval walled city where we followed a “night watchman” on a twilight tour of the old town. Day two brought a stop at the partially ruined Hirschhorn castle and a finish in famous Heidelberg, with its mammoth palace lording over the city below.

We usually had a couple of free hours each evening between arriving at the hotel and dinner, and by the second night in Heidelberg it was clear I’d need to devote mine to getting some exercise. German food is serious business, made even more so by the ubiquitous beer served with dinner (I opted for local wines, also very good and far less filling), and if I was going to have any hope of maintaining my girlish figure on this weeklong tour I’d need to do some walking.

When I announced my intention to walk the steep path up to Heidelberg’s palace rather than take the tram, one tour-mate teased me with a quote from “The Princess Bride”: “Have fun storming the castle!” The joke stuck, and from then on storming castles became a central theme of the trip. There was the trio of ruins guarding the medieval Alsatian town of Ribeauvillé; the circular 16th-century fortress called Munot surrounded by vineyards at the center of Schaffhausen; and King Ludwig II’s ostentatious tribute to his idol Louis XVI, Castle Linderhof, a lunch stop for the group on our last riding day.

Between castles, our Edelweiss guides let us sample just about every type of road found in the heart of Europe, from the limitless autobahn to meandering country roads to the sinuous switchbacks of the Austrian Alps. They led us through and to places we’d likely never have found on our own, like the hidden Hexenlochmühle (“mill of the witch place”), a cuckoo clock workshop and café where we enjoyed slices of Black Forest cake.

That said, riders are always encouraged to explore on their own if they so choose–Edelweiss furnishes a detailed map with the daily route highlighted, plus a guide book–so on the rest day in Ribeauvillé several of us decided not to go on the optional group ride into the Vosges Mountains, opting instead to head off on solo adventures. After breakfast with the group, I hopped on my GS and headed back toward the Rhine River and Germany, my destination a village where my great-great-great grandfather was born.

But first a visit to a piece of world history: the Maginot Line. This series of fortifications and tunnels was built to deter a repeat of Germany’s rapid invasion of France during WWI, and stretched along the French border all the way to Belgium. Today several Maginot Line structures still exist, and one happened to be just a few kilometers away from Ribeauvillé.

After a sobering walk through the bunker’s chambers and a stroll over the grounds where American vehicles from the liberation force were on display, I headed for my ancestor’s German village. Ichenheim sits only a couple of kilometers from the east bank of the Rhine, surrounded by flat fields of golden-tasseled corn and lush green woods; to the east rise the dark hills of the Black Forest. Agrarian but hilly Southern Indiana must’ve felt very familiar to him.

After our rest day, the riding difficulty was cranked up a notch as we traversed the Black Forest again and entered Switzerland. Rolling green hills and gentle curves gave way to our first Alpine pass and a lunch break at the mountain Säntis, at 8,200 feet the highest in eastern Switzerland. From there, the curves continued nonstop as we crossed into Austria and ascended the famous Hochtannberg Pass.

By the next morning, our last riding day, the entire group was salty and ready for anything–a far cry from the slightly nervous, curve-shy bunch that had begun the ride. We’d stormed castles, eaten our weight in spätzle, toasted our perfectly sunny riding days with liters of beer and wine each evening and scuffed the sides of our tires on roads so pretty it can be hard to keep your eyes on where you’re going. The Best of Europe tour really is a gateway drug to the joys of motorcycle travel in Europe, a dip of the toe, a sampling of the smorgasbord. Just be warned: you might get addicted.

The Edelweiss Best of Europe tour runs once a month from May to September. For more information visit edelweissbike.com.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

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Switchback Challenge: The Ayres Adventures Dramatic Dolomites Tour

January 16, 2019 mcnews Leave a comment

Every organized motorcycle tour worth its salt has interesting roads, captivating scenery, tasty food and comfortable accommodations. That’s what you’re paying for, in addition to experienced and knowledgeable guides and the convenience of having a motorcycle waiting for you when you arrive. All you have to do is show up and ride.

Every tour also has a hook, something that catches riders’ eyes and convinces them to lay down a deposit and clear their calendar for a week or two. In the case of Ayres Adventures’ Switchback Challenges, the hook is short, intense tours that promise riders more hairpins, chicanes, kinks, sweepers and high passes than they can count.

Covering seven days, with two travel days bookending five riding days, these tours are reasonably priced (starting at $2,975), offer mid-level accommodations and, by staying at the same hotel during the riding days, require less hassle than tours that go from hotel to hotel each night. Ayres offers four Switchback Challenges–the Pyrenees, southern Spain, central Alps and the Dolomites.

Lofty terms such as motorcycle “heaven” or “nirvana” are often used to describe the Alps, a huge, diverse mountain range of unrivaled beauty that, because it’s located in the heart of Western Europe and has been fought over and occupied for millennia, is densely packed with narrow, steep, winding roads, some in the most unlikely of places.

Even within an area as exceptional as the Alps, the Dolomites manage to stand out. Designated a World Heritage Site, Unesco describes the Dolomites as “a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps [that] features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys.”

What gives peaks and ridges in the Dolomites their distinctive jagged appearance–and the mountain range its name–is sedimentary carbonate rock with a high percentage of the mineral dolomite. Spread out over more than 550 square miles, the Dolomites are made up of nine distinct, enormous formations that tower high above valleys that weave between and around them, like giant gray teeth sticking up through green shag carpet.

With 18 peaks at or above 10,000 feet, parts of the Dolomites are blanketed in snow and glaciers year-round, the run-off from which crashes down steep ravines and creates dramatic waterfalls. Popular among skiers in the winter and hikers, bicyclists and motorcyclists in the summer, the Dolomites region is riddled with jaw-dropping vistas, tangles of asphalt and picturesque villages.

But first we had to get there.

For convenience, Ayres’ Dramatic Dolomites Tour begins and ends in Munich, Germany, since its airport is a major European hub (I flew there nonstop from Los Angeles). Our affable guide, Axel Papst, with 18 years of experience leading motorcycle tours all over the world, picked me up at the airport and drove me to the hotel–a courtesy extended to all tour guests. After a tour briefing and giving our motorcycles a once-over, we walked to a local restaurant for a proper Bavarian dinner.

Over tall glasses of German lager, our small group–just four solo riders plus Axel–got acquainted. There was Tony, a retired executive from Indiana and a veteran of several Ayres tours–one being the Alps Switchback Challenge that he completed the week before our Dolomites tour. There was Jeff, a retired business owner and professor from Indiana who’s a riding buddy of Tony’s. And there was Lou, an engineer from Massachusetts. We quickly fell into easy conversation and shared lots of laughs, which continued throughout the week.

On our first day, after taking the autobahn around Munich, we followed Axel on back roads through villages, forests and fields, heading south through Austria, and then into Italy via Brenner Pass, a major route through the eastern Alps that’s clogged with train tracks, a freeway, a local highway and an outlet mall. Having paid our dues for the sake of efficiency, we were soon rewarded with a steep climb up and over Passo di Pènnes, our first proper alpine pass. Even though it was the last week of August, the air was cold and windy and the mountains were dusted with snow. Weather can be unpredictable in the Alps, so it’s best to be prepared with rain gear and extra layers.

As we would be for most of the tour, we were in South Tyrol, an autonomous province in northern Italy that was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Since more than 60 percent of South Tyroleans speak German and most of the rest speak Italian, signs typically list cities, passes, etc. in both languages. Most houses, hotels and barns are built in the alpine chalet style, with white walls, wide roofs, carved woodwork and large balconies, the railings of which exploded with colorful flowers in full bloom.

We spent four nights in Wolkenstein, a charming ski town tucked in one of the Dolomites’ lush green valleys. Our home away from home was the cozy, recently renovated Hotel Comploj, run by a family that all but adopts its guests. The father is a gourmet chef, and he impressed us each night with freshly made soups, pastas and local specialties.

Three of our riding days were spent exploring the best the Dolomites has to offer on loops averaging 150 miles. It was a garden of earthly delights, with the sort of smooth, winding pavement we all dream of delivering us to high-alpine pass after high-alpine pass, an up, down and all-around rollercoaster with a stunning backdrop everywhere you look. The list of passes we summited is long and glorious–Gardena, Valparola, Falzarego, Giau, Cibiana, Duran, Campolongo, Rolle, Valles, Cereda, Costalunga, Fedaia, Nigra, Pinei, Pordoj, Sella, Staulanza, Mendola and Erbe–each one unique, as are the roads that slither up and over them, and we lucked out with blue skies and cool temperatures.

Our daily mileage may seem modest, but when measured in terms of quality rather than quantity, our cup overfloweth. At the end of each day, as we hoisted celebratory beers back at the hotel, exhausted and exhilarated with sore shoulders from so many tight turns, no one complained of not riding enough. A Switchback Challenge, indeed.

Ayres Adventures’ Switchback Challenge tours run from August-October 2019. For more information and the full calendar of tours, visit ayresadventures.com.

Source: RiderMagazine.com

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