As a 51-year-old born and raised in Wisconsin who didn’t ride a Harley-Davidson until 2015, when given the opportunity to ride one all around California for two weeks I chose the Fat Bob Softail. I was drawn to the brawny bars and front tire, and the un-Harley aesthetic. Riding it north on US Route 101 from Los Angeles last Sunday was fun, but I wanted a bigger and dumber challenge to really get a feel for the bike. So I called my moto buddy Ryan.

Europe in the late summer is nearly unbeatable, especially on a motorcycle. Too hot? Twist the throttle a bit more. Too cold. Same. In a hurry? Don’t be!

Beyond the postcard scenery and centuries-old pictorama, the important stuff to Jean, Brian and myself were the people and machines in our touring group. 

After all the planning and preparation to arrive in Aix-les-Bains for our 12-day journey, it was important to be fully present and receptive to the “strangers” who rode their bikes from the far reaches of Switzerland, France and Belgium to join us English speaking Californians and New Zealanders in a French parking lot on Sunday, August 13, 2023.

A third of the way through our 1,491-mile European motorcycle Alps tour — with Switzerland in our mirrors and Italy in our sights — we crossed into Austria, tackling the 8,117-foot Timmelsjoch Pass (Passo del Rombo) in the Tyrol region. Before immersing ourselves into the splendors of Italy, though, extreme heat reared its ugly head before heavy showers greeted us a few days later in the Dolomites.

Our pace was quick and rarely interrupted. We embraced roundabouts, which aren’t as prevalent here in the U.S. This saved unnecessary stops and starts in larger cities, and provided some respite from the heat once the midday sun started beating down.

As I explained in Part 1, there was a certain luxury in not having time constraints when planning our first European motorcycle tour. After a few years of passive research, it was time to commit.

First, we chose August to tour the Alps for several reasons: agreeable weather to summit high passes (10,000-plus feet above sea level); drier conditions, because riding for hours in the rain sucks no matter how prepared you are; more time for prep rides in California’s mountainous terrain; a longer runway to decide which gear to wear and bring; and a clearer head after enjoying summer and all its loveliness.

The trade off? Higher travel costs (airline, Airbnb/hotels) due to August being the peak European tourist season and heat. In my experience it’s easier to deal with heat than cold or wet, so we rolled the dice and accepted our fate.

The domino effect of touring the Alps by motorcycle in 2023 began when I became a serious cyclist in 2013.

Then 47 years old, I was invited to be a guest of Trek Travel to participate in L’Etape du Tour, organized by the same promoters as the Tour de France. Literally meaning a stage of the Tour, ours was a 130 kilometer loop starting in Annecy, France, with Mount Blanc lording over everyone like Zeus. I flew from San Francisco to Geneva, Switzerland, then took a bus 45 minutes to Annecy, our home base for the week as 10 of us trained for the Big Ride. It was my first time road cycling in Europe, approximately 7-½ years after touring Rwanda by mountain bike.

German tire manufacturer Metzeler originally produced plastic and rubber products. Founded in 1863, the company expanded like its peers into aviation, automobile and motorcycle tires. World World II saw the factory destroyed, and after rebuilding and refocusing over time, motorcycle tires became its primary focus before getting acquired by Pirelli & C. S.p.A. in 1986.

Today, Metzeler tires come stock on several production bikes, including the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS. To highlight the new bike’s performance capabilities beyond the typical media launch in Spain or southern California’s desert terrain, Metzeler and BMW Motorrad organized an expedition in Chile to prove how serious the two German companies are about performance under extreme circumstances.

Seven months or so after I rode with Brian Mock for the first time, the Milpitas native bought a 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 Adventure. He still rides the snot out of that same Tiger, despite other bikes catching his fancy. And after trying several dual sport and adventure bikes myself, I bought a 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 this past July to level the playing field. Too many damn fine roads to ride in California!

So it was surprising that we hadn’t shared a long ride on our Tigers until this past weekend, when Brian recommended the Carmel Valley Loop, 200-plus miles of scenic northern California vistas and choppy roads.

It’s finally happening. After years of wishful thinking, best laid plans, conservative financial planning and research, we’re taking a guided motorcycle tour of Europe for most of August. I’m choosing not to bring my laptop, so this will be the last blog post until at least August 30. There’ll be much to share once we return, with rich detail, photo galleries and details galore.

Jean, myself and riding pal Brian board United flight 1411 departing SFO at 7 a.m., August 8, transferring planes in Newark before landing in Geneva at 7:30 a.m. CEST. We’ve been preparing for this since February, and the time has finally arrived to head east and hop on some bikes in a region of the world none of us has experienced before.

Last Saturday morning I was washing the side cases from my Moto Guzzi Quota 1100ES. After 9,000 glorious miles of ownership it was time to find a new rider and home for the Italian tractor. As the suds were getting sprayed down the driveway an older couple walked by, both them and their little dog unfamiliar to me as the day’s heat was slowly building.

“Good morning,” I said, hose in hand as I washed off my feet. Phil was meeting at our place in an hour or so for a ride to the coast to escape the forecasted 90-plus degree heat. It was our maiden voyage on the 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 we purchased from George Smith in Martinez a few days prior, and Jean was excited to get back on a proper two-up sport touring bike after we sold our trusty BMW R 1150 RT several months ago.

“Hey, that’s a Moto Guzzi,” the gentleman said as he doubled back toward me. “Haven’t seen that model before. I’m more of a car guy, but the Guzzis always stand out to me.”

With an Americano at my right elbow and the music of Rush in my Airpods, it’s easy to process what my next motorcycle adventure should entail. I’m sitting at Red Rock Coffee while the July sun warms Villa & Castro streets, not struggling to keep my bike upright against gale force winds on CA-5 or getting pelted by hail through Bakersfield.

And any reinforcement from the late motorcyclist, writer, lyricist and Rush drummer Neil Peart is welcome. This is why I return to his books for mental and spiritual guidance. It’s been three and a half years since we lost Peart to brain cancer, but his words and music live on. 

Spending my 2023 Fourth of July on a 245-mile lunch adventure up to Sonoma County with pal Brian, while a 2023 BMW CE-04 electric scooter awaits a week of testing in my garage in Mountain View.

This week’s Bite-Sized blog includes stories of riding near Lake Cuyamaca and Borrego Springs outside San Diego, seeing the latest Indiana Jones movie on opening night, and meeting new and old friends in Toluca Lake on my home to wrap up a great motorcycle adventure.

Before Jean considered getting a motorcycle, she’d talk about keeping her two-wheeled pursuits simpler and closer to home on a Vespa. As we approach the fifth anniversary of her earning an M1 class license – and trying four different motorcycles until a 2020 Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster became THE ONE – Jean is the proud owner of a 2009 Vespa LX150, purchased from a sweet and gentle 76-year-old handyman named Kenny in Sacramento this past weekend. 

Laguna Seca Raceway pop quiz! What do Roger Penske, Bruce McLaren, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, Cal Rayborn, Kenny Roberts, Mario Andretti, Paul Newman, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Freddie Spencer, Randy Mamola, Kevin Schwantz, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez and Jean-Marie Boulanger have in common?

They’ve all survived the famous hard-left, hard-right combination at Turns 8 and 8A, commonly known among motorsports fans as The Corkscrew.