The throttle bug bit me again in late December 2013, and I picked up a 2004 Moto Guzzi California Stone for $3,400 off Craigslist in San Francisco, about 40 miles north of our house in Mountain View. I knew of CityBike because of Maynard’s longtime contributor status, but hadn’t read a copy in years. My boss mentioned a fella named Gabe Ets-Hokin, who I emailed in September 2014 about possibly writing a column for Bicycle Times, the magazine I edit. We spoke a few times, and finally met at Alice’s Restaurant for lunch in late January.

Recently, Gabe texted to ask if I was interested in driving the `15 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited (featured on the April cover) down to the Harley Fleet Center in Carson, then driving a new Triumph Tiger 800 XcX back to Oakland for Editor Surj. I said yes without hesitation, despite never having ridden to Los Angeles and back, let alone ridden a Harley. I was confident saying yes because my Goose is a fairly big cruiser, and I’ve driven it 8,000 miles all over the Bay Area.

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.

It was all about checking boxes in Part 1 of this series recounting our motorcycle tour of the Alps, while Part 2 diplomatically described my emotional response to having zero control of the situation once we started rolling through Switzerland. Lesson learned? Be less like Walter and more like The Dude.

We were, after all, riding a beautiful German motorcycle in the Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps, so why get worked up when there was breathtaking scenery to absorb? The only way to cleanse one’s soul is to embrace awesome, which Europe’s Alps offer in unlimited supply.

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.

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.

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.

Recently, Henri asked if I knew of Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, which he recently discovered and appreciated.

“Of course,” I said. “Forty years ago this summer my then girlfriend Teppie’s dad Terry Lemerond recommended it. Was a game changer for me; put things in perspective.”

Naturally, I was a bit cocky with my newfound confidence booster back then. I took it to new heights when signing up to work for Southwestern Company selling study guides and cookbooks door-to-door in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1986. Lacking that ‘killer instinct’, I pulled up stakes two-thirds of the way through and retreated back to Wisconsin, working at Terry’s Bay Natural Foods store to help package Enzymatic Therapy vitamin supplements.

My story posts tend to go long because I think big and dig deep. I blame it on my ever-present curiosity and a need to share, going back to my long narrative magazine feature story days. With a promise to publish at least one MaD story each week – with an itch to do more – I’ve decided to include a new entry called Bite-Sized, a summation of what’s on my mind based on what I’m reading or researching. Inspiration comes from Marc Maron’s weekly email blast for his popular WTF podcast, where the comedian/actor shares plenty in his peeled-back life.

The old adage that ‘April showers bring May flowers’ still holds true, but in the case of California's record rain between January and March, I’d venture a more apropos statement is ‘biblical rain brings color to the Plain,’ which in this case is the Carrizo Plain in San Luis Obispo County. Travel pal Brian and I rode there and back a couple weekends ago to see the superbloom, taking the scenic route away from major highways every chance we could.