Orson

il dottore!

Maybe I was under a rock... I never saw this photo until yesterday...Brando astride a Guzzi. I know he rode a Triumph in the movie. Maybe this was a publicity still and the Hollywood types figured the general public would never notice the difference

from a strictly motorcycling point of view, where scenery is taken out of the equation, the south of France has some of the best motorcycling roads around. Billiard table smooth, constant radius curves for miles and miles. Big fun As far as navigating...I'm strictly old school. After I cross a border, I stop at a service station and buy a map and stuff it into my tank bag. Granted, those aren't the best maps to use but, they get me where I want to go. As far as GPS, I think I'm a bit of a luddite. I dunno, it feels like I'm having my hand held if I'm relying on a GPS to lead me around. I get lost on my own...I can get un-lost on my own I usually end up getting lost at least once a day, sometimes more but, that's part of the adventure!

I dunno...I think that part of the appeal of Moto Guzzi is that it isn't a slick operation. No chi chi boutique showrooms a la Ducati. It's almost like a homemade motorcycle. brochures?...we doan need no eh-steenkeen brochures! although, I agree with you..I'd like to see them in the black.

My Tenni in the Apuan Alps of northern Tuscany

Yes, the bike is in a friend's barn in Shropshire. Hopefully a family of mice aren't making a home within its bowels The bike seems to fit me fine. I'm 6'2" with longish arms. I rode 8 hours a day with no major aches or pains other than normal fatigue. I've left the bike bone stock. I have no issues with the seat or bar vibration. It's character and style seem to fit me to a T. I would *love* to make it up to Scotland. Unfortunately, I have to work that weekend Maybe next time. I'd love to ride with a bunch of Guzzis.

I know "the whiff". It's amazing how smells can rekindle memories. I'd almost kill to watch this show.

I'll usually select a picture to post then, type from my memories of when I took the photo then add whatever other tidbits of information comes flowing back into my memory banks. A lot of people keep daily notes. I should do this but, I'm too lazy or tired at the end of the day. I just rely on my memory which is getting less & less reliable

Thanks Baldini and others for the tips. Baldini, maybe I can take you up on your offer and get a ride in if you can get time away from your family. It would be great to ride with someone who has local knowledge let alone another Guzzi Cheers all

That's my plan That's why I'm keeping it at my friend's house in the UK then, hopefully next summer I can try to ride as much of Scandinavia as possible. I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures

Thanks for the offer but, I'm currently w*rking in Saudi while the bike is stored at a friend's house in Shropshire. I'm hoping to get back up there sometime this summer and exploring Wales

There are a few more UK members since I last posted this question. My Tenni is in Shropshire and it could use a new rear tire and an oil change. Can anyone recommend or warn me away from any UK dealers? I hear there is an ex-Guzzi dealer in Shrewsbury that will still work on Guzzis. Anyone know anything about that shop? Thanks for any help. Cheers!

Here's is a rough outline of my route. Final tally was 24 riding days, 4 rest days. 4800 miles / 7500 km. It seemed like a lot more than that. I guess it was those rough Romanian roads that made it seem longer. I got one speeding citation in Romania but, the policeman turned out to be a biker and he tore up the ticket The Guzzi only had a few minor burps. One time in the Czech Republic, I downshifted to first and I felt the lever didn't spring back up. When I released the clutch, it popped back up. Whew...I was dreading the broken spring syndrome. Maybe that was a warning sign that the spring is about to go? Otherwise, I had a few false neutrals while upshifting. I had always had false neutrals while downshifting but, this was the first time I ever encountered false neutrals while upshifting I think my disc brake rotors are warped both front and rear. Lastly, at one point the speedometer needle started to vibrate back and forth. I thought I was about to lose my speedometer but, after a short while, it smoothed out and never did it again for the rest of the trip. Maybe another warning sign? The rear Pirelli Diablo lasted the whole trip! I was worried I might have to make a stop along the way to buy a new tire. I watched it closely and it performed great. It looks like it might have 1000 km left on it but, you never know...when they go, they go fast. Total distance on the tire is about 8500 km / 5450 miles. Lastly, I have to praise the Guzzi. Other than the few minor burps, it performed flawlessly through the entire trip. I'm coming from an FJ 1100 which was the benchmark for sport tourers a few years back and, I have to say that I enjoy the Guzzi as much if not more than the FJ. The added dollops of character help a lot. It really makes sport touring a joy.

From Luxembourg to the English Channel, the terrain devolves into rolling farmland. Not too interesting on a motorbike so, I blasted to the coast on l' autoroute, hopped on the 5 P.M. ferry to Dover where I got a hotel room for the night. Met an oldtimer on a KTM 900 v twin modified with a sidecar. He was on his way to an enduro in Wales. The last day of my trip and I wanted to make it count. I blasted west on the motorway all the way to Bristol near South Wales. This took up half a day so, I had another half day to enjoy as much of Wales as I could. At first, it didn't seem all that special but, the deeper I got into Wales, the more I was captivated by its beauty and its GREAT motorcycling roads. I may have stopped to take more pictures on the last half day than at any other time on the trip. Maybe it was the realization that the trip was coming to an end and stopping to take pictures could somehow prolong it indefinitely. I finally reached my friend's house in Shropshire a little after 6 P.M. Here's a shot of the Welsh countryside on a gloriously sunny day.

I've been thru Luxembourg before but, never took the time to enjoy its sights. This time, I told myself to stop and smell the roses. I took an extra day and spent the entire day riding within the border of the tiny country. What a great decision. Scenic roads along the Mossel and other roads that entered into tunnels of green canopies. Wonderful stuff. I'll defintiely have to pay Luxembourg more mind in the future! Here's a picture along one of the forest roads.

I noticed a bunch of squiggly lines on the map in neighboring France so, that is where I headed next. I made my way north thru the Alsace Lorraine region. The villages in this part of France still have a distinctly German flavor to them. I re-entered Germany near Kaiserslautern(sp). I must have hit a local favorite as there were a million bikes out enjoying the warm sunshine. Excellent roads thru darkened forests. From Kaiseslautern I headed north along the banks of the Rhine. Both sides of the river are strewn with castles making for a spectacular ride. When I reached Koblenz, I hung a left and headed along the Mossel into Luxembourg. Everyone regales the Alps and rightly so but, there's so much more to Europe than just the Alps.

After resting up in Prague, I continued back to the west and into Germany. I made my way to the southwestern corner of the country to Freiburg in the Black Forest region avoiding the autobahns as much as possible. There are some great roads in this part of the country. It's close to Switzerland so the terrain is quite hilly. Sometimes I'd get lost but, the roads were so good that, I didn't care. I was enjoying the ride. Here is a shot of a narrow country lane...about one and a half cars wide...billiard table smooth and twisty. After the rough roads of Romania, I thought I had died and gone to Mandello

From Slovakia, I took a last minute decision to detour into Poland, just to say that I've been to another country. I only road into Poland for about 100 miles so, I didn't get to see much. The terrain was hilly so it made for some enjoyable riding. From Poland I entered into the Czech Republic. By the time the Carpathians reach the Czech Republic, they are but mere foothills but, this still meant there were some nice curvey roads. The Czech Republic had the best roads of any of the former eastern bloc countries that I saw. Roads varied from fast sweepers across open hills to diving into darkened forests. Good stuff. At my bed & breakfast, I met an elderly gentleman who was 15 years old in 1945 when the Russians occupied his homeland. He told me he fled with his family to West Germany where they lived in Cologne. When Communism fell after some 40 years, he returned to his old hometown and went to his old house. He knocked on the door. The man who answered the knock recognized him immediately, gave him a hugg and told him,"this is still your home". It was wonderful talking to this gentleman. I'm sure that story was repeated many times in Eastern Europe. I made my way to Prague...another fine city along a river much like Budapest but, with a few more tourists. Still, it was a wonderful place to visit and I took a rest day here.

Slovakia most closely resembles Northern California than any other place I've been. Rugged mountains and roads following alpine streams made for some great motorcycling. This is a shot in the Lower Tatras.

I had to leave the Carpathians for a bit where they entered the Ukraine due to visa restrictions. I jumped back into Hungary then veered north into Slovakia to rejoin the Carpathians. In Slovakia, the Carpathians range reaches its highest point in the High Tatra Mountains. Unfortunately, the day I was there was still a bit rainy and I was unable to get any good pictures of them.

I continued along the Carpathians in a counterclockwise route. The cloer I got to northeastern Romania, the worse the roads got. After a while, they were just plain terrible. I must have averaged 20 kph one day Oncoming cars in your lane weren't trying to run you off the road...they were just weaving to avoid pot holes. I dreaded bending a rim in the middle of Romania and have to sit and wait on a new one to arrive. Fortunately, the Guzzi pulled through like the work horse that it is The weather also started to take a turn for the worse while I was in Romania. One morning in particular was very rainy and I had to snorkle on thru it. Another shot of one of the beautiful churches and a rainy Romanian village.

Finally, my first view of the Carpathians in south central Romania.

After a couple of days in Budapest, I continued eastward across the Hungarian plains and into Romania. Again, no problems at the border. I was impressed with the quality of hotels in Hungary and Romania. They were just as nice as the ones in western Europe. The roads, on the other hand, were another story. Hopefully, some of that EU money will fix them up. I saw some of the most beautifully crafted churches while in Romania. For such a poor country, they really put a lot of pride and work into their churches.

More pics from Budapest. I came upon the folkloric dance troupe made up of kids performing in a square near the city center. There was another troupe of older teenagers and I was struck by how much they seemed to be enjoying themselves doing their traditional dances. I thought it was a good sign that not all youth is going down the tubes with MTV A street musician with a fan.

Budapest! What a jewel! Such stunning architechture! Everytime you turned a corner, you saw something else that made you stop and stare. Hungary is a country in transition. You'll see the latest model Porsche next to a 30 year old Trabant at a stop light. The Hungarians seem to be doing quite well for themselves since the fall of Communism.