What people say about us (articles/letters)

Bike Magazine – Great Weekends – August Issue 2005

Chianti Country

Culturally rich, Tuscany also enjoys soul warming natural beauty, great food and fine wine, especially the reds from the Chianti Region. Being hilly, the area is criss-crossed with hundreds of miles of divine tarmac. Take your average British B-road, scrunch it up twice as tight and lay the resulting spaghetti mess on a terrain that simply never runs level – as a fly ride destination it has few peers.

Tuscan Moto Tours are based in Tuscany using KTM supermotos because the roads are so tight, especially near the firm’s lunigiana base. For the short of time rider, the firm offers a three night long week end package including accommodation, breakfast, dinner, airport transfers, bike hire and a tour guide.

Customer letter to Supermoto magazine Published Spring 06

Tuscan Try Out

Dear SMM

Having read your excellent article “The Italian Job” in issue 21, covering the delights of Tuscany with Tuscan Moto Tours, I just had to try it for myself. I have just returned from biking nirvana - great bikes , great roads (no other vehicles for 45 minutes riding), great views & great people.

I was so taken with the idea of the fly - ride - guide that I booked a 3 day trip & invited my CB600 Hornet riding father along too. Unfortunately only 6 days before we were due to arrive in Tuscany Dad suffered a mini stroke and was immediately referred to hospital for surgery. Fortunately he has a positive attitude & insisted I continue without him. For this I am extremely grateful as the trip provided the best biking I have ever experienced. I must also express my heartfelt thanks to Dave & Sue at Tuscan Moto Tours who were fantastic. Not only did they deliver the ideal stress free holiday with fabulous biking, they made me really feel at home - despite my Dad suffering a further stoke during the week & moving into intensive care.

I'm pleased to say Dad's improving slowly & will soon be able to resume reading my steady supply of biking magazines (including SMM of course!)

I really do recommend anyone who likes the idea of deserted mountain roads & agile fast cornering bikes, sample the delights offered by Tuscan Moto Tours - I'm already saving up for next year.

Cheers
Tony

Article written by Ken Erskine and published on www.adventuremotorcycle.org

After migrating to New Zealand ten years ago circumstances worked out brilliantly for me to have some time off work and plan a trip back to Europe centred around my dream of a motorcycle tour of previously unexplored continental locations. I guess I am not a “usual” motorcycle tourer. I ride a classic sports bike, most of my outings are in the Auckland area and last about an hour and a half! What I wanted was some focussed time on a bike, in a fantastic location and to enjoy the thrill of riding for days on end.

With “Google” as my research assistant I trawled the multitude of web sites offering what looked like fantastic trips. I settled on Tuscan Moto Tours as they seemed to offer everything I was looking for; fantastic roads in ace scenery and the promise of Italian food and wine. In addition they had a very unusual choice of bike but a bike that seemed purpose built for the roads I wanted to ride on - excellent!!

I’ll spare you the detail of my trip out from NZ visiting Fiji for a week to relax and mooching around the UK counting down the days…Suffice to say I couldn’t get on the plane to Pisa fast enough.

Dave Marsh the tour guide and company owner was at hand to meet me at the airport and immediately we got on – a good start though not a surprise as Dave had seemed like a top bloke in our e-mail dealings to sort out the trip detail.

We got off to a fantastic start with an unscheduled familiarisation of the KTM LC4 SM that afternoon. As my bike back at home is an RC30 I was keen to have the opportunity to ride something that was nimble, could handle the twisties in its stride and had enough comfort not to ruin the whole experience. The KTM lived up to my expectations for handling and grunt out of the corners – of course it was gong to be “vibey” after the indulgence of my RC!!

Comfort was a worry as three days before leaving London I had put my dodgy back out ( a water ski accident in NZ hitting the water face first at around 35MPH had me flat on my back for six weeks several years ago) and I was crapping myself that I may not be able to make the trip. Some emergency chiropractic work had substantially reduced my physical pain (transferred to my bank account!) and increased mobility to the point where I was able to make it to the plane confident of at least a day or so out and about in Tuscany.

Well apart from the minor agro of stretching to get onto the orange beast comfort was good and I convinced myself that the vibrations would be good to coax the muscles and bones back into where they should be.

I was immediately taken by the confidence inspiring front end and general handling of the KTM as it really went round corners as if on rails and was complimented by the perfect low down grunt to pick the bike up and propel it toward the next hairpin.

After about 45 minutes we returned back to the “Agritourismo” to park up the bikes ready for the first day’s adventure. Another detail that had drawn me to the tour was the fact that I was to based from one location each nigh which meant no wasted time packing and re packing each day before moving on to another abode.

Dinner was at the Agritourismo and Dave joined me to discuss the next day’s itinerary and generally bond a bit before we hit the twisties. Food was good and very authentic Italian with several courses but nothing to frighten off the less adventurous diner.

From the moment we hit the roads I just couldn’t stop smiling and laughing inside my crash helmet. Here I was in Italy on some of the best and most spectacular roads I had ever seen in bright sunlight with hardly any traffic to spoil the fun. We stopped each morning for an espresso at whatever café looked good. I don’t drink espresso at home but it just seemed the right thing to do to fit in with the whole ambience of the place!

The mountain passes that Dave has researched and trailed are all brilliant, I have never encountered so many corners in quick succession on such a bike so well set up to handle them. Over the week we visited the coast, swam in the sea, explored numerous historical locations and searched out a variety of alternative and fascinating places for coffee and lunch. Dave’s fluent Italian ensured that we were able to avoid any blunders and communicate with the locals along the way.

My favourite trip was Passo della Cisa , Parma, Passo Lagostrello. Well we didn’t quite make it to Parma as a few things happened along the way! Firstly heading up to the Passo della Cisa we were nervous that there seemed to be a huge cloud sitting at the top of the mountains. Sure enough when we got there we hit a dense, wet, cold cloud with visibility cut down to about ten feet. This was no fun so after a quick coffee we decided to turn around and head back into town as some other bikers in the café had told us the fog was the same for some 30 miles ahead!

Down at sea level the weather was warm and fine. Another café stop for a refreshing soda (I don’t drink and ride – particularly with the never ending supply of hairpins in all directions!) as we looked back at the mountains we could see with the clouds lifting with the heat of the mid morning sun. We made a decision to give it another go and headed back up the pass. It was a brilliant call as by the time we wound our way back up the mountain the view was completely clear, it was as if we were in a totally different place!

We stopped for a late lunch at a bar / café about 80 miles from any other town right at the top of the pass. There were about three other bikes there when we arrived and when we went inside I noticed the TV in the corner had the 250 GP at Assen on live. We decided to stay and watch as the next race was to be the Moto GP. Well over the next hour the air was filled with the sound of very fast bikes arriving two and three at a time as the bar slowly filled to capacity filled with one piece leather clad Italian bikers all out for the day to watch the Moto GP at their favourite spot. By the time of race start there was elbow room only, the car park was filled with the sexiest array of sports bikes I had ever seen and the atmosphere was electric.

Every time Max Biaggi was mention there was a barrage of abuse accompanied by some obviously very passionate hand and arm signals to question his parentage and give some suggestion that he should go off somewhere and perform some unmentionable acts with himself. When Rossi overtook Gibernau on the last corner it was like Italy had won the world cup, the place just erupted!

Soon after the race was over the assembled collection of bikes and riders started to speed off home. As we had spent so much time watching and soaking up the atmosphere there was no time left to go to Parma (another time maybe..). So we took our time and set off about 5 minutes after a group of high end sports bikes to head back to base. I was amazed that some fifteen minutes later we were on the back of this long trail of ZXR’s GSX-R’s, CBR-RR’s who were unable to handle the twisties at anything like the speed or confidence we were. They all seemed to be either in too high a gear with no power, in too lo a gear scared that their power bands but unable to really use their power as hunched over the tanks that they could not get a decent view ahead to use their considerable power. Anyway whatever the reason we passed them off one by one with a frequent wobble of surprise as we overtook race ready rep after another and eventually left them way behind in the hills. What fun!!

The Ducati factory visit was great though the trip out there on the motorway was far from the most enjoyable KTM experience of the holiday. On the way back we had time to take back roads over the mountain which had the bikes and riders back in their elements. I believe Dave now uses this route both ways.

The whole riding experience was fantastic, I am not a Super Moto rider, I rode the KTM more like a street/road bike. One time I was enjoying a series of tight corners so much I went round a right hander probably a bit faster than anticipated. As the corner tightened I lent over more and gave the bike a bit more gas to compensate, to my horror just as I did so the corner tightened again very quickly, for the first time on the trip I had to ride at 100% and see what the KTM could really do. It felt like I was perpendicular to the ground, I kept my focus on the road ahead and the horizon now straightening out as I felt my right toe kiss the tarmac all I could do was laugh. Wow these things handle brilliantly….

No sooner had my adventure started than it was time to head home. I had no problems with the back and everything about the trip was great. I can say without doubt this is a trip of a lifetime and if you have the inclination, the time and the money it is a must do. I just can’t wait to go touring again.

TUSCAN MOTO HEAVEN Written by Graham Braid and sent to MCN

Imagine you could set the ideal criteria for a perfect motorcycling holiday. It would have warm clear blue skies, challenging smooth twisting roads with a few spiral hairpins tossed in for good measure all surrounded by rolling beautiful scenery! Sounds too good to be true, well four friends and myself have just enjoyed the best two-wheeled experience that meets all these criteria.

We booked with a company called Tuscan Moto Tours, which has been running for three years by a very pleasant, well seasoned biker, called Dave Marsh, and operates in the Lunigiana district of Northern Tuscany, about an hour north of Pisa.
We arrived by low cost air flights from Manchester direct to Pisa, and were picked up and delivered to Agriturismo Il Bardellino,in the picturesque village of Soliera,a few kilometres from the medicean ramparts of Fivizzano.

Awaiting outside our farm estate period house were a trio of KTM LC4 supermotards, and a BMW GS1150 and 1200.These were to be our transportation for the next few days.

To say that we were bowled over by the beauty of the landscape of this area would be an understatement. It has Alpine vistas, fertile fields full of Sunflowers, terraces of Olive groves, Mile after mile of rolling vineyards, coupled with the aromas of Jasmine and pine, all the while being intersected with meandering rivers and plummeting gorges and passes full of ideal twisty mountain roads of which our bikes were perfectly suited! The KTM LC4 supermotards are the perfect choice for the spiralling alpine roads, with their super sticky sports bike rubber giving phenomenal amounts of grip for severe lean angles and provide the perfect platform for mastering the art of “backing” it in ,and sliding it out, of corners.

Each day we were treated via our guide Dave on his own lead bike to a sensory overload, Whether lining up each hairpin bend with the correct chosen gear and the right amount of lean or glancing across the Apuane Alps to the snow capped mountains, or just taking in the warmth and colour that is Tuscany in late June.
When we arrived back at our hillside refuge of an early evening it was off with our bike gear and straight into the pool for a quench off and a well-deserved beer. Then later in the evening we were treated to our host Pierina’s kitchen specialities of local fare which included roast Guinea fowl, marinated courgettes and tomatoes, Linguine with wild mushrooms and chestnut, and barbequed wild rabbit, to name but a few, all washed down with Andrea’s own estate Rosso and Bianco wines, finished off with the customary espresso and local Grappa.

Words alone cannot begin to express this experience and, in hindsight, it was probably too much to take in for us mere mortals, in the given timeframe!

Everyday a different experience, One day the twisting serpent like passes of Del Lagastrello,and Del Bracco,the next the vertical drops and sloping descents down to the plains and ride along the coast to Lerici and San Terenzo, broken with delightful stops for lunch and drinks at venues that Dave had personally researched over the past three years, with merits for either their food or their views, and every deserted road a challenge of switchback hairpins, descents and climbs all bathed in glorious sunshine without a trace of policemen or speed cameras, ”Unbelievable”!
No sooner had we acclimatised to this idyllic haven for biking, than our adventure was over and it was reality check time, and back to Pisa and the real world!

I believe Tuscany to be one of the best areas for biking in Europe, it has fantastic deserted well surfaced roads, stunning scenery, beautiful weather, great food & wines, warm friendly people, and plenty of culture to boot! It has it all, in abundance!
With Dave Marsh’s guidance you can do as much or as little as you want each day. I found the cost of the tour very reasonable, considering it covered motorcycle hire and insurance, accommodation including half board food and transportation to and from Pisa. In these days of high stress and burnout, it is an ideal tonic that allows you to unwind and appreciate the simple pleasures of wind in the hair, and the real beauty of the Tuscan landscape.

Tuscan Moto Tours – Article written By Ian Kerr for Motorcycle Sport and Leisure(UK) and Moto Euro (US)

Lunigiana is a beautiful, but less well known area, in the northern corner of Tuscany, Italy. Basically it is an unspoiled area of breathtaking natural beauty set between the Apennine mountains and the Mediterranean sea.

It runs from the Apennines to the mouth of the Magra river, making it ideally placed as a base to visit, not only the normal tourist attractions such as Pisa, Parma etc, but also the motorcycle and car factories like Ducati at Bologna and Ferrari at Modena.

Despite the name translating into ‘Land of the Moon’, the mountainous landscape is liberally sprinkled with over 100 castles set into, or sitting on top of, various rock outcrops or in villages. These are mainly from the Malaspina or Medici period and add a dramatic contrast to the odd bits of tourism that have penetrated the largely unspoilt area.

Despite its relative anonymity in the tourist brochures, it has been an important gateway to other areas of Italy through the ages. For instance, Lunigiana has always been part of an important ancient Pilgrimage route known as the Via Francigena.

Around 1000 AD pilgrims, merchants and clergymen set out on journeys from the four corners of Europe to visit Rome. Among the most ancient itineraries ‘The Via Francigena’, or ‘Via Romea’, dates back to 990 – 994.

As a result, the area is liberally laced with small roads that follow the dramatic contours of the land rising and falling is they seek out passes to allow them to breach another, equally spectacular, valley on way to their destination. These roads are a motorcyclist’s heaven, providing not only breathtaking views, but a welcome challenge to one’s riding skills. It was no wonder then that when lifelong motorcyclist Dave Marsh discovered the area, he ended up staying and founding ‘Tuscan Moto Tours’. It was one of those coincidences in life, which at the time was quite stressful, but ended up turning out for the best.

Finding himself unemployed, he decided to take a sabbatical with his wife who had just undergone surgery. The offer of a friend’s house in Italy seemed too good an opportunity to miss so they took it.

After three months of riding round the almost empty roads and realising that they took you into villages that were part of the ‘real’ Italy. The couple decided to set up a business there and from his point of view, fulfil a childhood dream of working with motorcycles.

Despite having spent his time on his UK registered Suzuki 1200 Bandit that he had taken with him, he could see that it was not the best bike for some of the tighter roads. Not that there was anything drastically wrong with it, but it was not really nimble enough and when road surfaces deteriorated in places, it was a lot of weight to control if traction was lost! After a lot of consideration he chose to buy the Supermoto version of the KTM LC4, which is powered by a four-stroke, single cylinder, liquid cooled motor with a five-speed gearbox and electric start. It weighs in at a modest 137 kg and has 48mm WP inverted forks at the front, with a WP mono-shock at the rear.
Brakes come from Brembo and despite rolling along on seventeen-inch wheels; it has good ground clearance and an upright riding position. Just as important is of course is the fact that it can be shod with a good selection of road tyres that will give excellent grip in the wet as well as the dry! While these are his own bikes, he can now hire in 650 BMW’s as an option, or the larger 1200GS for those who want more comfort, or who wish to carry a pillion in some degree of comfort!

The overall concept of Tuscan Moto Tours is identical to those of similar companies operating in Europe, that of maximising the time spent on the challenging roads with a multi-lingual guide to take you to where you want to go. In other words to provide you with hassle free experience so you can chill out!

Cheap airlines take you to Pisa airport where Dave picks you up and conveys you back to base on the outskirts of Fivizzano. From there you spend your days enjoying the roads based on a three or seven day itinerary.

Despite there being a set agenda, this is in reality totally flexible and Dave will tailor a tour to a clients specific needs. He also provides a separate type of holiday for any partners who may wish to shop, cook or soak up a beach during the day while the riding takes place.

The evenings can then be spent together at the ‘Il Bardellino’, which is the base for the tours. Although basically farmhouse accommodation, it is somewhat different in that the farm estate was formerly the country residence of Count Danesi-Jacopetti and the period house stands in acres of its own land which now includes a private swimming pool. Another benefit is that the proprietor Andrea, is also a motorcycle fanatic and a leading light in the local motorcycle club. Therefore it is totally motorcycle friendly in all respects, as well as providing top class Italian home cooking! Yes, it is something of a gourmet tour as well as motorcycle extravaganza!

So after arriving at the Il Bardellino after enjoying lunch on route it is a case of going through the necessary paperwork, before heading out for a shakedown ride for a couple of hours. This enables you to get acquainted with the bikes capabilities and allows Dave to assess your riding and work out what is an appropriate pace to lead at.
You do not need to go very far from base to realise that you would be unlikely to find some of the roads you will be spending most of your time on, even with a good map. Even then you would be forever stopping and the same is true even with a ‘sat nav’ providing of course you had it programmed for one of the many tiny villages or passes that Dave takes you across.

He leads with a fast, safe, fluid riding style that encourages you that he is not going to lead you into a corner you cannot get out of on two wheels. It is fast enough to be fun, but not so intense that you cannot enjoy the views. Through the villages of course the paces drops to a respectful whisper that often fails to attract any attention from the local residents going about their daily business.

Our first outing saw us head towards the coast at nearby Liguria. This dramatic coastline is known as the ‘Gulf of the Poets’, as Shelley, Byron and D.H Lawrence all lived there whilst writing some of their best known works. It also contains the Passo del Bracco, which winds along the hills above the coast, providing great sea views and breathtaking roads. On the way we went through the impressive castle town of Fosdinovo, which is precariously perched on the edge of a mountain overlooking the valley and looking down on the coast. According to Dave, Dante was imprisoned here and wrote part of his well known work, the Inferno whilst incarcerated.
Nuggets of information like this on the local history slot into every days ride, adding some culture to the experience. And there is the odd surprise along the way too!
As we dropped down from Fosdinovo we came across a pizzeria complete with a private motorcycle museum containing classic, mainly Italian motorcycles, dating back to the thirties, all lovingly restored by the owner and his son.

The walls around it outside too have bikes suspended from them as if to emphasise the Italian love of automotive machinery! So too does the relative lack of speed cameras and it is pleasant not to have to worry about such twenty-first century technology whist enjoying the roads that date well back to the last one and even before that! Talking of enjoyment I was grateful for my Weise Air Spin vented suit and Techniche evaporative cooling vest, which between them, were keeping me quite comfortable in the hot conditions. (The vest keeps your core temperature at acceptable levels by evaporating- you put it on wet!)

So with the first day done and dusted I was sitting enjoying an after- dinner drink with a British couple at the hotel when a comment was made which made me think about how people viewed the various categories of bikes. Having recently sold his bike to build an R1 powered kit car, he asked whether I was spending the day broad-siding the corners with the rear end hanging out. This was his perception of how Supermotos had to be ridden!

The reality of course as I had already found out, was this was the most suitable type of bike to ride the tight Italian roads on. It had a comfortable riding position, it had more than enough power and it was relatively lightweight. There was need to carry luggage, haul down an Autostrada or do anything else other than provide a fun ride through the hills. Also the reality was/is that it would probably see off a sports bike on some of the climbs and descents! So nobody should be put off attending a Tuscan Moto Tour by the bike, it is simply the best tool for the job. Dave actually proved this by loaning me a BMW 1200 GS for the following days ride.

While we remained on slightly more open and sweeping roads, despite its sure footedness, it was harder work than the KTM and at times on the tighter climbs struggled to keep up. Due to its extra weight it was also a more tiring ride, but if I were to take a pillion it would of course be the more suitable bike purely for the comfort and ear-ache stakes!

The second day saw a slightly cooler temperature, which was good as it was one of the longer days he offers (apart from the trip to the Ducati museum) heading down towards Parma.

Staring at 9.00 we were back at 18.30 with a good lunch stop and plenty of coffee stops to break up the day and give that all-important relaxed holiday feel.
Part of the day’s route led along the aforementioned pilgrim’s route along the Cisa Pass, high above the Lunigiana valley. Due to its spectacular views and winding roads that lead to a very motorcycle friendly restaurant at the top, it is now an important pilgrimage for motorcyclists from all over Northern Italy and beyond, and a is also used by some factories for new model testing.

On the way we passed through a village called Berceto. As you approach the actual village, the sign at the top of the hill says Poggio Enzo Ferrari: the "hill route dedicated to Enzo Ferrari". This was the scene of his first-ever race, when he was a young man of just 21, proving that if a road is right it will appeal to both two and for wheelers alike!
No wonder then that bikers head for the restaurant to watch the Moto GP /WSB racing on the TV in company, before leaving at an even faster rate than they arrived!
Day three saw us back on the KTM’s and back to the more remote areas and tight almost deserted roads.

However, you cannot afford to take chances because there is always the chance that either a local is cutting the corner in their GT Fiat Panda. The other even less desirable option is a Marble lorry grinding their way up or down and grateful to straighten out anything they can!

The first climb of the day saw us going through the mountain top village of Minucciano on the way to the lake at Gramolazzo. This picturesque stretch of water may not be quite as spectacular as say Lake Como in the far north, but it provides an ideal family location for those into sailing or just chilling out next to water, whilst avoiding the more densely populated coast.

The roads around it too are ideal and it is easy to see why Dave gets through tyres quite quickly on the KTM’s. However as he points out, at least they are worn out for the entire circumference rather than just in the centre, so at least he gets full value for money out of each set.

By now I was very impressed with the bike and could not help agree totally with his choice of machine for the terrain that he spends the majority of his time on. The bikes are rugged and stand up well to the constant cog swapping and are reasonably frugal, in fact it would be hard to better them as a ‘fleet’ bike.
Still he is not adverse to hiring whatever a customer wants or guiding them on their own bike that they have ridden down there on. As I said, he is more flexible in his approach than a well known credit card!

As if to prove though that he could not control everything though, the clouds gathered ominously as we headed into Ventasso for lunch at Albergo Ventasso. By the time we have polished off an excellent potato risotto, the rain was coming down in buckets.

Despite a wet climb to one of the spectacular viewpoints that was nothing more than a cloud bank at that point, we decided to give in and head for an early bath. A few cups of coffee at base saw no let up and we abandoned the day a couple of hours early. But, as was to be expected the evening cleared allowing the mountains to be viewed again from the Il Bardellino as I packed for an early flight the following day.

So ended three days of pure motorcycle magic in the company of one of the most enthusiastic motorcyclists you could wish to meet. His easy going laid back style, makes it a relaxing motorcycle holiday, although should you wish to up the pace he will do so. (It will be a brave rider who matches him on what is now his home territory!)

Having said that do not be put off by the term Supermoto, it is just a very suitable bike to enjoy the terrain on. If this sounds like your idea of fun, motorcycling, culture and food, then you can find full details of Tuscan Moto Tours at www.tuscanmototours.com I am sure you will not be disappointed!

QUOTES

The Tuscan Moto Tours customer service is second to none - in fact the web site really underplays just how caring and accommodating Tuscan Moto Tours really are. We certainly didn't realise just how flexible the trip would be (having been accustomed to a "what you see is what you get" attitude from businesses in general). For sure this has to be the perfect motorcycle holiday: completely stress free, packed with challenging & exciting riding, in perfect surroundings, with no pressure & no worries.
Tony Levitt, Cambridge, UK

"The KTM bike and the Tuscan mountain roads are just the perfect fit together. Riding them is so thrilling, it puts you right back in touch with why you got into riding bikes in the first place."
Simon Wilkinson. Chief Exec, British Motorcyclists Federation.

“For me it wasn’t just the superb riding which got me hooked; the food, mountain views and all went some way towards making this a truly unforgettable holiday experience”
Dave Cornish – Supermoto magazine issue 21

The best riding of my life - what an experience, what a beautiful area of the world, and what better way to see it then via the Supermoto!
Brian Deevey. Newton MA America

The KTM bikes are a perfect match for the twisties of Tuscany; I found them to be far more agile and responsive than any Japanese sportbike or Ducati. The roads are unlike any I've ever ridden, extremely smooth and packed with hairpins and sweepers! It's difficult to express what an awesome time I had to motorcyclists that are not into or have no knowledge of SuperMoto bikes or the Tuscany region of Italy...
Tom Cameron. Newtown CT America

This was my first time to ride a supermoto bike and it was an exhilarating experience. That combined with the beauty of Tuscany will be remembered for ever. This was the best ride of my life".
Jon Cogdill. Houston, Texas

"Thanks for a fantastic week, the way you looked after me certainly felt like you went the extra mile. Bikes were excellent. Since returning home and riding my NC30 I have noticed a few things - #1 my riding is much better and I am much more confident after such an extensive week on exceptionally twisty roads #2 I miss your twisty roads!"
Ken Erskine - Herne Bay, Auckland, New Zealand

"The bikes are so light and forgiving, they are ideal for the twisty mountain roads, more hairpin bends than i have ridden before. The combination of the roads, the bikes, the scenery and the places we visited, is a winning formula"
Peter Loveday – Cobham

"Thanks a ton for hooking me up! I had a blast."
Zack Vishoot - Los Gatos California

"Can there be an easier, more enjoyable way to bike in Europe? Impossible!!"
Nigel Backwith – London

"I've never experienced anything like it. It's just so different from UK riding"
Helen Beazer – London

"Rekindled the joy of motorcycling on challenging roads in magnificent scenery."
Chris Cooley - Kent UK

"Shops and fab lunches - what more could a girl want!"
Jane Brooker - Kent UK - Park Your Pillion

"A Fantastic experience that surpassed all my expectations, never before have I seen such roads in my life. The guide Dave Marsh was professional but also like a good friend and organised every detail of the tour. I was so blown away with the whole experience I am booking to return hopefully this year with my family to experience the life in Italy along with a few days out on the fantastic KTM's, the family will be happy to be taken on various days whilst I'm getting my foot out. If you like smooth roads with not many straight bits then this experience is for you, I have recently changed my V-Twin 1000cc to a KTM SMC 660 and upon my return to the UK found my riding style and confidence had grown massively after riding the mountain roads of Tuscany. I went with 4 friends of various ages from 35 upwards and even the more maturely aged gents loved every minute of it. One of our group had never riden SuperMoto's before and had only experienced his GSX-R1000cc but every time I looked inside his helmet a returning smile said it all. If you love bikes and great food coupled with the friendliness of the Italian people this is the experience you can not miss, take the bull by the horns and ride him hard but be ready for a few twists and turns along the way”
Andy Sharp –Cheshire UK

"I can only say that words cannot fully express how much I enjoyed my holiday with you!"
Keith Rippin Chester UK

If you want challenging roads, a stunning view round every corner, another corner around every corner and good company from a skilled guide this is the holiday for you. If you like italian food, ice cream and coffee your decision just got easier. I thought the Cat and Fiddle was a challenging road I would want to ride it again, but it was nothing compared to these roads!
Martin Bailey, Eastbourne UK

"The right bikes, guide, roads and price. Definitely an experience to be repeated".
Jim Ventimiglia – Michigan USA.

I knew that touring Italy on motorcycle would be exciting and more enjoyable for me than any other means… I wasn't disappointed! Spending all day riding around beautiful countryside then returning to the agri-tourismo for a hearty meal was both exhilarating and relaxing. All the typical tourist logistic issues such as train schedules, hotel bookings, transportation, meals, etc. were nonexistent. All that was necessary each day was to hop on the KTM 650 thumper mule and go! The KTM's are capable bikes for the twisting, mountainous roads with plenty of low end torque and maneuverability... I missed my BMW's comfort but outside of that the KTM's get the job done. The meals at the agri-tourismo were something to look forward to at the end of the day. The rabbit was my favorite as well as the local wine though the panne cotta I had the day I arrived was also a hit. My only complaint (and a mild one at that) is there weren't other riders on my tour to hang with at the end of the day. Of course, none of this would have been as enjoyable and trouble free without tourguide Dave at the helm. Dave knows the routes, translates when needed, and is genuinely interested in the traveler having an enjoyable trip. Dave was most accommodating as we deviated from the game plan and headed down to Cinque Terra one day and watched Moto GP in a sports bar on another. Over all it was money well spent for a slice of Italy... hopefully Tuscanmototours will expand into other parts of the country!
Kevin Dudley – Washington. USA.