How does the idea of riding a 1970s classic motorcycle through the sunny, warm backroads of Italy’s most scenic countryside sound? Terrific! Sign me up straightaway!
Ride 70s Experience offers just that and has just released its 2023 Calendar of accompanied riding tours. There are 13 altogether, starting in April and running through to the end of October/beginning of November, and they take in magnificent countryside, unspoilt villages, historic castles, lush vineyards and, of course, great food.
‘Mototurismo’ is what Ride 60s Experience founders Pietro Pirazzoli and Fabio Affuso call their trips, and you can either plump for one of their fully restored classic motorcucles or ride your own – so long as it can keep up.
The project actually dates back more than ten years when enthusiast Pietro Pirazzoli established a club near Rimini where members could enjoy riding classic motorcycles without having to own one. Restoration and ongoing maintenance was all taken care of by the club.
Last year, Pietro teammed up with Fabio Affuso to expand the club with its Mototurismo experiences. They take care of all the organising, sorting out routes, overnight stays and restaurants. All the ‘guests’ have to do is turn up and ride.
The list of 2023’s riding tours is enticing, starting with ‘The Wine Route’ through Tuscany’s famous vineyards. That’s a total of 600km and runs from 13-17 April.
Here’s the full calendar:
- The Wine Route, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany 13-17 April
- RIDE 70s X Casa Etronia, Lazio 27 April-1 May
- Coast 2 Coast 100okm, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany 7-14 May
- RIDE 70s X Moto Giro D’Italia, Tuscany 21-28 May
- Rider’s Valley, Imola, Misano, Mugello – Emilia Romagna 9-13 June
- Force of Nature, Umbria – Marche 12-17 July
- RIDE 70s X Casa Etronia II, Lazio 27-31 July
- Forgotten Peaks, Gran Sasso, Sibillini – Abruzzo 6-13 August
- Rider’s Valley II Imola, Misano, Mugello – Emilia Romagna 9-13 September
- Sardinia’s Secrets, Sardinia 17-24 September
- Tuscany Dreaming, Tuscany 8-15 October
- The Wine Route II, Tuscany 19-23 October
- Endless Summer, Sicily 29 October-6 November
Ride 70s: The motorcycles
Fabio and Pietro look after all the classic motorcycles themselves, with a total of 16 motorcycles from European, Japanese and American manufacturers. They are allocated on a first come, first served basis so book early.
The line-up currently boasts 16 motorcycles from the European, Japanese and American manufacturers:
- 1973 Laverda 750 SF
- 1971 Bernelli Tornado 650
- 1976 Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans
- 1974 Moto Guzzi 750S
- 1973 Moto Guzzi V7 850 GT
- 1971 Ducati Scrambler 350
- 1972 Ducati Scrambler 450
- 1975 Moto Morini 3 ? Sport.
- 1971 750 Norton Commando Fastback
- 1969 Triumph Bonneville 650 T120R
- 1975 BMW R90S
- 1975 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi 350 SS
- 1971 Honda CB500 Four
- 1972 Honda CB750 Four K2
- 1981 Yamaha XT500
- 1975 Kawasaki Z1 900
Bookings for the 2023 tours are now open. Click here for full details, prices and how to book.
