Winding down our European operations I went on two cross-country dashes in late October. 600km from Rome to Milan on a bike then back to Rome on a high-speed train in a single day.
The goal was to bring the bikes back to the stables in Milan. Back to where it all started in January.
I first took Min’s CFMoto. I’ve only put a couple hundred kilometers on it since Min made it hers 9 months earlier so I was looking forward to taking it for a longer, faster ride.
The CFMoto is an interesting bike. Some think of it as a budget Tenere, but with the bike winning in open class Adventure hard enduro lately — and beating the Teneres — that perception may now be shifting.
My chosen route from Rome was the fastest coastal way to Milan as identified by Google and modified with two moto-worthy coffee stops picked by the AI. Depending on time of day, going through Bologna can be faster by as much as an hour.
I left Rome right at 7am, about 20 minutes before the first light. Google estimated the shortest route between the two cities would take about 6hr45. Knowing I’d want to take at least 2 longer stops in addition to the gas stops, I figured it would probably take me about 9hrs total. This would put me in Milan around 4pm with two hours to spare in case something went wrong before Mototouring, our long term stables, closed for the day at 6pm. I had a ticket for an 8pm train back to Rome.
Aside from one wrong turn just before the autostrada, the first section went fine. When I got on the bike in the morning, the temperature was a low 12C. The winter gloves I put on were very much the right choice, my mid-layer was minimal but sufficient. The airbag provided a bulk of the thermo protection.
Talamone, a great little moto-coffee stop between Cittavecchia and Pisa.
My first stop was at tiny seaside port town of Talamone. I asked AI for a moto worthy cafe not too far from the highway and it delivered. The town is only 4km from the exit on the E80 and the ride is quite pleasant. At least half of that distance the road hugs the shore and offers inviting sneak peaks of the port ahead.
Bar il Porto Cafe in Talamone.
I couldn’t remember which cafe the AI actually recommended, but finding one with a view of the sea wasn’t difficult at all. At least two were open when I rolled in at 8:45am. I picked the one farther in, closer to the port parking. Standard Italian breakfast — espresso + cornetto — half the price of what you’d pay in Rome, served on colorful ceramic plates. This time of year the cafe was mostly empty. A couple locals and a German speaking family probably on their way home north.
About 25 min later I was off again, my next destination a small town above Pisa about 2hrs away. The famous leaning tower of Pisa was tempting, but the detour and the ride through the town mid-day would cost me a solid hour. Not this time.
Somewhere between Rome and Pisa.
The fastest stretches of highway on this route were before Cittavecchia and in the Po Valley above the Apennines where the posted speed limit is 130km/h. Both are toll sections. In other words, you pay to play.
Elsewhere along the route the posted speeds can be anything between 50 and 110km/h. Most drivers seem to find these reasonable. The exception are those who can afford the fines and the small delivery vans. The latter, in particular, can be found going 140-150 just about anywhere.
I found the CFMoto to be perfectly geared for legal speeds on the autostrada as it redlines at about 145km/h. The bike is both fun and flickable and with 30hp less than a Tenere it’s still plenty capable of passing. Lower overall weight gets much of the credit here, but so does the balanced, peppy engine. That said, there’s no magic here. The 450 is quite a bit more stressed than the 700 which becomes obvious when you bring your ear closer to the tank.
Pietrasanta, entrance gate to centro storico.
Before I knew it, early morning orange light gave way to mid-day sun, the temperature hit 22C and I had arrived at Pietrasanta, a lovely little town and with several great cafes right on the main square. Almost a perfect moto stop except for the parking which was a quick 3 min walk away. Not bad at all.
Pietrosanta, main square.
A small snack later I was back on the bike having swapped my gloves and packed the mid-layer. My next planned stop was a village in the middle of the Apennines, but that turned out to be the AI’s only failure that day. The town was lifeless.
Apennine Twisties on CFMoto
Fortunately, now 15km away from the autostrada I had a half an hour worth of twisties ahead of me before finding another onramp heading north. This I enjoyed quite a bit, but immediately found the CFMoto’s Achilles heel. The low rev fueling on the bike is quite twitchy. One definitely needs to keep it revving higher in hairpin turns to keep it from surging while rounding the apex.
CFMoto, back in the stables.
Back on the autostrada the ride remains fun while in the Apennines, but the rest of the ride to Milan is forgettable. Po Valley is completely flat. Solid three lanes of fast moving traffic, lots of industrial spaces, mostly cloudy.
I’ve grown very attached to this 2024 Tenere over the past 9 months. As much as I enjoyed setting it loose on the autostrada I was not looking forward to driving it up north just to park it in storage.
Riding it on nearly the same route a week after the CFMoto, it felt like a small battleship compared to Min’s frigate/destroyer. More stately, more self assured. Also more than enough hp to keep up with the fastest Italian 4-wheeled traffic. Not that it means much in the motorcycle land. Most any road-going Ducati would run circles around it given the opportunity. I think of the Tenere as the Leatherman of motorcycles. It will do it all, it will do it very well, but you’ll want a dedicated tool for a specific task like hard enduro or the track. One exception would be the CP2 engine. Unlike all the other components — which are in the good enough category — the Yamaha power plant is a work of art. Smooth, torquey, indestructible.
Talamone, port.
Leaving Talamone.
Anyway, back to the trip.
This time around I still hit Talamone, where I took the time to ride through the old town and drop by an olive grove, but I swapped out Pietrasanta and the Apennine twisties for the town of Lucca. Deeper inland, this diversion would cost me over an hour, but it would be worth it. The city often makes the list of the nicest towns in Tuscany.
I was making very good time until about 20km before my destination when the sky suddenly grew dark in the east and the path took me right through a very healthy albeit short downpour. I managed to wait out about half of it at a nearby gas station, but not early enough to escape unscathed. Once again, the Basilisks failed at the crotch and I rolled into Lucca in wet underwear.
Lucca. Spin this 360 around, no need to be looking at my helmet.
Lucca, Tuscany.
Fortunately, the sun was soon out and the city was just as pretty as they said. Not as lively as Modena or Ferrara, both probably twice the size, but definitely worth a romantic weekend getaway from one of the larger cities.
The final stretch of the road, the one I didn’t look forward to at all, turned out to be much better this time around. The sky around Milan was uncharacteristically clear and the snow covered Alps — several days of rain in the valley meant first dusting in higher elevations — put the city in a completely different perspective.
Tenere at Mototouring.
I arrived at Mototouring half an hour later than on the CFMoto, about the length of time I spent waiting out the rain around Lucca.
Miraculously, my underwear was dry.
Milano Centrale, waiting for my high-speed train to Rome at a restaurant above the tracks.
And just like that we’re suddenly without a horse. We’ll see if we can find an Arabian or two in our next destination, — Marocco.