Alps - Bike Rental Advice and Potential Riding Partner

[Scud]

I just got a last-minute work thing that gives me the following riding window:

Arrive Munich, Germany before noon on Friday, August 25.
Get close to Nuremberg by Sunday night (for work Monday and Tuesday)
Return bike to Munich Wednesday morning August 30.

Not too fussy about what bike I would ride - so long as it's comfy and a little sporty. Anybody have advice about where to rent, some good ideas about where to go... or willing to be tour guide / riding partner?

I was thinking about crossing the Alps into Northern Italy. A visit to Mandello del Lario is possible, but it's not the purpose. I just want to find some good riding, scenery, food, and drink. (probably in that order of occurrence and priority.)

[Chuck in Indiana]

<looking for jealous emoticon>

[Scud]

<looking for jealous emoticon>

You fly us there, I'll rent the bikes. 

[kingoffleece]

Rob Beach of beaches Motorcycle Tours is one of the best in the business.
Family business-second generation.  Operates all over Europe.

[Moz]

so 2.5 days riding before work on the Monday? I'd recommend getting down to Mandello or close - great roads there and back with many options..  and you can always take the slab to Nuremburg Sunday night if you're running late - probably safer too if you keep the speed up, riding on Italian roads, good as they are, come with Italian drivers and at night...

A V9 bobber rental from Agostinis at Mandello above Lake Como this July - wish I was back there now..

[Wayne Orwig]

Rob Beach of beaches Motorcycle Tours is one of the best in the business.
Family business-second generation.  Operates all over Europe.

I'll second that.

Contact Beaches ASAP. They can likely help you with your rental and more. Great family business.

http://www.bmca.com/

[azguzzirep]

From Munich head south to Switzerland and take Spluga pass into Italy. Mandello is only an hour or do from there😊.

Don't forget to buy you vignettes for highway driving.

[Scud]

Beaches replied. They no longer offer rentals - they have decided to focus on tours.

Looks like the Moto Guzzi museum is open from 3pm to 4pm Monday to Friday. A whole hour every weekday? That doesn't seem right, but if it is, I can't visit the museum with the time I have available. So if I go to Mandello, it would just be to soak in the vibe (and espresso).

I'm looking at AdMoTours for a rental now. I happened to wander into their office in Wrightwood, CA earlier this year (on my San Andreas Fault ride). They were starting a dirt-bike tour to LAs Vegas that day. Seem like good people... and they offer rental bikes near Munich. Very surprising to see Wrightwood, CA as a contact point when researching rental bikes in Munich...

[Tusayan]

BMW Niederlassung Munchen (the factory owned dealer) rents a lot of motorcycles and is really easy to reach, an U-Bahn stop is on their front door step, but they are expensive.  New bikes and reliable service if that's what you need.

http://www.bike-travel-service.de/en/

http://www.bike-travel-service.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Downloads/motorcycle_rentprices_2017.pdf

www.muenchen.bmw-motorrad.de

[Scud]

Thanks, good option. I hadn't seen that one yet, and the prices are only slightly higher than other rentals I've looked at.

[Tusayan]

You don't have enough time to get very far south or west and then make it back to Nuremberg for work on Monday.  I would sleep on the plane and pick up the bike in Munich on Friday morning. Take the S-Bahn then U-Bahn from Munich airport and you can have that done by noon at the BMW Niederlassung if you choose that option.  The rental company guy there is named Dirk and English is no problem.  Then if you feel OK with jet lag head south towards the Dolomites on Friday afternoon, probably Autobahn from Munich, across the Brenner Pass via Innsbruck before leaving the Italian Autostrada and heading east into the mountains. Be careful and sleep Friday night before riding fast.  On Saturday take a loop through those spectacular Dolomites, you will enjoy it, and stay somewhere in the mountains.  Then get up, enjoy breakfast at the hotel and start north to Nuremberg on Sunday, which will be a very full day of riding.  PM if you need some tips on where to stay Friday or Saturday night.

That is a very 'aggressive' itinerary but it gets the most that's reasonably possible into the weekend.

Another option would be a loop in western Austria for the Saturday ride, riding through Bavarian countryside from Munich to someplace like Landeck, Austria on the Friday instead of across the Brenner.  That's closer to Munich and Nuremberg but perhaps not as spectacular as the Dolomites... and no language/culture change, which is exciting.  Your choice!

You'll need a 10 day sticker for the Austrian autobahn.

[kirkemon]

Tusayan is correct.
I went through AdMo in Wrightwood, but when I do it again I will just call Dirk. They will hold your suitcases for you while you're touring. I took out the extra insurance and unlimited kilometers. Be sure to fill the tank when you return.
I took the long way to Bolzano, spent 2 nights there, went up to Nauders, Austria, and back down different routes. Then took the long way to Salzburg trying to get a piece of the Dolomites in.
I wish I could go with you. Great time. Good food and drink!

I highly recommend Bolzano, I've stayed at the Stadt Hotel Citta a couple of different times, excellent.

[Scud]

Thanks for the extra input. The more I look, the more I think I should take a relatively short ride into the Austrian Alps on Friday. Get a good sleep and make Saturday the main riding highlight - but not be too aggressive with the distances. I'd like to take a few small hikes too.

I'd probably enjoy a leisurely ride with several stops on the way to Nuremburg.  I'm sure that this little side-trip is just going to make me want to go back for a week or more.

I'm thrilled to be able to squeeze in this short-adventure with my work. Gotta grab those moments when they present themselves.

[Huzo]

I'm currently in Finland as we speak en route to Sicily from Nordkapp. Everything's flexible so stay in touch and I'll buy you a Mc Donald's burger Oz rider is thrashing about somewhere too in these parts. I could meet you at the coffee precinct in Como or Agostini's in Mandello, or, ummmmm...?

[racasey]

The recommedation to use AdMo is quite sound.  I've rented bikes in Europe a number of times and AdMo saved the day when a dealer in Frankfurt tried to alter my plans by wanting to substitute a smaller bike for the R1200GS which was contracted.  One call to AdMo, 15 minutes passed, the subject dealer phoned to apologize.

The amount of time you have on this occasion will severely limit what you can do.  There is no need for you to stretch down into the Dolomites when there are many other roads in the Oberbayern south of Munich and into Tirol in western Austria.   The German auto club, ADAC, is a reciprocal to Tripple A in the US, and will gladly give you a free Motorrad Touring Map specifically intended for motorcycle touring in southern Bavaria and Austria.  Here you will find many roads a few hours south of Munich.  The Grossglockner being but one of them.

Austria requires a Vignette sticker on all vehicles operating on the Autobahn.  The vignette can be purchased at every gas station for 9 Euros to cover your short period. Failure to have the vignette affixed is 240 Euros, there is zero sympathy, and cash on the spot is required.  But better is to avoid the Autobahn and ride the many wonderful B roads.  Far more scenic, relaxing, and fun

Vehicle rental periods in Europe differ than in the US.  If you pick up a bike at 1645 on Monday and return it at 0830 the following morning, you will be charged for two days. There is no advantage in returning the vehicles early in the day. 

Eat weisswurst in München, have Nürnberger sausages in Nuremberg and save the bier for after riding. Germans all stop for coffee and cake, and you should too.  There is a cute cafe waiting for you on every mountain road. Have a wonderful trip!

Ciao,
Dick

[Tusayan]

The more I look, the more I think I should take a relatively short ride into the Austrian Alps on Friday. Get a good sleep and make Saturday the main riding highlight - but not be too aggressive with the distances.

That's a good plan.  There are many nice places in Austria.  In case you're looking for a good hotel for Saturday night, others who do this regularly have enjoyed the Hotel Enzian in Landeck http://www.hotel-enzian.com/en/tirol-landeck/motorcycle.html (which also rents bikes at fair prices) and the Hotel Jagerhof in Zams http://www.jaegerhof-zams.at/home.html - both three hours by pretty roads from Munich (via Starnberg, Garmisch, Imst) and well suited for starting an Austrian Alpine ride on Saturday. 

If you wanted you could even rent a car at Munich airport, drive direct to the Enzian on Friday morning, rent a bike there through Saturday night and then drive the car to Nuremberg on Sunday.  That might work well if somebody else were paying for the car rental, and if you were concerned about rain when you're working and returning to the airport the following week.

I'm thrilled to be able to squeeze in this short-adventure with my work. Gotta grab those moments when they present themselves.

Absolutely.  Have fun, you'll love it.

Zell am See on Friday night and a loop over the Grossglockner on Saturday is another option... there are many   

[Scud]

Hey guys. Thanks so much for the input. It was a bit of a challenge to find available bikes with short notice, language, and time zone differences... but I have secured an R1200GSA from Bike Travel Service (wanted a smaller bike, but nothing else was available). I also reserved two nights at Hotel Enzian. I would not have found either of these without you.

Now I'm thinking about packing. I have to take a bunch of stuff for work, because the short notice made shipping both uncertain and expensive. I have a Giant Loop Great Basin saddlebag, and I think I'm gonna pack it (under 50 pound limit) and check it on my flight. That makes a simple strap-on for the GSA, which will come with a top-case only.

I'm going to take my mesh riding gear (which has a wind/rain layer), not my leathers. Since I'll be on a GSA, I'd rather be wearing mesh if I find a dirt road to explore.

[Tusayan]

I think you're all set.  If you need a locker for storage at the Niederlassung, ask for it when picking up the bike - they have them downstairs and might let you have one.  If you find yourself wanting an Austrian autobahn 10-day sticker, and want to get it out of the way, an ADAC office is across the street (Frankfurter Ring) and English language is OK.

At the Munich airport, if you're taking the train there are only two S-Bahn trains, so 50% chance of success... The ticket machines there are confusing so I would stand in the short line near the entrance to the S-Bahn platform and let a human sell you the ticket to Frankfurter Ring.  They are happy to do so and will give you the most economical fare.

Look around the Hotel Enzian on Saturday night 8/26 and say hello to any American motorcyclists who have arrived that day.  You might find they are from quite close to home.   

[Scud]

I'm off... thanks again for all the advice.



Wasn't there a free-motorcycle-airport parking thread a while back? Here's free parking for 1 K-bike at Los Angeles (LAX).

I checked the Giant Loop Great Basin saddlebag - will pick it up in Munich and strap it to the rental bike.

[Scud]

Hey Guys -

I had a fabulous trip. Here's a video, which covers getting to Austria and my loop through the Alps on Saturday. I might make another about the balance of the trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=korsM6brT5s

[SED]

Outstanding video Scud!  Great footage and editing.  You must've had a great trip.  I did a few hours of riding like that around Mandello, so your video brings back wonderful memories.  Need to go back.  Thanks for the inspiration!

you must be an old hand at riding in Europe. 

 

Can't wait for the next installment. 

[Scud]

Actually, this was my first time riding in Europe - I really felt like I put a checkmark on the proverbial bucket list. I was less than 100km away from Mandello Del Lario, but it was just a bit further than I could realistically go with the time I had available.

Did you notice that I was following a red Moto Guzzi Stelvio up the Stelvio pass? That was apropos.

[Tusayan]

That's a nice loop, and a good use of the available time.  Stelvio can be a bit of a zoo, but definitely worth seeing.  The road from the south end of Stelvio to Mandello is also slow going, it's not far on the map but it carries a lot of traffic and can be very hot.  You made a better choice with how you did it, and can go to Mandello next time!

I'll be flying to Munich this weekend and starting a similar ride with friends on Tuesday, but heading further south.  I don't think we'll have the same sunny weather in the Alps next week!

[groundhog105]

What a great ride Scud.  I was on those roads last year and I especially liked those little narrow paved goat trails.  You hit some great roads.

[KiwiKev]

What's with the cows on the road ?


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[Tom]

Open range.  Just watch for the cow-pies on the road in curves.  Sometimes the farmers are moving them to another pasture.  Summer thing in the Alps.  If cars or bikes coming the other way signal you to slow down, definitely do that.

[Scud]

Here's the second half of my trip. I hope you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6VnPmqjZLE

[KiwiKev]

Open range.  Just watch for the cow-pies on the road in curves.  Sometimes the farmers are moving them to another pasture.  Summer thing in the Alps.  If cars or bikes coming the other way signal you to slow down, definitely do that.

Cow pies - yum [emoji104]


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[pebra]

Thanks, great films, all gemütlichkeit it seemed to me!
Made me want to go to those parts myself. The whole procedure is in this thread!

[kirkemon]

Thanks Scud!
Looks like you had good weather and a fabulous time.

Did you like the R1200GSA? I did my Alps trip on a F800GS and it was everything I needed. In fact I'm thinking about going again next year (thanks to your inspiration).
I'd like to head more into the Dolomites this time.