Rome to Milan on a R1200RT

[HRCRob]

Just back from a month in Italy on my honeymoon. Started June 2nd in Palermo Sicily where my wife's family is from and finished up in the Italian lakes near Milan (Lombardia/Piemonte) where my family is from. Rome to Milan was negotiated on a rented BMW R1200RT from CMIT of Rome www.cimt.it (nobody rents ST1300 Pan-Euros). Rome, Sienna, Pisa, Florence, Bologna, Ferrara (Ducati), Venice, Dolomites-Alps St Moritz, Lago Como, Lago Maggiore, Lago d'Orta and finishing in Milano. Planes, Bullet trains, Ferries, Gondolas, 2 rented Alfa Romeos, 3 rented scooters and 3000Km. on the Beemer. Amazing trip of a lifetime (until our next adventure)

Best Road Traveled: Passo d'Stelvio - The Stelvio Pass 2757m. - 9080ft.

 

[nurseBob]

HRCRob,

Great to see you back again! Congatulations on getting married (I did the same a few weeks back), and on having such a nice place to honeymoon. :bow1: Great pics!
STPilot's trying to organize another YoSemiTe ride before this year's out; think your new wife will approve of a weekend out with the boys?

Bob

 

[STumpy]

Just back from a month in Italy on my honeymoon. Started June 2nd in Palermo Sicily where my wife's family is from and finished up in the Italian lakes near Milan (Lombardia/Piemonte) where my family is from. Rome to Milan was negotiated on a rented BMW R1200RT from CMIT of Rome www.cimt.it (nobody rents ST1300 Pan-Euros). Rome, Sienna, Pisa, Florence, Bologna, Ferrara (Ducati), Venice, Dolomites-Alps St Moritz, Lago Como, Lago Maggiore, Lago d'Orta and finishing in Milano. Planes, Bullet trains, Ferries, Gondolas, 2 rented Alfa Romeos, 3 rented scooters and 3000Km. on the Beemer. Amazing trip of a lifetime (until our next adventure)

Best Road Traveled: Passo d'Stelvio - The Stelvio Pass 2757m. - 9080ft.

That must have been a trip that you will remember for years to come. My family is from rural communities around Ancona. My 2 favorite places are Lake Maggiore and Venice. There is just something about Venice that grabs you. You got quite a mix there - Palermo to Lombardia !

 

[Bones]

Nice pix, awesome switchbacks! I drove a similar stretch of curves in Switzerland in a Golf GTI some years ago.

What's your $.02 on the R1200RT?

 

[JZH]

Rome, Sienna, Pisa, Florence, Bologna, Ferrara (Ducati), Venice, Dolomites-Alps St Moritz, Lago Como, Lago Maggiore, Lago d'Orta and finishing in Milano.

Blimey! Don't tell my wife you think Ducati is in Ferrara! For Bolognese, them's fighting words... (Ducati is definitely in Bologna, and Ferrara is kind of the New Jersey of Emilia-Romagna...) Sounds like you had a fantastic trip, but having just returned from Northern Italy myself, I bet it was a hot one!

Ciao,

 

[HRCRob]

Great to see you back again! Congatulations on getting married (I did the same a few weeks back.
STPilot's trying to organize another YoSemiTe ride before this year's out; think your new wife will approve of a weekend out with the boys?

Thanks Bob and congrats to you too! Last years YoSemite ride was awesome! We'll have to see about this year. You know how Scillian women are...:

 

[HRCRob]

Blimey! Don't tell my wife you think Ducati is in Ferrara! For Bolognese, them's fighting words... (Ducati is definitely in Bologna, and Ferrara is kind of the New Jersey of Emilia-Romagna...) Sounds like you had a fantastic trip, but having just returned from Northern Italy myself, I bet it was a hot one!

escuzzi! that would be a typo... Rest assurd Ducati is still in Balogna
The weather was perfect in Sicilly, Napoli, Amalfi and Rome. Once we got on the bike and headed north the heat wave hit all of Italy (and europe). Even the passes in the Alps were warm!

 

[HRCRob]

What's your $.02 on the R1200RT?

It's a good tourer and it performed well for us. It did everything that was asked of it without argument and little to no drama. But... There's no real emotion or personality to the RT. It's like an appliance. Same thing is said about the ST1300 Pan-Euro but I wouldn't swap my ST for that bike under any curcumstances. There are some things I liked better about the BMW which Honda could and should address though.

R1200RT PLUSSES

High speed handling (100mph+) Rock solid, stable and predictable all the way to redline. Even fully loaded, 2-up, bags full to max Approx 1000lbs gvwt. No wabble or swerve +++

6-Speed box - a must on the Autostrada. Not so important here in the US.

Gear indicator - why can't we have one

R1200RT MINUSSES

Too tall and top heavy

Engine - Buzzy and underpowered. My wife's 1st impression: "Is this a Harley?"

Telelever Suspension - Leave it to the Germans to over engineer the front end and it still has waaaaaaaay too much dive. My 1st impression: "***** is wrong with the front of this beast!?

Brakes - Good, but not nearly as good as the ST1300 Pan-Euro. No contest.

Fully loaded down with topboxes and 2-up, the bikes are very even. I give the nod to Honda for the above reasons and of course on the Honda you don't have to stick your nose in the air and strut around like a peacock in heat with your matching Beemer-Motard logo 3-tone rain suit

 

[Bones]

...on the Honda you don't have to stick your nose in the air and strut around like a peacock in heat with your matching Beemer-Motard logo 3-tone rain suit

Whew...sure glad I have an ST! (At least the ST sounds like George Jetson's space car, instead of the RT which sounds like a blender on "whip".)

 

[maldos]

nice trip. My wife and I returned from Italy 3 weeks spending 4 days in the Dolomites then traveling to many of the same stops.