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2011 Crotona Midnight Run: The Right Tool For the Job?

I get excited about things. It’s just my way. Quite often Kenny has to talk me down off the ledge when my enthusiasm overshadows my good sense. On Saturday I told him that I was committed to doing the Crotona again this year.

Naturally his first question was “what bike are you taking?” When I answered “the DRZ”, he kind of looked at me like, well,… like he looks at me a lot. With the “are you an idiot?” look.

Bless his blonde, little heart, he did have some good points against riding the DRZ. Points that I did already consider. Mainly that I wouldn’t be able to run a full suite of electrics. And of course there is that pesky slab ride to and from the starting line.

“Why don’t you take the GS?” he said in typical deadpan delivery.
In a moment of true luminescent brilliance, I replied :blink:blink: “Uh? I don’t know?”

The Big Bomber

The GS  (which we call “The Big Bomber”) is like our red-headed stepchild bike. I sometimes forget that I even own it.

Simply put – I do not love the GS.  It’s fine, it works, it’s a tank. It can eat up the miles and keep you comfortable at the same time. You can bolt/strap/tie a shit-ton of stuff on it and ride for a bajillion miles while powering electric underpants, a radar detector, 48 GPSs, a missile launcher and the WOPR.

Even though it looks like a hippo on roller skates -  once rolling it is surprisingly light on it’s feet. BUT… eh. I don’t know. It never found it’s way into my heart and stayed there. Our love affair was brief.

So, Kenny absolutely did have a point. The GS is probably the right tool for the Crotona. I can wear all of my electrics. The highway ride to and from the start location will be a piece of cake. I’ll have plenty of room to attach a light and space to put my route sheet and I won’t have to fill up at the halfway mark to make sure I can get to the end of the ride.

Damn it! I hate it when he’s all sensible and stuff.

The Big Bomber will ride again.

Fly and Ride: Renting Motorcycles Away From Home

Given the obvious hardship of riding our motorcycles from Long Island to Italy, doing a “Fly and Ride” was our only option. In order to take our Alpine trip Kenny and I needed to rent motorcycles.

What Did We Look for in a Rental?

  • Unlimited Mileage
    This was a big one. Miles accumulate quickly and therefore so can the cost.
  • Luggage
    Are side cases, a top box, a tank bag available or standard on the rental? This helps you determine if you need to bring some of your own luggage. The less stuff you need to pack and bring on the airplane, the better.
  • Miles per Gallon/Kilometers per Liter
    What kind of fuel efficiency do the bikes offered get? Fuel in Europe, which is bought by the liter, is considerably more expensive than in the US. You might end up spending the equivalent of $6 – $7 per gallon. Watching your wallet drain with the gas gauge is no fun. Unless money is no object, try to pick something fairly fuel efficient.
  • Insurance
    Be clear on the insurance offered or what you would be required to pay should an unfortunate accident occur.

What Did We Rent?

We came away with a pair of BMW F 650 GSs; a 2009 & a 2010.

They offered plenty of usable power on the motorways and climbing through the mountains. They were fully outfitted with Touratech tank bags, 46 liter Givi top cases, Givi side cases and Garmin ZUMO GPS power cables. The bike had a low seat height, wide bars and my favorite part… sipped gas.

The GS had plenty of zippy power and did everything it was asked to do with no complaints. In the past, I’d heard chatter that the prior generation 650GS single felt like it would kind of peter out especially on the highway. I’m happy to report that this 798cc twin showed no signs of that.

In hindsight I preferred it hands down over the BMW R1150Rs we’d rented in California in 2008.

How Do You Find a Motorcycle Rental Outfit?

To find a rental outfit, we used the same locator we used when looking for a rental in California; AdMo Tours. With a network of rental stations all over the world, we knew they’d have something for us.

The company AdMo hooked us up with was Rent-a-Dream, based out of Milan. We had such a great experience with their service I would confidently recommend them. Diego, the gent in charge was a pleasure. You could absolutely tell how much he himself loves riding motorcycles. He is fluent in English and is a wealth of information should you need suggestions for area riding or tours.

Renting motorcycles can open up many opportunities to ride in places you could never otherwise ride to. If you do your homework and choose wisely new adventures await!

Do you have any tips for potential motorcycle renters? Comment Below!

Long Island: Where the Buffalo Roam

Long Island is home to some unusual residents. In the town of Riverhead, sits the North Quarter Buffalo Farm. Though the island seems like an unlikely place for them to thrive, the herd is said to be about 300 strong. Each time we are out that way I love to stop by and watch them from the road. A few of them seemed as interested in us as we were in them.

Two black buffaloes are born on North Fork farm

Hello Sexy! Rodney Aguiar’s Custom BMW R80ST – Envy

While at the International Motorcycle Show in New York City, Rodney Aguiar’s BMW custom R80ST called “Envy” caught my eye. The sexy unencumbered look of the rear wheel with it’s shaft drive and no fender or subframe, retro pan-style saddle and angular tank create an intriguing mix of new and old that is very appealing. Round that all out with the GSX-R front end with low, wide slung bars like a Monster and I bet it’s a great ride.

Show Card Details:

Bike: 1983 BMW R80ST
Owner/Builder: Rodney Aguiar

  • Futuristic sheet-metal fuel tank
  • GSX-R750 front end
  • BMW R1100 Paralever singlesided swingarm
  • FMF RM250 exhaust silencers
  • Paint and striping by Mike Maldonado and Jimmy C
  • Custom-fabricated frame

From the Story: “I built them because no one else uses BMWs to create custom bikes”

Featured in Cycle World Magazine October 2009

Avarice, envy, pride,
Three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all
On Fire.
Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy