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I do not often take requests here at Underblog Rides Again. I do not often get them, either. But the request comes from Mr. Pompone, and I am honored.
Exactly 17 years ago, I was planning my first ever trip to Europe. Like most people in their 20's, I had been planning to go there for some time. However, my sister's wedding in Rome made a trip across the Big Pond (or rather the Pole) inevitable. And so I began to plan in earnest for a trip that I would make across the continent via motorcycle. I planned on staying for three months or so.
I had had the Morini for only three years then, and I would regularly ride along the coasts. mountains, and rivers of Northern California as my primary source of recreation. My first thought was to bring her over and ride her there. My friend T.¹ was going to Morocco to work on a film and was bringing his Morini Camel along. We had each invested in Givi luggage for our Morini's, and we talked about the possibility of meeting up while we were both over there. I gave him my sister's number in Rome.
In the pre-internet days, it made sense for me to write letters to all the European Morini clubs to ask them what they knew about what I would later learn was called mototurismo. I heard back from Morini Klub Deutschland, who had enclosed a copy of their newsletter La Strega,² the Morini/MV Agusta Club of France, and the Morini Riders' Club in the UK. But the most thorough and enticing correspondence was a packet from a place called San Liberale. It contained maps of the region (after all, it is just about impossible to find San Liberale—population 50—on a map); flyers for upcoming motorcycle events; and postcards of a Ducati trip across the USA, the Morini Club Italia, and some restaurant called Ristorante da Memi. Clearly, this was the expertise that I needed. I telephoned Maurizio immediately.
From Maurizio, I learned that used Laverda's went for about the same price as it would cost for me to ship the Morini. I could however at the end of the trip sell the bike and recover some of the cost of purchase. He said that there were several Laverda's for sale in the area. He also mentioned that he had friends in all the motorcycle factories and that it would probably be possible to arrange tours of them while I was there.
[To be continued.]
¹ T. purchased the first Morini 500 that I was ready and willing to buy by responding Saturday night to an ad in the Sunday paper. He and I also shared an interest in Citroën automobiles.
² La Strega: the witch. Morini 500's had a decal on their tailpieces of a witch astride a flaming LaFranconi exhaust pipe.
Posted by Underblog at February 21, 2006 7:25 AM
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neat-o, a request!
Posted by: Sherman at February 21, 2006 2:15 PM
I like this autobiographical chapter of underblog's riding...
Posted by: heather at February 22, 2006 4:07 AM
I hope there's a camel in part 2!
Posted by: GB at February 22, 2006 11:34 AM
or atleast,' From moto to minidonkey in 579 complicatissimi passages.'
Posted by: heather at February 23, 2006 1:33 AM