MurphCO said:
I go to Stuttgart a few times a year for work (Kelley Barracks) and am planning on a long weekend ride down to Italy sometime this summer. If you have a few minutes, any route suggestions would be appreciated.
I guess you want to go to the Dolomites region in northern italy which is east of bozen/bolzano or you maybe south of bozen to the Garda lake region in Trentino .
The route is quite simple, in germany use the highway up to the austrian border because you don't have to pay for it and it brings you fast to the intersiting parts.
From there on you have different options, a good route is to take the hantenjoch pass (beware, grip sucks here) just across the border and then continue to the Timmelsjoch/Passo Rombo pass. After the Timmelsjoch you can continue in the direction of meran and then bozen/bolzano or if you have time head up north to take the Jaufenpass/passo giovo and after that you can go south over the Penserjoch pass which brings you also to bolzano. With this route you will in time for dinner in the hotel
Another option through austria would be to take the Reschenpass and then head on to the very popular Stilfser Joch/Stelvio pass with its 48 switchbacks on the northern ramp, after that you continue to the Gavia pass which is really one of the nicest italian passes and then head on over the Tonale pass which will bring you to meran. This may take a little longer.
If possible avoid august because in italy everyone is on vacation in that time and streets are crowded with cagers in that region.
MurphCO said:
Also, have you ever dealt with the a triumph dealer by the airport? They rent bikes, but I haven't met anyone that has actually dealt with them at all.
I never dealt personally with them, but my uncle had a defective alternater on his 1050 tiger just after the warranty was over and the fixed and he didn't have to pay, so i guess they are at least reasonable.
Here you can download a *.gpx file with all the passes in the Alps
http://alpenrouten.de/downloads.html?fid=4
If you don't have time for italy consider a tour to the vosges mountains just across the rhine in france, the tarmac there has awesome grip and provides a lot of peg scratching fun ::001::
