Classic bike servicing

Written By Fabio Affuso

Motorbike maintenance is in full swing at RIDE70s!

 

Fitting new exhaust brackets on the Bonneville T120

Riding classic motorcycles further than the cake shop is not for everybody, you probably know that already. These bikes require constant attention if they are to perform well tour after tour and for thousands of miles each year. Some argue they weren’t made for touring, some that it’s a shame and we should jail them in our sitting room, but we believe in sharing our retro motorcycle passion and the joy that come with riding these beautiful organic machines. Each and every one offers a unique thrilling experience, and wants to be ridden and cared for as if it were your lover. During our Italian tours we are constantly checking on them, making sure they are enjoyable and safe to ride. Then come winter, our major servicing operation begins.

Levi's and Norton motorcycle posters on a workshop wall

A Kawasaki Z900 from 1976 waiting its turn to be restored.

 
Norton Commando and other vintage motorcycles in the RIDE 70s clubhouse

Busy RIDE 70s clubhouse

 

Out in the sun, checking and oiling all cables, as well as cleaning, lubricating and adjusting all brakes (especially drums - we know you love ‘em!).

 
 

Firing up the Benelli Tornado 650 for a test ride.

For bigger jobs we work with Gino, our trusted vintage motorcycle mechanic.
’One of our clients from UK asked us to prepare his Triumph Bonneville for his upcoming Sicilian Spring tour so we took it to him, and discovered a seized piston and scored and pitted cylinders. After this overhaul the old Brit won’t be smoking white any more.

 

Working in the sun outside on the Ducati Scrambler 350 and 450. These Italian sisters are so much fun to ride.

 

We hope you enjoyed this report and if you have any questions please write them in the comments below.

 

Our upcoming motorcycle tours in Italy

Featured
Coast 2 Coast 2024 - fully booked
May 16
Coast 2 Coast 2024 - fully booked

If you ever wanted to experience the best Italy has to offer in one go, then this ‘east to west and back’ of amazing mountains, valleys, heritage, food and hospitality is for you. Beginning with a warm welcome at our clubhouse in the Republic of San Marino, we will leave the Adriatic coast and ride through the best peaks of the Small Alps to reach the famed Tuscany, land of incredible culture and superb culinary traditions. After visiting the iconic medieval city of Siena, we will continue through picturesque hills and valleys all the way to the Etruscan coast. Eating and drinking our way through some of the best food and wine Tuscany has to offer, we will then reach the eminent homeland of Italian language, Florence. For our final stretch, we will dive into a true motorcycle playground, crossing the amazing Passo del Muraglione and riding hairpins and empty twisty roads back through the Small Alps, and finally arrive back in San Marino for a chill at the SPA and then a very special dinner party at our RIDE 70s clubhouse.

Rider’s Valley I
May 31
Rider’s Valley I

A full-on experience of the land of motors, Romagna and Tuscany, where champions and iconic motorcycle manufacturers are born, and where motorsport is like a religion. An unmissable experience for anyone passionate about motorcycle life.

BSMC x Road to Tuscany 2024 - confirmed
Jun 13
BSMC x Road to Tuscany 2024 - confirmed

Riding truly iconic 70s classic bikes, we’ll experience some of the best routes, food, hospitality and good times Italy has to offer. This Bike Shed exclusive tour is packed with incredible heritage and marvellous destinations throughout: from the unbelievable San Marino to the sensational Tuscany, crossing the Apennine Mountains, riding hills and valleys through vineyards, drinking coffees in Medieval and Etruscan towns, all the while staying at unique boutique and farmhouse hotels, and eating and drinking all the amazing locally produced foods and wines. Bike Shed members are in for a real treat with this one.

Top of the World 2024
Aug 19
Top of the World 2024

This tour is a marvellous opportunity to experience the magnificence of nature while riding some of the most epic Dolomite passes. Don’t be fooled by the km count, this trip is not for the faint-hearted, but it will be phenomenally rewarding. Day in and day out we’ll climb mountains and descend valleys, ride along big and small lakes, pass rivers, and of course have a ball on the many turns and switchbacks of the 7 epic passes we will cross. We will lodge at beautiful 3/4 stars hotels and relax in their SPAs, eat the delicious food and drink the marvellous wines of the region, before doing it all over again, for 6 days. Stamina is required, but a support van will be at hand if required.

Sardinia’s Secrets 2024
Sep 23
Sardinia’s Secrets 2024

A motorcycle journey into the island of unspoilt nature and millenary traditions. By September big crowds and unbearable heat have left, opening it all up for us and our motorcycles to enjoy outright. Starting from the city of Cagliari, where the waiters are a good laugh and the food is to die for, we will embark in a loop all around the Island, to experience the most beautiful and sometimes remote Sardinia. Everything is in the cards with this trip. From mountain roads immersed in fragrant Mediterranean vegetation, with granite rocks on one side and vast breathtaking views on the other, to coastal roads framed by white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, we will experience and touch it all by hand. Expect awesome riding, dreamy swimming, great hotels, simple towns, warm hospitality, comedy, and even ghost mining towns. This island is vast and by western standards largely untouched, and we will dive right into its heart. Needless to say this journey will be a feast of amazing local foods like the suckling pig (often cooked buried underground) and the Pecorino cheese (Sardinian Pecorino is an assurance!).

The Wine Route 2024
Oct 10
The Wine Route 2024

A carefully planned journey through the land of Italian Renaissance everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Beginning in the Chianti region, we will experience the fascinating hills and valleys of the Tuscan countryside, visiting iconic towns and some of the most unique vineyards and cellars of Italy. We will relish food and wine tastings, learning with both our taste buds and bellies all that this fabulous region has to offer.

Fabio Affuso
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