Welcome Riders!
If, due the Covid 19, we are forced to cancel the tour you will be fully reimbursed!
Final dates will be published at the end of 2020, when Dorna will announce the 2021 calendar.
This is the Misano MotoGp and the Italian ride tour!
Arrive in Rome, pick-up your Ducati, and then spend 6 fantastic days riding the twisty roads in the heart of Italy, and 2 days at the Misano Marco Simoncelli World MotoGP circuit to watch Ducati riders and their MotoGP competitors put on a stunning show of speed, talent and craziness to make this tour the ultimate experience!
The endless curves, the historic small towns, the high mountain passes, the quaint little hotels, the food, and watching MotoGP action at Misano.
Top it off with a visit to the Ducati Museum and Factory makes this the motorcycle tour for MotoGP fans dream package.
The passion of Italy is what makes this tour sexy. The food, the cars, the motorcycles, the people are all made with a passion for life.
Enrico Grassi, founder of Hear the Road Tours and Cat MacLeod, owner of Leod Escapes in the USA, work together to make this tour unforgettable for our style of riders and MotoGP fans. Like, so many great Italian things, it turned out authentic, curvy, exciting, and delicious.
This fabulous tour starts and ends in the Eternal City of Rome.
Highlights
Roads
4 / 5
Landscape
5 / 5
Art & History
5 / 5
Food / Wine
5 / 5
Where We Ride – What We See – What We Hear
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You will reach your hotel from the airport by private car where Enrico and Cat, your Hear The Road hosts will be ready for a warm Italian welcome.
Arriving in late morning/early afternoon is advisable.
You’ll have time to leave your luggage in your hotel room and have a great shower before joining your tour colleagues in the hotel bar for a “Meet and Greet”. Time to go pick up the bikes and bring them back to the hotel garage.
Having brought the bikes back to the hotel Enrico will give you a tour briefing and will be very happy to answer any questions you might have.
It’s now time to head off for our tasty “Welcome Dinner”, during which you’ll hear more about what you’ll be doing over the next sensational 10 days.
OVERNIGHT IS IN ROMA.Highlights:
Meet your motorcycle, Meet your guides, Meet your fellow riders, Welcome Dinner.
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We’ll be going north towards Tuscia, an area where the Etruscans once lived. It is one of Italy’s largest hazelnut grove districts, the little brown nut that Ferrero marvelously converts into the delicious Nutella cream.
After a short stop for your first strong Italian coffee in Civita Castellana, we’ll continue riding: first along the scenic coastline roads of Lake Vico and Lake Bolsena, and then on the beautiful backroads of Val D’Orcia – a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In Radicofani, a small Medieval village at the feet of a majestic fortress dated 973 AD, we will stop for lunch. This delightful town has been awarded an Orange Flag – an award given by the Italian Touring Club award for less-known, well-kept tourist sites, promoted since 1998.
On the way to Siena we stop to visit Pienza, considered to be the incarnation of a Renaissance utopia and an ideal city. Today it continues to show off to the world its refined and sophisticated Renaissance urban plan: its spaces and perspective onto its 15th-Century “piazza and palazzo” are organized according to the era’s ideals of rationality and humanism.
Back on the bikes we ride the sweeping roads that cross the Crete Senesi, famous for its stunning moonscape.
For your first dinner in Siena, you will be pampered by Mrs.Letizia, proprietor of a lovely 16th century Inn, to celebrate your first wonderful riding day in Italy.
OVERNIGHT IS IN SIENA (The hotel has a swimming pool).Highlights:
Tuscia Viterbese, Civita Castellana, Val D’Orcia, Radicofani, Pienza, Crete Senesi, Homemade Dinner.
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Ready to be truly astounded by the fantastic roads of Tuscany? Impressive landscapes, great art, excellent food and wine! During the first part of the morning we will be heading south riding on roads that are true bliss for bikers: ample bends, long, breathtaking stretches of asphalt, amazing landscapes, miles of Italian vineyards, and many beautiful stately villas.
Our first stop will be in San Galgano where we shall visit its beautiful Abbey (that has no roof), and the small church of Montesiepi, where our very own “sword in the rock” myth originated.
Getting back on the bikes we will reach the superb hill-top town of San Gimignano, with its splendid Medieval atmosphere and imposing 13th-Century walls, also named “La città delle Torri” (the City of Towers).
As quoted by Italia.it: “A masterpiece of creative human genius, it is unique testimony to a past civilization, and as an exceptional exemplar of both architectonic complex and landscape, demonstrates significant passages in human history.” These are some of the characteristics that put San Gimignano on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1990.On the road again, we will ride the lesser-known roads of the region of Chianti, heading north to Greve in Chianti, birthplace to Giovanni da Verrazzano: the renown Italian explorer who was the first to sail into what today is known as the New York Bay.
Back on our bikes again and South towards Siena, sweeping along for more fantastic kilometers on the outstanding Chianti roads.
We’ll spend the night strolling around the narrow streets of the beautiful town of Siena. With the perfect restaurant we’ll celebrate another day that you’ll will remember fondly when you are back home!
OVERNIGHT IS IN SIENA.Highlights:
San Galgano, San Gimignano, Chianti, Greve in Chianti.
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Today starts out by riding the Strada Statale Chiantigiana and continues along the winding roads that will lead us through the mountains that separate Tuscany from Emilia Romagna.
We’ll be stopping to visit Vinci, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance polymath: the great Leonardo.Passing Pistoia our right hands are in for a workout as we challenge the twisty roads of the Tosco-Emiliano Pennines.
And by sunset we’ll be in Borgo Panigale: the City of Speed…the City of the Ducati!
OVERNIGHT IS IN BORGO PANIGALE.Highlights:
San Casciano Val di Pesa, Vinci, Porretta Terme.
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This morning we will be visiting the Ducati Factory and Museum, where the passion for two wheels comes to life. Ducati represents the exclusive motorcycle philosophy that blends Italian genius and contemporary, avant-garde technology. They know how to make one damn sensual bike!
Having filled our eyes and heart with beauty, we’ll be twisting the throttle, challenging the never-ending curves of the Tosco-Emiliano Pennines. With adrenaline pumping in our veins, we’ll confront the Raticosa, Futa and Muraglione Passes, three of the most famous motorcycling venues in Italy! This is where every new Ducati is tested.
OVERNIGHT IS IN RIMINI.Highlights:
Ducati Factory and Museum, Raticosa Pass, Futa Pass, Muraglione Pass, Rimini by night.
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We spend the morning visiting San Marino which is the oldest Republic in Europe. The heart of San Marino narrates the history of a land for thousands of years suspended between earth and sky. UNESCO has proclaimed San Marino a World heritage site.
And after three hours spent being “good tourists” it is finally time to unleash our passion for motorcycle sport! We get to Marco Simoncelli World Circuit to watch the MotoGP Qualyfing Misano, just a little aperitif of one of the best shows in the world!
In the afternoon we ride the scenic coastline road from Pesaro to Gabicce Monte. Hey, this is not a normal road…it is where Valentino Rossi grew up and learned how to lean and open the throttle!
On the way back to Rimini we stop in Coriano the birthplace of Marco Simoncelli. We will visit the museum dedicated to him.
OVERNIGHT IS IN RIMINI.Highlights:
San Marino, MotoGP Qualifying at Misano, ride “Valentino Rossi’s” coastline road, Marco Simoncelli Museum in Coriano, Rimini by night.
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This is it! Nothing compares to the excitement of watching MotoGP live!
The gasps, groans, and wild cheering as the champions battle it out on this amazing track. The surge of adrenaline as you join hundreds of thousands of fans cheer on your rider to the podium.
This is a track designed for maximum excitement. With plenty of places to pass, crash, and throttle on made this track a fixture on the MotoGP and World Superbike circuit since redesigned in 1970. Set by the sea, the heat and humid air turns the rubber coated track into a high speed circuit that tests skills, bravery and wisdom in tire choices.
As you cheer in the stands you realize, nothing compares to watching the drama unfold in person. Join the wild party as the track opens up to the fans at the end of the race and experience the excitement.
OVERNIGHT IS IN RIMINI.Highlights:
Moto 3, Moto 2 and Moto GP races, Rimini by night.
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We leave Rimini heading towards Tavullia, home of the great Valentino Rossi! Just enough time to get some souvenirs of the Doctor and then we get back on the bikes to ride up and down on the roads of the Marchigiano Pennine, where we challenge the twisty Bocca Trabaria Pass.
But the day is still not over! Heading for Orvieto we’ll be stopping at a bar looking over the lovely Lake Trasimeno. The owners of the bar, father and son, are two fervent riders, and will be happy to make us one of the best coffees in Umbria!
We’ll then get onto the scenic SS71, taking a plunge towards Orvieto.Just to finish the day in the best possible way, we’ll experience a classic “Umbrian Tasting Dinner”, washed down with local wines that the hotel produces from the vineyards that surround it.
OVERNIGHT IS IN ORVIETO. (The hotel in Orvieto has spectacular ‘spa’ amenities such as, an outdoor Jacuzzi, a spa with whirlpool swimming pool, Turkish bath, and sauna. Getting pampered is all part of the experience!)
Highlights:
Tavullia, Bocca Trabaria Pass, Lake Trasimeno, SS71, Umbrian Tasting Dinner.
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We’ll be finishing in style today. Leaving Orvieto we will head east along an amazing stretch of road called, the “Strada Provinciale 79”. The locals call it ‘La Strada delle Mille Curve’ (the Road of 1000 Curves). And it might be true that the world is too varied to ride the same roads twice… but in this case we are going to make an exception for ‘La Strada delle Mille Curve’: we’ll be riding back and forth over 20 km of pure adrenaline: uphill from Orvieto to Colonetta di Prodo and down again from Colonetta to Orvieto…this road is calling You!
Heading back to Rome we’ll be stopping to take a photo of the enchanted town of Civita di Bagnoregio, floating magically on a tuff rock.
A picnic is going to be our last lunch on the road together. Yes, we will be eating by Lake Vico, surrounded by the lush Cimini Mountains, devouring panini packed full of hand-cured prosciutto and local cheese!
Lunch over, and it’s time to bike-up again, joining the motorway for Rome where we will be returning the bikes. After a quick shower we’ll be ready for dinner, celebrating this fantastic Italian experience.
OVERNIGHT IS IN ROMA.Highlights:
Strada Provinciale 79, Picnic at Lake Vico, Farewell Dinner, Rome.
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It’s now time to say, “Arrivederci” to your new mates, and pack the souvenirs and cameras into your bags. After breakfast is over, you will be taken to the airport.
Highlights:
Transfer to the Airport
Prices
- BMW F800 R
- Ducati Scrambler 800
- Ducati Monster 797
- BMW F800 GT
- BMW F850 GS
- BMW F900 R
- BMW F900 XR
- Ducati Hypermotard
- Ducati Supersport
- Ducati Multistrada 950
- Moto Guzzi V85 TT
- BMW R1250 GS
- BMW R1250 R
- BMW R1250 RS
- BMW R NINE T
- Ducati Scrambler 1100
- BMW R1250 GS ADV
- BMW R1250 RT
- BMW S1000 XR
- BMW S1000 R
- Ducati Multistrada 1260
- Ducati Monster 1200
- BMW K1600 GTL
- Ducati Diavel
Included, excluded & terms
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- motorcycle rental with side cases, top case, locks and alarm. (For rented bikes a deposit for damage theft and fire, between 1.250 and 3.000 euros is required depending on the chosen model).
WHAT IS THE DAMAGE SECURITY DEPOSIT? Each motorcycle has a damage deposit. This amount will be frozen on your credit card, but not cashed. The deposit is your maximum liability for theft or damage to the vehicle. Please ensure that you have enough funds to cover the damage deposit on your cards. - the bike rental prices include costs for public-liability insurance and insurance for any road assistance in case of break-down.
- welcome and farewell dinners in Rome.
- accomodation: 2 nights including breakfast in 4-star hotel in Rome, and 7 nights including breakfast in 3 or 4-star hotels in the towns where we will stop during the tour.
- transfer from and to the airport.
- Italian tour leader.
- courtesy van to pick up and leave the bikes.
- entrance ticket to Ducati Factory and Museum in Borgo Panigale.
- entrance tickets to Misano Circuit to attend the qualifying and the races (Grandstand on Saturday and Sunday).
- support van driven by Enrico’s assistant. The van will be carrying a tool-kit for small repairs. You’ll be able to leave your cases (1 suitcase + 1 handbag per person) in the van, as well as any souvenirs you pick up along the way. The van also has a couple of seats that passengers might like to use if they feel they need a little rest from the bikes!
- a detailed Road-book with all the information you’ll need; a map with the route well marked; the “Wordless Travel Book”, and a Hear the Road T-shirt.
- Insurance covering most any medical issue during the trip including, doctors, ambulance, hospital and any appropriate family travel.
- motorcycle rental with side cases, top case, locks and alarm. (For rented bikes a deposit for damage theft and fire, between 1.250 and 3.000 euros is required depending on the chosen model).
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- fuel for your motorcycle.
- tolls on motorways.
- entrance fees to museums or other sites, except for Ducati factory and Museum in Borgo Panigale).
- gratuities and tips.
- all meals and beverages, except for the welcome and farewell dinners in Rome.
flights to and from Rome.
We also suggest that anyone traveling abroad for one of our Tours consider purchasing a “Travel Insurance”. It can take the worry out of the unexpected situations that can arise in any travel plan.
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- €800 Deposit, to be paid, on reserving a place on the tour.
(The deposit is totally refundable in case we don’t reach the minimum number of participants). - Balance, to be paid, 60 days before the starting date when you get confirmation from HEAR THE ROAD.
- €800 Deposit, to be paid, on reserving a place on the tour.
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If you decide to cancel the tour for whatever reason that does not depend on HEAR THE ROAD, these are the penalties that will incur:
- up to 60 days prior to the starting date, HTR holds the deposit, that you can use for another tour in the same or in the following year.
- between 59 and 10 days prior to the starting date you lose the deposit. HTR holds the balance that you can use for another tour in the same or in the following year.
- from 9 days prior to the starting date you lose 50% of the total amount. HTR holds the remaining 50% that you can use for another tour in the same or in the following year.
If, due the Covid 19, we are forced to cancel the tour you will be fully reimbursed!
Testimonials
Karl F.
recommended Hear the RoadI went with Enrico on his Misano MotoGP and Italian Ride. I can say I had a fantastic time. Enrico has taken a lot of time and not only gotten the big things right, he has taken care of some of the small details as well. I don’t want to give away any details, so you can experience it as I did. Enrico took the time to find great roads to ride on, beautiful places to see and great places to stay. Enrico seems to know the history and what is special about every place you go, he has details to add during your sightseeing to really bring the places alive. But you will not only get to ride some great roads and see some fantastic places, you will get to experience some of Italy especially at the evening meals. I am already planning to book another tour with Enrico, I just need to decide where I want to go next time. The only piece of advice I would give is unless you are a very experienced rider pick a smaller bike than you think because the roads are very tight and twisty which makes them fun, but again unless you are very experienced might be a bit much on a larger bike.
Alistair C.
recommended Hear the RoadThe roads were hands down the best I’ve experienced whilst the “après riding” (sightseeing, wining & dining, personal connections) equally contributed to make the trip highly memorable. Enrico and team were very professional and great fun. I would highly recommend the experience and will definitely be returning myself.
Tori M. and Anna C.
recommended Hear the RoadIt was a pleasure to ride on your tour again too. Never got to say goodbye and properly thank you. It was the best tour yet! We are still beaming with how well everything turned out. Grazie Mille, Tori Miller
Robert M.
recommended Hear the RoadHear the Road & Leod Escapes combine to make the perfect Motorcycle trip into the heart of Italy’s riding roads. This is a partnership of two different companies: one specializes on the backroad tours of Italy; the other focuses on Rides & Track Time. The combination provides the exhilaration of a brisk pace on a scenic serpentine roads, with the views and vistas of the Italian hilltowns, mountains & vineyards. Frequently, the group would split up into Cat’s “fast group”; and Enrico’s touring group. Go with either. We would ride for 20 or 30 minutes and meet up maybe 5 minutes apart. Each group was led, all noses counted, everybody safe & sound, off we’d go again. You could choose which group to be in – each had its advantages. The days were broken into 1 to 1 1/2 hour segments, with a break for local culture – espresso, gelato, panini.... There is no way in the world you could take this tour on your own & cost‐wise it’s a deal. The local knowledge of the region that Enrico shared with all of us, included intricate non‐descript turns that lead us to some of the most scenic parts of Italy. On occasion a local sportbike rider in full leathers would blow through the group & we would see him at the next hilltop café in the parking lot with 40 other riders, local & otherwise. For me this was an education of the Italian Lifestyle, and an opportunity to hone my riding skills on a bike of my choice. On challenging roads, I could follow Cat’s line & comfortably & safely ride faster than I am accustomed to riding. Lunches & Evenings, we had no language barrier. Enrico led us to locally‐known restaurants, Agriturismos, and friend’s cabins for local cuisine. Not a tourist in sight. With his repeat business, we were welcomed as friends into each restaurant. Molto bene. I’ve rented motorcycles abroad before. This time I got the bike I was promised. This time I got the room I was promised. This time I got way more ride than I could imagine. Arise, ride, eat, ride, arrive (bags already in the room), party, sleep. Repeat. The planning was perfect; the follow through was flawless, I’ll remember this riding forever. If this trip isn’t on your bucket list, get a better bucket. Vroom vroom.
Ian G.
recommended Hear the RoadI don’t think I’ve kept quiet about the trip since I arrived home and have been showing all the photos round from what I took myself and also what the other guys posted up on the WhatsApp group. Firstly, and most importantly for myself were the riding an Italian bike in Italy (which has been on my bucket list for some years now ✔️) and the superb scenery and routes which we were taken on as it would be doubtful we would have found most of these routes ourselves. Also the places we were taken to eat and all the hotels were of a high standard and mostly in idyllic locations. I also very much appreciated the pre work that must go into organising a tour like that from yourself, Cat and Enrico. Everything seemed to have been thought out and taken care of to make sure we had hardly anything to be concerned about and could just enjoy the whole experience. If you are of a like minded disposition of the guys who run and participate in this experience then there is no reason not to do this trip. Yes, it is expensive but you could nowhere near get the same pleasure and life experience by sitting at home and checking out your bank account. Meeting different people from all over the world and seeing how they tick and with a common denominator being the love of motorcycles, travel and Moto GP, what’s not to like ! Cat and Enrico endeavour to give you a fantastic experience and are genuinely into what they do, and they do it very well indeed. I originally saw a tour on similar lines a couple of years ago in “Motorcycle Classics” an American magazine we can sometimes get hold of in the UK and showed the article to my wife who suggested I go and show it to my mate Dave as he might be interested. Anyway, he was and we started a search for other companies that were doing similar things. The requisite for us was that it had to be Italy and we had to ride Italian bikes and if we could take in a Moto GP round it would be an added bonus. Hey presto ! Everything we were looking for was in this tour so we made a decision to book it as it also gave us the correct “gut feeling” that this was the one. There wasn’t just one highlight, it was a continuation of highlights the whole trip from start to finish, seeing new places, riding a Ducati and getting to experience an Italian Moto GP round.Who can complain about getting a wedding thrown in and congratulations again to Anna and Tori with their lovely ceremony at the villa near Siena. I certainly would not hesitate to be a part of another tour.
Dave W.
recommended Hear the RoadIt’s now a week since we arrived back home from the trip to Italy, and iv’e had time to reflect on what was a unique and fantastic trip, which not only met, but exceeded my expectations. I had only ridden outside the UK once before, and that was around 18 years ago in the southwest of the USA on an independent trip with a friend, so I didn’t really have anything to compare the Italy trip with. For me, what made this trip unique was the eclectic mix of people coming from different countries, Italy, India the USA ,with myself and my pal Ian from the UK, and sharing a common love of riding motorcycles. What made it fantastic was the country, Italy is a beautiful country and the route’s ridden were spectacular ‘just like being back in North Yorkshire”. Also the organisation was really slick all the way from pick up at the airport to leaving at the end of the tour. The hotels were great and just the kind of place I would choose if I was travelling with my wife, so that is a compliment! I suppose the main focus of the trip was the Ducati factory visit and the Moto GP at Misano,” wow" what an experience’. The bikes also deserve a mention too, all were recent models, in very good condition, and I think for me the choice of the Ducati 950 Multistrada was spot on, easy to ride, ample power and comfortable riding position for the distances covered. Both Enrico and Cat guided and entertained us throughout the trip with knowledge and humour, much appreciated and many many thanks to both of them. I have and will continue to tell my family and friends how great the trip was, and would suggest to anyone who has ever thrown a leg over a motorcycle to get on one of these tours “Now" and enjoy the ride in what is in my opinion the natural home of motorcycling, and of course, North Yorkshire being a close second! And the cost, well if you love life and motorcycle it’s the best value for money I can think of. Also, don't let your age put you off, I am 68, the oldest on the trip and the riding pace was just right, it was great to feel 21 again! Finally, thank you Nancy for all the work you did leading up to the trip, it was a real pleasure. A very satisfied customer. Dave Wood
Gallery
Video
Creation of the tour: Associazione Culturale Hear The Road.
Organization and marketing: Hear The Road srl.
