(Nuts & Bolts)

Beach’s Classic Alpine Adventure
By Clement Salvadori

The Beach motorcycle touring company has been doing this Classic Alpine trip since 1972, and Rob Beach leads all the tours; he knows his way around. It runs a two week schedule, arriving in and departing from Munich on a Sunday, with all hotel rooms included in the price. Which in2006 was $5,280 for the rider, $3,510 for a passenger. In 2007 the price will include the use of a BMW F650, F800, R1150R, or R1200GS, though upgrades to the rest of the BMW range are available. For $450 extra you can get a K1200R, for $750 the masochistic can claim an HP2.

The trip covers a minimum of 1,900 miles, a maximum of however many times you want to go over the Furka Pass. You buy gas, lunches and a couple of dinners on the free days. Gas runs a little over $4 a gallon, lunches can be a picnic on a mountainside or an elaborate meal. An ATM card is the easiest way to get cash; Germany, Austria and Italy use Euros, while the independent Swiss hold on to their franc… though Euros are quite acceptable. As are major credit cards.

Alpine weather can be warm or cool, dry or wet, so Sue and I wore Olympia riding suits, which have a protective mesh outer layer and a warm and waterproof liner. I think we donned the liners twice, as Europe was enjoying a hot “Sicilian Summer” and most days in the mountains were in the 80s (Fahrenheit), roughly 30 degrees Centigrade.

All the particulars on the trip can be had by running up Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures at www.bmca.com on your computer, or dialing (716) 773-4960. Once you have signed up for the tour, you will receive a steady stream of worthwhile information, and the day before your departure Rob will call just to make sure everything is OK. That’s a very reassuring touch.

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