Over the long weekend, we completed an extended 1000-kilometer motorcycle test tour. The goal was not only to test the motorcycles themselves, but also the complete equipment setup under real-world riding conditions.
The focus was on our luggage systems, navigation, riding gear and the general practicality of everything during longer rides. We also wanted to see how well our setup would handle bad weather and long days in the saddle.
For three nights, we stayed in a small apartment in Wadern. From there, we explored several day routes — including rides to Vianden in Luxembourg, along the beautiful Moselle region, and to Gerolstein in the Eifel area. Especially the roads around the Moselle once again offered fantastic scenery and perfect conditions for relaxed motorcycle touring.
Fortunately — or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it — we had far less rain than expected. Great for riding, of course, but it also meant we could not properly test the full waterproof performance of our riding gear yet. Sooner or later, the weather will probably take care of that for us anyway.
Technically, almost everything worked very well. The navigation, electronics and the overall equipment setup performed reliably throughout the trip. That was exactly the purpose of this tour: identifying possible problems before the major journey begins.
Of course, no motorcycle trip is completely free of small issues. At one point, we lost a front right indicator screw on the road. Thankfully, the problem was temporarily solved with a piece of electrical tape — classic motorcycle touring improvisation.
One issue, however, is still following me: the starter motor on the Moto Guzzi California.
It has been causing problems ever since I bought the bike. Sometimes the starter only turns properly when the engine stops in a very specific position. In most other situations, there is only a loud “CLACK” — and nothing else happens.
By now, several things have already been replaced. The starter motor itself was changed, the starter relay as well, and we even installed a heavy-duty ground cable directly from the battery to the gearbox. Unfortunately, none of that completely solved the problem.
Looking back, choosing a cheaper Aviamo starter motor was probably not the best decision. I have now ordered a significantly more expensive and hopefully higher-quality Valeo starter motor, and I really hope this finally solves the issue before departure day arrives.
Despite these small technical issues, the trip itself was fantastic. Lots of riding, lots of testing, plenty of impressions collected — and now we are back home again.
In the end, this is exactly why you do all the preparation in the first place.
