Room is never enough

The V-strom 650 is my long-range motorbike, which I use for longer trips, especially during the Summer. This is the main reason why I fitted it with the Givi Top Case V46 (which can store two full face helmet), and the two side-cases Givi E41, each of them of 41 liters.

Very heavy traveling...the blue thing beow the side bag is a sun umbrella

Whereas I live the top case always installed on the bike, I put on the side bags only when I go for a long journey. The problem is that if the top case is enough if I am on my own, during the winter time, when I wear my motorbike jacket even when I gett off the bike, it is definitevely not enough during the summer, especially if I am traveling with my partner and we do not want to walk around with our gear on.

The main problem is where to leave our protective jackets, pants and shoes. In fact, I refuse to let my girlfriend ride on the bike in shorts and a t-shirt, even if it is only to go to the beach: we both wear our protective jackets and trousers and shoes. Obviously, as soon we get to the beach, we take off all this stuff, and we do not want to carry it with us.

Last year I bought for 75 Euros an anti-theft bag called "Stuffsafe", by Pacsafe. It is an 80lt foldable bag, which takes only a very limited space when folded. Unfolded, it can contain our trousers, our harmored jackets, our shoes, and whatever else you want...the textile is water repellent, and is protected by an exterior iron mesh which protects it from people who might try to cut the textile to steal your stuff. You can anchor the bag to your bike or to any other fixed installations, if you do not want to carry your stuff with you.

So far, it has proven invaluable: I fix it to the bike with the provided lock, and just head off to the beach...with peace of mind.

The Olive Oil Route of the Pisa Mountains

As promised, this is a post with lots of photos...Sunday I was in Tuscany and had the time for a brief one-hour tour with my Suzuki V-Strom. The weather was not very warm, and the sky was not very blue, but I couldn’t resist…also because I wanted to have the opportunity to ride again the V-strom after riding the Mana for two weeks, so that I could compare the two bikes.

Given the limited time, I went for a route very close to where my family lives, which is one of my favourite routes on Earth. It is called the “Olive Oil Route of the Pisa Mountains”, and it flanks the mountains that separate Pisa from other Tuscany city, such as Lucca. You can take it from where my parents live, and get to the seaside, if you want: 30 kms of beautiful countryside landscape, lots of turns, lots of small villages with beautiful churches, the ruins of an ancient Roman water system…when I say that it is one of the nicest routes I have ever driven in my life you need to believe me. I hope the photos can show it.

As for the Strom, it was funny to ride it again after two weeks of the Mana. On the bad side, it felt underpowered…it felt as it didn’t have enough power, and it is the first time I feel this way about the Strom. But on the plus side, it felt extremely protective. If it wasn’t for the turbulences that kill my head (and I do need to fix this problem, as it is making every ride above 80km/h a pain), it would be perfect. The protection of my torso is fantastic. I was wearing a mesh summer jacket, with only 22 degrees, and still I was not cold.

Many details of the V-Strom show that the Japanese in charge of the project were really on a mission to make the life of the rider easier. The space under the saddle is huge for a classic motorbike. And you can fix your helmets to iron strings under the saddle, which make it for a nice touch. And you have a fuel indicator, the hazard lights…all stuff that you do not get on the Mana, even if the design of the dashboard is a bit outdated.

Getting on the Mana after the Strom gives me the impression as if the Mana was not a finalized project. The Mana needs many practical things to make it like the perfect bike. As for the Strom, instead, if I ever was to solve the turbolences problem, it could really be THE bike, at least if you are looking for a trustworthy companion to take you on longer tours.



Ancient Roman ruins.

Typical landscape in Tuscany, not too far from the coast.

A typical Tuscany traditional house.




Let's finish the day with a nice Negroni and a few snacks...an aperitivo true Italian style.