Excellent choice men!!
I'm italian (I live in northern Italy, Turin exactly) and for me the Tuscan is the most beautiful zone in Italy!
Over Florence I advise you to visit Siena and the areas around. Small countries like San Gimignano, Volterra, Montalcino (famous for an excellent wine)...and again, Lucca with its oval squares and Vinci (near Florence) where you can visit the original home of Leonardo da Vinci.
If you want I can give you the name of a great farm holidays in the countryside of Vinci, a quiet place to relax and eat good home-made products.
Ask me if you need, glad to help you.

Giuseppe

 

Remembering back one thing I did was bring along my Zumo GPS with a European download and had a small Bluetooth bud in my ear. It might sound like overkill but as stated earlier there are numerous traffic circles (on some roads there can be multiple within a couple of miles) and it was AWESOME to have the GPS telling me to enter traffic circle and take 2nd, 3rd, whatever exit. It might sound easy but on a bike with all the signs being unfamiliar (in Italian) it will be PRICELESS.......trust me on this one and bring along a ZUMO with you

 

We had much the same experience when visiting Arizona back in August from the UK!

 

I wish drivers keep right on multi lane roads here too. I'm originally from Italy. Leaving in the USA since 1998 took the wife a few time already in Tuscany (Toscana). One of the best place to visit with a motorcycle. Sonny already gave you some good advise where to stop and visit, but you cannot go wrong anywhere over there. I wish I can do something like that one day.
Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

When I married, I visited her parents in San Marino every other year.


Driving a car was one thing...driving a 200cc scooter was another challenge. I wanted to rent a Harley but the rental place was 2 hours away.


We would go from San Marino to Rimini to go to the beach almost every day. Navigating the small city streets can be challenging as there lots of bicycles and people and stupid drivers. Some the worst drivers ever. People pull out without looking and if there is an accident then they try to blame you...LOL


The one year I rented that scooter it was fun. I rode 2 up on the auto-strada and went to some nice little towns. Some of the best food is in the out of the way places!


As someone stated earlier, learn your EU street signs and be careful in the traffic circles. Other than that, just have a good time and tell us all about when you get back.

 

Man,don't worry.Just get on the bike and have fun.As for the rules of the road they don't differ much from the ones you're used to,simply there are no 4 way stops,the "yeld" sign doesn't have anything written on it as most of the other signs.Traffic coming from the right has usually right of way.If you're flying into FCO you could rent there and ride up to Tuscany avoiding the "autostrada"(toll) and traveling the state roads thru Lazio,Umbria and then Tuscany.An unforgettable experience,small towns perched on cliffs,nice little restaurants (trattorias),people are friendly and ready to help you and if you get lost you're never too far from the "autostrada".A guy in my Chapter has the "Rider" Gps that even takes you off the beaten track.Have fun!

 

I am American and I currently live in northern Italy and have ridden here since 04.

Things to do prior too, go to AAA or someplace similar and get a international drivers license. After that I would check out the street signs. Most are common sense but some are different. I will look for the link I used and post it.

Other things I would be on the look out for are; round-abouts (traffic circles) they have rules but most or kind of a wing it situation. Other thing is road surface. The roads here are made of a different material then the US roads. They are a little slicker so watch that and they can change from road to cobblestone, look for that as well. Next is traffic. I have ridden in 30 different countries and in Italy for 10 years, the traffic here is a little chaotic. Keep your head up and on a swivel, never take for granted that someone is going to do what they are supposed to. I have been told by many Italians that the road signs are mostly optional, so look out. Another thing with traffic is that they pass here all the time whether there is room or not. I tend to keep toward the right side of the lane just in case. Just because you are in the lane and there is a car coming at you in your lane doesn't meet they will not hit you.

I am not trying to scare you, this country is very conscious of bicyclist and motorcyclist and the riding is awesome. These are just some helpful tips to keep in mind to help you out.

Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions or want to know about the Venice area.

 

I've spent a lot of time driving around Europe (3 months, 14,000 miles, 27 countries in a VW Camper). The Amalfi Coast in Italy is spectacular. The riding should be amazing in Tuscany as well! As has been mentioned drivers in Europe have very good lane discipline, just watch those roundabouts! Make sure to post lots of pictures when you return.

 

Watch your speed, always wear a ECE approved helmet, leave your hands on the handlebar and do not pull wheelies. Police is very strict and fine are high.
Other than that Italy is one of the nicest countries for motorcycling within Europe.
Ride safe and have fun
Werner

 

I agree, Germany is also very nice to visit by motorcycle.
Next summer i will probably visit the Maerchenstrasse from Hanau to Bremen and a long weekend to Nürnberg.

Giuseppe