SICILY

With roads and scenery
like this, it’s little surprise
that Matt’s pining to return
SNAPSHOTS OF
SICILY
Editor Matt heads to Sicily’s best roads
– and explains why it’s the perfect
place for a bucket-list bike tour…
Words Matt Wildee Pictures Pirelli
THERE IS MAGIC in the air. Scented
by countless warm, damp Sicilian
pines, the low clouds drift in and out
of the valleys around the Torrente
Zamani river, funnelling their way
between the trees and the red rock
landscape. Below me, a dirt road
threads a convoluted path back down
to the dried, boulder-strewn river bed. Just a few days
ago – just like the name suggests – it was a torrent; now
it lies dormant, carving a swathe through the rock.
Half an hour ago I was crossing its bed, trying to
navigate the path of least resistance on a Multistrada
V4 S. Now I’m almost at the top of a 3000ft peak and
bracing myself for a rocky, unknown descent. All around
is majestic, mystic beauty. As I take in the panorama,
I receive a text from a mate, caught out in Storm Bert
– it’s a timely reminder of why a warm foreign riding
treat is worth the money and why southern Europe is
always worth the effort to get to.
I’m in Sicily for a whistle-stop tour of what may be the
prettiest, most variety-packed riding region in Europe.
Over the next few days we’re trying a bunch of tyres
and bikes in very different scenarios and making the
most of Italy’s most southerly region – an area that can
offer glorious riding all year round.
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A Monster of a machine on
which RiDE’s monster (below)
can enjoy some monster roads
RIDE THIS
DOWNLOAD
THE ROUTES
www.ride.co.uk
Randazzo to Etna
Length 23.2 miles
Ride it for Cornering love
Starting smooth and fast as the road skirts Etna and
runs parallel with the coast, you hurtle through a lunar
landscape, the jagged rocks a sobering reminder of what
happens when you get it wrong. After that, it’s time to
climb and revel in the myriad well-surfaced hairpins.
Francavilla di Sicilia to Floresta
Length 32.7 miles
Ride it for Ace trails and superb views
Amazing on-road/off-road route that starts by crossing
a dried river bed and then climbs 3000ft into the
mountains. It’s challenging, but doable on adventure
bikes – and the views are rewarding. The Villa Ribot
restaurant at the end is perfect.
Word is that
police leave you
alone – time for
some fun, then…
‘You could get lost in
Sicily for months and
never, ever get bored
of the roads’
Mountain joy
The ride starts in the lava fields
near Randazzo in the north. Sitting
in the shadows of Mount Etna, the
area is shaped by the volcano’s
multiple eruptions (last one in
2021). It’s a spectacular way to start
the day, the Strada Provinciale Etna
Settentrionale o Quota Mille (it’s at
1000m altitude) threading its way
along Etna’s foothills, wide, smooth
and inviting. Its flowing nature
means it’s a Mecca for sporty riders
in the summer – and the word is the
bike‐friendly police largely leave riders
alone, despite the temptation of
collecting draconian speeding fines.
My Ducati Monster feels like it was
built for roads like this, accelerating
lustily between corners, riding the
bumps and expansion joints with
good-natured flexibility. It’s
another example of why the
Monster may be my favourite
Ducati: a booming Desmo V-twin
that can trace its lineage back
45 years, light weight, lightly
sprung suspension and sweet
handling. Simple pleasures.
By now we’re heading up
towards Etna, taking in the
Via Maraneuve and a twisting
confection of black-topped
curves laid out like liquorice and
climbing inexorably towards the Monti Satorius hiking
era. The hairpins come thick and fast and the Monster
hooks in to each with tenacity. There’s still some
morning dew, but the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa IIIs
we’re testing suck up the grip. The pace isn’t slow
either; we’re being led by Pirelli’s chief test rider Salvo
Pennisi, his smooth style a beacon as we climb.
The plan is to reach the top of the mountain and then
swap to the 2025 Multistrada V4 Ss that will be the
mainstay of the day. It’s the first time I’ve ridden the
latest model and it feels a world away from the Voge
DS900X I rode to the airport on: buttery smooth,
devastatingly fast, so sophisticated, such sweet handling.
The peak of Etna is away to the right us of us, shrouded
in mist, but there’s no time to admire the view as the
road plateaus. Around here the pines are replaced by
birch and beech, the autumnal colours glorious as they
shed their leaves. The road begins to descend, trees
thinning as we hit another lava field. It’s a stunning
sight: switchback after switchback greets us and we
navigate the Martian landscape. I stop and take in the
view. In the distance I can see the town of Giarre and
beyond that the Ionian Sea. This is big country.
The ride continues. It was warm at the coast, but up
near the peaks it’s a cool 8°C. Luckily we’re cosseted
from the cool by copious wind protection and warmed
by heated grips, so we carry on going with the flow,
basking in the wonderful roads.
This is proper biking country – I remember this road
from my honeymoon 17 years ago and I vow to come
back sooner – you could get lost in Sicily for months
and never, ever get bored of the roads.
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There’ something
other-worldly about
navigating a lava field
‘As we near the
peaks, we’re greeted
with the most
perfect gravel road’
There are less scenic
places in the world to
stop for a break
Climbing the Sicilian
hills, with the Torrente
Zamani cutting through
the rock in the distance
The rough option
It’s time for a break at the dried river bed of the Torrente
Zamani where we started the story. Now set in enduro
mode, with more yielding suspension settings and more
moderate throttle response, the Multistrada’s
surprisingly good off-road. It’s not a bike to take liberties
with, but it smooths out the worst of the bumps and
finds traction up the rocky, scree-lined switchbacks
– it’s a relief and lets you concentrate on the trail.
The next 30km are an education. The goat tracks climb
up into the hills, rocky, serpentine and unyielding, and
we cross working farms, olive groves and pass
shotgun‐toting hunters. Occasionally the trails are softly
carpeted with the discarded leaves of beautiful Sicilian
broom trees; other times they are rocky and exposed, so
you need to pick your lines with care.
Then as we near the peaks, we’re greeted with the
most perfect gravel road. I stay smooth and trust the
tyres. The Multistrada laps it up – there’s a decent riding
position, soft throttle response and electronics that aid,
but don’t interfere. It’s not an enduro bike – but it is true
to its literal translation. We climb and rise with the
topography, gulping on leaf-lined descents, whooping
over the bumps. Soon we’re back on tarmac, cutting
through countless hairpins, slithering on corner exits,
immersed in the joy of such a wonderful place to ride.
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Number 1 plate goes
to Matt’s head on the
ride back to Randazzo
Mile after mile of twists
and turns makes for some
epic off-road riding
Monster proved
the ideal steed for
sections of the trip
There’s the final bike swap of the day, this time to
the new and slightly deranged Hypermotard 698
Mono. It’s not really a bike for me – it’s a bit too small,
revvy and single‐minded for my liking – but it is still
fun and has the sweetest of handling. The SS116
heading south back towards Randazzo is one of the
best roads on the island – twisty, grippy and with
commanding views as the rolling hills disappear into
the middle distance. The grip levels are very high and
it’s easy to commit on the Hyper – it flicks from side
to side, open to bullying by bodyweight and will.
Back at our Randazzo hotel, all I can think about is
ways to get back to riding in Sicily. These roads are
wonderful but just snapshot of Sicily’s majesty, and
my dream is to combine amazing routes with the
stunning Roman sites and history that makes Sicily
unique. There are certainly plenty of options to get
there – from fly-rides and bike hire to a life-changing
trip down the boot of Italy with all the sights, roads
and amazing food. I plan to do both.
Scenery
just outside
Randazzo
is stunning
THE TYRES WE USED
Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa IV
Tested on Ducati Monster
Impressive fast road tyres that can also be used
on track, they worked very well from cold on the
twists and turns and were unfazed by the damp.
Pirelli Scorpion Trail III
Tested on Ducati Multistrada V4 S
Perfectly suited to the V4 S, we were impressed
by the level of grip and feel on the road and even
later on the twists of the Pergusa test track.
Pirelli Scorpion Rally
Tested on Ducati Multistrada V4 S
A 70/30 off-road/road tyre, they found great
traction on the gravel and rocky trails with lots
of front-end confidence. Fine on the road, too.
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
Tested on Ducati Hypermotard 798
The standard tyre on the Hypermotard, it’s the
kind of do-everything tyre most of us require.
Great performance in the damp and lots of feel.
Pirelli Supercorsa SP V4
Tested on Ducati Panigale V4S
Tried the following day at Pirelli’s test track, the
grip, feel and friendliness were impressive, even
in cold weather. All you need for track riding.
FANCY
GOING TO
SICILY?
Getting there
It’s 1500 miles from Calais to Sicily and
you could do it in two days, but we’d
recommend four for five, to spend time in
the Dolomites and optional stops in Rome
and on the Med – the southern coast is
wonderful, has its own unique atmosphere
and is overlooked (by Brits at least).
Fly-rides
The two main options are Catania or
Palermo, and both are serviced by London
airports and budget airlines. Price varies
according to the season, but spring and
autumn offer great value flights while still
allowing you to access good weather.
The ancient theatre of Taormina,
with Mount Etna in the background
Bike hire
Lots of choice here. You can hire an A2
bike – like a Honda CB500X – for as little
as £80 a day, and five-day deals are £400
with unlimited mileage with companies
like Sicily Moto Rent in Palermo.
Companies like Top Rent Moto also offer
a wide variety of bigger bikes – from GSs
to K1600GTs to Harleys and everything in
between. Look for positive Google reviews.
Accommodation
Out of season, the best deals are always
with Airbnb, with nice flats and villas
around Mount Etna for less than £100 a
night. We would recommend booking
your accommodation in advance and
using the overnight stays as the waypoints
of a road trip.
Atmospheric cities
Palermo is interesting for its combination
of rough-hewn Roman architecture,
wonderful plazas and bustle. Port city
Catania is well known for its fish market and
highly decorative cathedral. The prettiest
Roman towns are Cefalù and Taormina.
Both are beautiful but packed with tourists
at high season.
Roman ruins
We think Segesta and Selinunte are the best.
Segesta’s Doric temple and theatre is high
up, sometimes shrouded in cloud and very
atmospheric, while Selinunte’s sacked
temples are beautiful, with their seaside
locations and open access.
Great roads
As well as the roads around Etna in the
north, the SS115 along the south coast is
recommended, taking in such destinations
as Selinunte on the way. We would also
recommend the SS119, which cuts from
north to south and is full of challenge and
epic views.
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