752,299 km
Davide Bertuletti quickly rides over Monte Ceneri for his morning coffee, to Milan for dinner, and to visit his girlfriend in Sweden. That adds up to quite a few kilometers. Recently, 730,000 km on a Honda CBR 1100XX.
Have you always been a frequent rider, or did it start with the Honda Super Blackbird?
I rode an Enduro before. I also traveled with it, but it wasn’t comfortable enough for long distances. For that, sport tourers like the CBR 1100XX are ideal.
And how did you get into motorcycling?
My father passed on the passion for motorcycles to me. He took me along from an early age. At 14, I was already riding a 50cc in Italy.
With the occasional trips to Milan and the winter rides to Spain, you hardly reach over 100,000 km annually. Where else do your journeys take you?
At least three times a year, I ride to Sweden. The reason is love. Ursula is a Bernese woman who emigrated to Stockholm. I met her as a customer at a car workshop where I was employed. She lives in Märsta, about 2,000 km away. I visit her there three times a year. I start at midnight, just in time for dinner!
What kind of relationship do you have with your motorcycle?
It’s simply my baby. As a mechanic, it’s natural for me to give it the necessary attention. I particularly like the XX because it’s sporty and comfortable.
In total, it has around 780,000 kilometers on the clock. How is it holding up?
It’s doing great. There have never been major repairs, only the alternator needed to be replaced twice. Of course, that comes with the territory.
Just as a marathon runner needs good running shoes to reach the finish line feeling good, a marathon motorcyclist can only successfully cover kilometers if his bike is up to the task. Davide Bertuletti’s Honda CBR 1100XX Super Blackbird is a particularly reliable steed in this regard. With the 43-year-old long-distance rider of Italian origin in the saddle, the XX has covered 730,000 kilometers in a few years. Without engine overhaul, mind you.
Of course, it takes a special guy to rack up such mileage. He rides about twenty times what an average motorcyclist covers annually. Why does he do it? We visited him at home in Flanders, in Val Colla above Lugano. Contacting him wasn’t easy, as the auto mechanic stubbornly refuses to use a mobile phone.
How do you manage to cover so many kilometers on the Honda?
Davide Bertuletti: I ride about 110,000 kilometers annually. Before work, I take a small detour, have a coffee in Bellinzona, and make a small loop from Ceneri to Lugano. Sometimes I also take a ride during the lunch break. And in the evening, I often ride to Milan to visit relatives or friends. I can relax on the motorcycle. I enjoy nature and the freedom. I respect the rules and other road users. I don’t like motorcyclists who act out and think they own the road.
Of course, I also spend my holidays in the motorcycle saddle, even in winter, when I ride to southern Spain. I don’t even think about flying. The motorcycle is a pleasure, not just a means of transportation!
How many tires, brake discs, etc., have you gone through?
Riding is pure passion for me; technical statistics don’t interest me. However, I do care about how long a tire lasts. With the Bridgestone BT-021, I managed almost 18,000 km.
