The winter fat needs to be burned off.
I'm going to do that with a sporty ride through Germany, more specifically through Rhineland-Palatinate, somewhere between the Moselle and the Saar.
The quintessential German wine region.
I'll pass on the wine. I want to savour the beautiful motorcycle roads this region has to offer.
A leisurely ride in the late afternoon sun takes me from my garage to the idyllic—or hopelessly touristy—Bernkastel-Kues in just a few hours.
It's a typical town on the banks of the Moselle, complete with all the clichés you would expect from this part of Germany: half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, souvenir shops, bustling terraces and, of course, river cruise boats.
I fully embrace the atmosphere and order a schnitzel with fries for dinner before crawling under the duvet in my romantically decorated Sleeping Beauty hotel room.
So early in the year, the mornings are still decidedly chilly. When I fire up my KTM, the thermometer reads a mere 4°C.
One of the pleasures of setting off from the banks of the Moselle is that every day starts well. Almost every road climbing away from the river twists and turns like an eel towards the higher ground. Around here, you can hardly go wrong. The road greeting me this morning is like a strong espresso: within minutes I'm fully awake and nicely warmed up.
Ready for the 300-kilometre route programmed into my GPS.
The winding forest road that follows is another real treat, leading me to the little village of Kleinich.
Via Stipshausen and Rhaunen, I guide my KTM through fields and forests to the soundtrack of its gentle rumble. It's not spectacular, but wonderfully peaceful. Then the K28 tempts me to open the throttle a little wider. A series of hairpins and smooth asphalt form the perfect combination to explore the limits of my Bridgestone AX41 tyres. A little farther on, I join the wider B270, which leads me straight to the next section of this riding playground.
Ulmet, Baumholder and Birkenfeld are linked by a delightful succession of sweeping, winding roads.
Without interruption, the fun continues onto the L165. Once again, it feels as though the road was designed specifically with motorcyclists in mind. Climbing, descending, flowing from one bend to the next... only the asphalt isn't quite flawless everywhere. Let that be the only criticism of the route so far. The tarmac isn't quite up to the impeccable German standards we're used to. You certainly don't need an adventure bike to ride it comfortably, but I wouldn't describe it as racetrack smooth either.
Via Nonnweiler and Kell am See, the L143 takes me to the Romikastrasse, a small side road blessed with magnificent asphalt and equally magnificent curves.
The L159 then dives back into the Moselle valley. Naturally, it delivers another feast of corners.
I cross the river and climb back up the opposite hillside. A short loop brings me back into the valley, but not before rewarding me with a magnificent view of the famous Moselle meander near Piesport.
Once I'm back beside the river, I could simply turn left and head for the finish. But a few more road gems are waiting, so that little detour is impossible to resist.
With a healthy twist of the throttle, I climb back into the vineyards. The Tannenweg serves up pure riding pleasure all the way to Heidenburg, while the beautiful roads beyond cast their spell in the soft evening light.
One final ribbon of perfect asphalt—the K88—takes me to Veldenz. A quick glance at the GPS tells me I'm now only a stone's throw from my destination: Bernkastel-Kues.
The motorcycle can return to its stable. After a refreshing shower, I stroll into town, settle on a terrace with a pizza, and soak up the last rays of the evening sun while reminiscing about a wonderful start to the riding season.
Tomorrow morning, it's back on the bike—and home.
