Italy in September, where to rent a Duc?

[ottobot]

None taken! I'll be there on business, but those last few days I'll be free. I Would like to pickup/dropoff in Rome for convenience. I certainly wouldnt ride it around Rome.

[Uncle Mofo]

FWIW Lucca is a city worth seeing. I wouldn't hesitate to include it in your travels.

I was stationed there as a young Italian army paratrooper. Lucca is still in my heart. Definitely worth seeing and the country side around it is beautiful

[HotIce]

Generally speaking the drivers are far more respectful of others than I typically experience at home (in Australia) ... but suggesting they use their indicators and mirrors is rather novel. From my experience it is eyes on the prize (focus is forward). If mirrors are used it is as 'feeler gauges' ... testing the extremities and refining their spatial awareness.

If they wouldn't, you'd find dead motorcyclists every 50 meters  
You know, as car driver, that you have constant chances that motorcycles (especially scooters) are passing you on both sides.
If car drivers would drive like here, you would literally have downed motorcycles every block.

[theprocess]

Never used this company before but rates are not too bad http://www.rental-motorcycle.com/europe/italy/pisa_rental.html

[mookieo2]

I'm going to Bologna in July. I'm renting a bike from 2wheeltravel.com. I needed unlimited mileage and they had the best prices. Unfortunately I'm not getting a Duc.

http://www.2wheeltravel.com/Motorcycle%20Hire/italyhire.htm

[The Mad King Pepe']

If they wouldn't, you'd find dead motorcyclists every 50 meters  
You know, as car driver, that you have constant chances that motorcycles (especially scooters) are passing you on both sides.
If car drivers would drive like here, you would literally have downed motorcycles every block.

Italian (and most European) drivers tend to be more aware of vehicles around them because nearly everyone on bikes/scooters/cycles two & four legs filters around stop-and-go traffic.

You don't really need to check your mirrors, you just know someone's there thanks to engine noise, honking... Part of it is because most people ride two wheels before they get on all four, so nearly everyone knows the drill.

I think the main reason for (relatively) low accidents is that everyone is going at low speeds in stop-and-go traffic so:
1. you're going so slow that all you need to do is put a foot down, and
2. it's so packed, there's really nowhere to fall

Most of the deadly accidents happen when/where people drive fast: outside of the cities and/or at nighttime, when there's little traffic and people want to get it out of their systems.

[shemonster2]

I'm a bit confused (because you didn't mention Florence above) ... but Lucca is only about an hour from Florence ... and how are you getting up to Bra/Turin?

I looked back at our itinerary and originally got it wrong.  We will be flying in to Torino, train to Florence, then Assisi, then Rome.