Chipping away, Vanden Broeche is a Belgium stone cutter Who rolls his own smokes and starts on his 1953 FB Mondial Monoalbero 125. (Photos: Larry Williams) » More Photos

That's not to say a small-bore vintage scene doesn't exist here in the US, because it does and it's growing. Recent conversations with vintage maven Guy Webster reveals his intent to focus solely on the Giro-type racers featured predominately in Sicily this spring. Collectability issues aside, the wide-open USA demands horsepower and displacement. Along the winding roads that trace Sicily's northern coast, nimble and quick are the adjectives of choice. This is home for the machines of the Motogiro. Tiny coffee cups with thinly sliced meats with cheese and fruit for breakfast. Taglioni Memorial Class Rider: Adrian Watney Bike: 1977 Moto Guzzi Le Mans Watney, an Italian motorcycle aficionado from the UK, has owned his 850 Le Mans for just over a year, but a sense of adventure and admiration for the Motogiro brought the 50-ish rider and his booming Guzzi to Sicily for a taste of the real thing. "It's harder than I thought," says Adrian, who admitted his bike was a bit too large for the course. "I'm doing OK on the timed sections, but the ability trials are a different story. The cones are set up for the small bikes, and the Guzzi is very long between the axles. It's like trying to steer the Titanic through a kiddie pool." Nevertheless, Adrian's Le Mans tore through the sweepers gracefully, able to power past the smaller bikes and gainground. "That's a nice way of saying I lost my way, isn't it?" says the smiling Englishman. "But you're right, the bike worked flawlessly. The Marzocchi forks and Koni shocks make a great handling bike even greater, and the engine has a big-bore kit too. It's been a great trip and I've had the time of my life…even if I'm not expecting to finish near the top."

Fueled by the desire of speed and adventure, the first Motogiro was held ninety years ago in 1914, and over the next forty years evolved into Italy's premier long distance road race. The heyday of the Giro (Italian for bend, or turn) came in the 1950s and drew Italy's top roadracers. Of these, a chosen few went on to fame and glory, with Leopoldo Tartarini, Emilio Mendogni, Remo Venturi and Giuliano Maoggi all taking Motogiro victories during its golden era. In modern form, the Motogiro can best be described as a timed endurance or trial, comprised of three different classes. Vintage, the non-competitive Touring, and the Taglioni, for machines produced between 1968 to 1978 - the title given to honor Fabio Taglioni, the renowned Ducati engineer.