Most people who come to Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan are here for one painting, and they are right to be. On the wall of the old refectory of the Dominican convent, Leonardo da Vinci painted the Last Supper in the 1490s for Duke Ludovico Sforza, and despite his experimental technique, which began to fail almost at once, despite centuries of damage and despite a bomb that destroyed much of the building in 1943, the painting survives. The wall was protected with sandbags, and the long restoration completed in 1999 revealed colours and faces that had been hidden for centuries.
Visits are tightly controlled, in small groups for a short time, and tickets often sell out weeks in advance, so book ahead. If you cannot get in, the church itself is worth a visit. Its tribune, the domed east end, is attributed to Donato Bramante, one of the great architects of the Renaissance, and its graceful proportions contrast with the Gothic brick nave. The cloisters are peaceful. The whole complex, church, convent and painting, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The neighbourhood around Corso Magenta is elegant and quiet, with old palazzi and courtyards. A short walk away is the Sforza Castle, the Duomo and the shopping streets of the centre, and to the south lie the Navigli, the old canals, now lined with bars and restaurants.
Riding in Milan is not a relaxing experience. Traffic is heavy, the streets are often narrow and cobbled, and tram tracks can catch a front wheel, especially in the wet; cross them at an angle and with care. Scooters weave everywhere. The centre is covered by Area C, a congestion zone with restrictions and charges for some vehicles, and the rules for motorcycles have changed over the years, so check before you ride in. Parking for motorcycles is easier than for cars, with dedicated bays in many streets.
For fuel, there are stations throughout the city, and food is everywhere: try a risotto alla milanese, golden with saffron, or a cotoletta. To escape the city, the lakes are an hour to the north, Como and Maggiore, with some superb riding along their shores and up into the mountains.