Zurich is the polite, prosperous kind of city that keeps its history discreet. It lies at the northern end of Lake Zurich, where the Limmat river runs out of the lake and through the old town, and it began as a Roman customs post called Turicum on the hill now known as the Lindenhof. By the sixteenth century it was a centre of the Reformation under Huldrych Zwingli, who preached at the Grossmunster, the twin-towered church that still dominates the skyline. Across the river, the Fraumunster holds stained glass windows by Marc Chagall, and the light inside on a bright morning is worth a short detour.
As a rider you will probably come here by the motorway network, and the traffic can be heavy at rush hour, with trams, buses and bicycles all claiming their share of the road. Parking for motorbikes is generally reasonable if you look for the marked bays, and the old town is mostly pedestrian, so you will have to walk. Remember that Switzerland requires a vignette for motorways, and it applies to motorcycles too. Fuel is easy to find anywhere in the city, but it is not cheap, so filling up a little outside town can save money.
The Grand Tour of Switzerland starts here for many riders, and you can see why. The lake and the Uetliberg, a ridge that rises above the city and offers a long view over the water and the Alps on a clear day, make a good first view. From the city centre, roads lead south along the lakeshore towards Rapperswil and the Sihl valley, or east towards the hills of the Zurich Oberland, where narrow roads wind through apple orchards and farms.
Zurich is also a city for eating and wandering. Bahnhofstrasse is one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world, and the cafes along the Limmat are good for people-watching. Try a local classic such as Zurcher Geschnetzeltes, thin veal in a cream sauce, usually served with rosti. The lake is cold but clean enough for swimming in summer, and the bathing spots are full of locals after work.