His skin tanned by the sun, a little tired, but content: This is the first impression Davide Castrini gives when he appears on a late summer Friday evening at Hotel Donatz in Samedan.

The 52-year-old looks back on a successful banking career. In the 1980s and 1990s, he worked as a private client advisor at UBS in Biel and Grenchen.

Roots in Umbria and Solothurn

The son of Italian immigrants from Umbria, he grew up in the canton of Solothurn, which is still evident in his dialect.

For nearly thirteen years, Castrini has been with Bank CIC, where he heads the Zurich branch, which has around 20 employees.

Ride with the Harley Boss

But we didn’t meet him to talk about his job, but rather one of his private passions: motorcycling. Together with Iwan Steiner, the Swiss head of Harley-Davidson, and a few specialized journalists, he is currently on a small weekend tour on the latest motorcycles from the American manufacturer based in Milwaukee.

The occasion for the ride was the Grand Tour of Switzerland, a concept for motorcycle trips designed by Switzerland Tourism, which connects the most beautiful routes with the gems of Swiss hospitality – in this case, the ride led from Zurich through Appenzellerland (with a stop at Dorfhus Gupf) to Samedan in the Engadin.

«An almost kitschy backdrop»

Davide Castrini orders a Panache and begins to recount: «The ride over the Flüela Pass was fantastic. We had relatively little traffic, and the great weather created an almost kitschy beautiful backdrop.»

He has indulged in the hobby of motorcycling since his 40th birthday. On that day, the banker announced to his family and friends his decision to become a biker. He says he fulfilled a childhood dream. «I knew: If I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it.»

Twelve years ago

The motorcycle test didn’t pose any serious challenges for him. «I learned it fairly quickly.» It also helped that he already rode a Harley-Davidson during the practical exam. «The examiner was visibly impressed with my Sportster Iron 883 – such a motorcycle isn’t something he comes across often,» says Davide Castrini with a laugh.

He decided on the American heritage brand Harley-Davidson at the urging of two friends. His neighbor also rode a Harley, as did his boss at Bank CIC at the time. «They all told me in unison: For you, it’s really only Harley.» During a lunch break, he went with his boss to a Harley dealership in Zurich and bought his Sportster.

From Sportster 883 to Breakout

In the meantime, he has logged many thousands of kilometers on his two-wheeler. The Sportster 883 from his beginner days has since been replaced by a Breakout. Despite this, Castrini describes himself as a «fair-weather and occasional rider». He meticulously studies the weather forecast each time before getting on his motorcycle. However, on multi-day tours, it’s sometimes impossible to avoid getting a bit wet.

head of Harley-Davidson Switzerland, with banker Castrini in St. Moritz. (Image: Courtesy)

Above all, the banker appreciates the «feeling of freedom» on wheels, combined with a direct experience of nature. «Motorcycling isn’t about getting from A to B as quickly as possible, but rather about enjoying the ride as much as possible.»

New rides

And how do the two models Castrini rode during the Harley tour to Graubünden fare? He says he rode the Sportster S and the Pan America. The compact Sportster S felt quite familiar to him, while the Pan America was a new discovery: «Since it’s an off-roader, you sit on it quite differently.» For his own riding style, it might be a tad too sporty and brute.

Motorcycling, says the head of Bank CIC in Zurich, provides a balance, especially in the often hectic financial industry. «You have to concentrate very hard, and you simply don’t have the capacity to mull over work-related thoughts.» Together with friends, he has already undertaken several multi-day «Ride, Wine & Dine» tours.

Customers also ride motorcycle

Not least for this reason, he knows many bankers who ride motorcycles. Especially Harley. «And many private banking clients of all ages as well.» When there’s a spark on this topic with a client, it’s «a stroke of luck, because it immediately creates a bond.»

A bond, in turn, for which Harley-Davidson is also known outside the financial industry. Normally, Harley riders greet each other when their paths cross. When you stop somewhere, you immediately strike up a conversation with other riders.

Roast beef and wine

A little later in the evening – dinner (roast beef) is over, and a few bottles of wine have also been passed around – we touch on the downsides of Davide Castrini’s motorcycle passion.

Once, he says, a very burly member of a notorious motorcycle club forced him to give way at a gas station. «Even though I was there first, I thought it best not to provoke a confrontation,» says Castrini with a laugh.

Part of the motorcycle fascination

On another occasion, the weather forecast was wrong, and he got completely soaked and chilled on the ride home from St. Tropez.

Although such experiences are very unpleasant in the moment, the motorcyclist concludes, in hindsight, they are also part of the motorcycle fascination.