Tour Reports

Posts with the Tag 'Motorcycle Touring'

Exploring the Majestic Pyrenees: A Motorcyclist’s Reckoning

Aug 3 2023

Picture this: You’ve finally got your annual free pass and now you’re back on two wheels, heading south roaring through picturesque landscapes, fueled by adrenaline, and destined for adventure. Slapped between France and Spain, the Pyrenees mountain range stands a monumental testament to the forces of nature, its majestic rugged battlements a captivating playground for [...]

RoadTrooper’s Border Hop Pyrenees Motorcycle Tour

Aug 3 2023

My 1st full self guided motorcycle tour of the Pyrenees is based on both my guided tours and my own explorations over my 12 years living in Spain/France and works in exactly the same format as my .gpx motorcycle routes for Ireland.

GPX Self-Guided 6/8 Day Tour – Ireland’s East, South & West Coast

Jan 28 2021

Motorbike Tours Ireland – Routes and prices update 2023 » New for 2019 – Ireland South, Dublin/Rosslare to Westport via Kinsale GPX Self Guided 6/8 Day Tour. As with the Killarney Base 6 day tour this is simply a pack supplied by email containing GPX routes and all the poi’s you could possibly need to [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 6 Cáceres to Bilbao by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

I felt good for another long ride today. I had a great night’s sleep. The storm has passed and hopefully took the wind with it. The sun was already up when I weaved the bike out of the car park and the day time staff arrive. I’m back on the E-803 and looking to sail [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 5 Antequera to Cáceres by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

There are lots of options for places of interest I could visit from here. Lovely beaches are due south. Córdoba, an ancient city with Roman, Moorish and Jewish influences is 70 miles north. Gibraltar is half a tank of fuel to the south-west and the Algarve would cap a star-studded ride west via Seville and [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 4 Hellin to Antequera by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

I needed to sharpen my wits to avoid any early morning mishaps on loose, chalky rocks as I left the hotel grounds. I also need to revert to a closet sized room with articulated lorries backing up outside before I get too accustomed to all this finery. I’ll be wanting sheepskin padding for the seat [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 3 Caspe – Fuentes Calientes – Hellin By Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

I’m up nice and early again, raring to get on the bike and go despite having less than 100 miles to cover to reach my bed for tonight. It’s a fairly direct route too, with nice open roads to begin with, ending with a steep climb and some squiggly bits before the plateau, to one [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 2 Los Arcos – Pedrola – Caspe by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

Stocked up and packed up, I’m ready to go. It’s a beautiful sunny morning and only 09:00 as I pull away from the fuel stop. I would have been away five minutes earlier but a guy went into the store to buy his bread and then came over to ask about my bike. He then [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 1 Bilbao to Los Arcos by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

It’s all very well sitting comfortably in your favourite armchair, reading tales of leather clad bikers riding top of the market machines with matching accessories, off to conquer the mountains that separate countries, as they brave altitude sickness, sub-zero road temperatures and hairpin bends that make your bald spot tingle. It’s inspiring when they grind [...]

Shropshire’s Hidden Treasures by Eddy Smyth

Dec 21 2017

By Eddie Smyth For a day ride in the West Midlands you only need a little knowledge of escape routes from the cities and ring roads and before you realise it you are chomping along lovely quiet roads with vistas to the west promising verdant hills and vales, tucked away villages with more character than [...]

Louis Moto’s Vanucci HiRider III Jacket and Pants Review

Oct 23 2017

During 2016 Louis Moto came out with an upgrade to their popular Vanucci HiRider II riding suit, aptly named it the HiRider III which they then kindly sent to me for test and review. I’ve always loved doing this type of stuff as deep down I’m a closet geek. Before I started this website I [...]

Brilliant Motorcycle Rides – The Bardenas Reales Badlands of North West Spain

Mar 6 2017

As another long cold winter comes to a close many you ye in northern Europe will looking to your next motorcycle adventure or just a simple cruise south in search of blue skies and a little headspace. If the Pyrenees or Spain is the direction your headed I’d highly recommend a little detour into your [...]

Isle of Man to Baja – Part 1 by YorkshireManx

Jan 31 2017

By Bryan Rogers Isle of Man to Baja – Touring America on Honda’s clutchless NC750   Day 1, Wednesday   It’s always on the morning of a trip like this that I wake up fidgety! Have I done this? Have I done that? Just do this…. Just do that…

Battle Sites of Picardie and Belgium – Day 3

Nov 30 2015

By Eddie Smyth I took the bike out from its personal garage for the final time and loaded up my belongings with enough straps and bungees to foil Houdini. The two cars set off for Vimy Ridge via the main roads. I pointed the bike to the back roads towards Arras where Vimy Ridge sits [...]

The Wild Atlantic Way Guide for Bikers – South Mayo & Galway

Mar 19 2015

Assuming you’re legally and physically capable of riding a motorcycle after a night in Matt Molloy’s in Westport (see previous post) this next stretch of the WAW brings you south towards Clifden and the mythical landscape of the Connemara National Park in Galway.

The Blackbird and the Bulldog. Brittany 2013 – Day 7 & 8

Sep 24 2014

By Eddy Smyth Day 7: 230 miles traveled Hours in the saddle: 8   Day 7 – Chateaugiron, Rohan, Josselin, Ploermel and off and away to Plélin-le-Gran   We decided to head east today. Chateaugiron got rave reviews in several reference books so it seemed a good choice for a nice run along more of [...]

The Blackbird and the Bulldog. Brittany 2013 – Day 5

Aug 13 2014

By Eddy Smyth Day 5: 179 miles Hours in the saddle: 7 Another clear morning despite last night’s rain. We had planned several stops today. Keeping ahead of gathering clouds was part of the plan; heading ever southward might achieve that aim. Amongst all the other nice memories and sights we’d taken in at Huelgoat [...]

The Blackbird and the Bulldog. Brittany 2013 – Day 3

Jul 30 2014

By Eddy Smyth Day 3: 107 miles Hours in the saddle: 5   Exploring Dinan   After a light but perfectly adequate breakfast we wandered around the town once more, marvelling at the classic buildings and sharp squares that always look tidier than their UK counterparts. The older buildings in the old centre of town [...]

The Blackbird and the Bulldog. Brittany 2013 – Day 1 & 2

Jul 23 2014

By Eddy Smyth Day 1: 172 miles Hours in the saddle: 5 You’ve heard of the tale of the Owl and the Pussycat. Well, this is a tale of somewhat different creatures but it seems appropriate that since it involves a Bulldog and a Blackbird, certain parallels can be drawn. However, it might be dishonest [...]

2011 Alpine and Pyrenees Tour. Day 4

Feb 11 2012

Col Du Galibier (Alt. 2646 m) The northern ramp is currently not great from Valloire to Verneys but enjoyably none-the-less, riding through Verneys in September was an experience as it had no road surface at all, some lads from the road works dept had dug up the fecken lot leaving me to ride my R1150RT [...]

2011 Alpine and Pyrenees Tour. Day 3

Dec 29 2011

This was a big day riding some of the best roads I know of. Leaving Albertville I headed up Col des Saisies 1657m, Cormet de Roselend 1967m, Col du Petit St.-Bernard 2188m (Hannibal’s Pass), Col de l’Iseran 2,770m (Highest Paved Mountain Pass in Alps), Col Du Mont-Cenis 2087m, Col du Telegraphe 1566m, Col Du Galibier [...]

2011 Alpine and Pyrenees Tour. Day 1 & 2

Dec 10 2011

The 2011 Tour was 6500+ km through the Alps and the Pyrenees taking in 38 of the highest passes, many made famous from the Tour de France cycle race in 10 days. Starting in Albertville I rode through the French and Italian Alps down as far as Gorges du Daluis where I rode along Gorge [...]