Spain on two wheels

Fancy a motorcycle holiday in the sun - here's a good one

• OffRoad
• AJP
• Triumph
• Spain

Carl, one of our staff at Wemoto has recently come back from a Tours on Two Wheels /Trailworld Spain motorcycle holiday in Spain. This involved riding across Spain exploring, soaking up the scenery and the sun, followed by some off roading. Lucky man you might be thinking and indeed you might be right! The long and short of it is that he had a fantastic time and is definitely going back as soon as he can.  All the more exciting for him is the fact that although he has been a motorcyclist for seven years, he has mainly only used his Yamaha XJ 900 Diversion for the commute to work!  In fact his longest motorcycle ride up until now had been 70 miles – that’s all changed now!  

Here is what happened and how he got on and if you feel tempted, even if you only currently ride to work and back, follow the links to Tours on Two Wheels and Trailworld Spain.  There was so much to do that he has written it up in instalments - here is how his first day went - more thrilling instalments to follow...

I woke up early and took the train to Gatwick for one of those lovely knees in your face (I am 6ft 2in tall by the way) Easy Jet flights to Alicante – very enjoyable.  But when I unfolded my legs and stepped off the plane into the glorious sunshine I realised that it had all been worth it.  


I was met at the airport by the happy smiling face of Kevin from Tours on Two Wheels and after a quick introduction we set off, in very welcome high 20s temperatures, for the 30 min drive to nearby Calp.  
The Tours on Two Wheels office is near the bustling harbour of Puerto Campomanes-Greenwich, where a diverse collection of boats, from fishing boats and dinghys, right up to the gigantic yachts bob up and down in the sunshine.  Kevin also hires boats out from the harbour and even electric bicycles too – he has every base covered.

After a spot of paperwork in the office it was time for the fun to begin – I was about to choose the bike which would be my trusty steed for the next 1000miles/5days.  I had a choice between two Triumph Tiger 800s (Captain Black and Mrs. White), a Triumph Tiger Explorer XC (Reverend Green), a Triumph Bonneville (Bonnie),  a KTM 900 (Beans on Toast), and 2 KTM 1190 Adventures (Blanca Negra and Naranjita).  Subject to demand they plan to add a   Suzuki V strom and a Cruiser (Triumph America) to the fleet.  The cruiser should be better for those who have knees which prefer the riding position!  All the bikes great names were chosen by Lynda, Kevin’s girlfriend and they added a friendly personal touch.
Even though I was intrigued by the monster size of the KTM Adventure, I had wanted to try a Triumph Tiger for ages so I plumped for Captain Black one of the Triumph Tiger 800s.
I mounted up and followed Kevin back through the town on the way to the villa.  Apart from being on the wrong side of the road – or should I say the right side of the road – the bike was smooth as silk and the short town trip could only hint at its potential.
Once we arrived Lynda made me a soft drink and a sandwich while Kevin loaded the Sat Nav with my route through the local countryside.  A quick aside here - the Sat Nav was a Tripy II as used in the Dakar rally, it had nice chunky buttons which were easy to use with gloves on and was nigh on indestructible but did have its quirks – more of that later!

The route consisted of an 80km stretch of road which would take me through the local country roads on my way to  Guadalest.  Knowing that I was about to test myself on a long distance two day solo ride through Spain, definitely a first for me, I chose to go out on my own for a practice ride.  I left Calp and after a short blast down the dual carriageway I was on the  hypnotising curves of the almost deserted Spanish roads.   It didn’t take me long to get a feel for the bike and begin to enjoy the scenery.  Riding along with the sun beaming down on the beautiful countryside I couldn’t help but relax, even with the odd car which seemed to be just a tad over the centre line on the sharper bends!  
There were things to see en route as well like the Moto Museum but as it was late in the day it was closed  – one for a future trip!  
In Guadalest I stopped to take some snaps of the very very blue reservoir.  Guadalest was positively bristling with castles and museums so no shortage of things to do, but unfortunately I was too late to sample them and turned to head back.  

The road back took me on the Benidorm Road, although I was supposed to bypass the town. The route here would usually take you along a short Dual Carriage way towards and Platja Cap Blanc and on to Altea on your way back to Calp, however due to missing a turn or two, I found myself in the middle of Benidorm :-/, which taught me how confusing the Spanish roads could be,
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore".
Benidorm otherwise felt like your typical tourist saturated city,  I found a safe spot and stopped to do a prompt U-turn  - I was outta there!
Again, if it had been earlier in the day I could have happily stopped for a stroll or a quick dip in the sea to cool down on my way back as the lack of wind from the slower riding speed meant that I was getting a bit hot...note to self...take a thinner jacket next time – yes I already knew there would be a next time!

I arrived back at the villa, and had a chat with Kevin and Lynda about the various different packages which they offer – they are numerous and really cater for everyone’s needs. To check out what they do have a look at their website Tours on Two Wheels or contact them directly if you want to chat about your trip – they are really friendly and helpful.  It is a good idea to talk to them as they regularly have new holidays on offer and can tailor make your holiday to suit you if required. I have already found one which would be ideal for me and my friends who include some non riders.

Kevin and Lynda only started their business in November and they are in the process of staying in various hotels to test them – it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it eh? After a short time relaxing by the pool we set off into the heart of Calp for some dinner with my hosts.  Calp has a vast selection of restaurants you name it they have it – from traditional Spanish fare to the usual suspects of Chinese, Indian or Italian – something for everyone.  We chose a German restaurant, drawn in by the home brewed beer and I chose a huge pork knuckle to satisfy my meat craving brought on by an enforced (by the Mrs) vegetarian diet back home.
Over dinner I was given an itinerary for my trip and how it would differ from the usual package due to the short time I had available.  Finally full of meat and happy it was back to the hotel for a sleep before the first full day of riding on our way to Tabernas the next day.
Tours on Two Wheels
Trailworld Spain
Anyone been on one of these holidays or been to any of these places - anything else interesting to tell us about?
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