Featured Touring Spain 2022

Discussion in 'Rideouts, Trackdays, Touring & Spotted' started by Vulpes, Jul 7, 2022.

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  1. BonnieCat

    BonnieCat Crème de la Crème

    Feb 20, 2016
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    Be careful riding Wim
     
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  2. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

    Mar 14, 2018
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    #122 Vulpes, Sep 18, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2022
    Hit the road today to a clear and sunny (if chilly) morning.
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    Today's trip should have been 325 miles to a mate in Germany. However, when nearly there, he cancelled due to an emergency.
    Nice scenery there.
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    This left me with a choice - find a hotel there, or push on home. An additional 200 miles.
    Still feeling fit, I opted for the latter.
    Unfortunately an hour in it started to rain, which did not let up until nearly home. When I got home mrs V had already opened the garage door for me and put out dry clothes... :heart:

    A bit of a haul today... 525 miles.
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    Safe home though, having travelled a total of 2.596 miles
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    It's been a brilliant trip, thanks so much to Steve @Wessa for his excellent company and riding tips.

    Vulpes signing off.
     
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  3. Adie P

    Adie P Crème de la Crème

    Jul 7, 2018
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    You are THE MAN!

    I've done many a 500+mile day but I'm not sure I could manage it on a SPEEDIE! Especailly not if it means riding for more than, say, 5 minutes in rain! o_O

    Kudos to you, Wim.

    p.s. I assume the top speed was on an autobahn? ;)
     
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  4. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

    Mar 14, 2018
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    Cheers Adie! And yes, the top speed was on an autobahn... o_O
     
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  5. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
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    Yes hats off to you Wim (@Vulpes ) that is some riding and lots in the rain. A pity your mate had to cancel, but I’m really pleased your are home safe. It was a fantastic week, I really enjoyed your company and the riding.
     
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  6. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
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    My day 12.
    I left Jace for my last overnight stop in Vitoria-Gasteiz before heading for the ferry.
    I had set my satnav avoidances to avoid tolls and motorways. This almost doubled my trip time, but as I had loads of time and wanted to continue to enjoy the Spanish rural roads of I went.
    F3A67DFA-43B7-45CF-BEE6-B5C7C5C4CDB9.jpeg 755335F5-A6C4-4F96-9A12-0F8DFC1E6FF3.jpeg B8A767B6-0EFE-4BAB-AD67-7248A2D860DA.jpeg
    I stopped in a lovely little town where many of the locals were dressed all in white with red scarves and sashes. There was some kind of festival going on.
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    I continued on my journey with some more fantastic roads.
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    Having checked in to my hotel I set off to find some food and a drink. I found a buzzing sports bar and spotted a couple with a bowl of what turned out to be Rabas. The food looked lovely, so I ordered a bowl. Whilst I was waiting for the food to arrive I thought I would look Rabas up on Google translate. To my surprise it was frogs lol. Anyway it came and boy was it delicious.
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    So fed and watered I headed back to the hotel terrace. A drink and book in hand. After 10 minutes a Canadian couple joined me. The guy was a biker and owned three 1960’s Triumphs. We chewed the fat talking about bikes and travel for couple of hours before heading to bed.
    Travelling around the world on a motorbike is so much fun and you meet so many interesting people.
    My last day tomorrow is a short hop to Santander and my ferry home.
     
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  7. Sandi T

    Sandi T It's ride o'clock somewhere!
    Subscriber

    Dec 3, 2018
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    @Wessa and @Vulpes

    What an outstanding, informative, and entertaining thread! Thank you, Wim and Steve, for sharing your travels with us. :heart: I enjoyed all of it. And I'm impressed with what conditions you face and ride in. Wim, I'm particularly in awe of your ability to ride 500 mile days on your Speed Triple! These days I'm starting to feel squirmy on my cushy Street Glide after a 300 mile day. :p:joy: You two have managed to bring Spain back to our riding trip attention. It's high on my bucket list for sure. But unfortunately it's a little more "challenging" (not to mention expensive :eek:) to get there from Arizona than where you guys live. It has been fun to travel there vicariously through your adventures.

    Anyway, I've LOVED this thread...and you're not even home yet, Steve! Thanks for taking the time to post your report(s).
     
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  8. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

    Mar 14, 2018
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    @Sandi T , it was excellent fun! Yep, two long haul days, but hey ho, such is life if you want to get somewhere fast. I'm nearly 62 years of age, but find my speedy not too bad for long distances. I just stop every hour, have a smoke and push on.
    The days and rides with Steve were thoroughly enjoyable - good rides, good food and craic! Funnily enough the fact that we'd never met before was no problem at all, we connected straight away. All in all a fantastic road trip! I'm glad you enjoyed our reports, and can recommend a trip to Spain - fantastic roads, and great food, not to mention very affordable!
     
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  9. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
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    Yes on the final leg. On the ferry of the French coast.
     
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  10. Stramasher

    Stramasher Senior Member

    Jun 10, 2020
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    really enjoyed that folks. Spain has it all. Except traffic (well anytime I have been in the mountains)

    remember some of the names and recogn ise some of the places, its just stunning over there.

    I have never been to Vielha in the dry. I still have a picture of Pic d'Midi Ossau on the wall from my 1st trip in 2003. I think everybody must stop there and gawp at its awesomeness. Proper Lord Of The Rings.
    Seeing that stunning hilltop village getting closer (never got the pic before the road sweeps to the left, though!)

    Hell of a trek by road. Respect! (and at least riding a naked in the rain cleans all the multi-coloured insect death off your kit!)
     
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  11. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
    11,318
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    Ok my last entry for the trip. I left Vitoria-Gasteiz for Santander avoiding motorways and toll roads until I got to Bilbao, when a lapse in concentration seen me look at a sign for Santander, rather than following the satnav. Ended up on the toll road hey ho:(
    Anyway paid the toll and got onto the dual carriageway heading for the ferry. There were some lovely little bays, so I dropped of to have a little ok.
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    After a couple of pictures I headed towards the ferry. I had loads of time so once I found the ferry terminal I headed for the beach.
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    I had a fabulous day chilling, having some lunch and lazying in the sunshine, by late afternoon I was ready to head for check in.
    I have never seen so many bikes getting the ferry, they filled two lanes of the queuing lanes and the whole of deck 2 once on the ferry. The crossing was like a mill pond. Getting off the ferry was painless, although passport control was a little slow, I was on the road for home. 274 miles later I rolled onto my drive in the dark.
    I completed 2233 miles on the trip and enjoyed every one of them. A massive thank you Wim (@vuples) for his company.
    Job done :)
     
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  12. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

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    Brilliant Steve, glad you're home safe. It was a great trip, both riding- and company-wise. Thank you so much.
     
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  13. tcbandituk

    Subscriber

    Apr 8, 2016
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    It was the Bol D'Or last weekend, might explain the amount of bikes.
    https://www.fimewc.com/event/bol-dor-2022/
     
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  14. Sandi T

    Sandi T It's ride o'clock somewhere!
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    Dec 3, 2018
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    A great ending to a great adventure, @Wessa! Thanks again to both you and @Vulpes for putting the time and energy into sharing your adventures with us on the forum. :):heart:
     
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  15. Bikerman

    Bikerman I used to have 5500 posts.

    Oct 29, 2014
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    Brilliant ride report you two, loved the way you both posted about your days riding. Don't know why I got no notifications about the trip. Glad that you both had a great time. Something to look back on over the next few cold months ahead. Thanks for taking the time to post all your pictures. Roll on summer.
     
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  16. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

    Mar 14, 2018
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    Cheers, glad you enjoyed it - we certainly did! :)
     
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  17. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
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    Yes thanks. It was a great trip, glad you enjoyed the write up.
     
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  18. Oldskool

    Oldskool Elite Member

    Jan 29, 2019
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    Great trip..!
    One question fellas, how was the policing of the roads out there ?
     
  19. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

    Mar 14, 2018
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    There doesn't seem to be a lot of plod presence on the roads out there. Some cameras in built up areas, but that's about it, it would seem. I reckon as long as you behave around towns you'd be just fine. :)
     
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  20. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
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    I agree with Wim (@Vulpes ) not a lot of police activity during our trip. We did pass a couple of police cars who had stopped and we’re working over cars, but none that bothered us on bikes. :):)
     
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