Hi all, I've been out of work for a while and just reached my wit's end with gardening and trying to look busy. So I've booked a one way ticket to Santander for my Multi and I for this coming Tuesday! I'll take plenty of kit, without being silly about it - basic camping gear in case I get caught short; warm weather essentials and my usual Boy Scout effort for the bike - and my girlfriend is going to fly down next weekend to meet me for a weekend in Bilbao and a spot of day riding, hopefully. I reckon I'll have a look at the Picos de Europa on Thursday and Friday - maybe the weekend too with my gal on the back - then perhaps route through the Pyrenees and back up through France to Normandy. As I said: no job, so no rush as long as I'm not silly with money (the tent should help). Here's where y'all wisened gurus come in. Any suggested must-do's and must-avoids? Tips for running a 2016 1200S with just 2000 on the clock and factory tyres (I reckon they'll last as I'm pretty conservative)? How's about that route home, which is what vexes me a bit. I could always jump a ferry back too, I guess. Any and all tips welcome! Thanks, Mark
If you're on 5.15 ferry and see a MV and a monster say hi . - we pack light and stay in b&b. Take a water pack and breakdown insurance - enjoy
Got back on Tuesday from a trip to the Picos, best biking I've had in Europe TBH and I've previously done Alps, Vosges, Route Napoleon, Austria, Pyrenees, Cevennes etc. Took a one month old MV Tursimo Veloce and apart from wearing out the Scorpion Trail front tyre at only 2,500 miles all was good. Was pushing on somewhat, breaking deep into corners. Added to which a few laps of Silverstone a few weeks earlier no doubt didn't help much. Personally I would shy away from staying in Potes which for some reason seems to be the go-to town for tourists. We preferred the more out of the way places, far more characterful IMHO. The roads vary from plenty of smooth tarmac the quality of which you tend not to see here. Some regions have either less money (likely from the EU) or have spent it on other things. We came across several signs announcing that your were entering a different region with a corresponding drastic change in road quality. The worse we came across was worse than any road I've encountered in the UK, 20km of broken tarmac. The MV coped with this fine, my mate on his 996, to his credit, stuck with it, but it was pretty dreadful. This was far to the West of the Picos itself though. If you have a sat nav download Archies Camping and install both es and, if you're returning via France, fr countries. Ideal for finding a campsite reasonably close to where you are at any given time/place. Check out my instagram feed for some pictures. Locations are given for all of the images from the trip. Have a great time , very jealous of your open ended trip.
I've done the Picos and the Pyrenees in the last 2 years. You'll love it.... Picos - Ride the N621 from Potes down to Riano. The lake and dam there are beautiful, and it's a good road for having a pillion on. The N625 back from Riano to Cangas de Onis was good too, as is the AS114 from Cangis to Panes - through a gorge. Get the weather and it very scenic. Pyrenees - well where do you start !! No bad roads. Really enjoyed the NA1370 / D132 over the Col de la Pierre St Martin - featured in several bike mags. Stunning. The N260 around around Ainsa / Boltana and the A136 around Campo I remember as good roads, but as I say, there a very few 'bad' ones. Enjoy....
Can't resist responding to this. As a brexiter I love France etc, it's just that I don't want to be ruled by Brussels. People enjoyed visiting France before the EU was formed, and they'll enjoy visiting it for many years to come. Similarly, people love visiting China, Malaysia, Australia, Peru, Antarctica and they aren't in the EU either. Love your FB page by the way.
Doing the Picos this August. Thanks NRG for the useful notes on roads. We'll try them all out:sunglasses:
Do what you like, but please don't ruin a motorcycle forum with politics or religion. We already had a distasteful 'race' thing on here a few months back. Not very edifying TBH?
This comment isn't relevant to travelling in France, but can I just say anyone travelling to York is more than welcome to my advice on my City, whatever creed, race, or anything else they may be - so long as they are not criminals in any way shape or form (Chizel has an amnesty on this one though and possibly a few others for miner miss demeanours) I cannot understand such unfriendliness on a Forum aimed at such like minded people, no matter what their political views. Unbelievable and very very sad
Thank you! I'm sure I'll spot/hear an MV and the trail of drool to your bike will indicate my locale.
