I’ve been an amateur race car driver for 25 years, starting with my ’67 Alfa Romeo GTV, but lately I’ve been forgoing that for motorcycle trips to Europe. I’ve gone on three tours of Europe with the Cannonball Bike Run group. They’re a crazy bunch of Finns, Germans, Brits, Norwegians, and a few Yanks. I’ll be joining them again in September on a rental Triumph Street Triple 765R in the French cols.
For work, I’m an in-dealership product trainer for Mazda—a terrific job for me. But, I also love riding and writing. In the Spring, I rented a BMW R 1300 GS in Barcelona, and visited friends in SW France and eastern Spain.
I had eight days to enjoy myself, and was determined to make each day count. I picked up my rental bike from IMT Bike in Barcelona. It’s the second time I’ve used them, and they were tremendous. They are always quick to respond to questions, and their check-out process is efficient. I stored my suitcase at their shop.
I immediately headed to a small town near Pau, France, to visit some ex-pat friends. I hadn’t planned my exact route, so I chose to take N-260, which parallels the Spanish side of the Pyrenees.
It is an exquisite road that reminded me of the gorges in Provence, France. Even in the hard rain, it was easy to be amazed at the towering overhead cliffs that feature protective road armor-netting. I crossed into France via Route A-136. The border area has a strong resemblance to the Dolomites.
A quick word about the BMW R 1300 GS—my first impression was how incredibly soft it rode, though not to the detriment of agility. It may be the world’s fastest Barcalounger. With 110 ft-lbs of torque available, you’ll never be lacking. Torque is what you want on the tighter twisties, so you can grunt out of the slow hairpins. The four-cylinder superbikes take a while to spool up, so that torquey twin is already gone!
I spent two nights with my ex-pat friends near Pau, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the border, then headed back south to meet up with a group of friends in Denia, Spain. As my bike told me I had 70 kilometers until empty, it was time to find a petrol station.
I pulled into the Repsol, and the attendant said, “No gas.” Hmm, strange, though he was telling that to everyone, not just this Yank. I took that opportunity to shed a few layers, then rode to the next town, 30 minutes south.
Just as I saw the next gas station, my bike told me, “Key no longer in range”. I wear the key fob on a leash around my neck, and sure enough, it wasn’t there. I can’t pop the gas lid without turning off the bike, and without the fob, I’ll not be able to start the bike.
Things just got very interesting. Even better, my phone had no signal, so I had to find my way back to that Repsol station without any error because I was running out of gas. My vacation could have ended swiftly and poorly.
I made it back to the station, and as I rolled in, there was my key fob, on its leash, lying on the ground. I had removed it to shed layers, gotten distracted, and ridden off. No idea why the bike waited so long to tell me, however. Happiest day of my life!
I got to the next station, and, again, no gas. Other riders were sitting around waiting. What’s happening? This was April 28, when most of Spain and Portugal had suffered a historic blackout. They had gas—just no electricity to pump it. Nobody knew a thing. Terrorists? Russians? We eventually found a station that had power and were on our way.
I met a group of about 10 riders in Denia, and from there, we had three days of riding planned.
The highlight of Day 1 was riding The Silent Route, officially A-1702. This was about an hour of some of the most fun and smooth twisties that I have ridden—a must-ride in the Spanish Aragón region.
On Day 2, we rode into the sovereign Principality of Andorra—home to Jorge Martín, Maverick Viñales, and the Espargaró brothers. Andorra sits in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, and is smaller than San Francisco. The surrounding roads are fabulous, and it is a terrific place to load up on gear. Motorcyclists know it, so there are many retail shops in close proximity to choose from.
There are phenomenal roads from Andorra to Barcelona. Along the way, my friend with the new BMW M 1000 XR decided to swap bikes with me on a particularly incredible long section of Route C-462.
The two BMWs are night and day. You sit in the R 1300 GS, and you sit atop the M 1000 XR. First impression was the XR also rides like velvet, yet is immensely capable. The carbon rims help make directional changes instant. The XR’s inline-four has a linear throttle response—the more you twist, the more your face melts. The brakes are as wonderful as you’d expect, with a nice, firm, and aggressive lever.
When we reached our destination in coastal Castelldefels, near Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, it was time to reluctantly return the BMW R 1300 GS to IMT Bike. It was a wonderful 1750 miles. The R series BMWs may not be the most exciting bikes, but they get the job done exceptionally well. I can see why they’re so popular among the rental bike fleets.
I’m already looking forward to my return to France next month.
Spanish Spring Trip on a BMW R 1300 GS Photo Gallery
