I have used the fantastic info on this site for years also added a little on occasion but dont remember posting any pics or trip reports I am not much for writing stuff but here is the basics, sorry I do not have any accounts to do the photo link thingy so will just post them here. As the covid regs relaxed a little back in the autumn I decided to head for Spain to make some dust and watch a few rally cars at the Catalonia World Rally round, done a similar trip previuosly so have some experience, but obviously I would want to take a different route where possible. I was solo so the pics are hardly exiting but they may give an idea of the type riding available in Spain. The trip was a very relaxed 16 nights 3 on the ferries one extra due to a delay, camping with and without a toilet nearby and a few hostals. It seems I can only post 4 pics is that correct? If there is interest I'll post more.
a bit of dust in Spain
- Thread starter bikenav
- Start date
There’s always interest in ride reports! Post away sir 
Quattroformaggio
Registered user
Great stuff...please give us more!
I think that you can only add four attachments per post, so just add more posts, if you can't link your pics (I'm working on trying to sort that trick from my phone myself).
Bring them on...it's good to see that someone's ventured forth.
I think that you can only add four attachments per post, so just add more posts, if you can't link your pics (I'm working on trying to sort that trick from my phone myself).
Bring them on...it's good to see that someone's ventured forth.
Yes please 
Yes please.
Yes pls, any of the rally itself ?
Great stuff...please give us more!
Bring them on...it's good to see that someone's ventured forth.
Absolutely, looks like a really interesting trip. More please!
Nice work Paul, that last picture looks like the Los Monegros desert region to the west of me here - fabulous riding there!
I'll catch up with your message later - off with the doggies now!
Regs
Simon
I'll catch up with your message later - off with the doggies now!
Regs
Simon
nice , that's the sort of off-road riding i could manage.
a bit more
thanks for the interest, answer to some of your coments-the venturing is pretty easy for me, the digital documentation bollocks not so easy, but muddled through did take a berating from the Brittany Ferry lady for not fully completing the Spanish travel locator but worse things can happen in life.
I did not put a great deal of effort in to the rally spectating, as it turned out as an ex co-driver my interest seems to have almost completely waned now, but I did get a couple of pics, I went in 2018 too planned it properly that time and got to some fantastic viewing spots, if you are an enthuisiast especially if you dont mind getting your bike a little dusty I highly recommend a trip, the speeds of these pocket rockets is something to behold on tar, Spanish spectating is a great experience.
No Monegros on this trip but the terrain was similar in places did go in 2018 it was a bitterly cold great place to practice steering with the throttle, chose to stay out of the Ebro valley for the most part this time, by-passing Bardenas this time too.
Generally I tend not to stop to take pics when on tricky terrain unless it goes completely south prefering to get through if the momentum is with me, but there are a couple of southerly pics.
thanks for the interest, answer to some of your coments-the venturing is pretty easy for me, the digital documentation bollocks not so easy, but muddled through did take a berating from the Brittany Ferry lady for not fully completing the Spanish travel locator but worse things can happen in life.
I did not put a great deal of effort in to the rally spectating, as it turned out as an ex co-driver my interest seems to have almost completely waned now, but I did get a couple of pics, I went in 2018 too planned it properly that time and got to some fantastic viewing spots, if you are an enthuisiast especially if you dont mind getting your bike a little dusty I highly recommend a trip, the speeds of these pocket rockets is something to behold on tar, Spanish spectating is a great experience.
No Monegros on this trip but the terrain was similar in places did go in 2018 it was a bitterly cold great place to practice steering with the throttle, chose to stay out of the Ebro valley for the most part this time, by-passing Bardenas this time too.
Generally I tend not to stop to take pics when on tricky terrain unless it goes completely south prefering to get through if the momentum is with me, but there are a couple of southerly pics.
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sand and spanners
I have ridden a bit of sand in the past both enduro bikes at home and a 640 down in the dunes of Merzouga, but very little experience on litre bikes so jumped at the chance when it arose, in the great scheme of things it was relatively simple sand though the pic is not very indicitive, I had to shout at myself a bit to start but managed pretty well and enjoyed to my surprise.The spanners were out twice on this trip once here (you may recognize this street if you have watched the ACT Pyrenees YT promo vid) for a weird electrical fault, I have a battery isolator on this bike and thought it was that so removed it but without getting in to boring details I traced it eventually to a plug connector on the ignition key circuit all good, note here- two groups of Spanish bikers stopped to help the first were enduro boys super helpfull I had to almost push them away to go and have their fun, I could see that they were feeling guilty leaving me but by then I had clocked the issue and there was little they could do, some GS boys also stopped, would the same happen in the UK? as a Solo rider this gives you a fantastic feeling thats hard to explain, The Spanish Biking Brotherhood is alive and strong. So the vultures had no luck with this Welshman and his old girl, they were waiting for a passing Orange bike perhaps.
I have ridden a bit of sand in the past both enduro bikes at home and a 640 down in the dunes of Merzouga, but very little experience on litre bikes so jumped at the chance when it arose, in the great scheme of things it was relatively simple sand though the pic is not very indicitive, I had to shout at myself a bit to start but managed pretty well and enjoyed to my surprise.The spanners were out twice on this trip once here (you may recognize this street if you have watched the ACT Pyrenees YT promo vid) for a weird electrical fault, I have a battery isolator on this bike and thought it was that so removed it but without getting in to boring details I traced it eventually to a plug connector on the ignition key circuit all good, note here- two groups of Spanish bikers stopped to help the first were enduro boys super helpfull I had to almost push them away to go and have their fun, I could see that they were feeling guilty leaving me but by then I had clocked the issue and there was little they could do, some GS boys also stopped, would the same happen in the UK? as a Solo rider this gives you a fantastic feeling thats hard to explain, The Spanish Biking Brotherhood is alive and strong. So the vultures had no luck with this Welshman and his old girl, they were waiting for a passing Orange bike perhaps.
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Quattroformaggio
Registered user
Again...great stuff.
I've never been to any car rally, but it's one of the few motor sports I actually watch on DVD or YouTube (almost on the edge of my seat at times), and I'll wager that it's incredible in real life, seeing how close you can get, and probably actually feeling the cars as they roar past in billowing clouds of dust!
Great scenery there, too...you're igniting an early wanderlust in me.
Talking of igniting a spark, blooming well done on investigating and finding your electrical problem.
I know several folk (with many years of riding experience) who would have just stood or sat forlornly helpless, and ended up waiting hours for whatever form of breakdown assistance was available!
Hoping to see more pics.
I've never been to any car rally, but it's one of the few motor sports I actually watch on DVD or YouTube (almost on the edge of my seat at times), and I'll wager that it's incredible in real life, seeing how close you can get, and probably actually feeling the cars as they roar past in billowing clouds of dust!
Great scenery there, too...you're igniting an early wanderlust in me.
Talking of igniting a spark, blooming well done on investigating and finding your electrical problem.
I know several folk (with many years of riding experience) who would have just stood or sat forlornly helpless, and ended up waiting hours for whatever form of breakdown assistance was available!
Hoping to see more pics.
Nice pics. Thanks for sharing. As an 05 plate, I'm guessing that is one of the first 1200 GSs. Never owned one but bought the last 1150 GSA SE instead that year.
Ex-co driver and double Garmins - A chap that likes to know exactly where he is 
Atomic84
Registered user
Great photos. I've always wanted to watch a rally event abroad, but the nearest i've got is Rally Ulster in Armagh in 2007.
If you're an ex co-driver, you might be more interested in the Eiffel Rally Festival? Based around Daun, Germany, and it's full of older Group A and B stuff etc
Link here - https://www.eifel-rallye-festival.de/en/home.html
If you're an ex co-driver, you might be more interested in the Eiffel Rally Festival? Based around Daun, Germany, and it's full of older Group A and B stuff etc
Link here - https://www.eifel-rallye-festival.de/en/home.html
Great photos, great report. Keep it coming
keep the pics coming 
as an Ex Rally driver more WRC pics'd be great 
as an Ex Rally driver more WRC pics'd be great 
Looks great. Would you mind sharing where you got the tracks from, and a picture of the overall route if you have it please?
Montana's and motors
for previous comments ...Had some great times in and around rally cars over the years, started off in the Welsh lanes in the dark with an OS map and a Poti in MK 2 Escorts and all kinds and lucky enough to do a bit in the day too in the Welsh forests, Ireland and Belgium on the tarmac too, although I love the precision of pace notes, getting it right in the lanes in the dark reading bends and everything else off an OS map is something special. All that kind of nonsense has made maps a love of my life, paper has given way for the most part to digital but still use them in basically the same way, no windy route button for me. The sport at World level for spectating has lost a lot for me, the cars all look and sound the same although very effective at going very fast, alot of the spectacle has gone to my eyes, but dont let me put you off, Spain last year was all tarmac so only a little dust unlike when I was there in 2018 it was mixed surface, get out and have a look, Germany was also easy when I went once by accident but thats another story. I do all my own bike maintenance so its just a matter of course, its been on a trailer twice, once for a fuel controller in the first year or so and once more for a puncture, ridden it a few miles with bits hanging off but its been a good ride.
Yes a standard 05 no ABS I should imagine the lightest of the creed, it has a few mods, well bodges really, I know most of its bits now.
2 montanas for redundancy as I rely on them 100% for this type of riding, one zoomed in the other out, sometimes with a different map on each too. I have found them to be excellent bits of kit I have 550's too but the mounts charging are U/S and discontinued if they were good, probably there would be one of each. Yip I really need to know where I am and going with a plan but always happy to wander off the plan, route planning and navigation is very much a part of it for me, conversely stops are done on a complete wing it style.
Bikes and rally spectating often go very well together, easy parking, beating traffic, going perhaps where your not supposed to but I would know nothing of that. I had forgotten of that German event, might tick a few box's for me, I also have an interest Military history especially WW2 I have been to the Ardenne in the past but have an itch to follow Pipers Panzer speahead route of the Battle of the Bulge fame might make for a nice trip, just down the road is Trier where the German WRC is usually based and the Nordschleife too but i've ticked those 2 off. A longer spin but again a nice part of the World and a candidate for a trip the big premier event of its type http://www.rallylegend.com/en/ down in San Marino look out for Frank Kelly and the even wilder Paolo Diana in the 131 Abarth crazy shit.
for previous comments ...Had some great times in and around rally cars over the years, started off in the Welsh lanes in the dark with an OS map and a Poti in MK 2 Escorts and all kinds and lucky enough to do a bit in the day too in the Welsh forests, Ireland and Belgium on the tarmac too, although I love the precision of pace notes, getting it right in the lanes in the dark reading bends and everything else off an OS map is something special. All that kind of nonsense has made maps a love of my life, paper has given way for the most part to digital but still use them in basically the same way, no windy route button for me. The sport at World level for spectating has lost a lot for me, the cars all look and sound the same although very effective at going very fast, alot of the spectacle has gone to my eyes, but dont let me put you off, Spain last year was all tarmac so only a little dust unlike when I was there in 2018 it was mixed surface, get out and have a look, Germany was also easy when I went once by accident but thats another story. I do all my own bike maintenance so its just a matter of course, its been on a trailer twice, once for a fuel controller in the first year or so and once more for a puncture, ridden it a few miles with bits hanging off but its been a good ride.
Yes a standard 05 no ABS I should imagine the lightest of the creed, it has a few mods, well bodges really, I know most of its bits now.
2 montanas for redundancy as I rely on them 100% for this type of riding, one zoomed in the other out, sometimes with a different map on each too. I have found them to be excellent bits of kit I have 550's too but the mounts charging are U/S and discontinued if they were good, probably there would be one of each. Yip I really need to know where I am and going with a plan but always happy to wander off the plan, route planning and navigation is very much a part of it for me, conversely stops are done on a complete wing it style.
Bikes and rally spectating often go very well together, easy parking, beating traffic, going perhaps where your not supposed to but I would know nothing of that. I had forgotten of that German event, might tick a few box's for me, I also have an interest Military history especially WW2 I have been to the Ardenne in the past but have an itch to follow Pipers Panzer speahead route of the Battle of the Bulge fame might make for a nice trip, just down the road is Trier where the German WRC is usually based and the Nordschleife too but i've ticked those 2 off. A longer spin but again a nice part of the World and a candidate for a trip the big premier event of its type http://www.rallylegend.com/en/ down in San Marino look out for Frank Kelly and the even wilder Paolo Diana in the 131 Abarth crazy shit.
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