I had spent the summer of 2023 on my new Ninja 650 discovering Sussex all over again. But as my first season as a new rider advanced and the British sunshine diminished, I decided to bring forward my idea of riding abroad so as to recapture the feel of the warm sun on my back. It was November and European riding tours were starting to close or offered limited scope. All of my research pointed to the Canary Islands as being the best for winter riding with their all year-round good weather.
Motorbike touring companies advised that Gran Canaria would be challenging and required 'technical riding' skills with its winding roads, blind hairpin bends and vertigo-inducing roads etched on the side of mountains. Mindful of the challenge, but keen to develop my skills further, I reserved a Honda Scrambler (which was as much fun as I thought it would be) with Canary Ride for a self-guided tour as no tours were running on the dates I wanted to travel.
Canary Ride was a great choice as, in addition to sorting out the hotel (Livvo Lumm, Las Palmas, which was a short walk from their office) and airport transfer, they provided suggested routes with which to explore the island. My previous experience of Gran Canaria with family was limited to Meloneras (in the south) where I had attempted, and failed, to persuade my children to explore the island rather than remain in the pool.
So, in November, after flying to the island and settling into the hotel, I spent the first afternoon wandering around Las Palmas before, as typical for Brits abroad, popping into an Irish pub...
I woke up the next morning eager to pick up my bike and was not disappointed. Canary Ride had an amazing set up with bikes in great condition - my Honda Scrambler looked brand-new. They provided a tank bag, something I had never been interested in but proved to be so useful it was a quick purchase for my own bike when I returned home.
Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
