TRAVEL | Portugal – Motorcycle Paradise Algarve
Winding country roads and challenging tracks can be found in the Algarve, embedded in a marvellous landscape. In just a few minutes, you can ride your motorbike from the sea to the wooded hills or from the solitude to an inviting little town.
Text: Jo Wolframm; Photos: Claudius Vasilescu
It's January, the clouds are hanging low over Niedereschach, rain showers alternate with snowfall. Over here, it does not look good for a major motorbike tour any time soon. But there is a ray of hope for us. We need photos of new products and of the two BMW models R 1300 GS and F 900 GS. And it goes without saying that we don't take them in the dreary grey of the Black Forest. So it's off to the sun - to the Algarve in the south of Portugal. In addition to the two newcomers, we have the Honda XL750 Transalp and the tried and tested BMW R 1250 GS with us, along with important innovations from across the Touratech range. For example, we will be testing the new Aventuro PRO Carbon adventure helmet and the Guardo Ultimate GTX glove under travelling conditions and showcasing them accordingly. The Algarve in the south of Portugal is a true motorbike paradise, and we have the pleasure of exploring it with our colleague Filipe from Touratech Portugal. We meet Filipe at Praia do Amado beach, and over our first coffee, served with pastel de nata (small puff pastry tarts with custard), Filipe shows us the highlights he has selected for our tours over the next few days on his Garmin sat nav. Like all Portuguese, Filipe loves his coffee as strong as possible. If they can, they drink it several times a day. The most popular variant is the bica, a very strong espresso. If this is too strong for you, order a Galão.
Often, the sea can be reached by motorcycle
Our tours over the following days take us through the breathtaking landscape of the southern Portuguese coastal region. From picturesque harbour towns, we take winding roads up to idyllic mountain regions. On one of these trips, we roam the cork oak forests of Miradouro dos Picos near Marmelete. There is a nice anecdote about the origins of the mountain village. Shipwrecked people are said to have made it to the coast with the last ounce of their strength. Apart from their lives, they managed to save a few goats and the planks of their ship. They built a shelter on a hill above the coast and fed on the goats' milk and fish from the sea. Later, the sailors married local women and founded a village. In memory of the meagre beginnings, the village was given the name "Mar e Leite" (sea and milk), which over time became Marmelete. The food in the cosy tavern "A Tasca do Petrol" in the hinterland near Monchique is much less spartan. Here we can savour the whole range of rich Portuguese cuisine. Another highlight is the Serra de Monchique. We ride on good tarmac through species-rich deciduous forests where walnut trees, pines, chestnuts and even rhododendrons and magnolias grow alongside holm and cork oaks.
Lighthouse at Cabo de São Vicente
MOTORCYLE SPORT IN THE ALGARVE
WSBK AND MOTOGP
on the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão
O NOSSO DAKAR
Licence-free bike book rally with a touristic character for adventure bikes
www.longitude009.pt/lista/o-nosso-dakar
SUBIDA IMPOSSÍVEL
Breathtaking hillclimb for motorbikes over 100 metres in altitude near Silves
www.cm-silves.pt/pt/menu/1303/subidaimpossivel.Aspx
Winding country roads (above) alternate with rugged tracks (below).
TOURATECH IN PORTUGAL
Motorcycle travellers can find not one but two Touratech locations in Portugal to get help and advice:
TOURATECH PORTUGAL
Avenida Infante D. Henrique,
Edifício Beira Rio, Fracção T
1950-408 Lisboa
TOURATECH PORTUGAL NORTE
Praça Francisco Sá Carneiro 150
4580-824 Lordelo
Refreshments can be found in one of the numerous bars.
Of course, we can't miss the famous "last currywurst before America". It is served at the lighthouse on the Cap of Sao Vicente. The cape marks the south-westernmost point of the European mainland. The beacon extends almost 60 kilometres out into the Atlantic and still serves as an important landmark for shipping today. The beaches of Carrapateira and Vila do Bispo and the impressive cliffs of Sagres are truly breathtaking. The cliffs here rise 70 metres vertically out of the sea. From up here, the surfers appear tiny as they ride the house-high waves on their boards. Both the swell and the temperature prevent us from taking a dip in the tantalisingly blue Atlantic at this time of year.
The Atlantic is particularly rough in winter
Time and again, we find ourselves travelling along adventurous gravel tracks in this fascinating landscape on the edge of Europe. Many of the tracks are regularly used for international motorsport competitions. Even the famous Dakar Rally has taken place on the tracks in the south of Portugal. And it was precisely this race in 2007 that inspired some local offroad fans to create their own Dakar, "O nosso Dakar" in Portuguese. On the rest day of the 2013 Dakar, they took to the tracks together on their Enduro bikes. Word of the brilliant event quickly spread through the scene, with more and more riders coming to the unique rally every year. Since then, O nosso Dakar has been held every year and inspires adventure riders from all over Europe with its mix of tricky navigation and challenging routes.
Visiting a Formula 1 track at Portimão.
There is another fascinating motorsport event in the region: the Subida Impossível, a breath-taking hill climb over 100 metres in altitude, which has been held near Silves for 20 years. However, we don't need to go quite that extreme with our adventure bikes and are content with a few water crossings and trails near the event site. The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve Formula 1 circuit near Portimão is not at all adventurous but incredibly fast. Thanks to Filipe's excellent contacts, we get an appointment with press spokesman Rui Belmonte, who has lots of interesting details for us about the circuit, which regularly hosts WSBK and MotoGP.
America is just over there! Stunning sunset at the south-westernmost point of the European mainland.
Despite our enthusiasm for the scenic beauty of the Algarve, we mustn't forget our actual mission. But in view of the great mix of country roads and unpaved trails, we gather countless impressions in the most diverse riding situations almost incidentally. The focus is on the BMW F 900 GS, which has not yet been tested so intensively. In direct comparison with the flagship R 1300 GS, the "little one" can show just how much G(elände)S(port) (offroad sport) is in its DNA. And the 900 does not have to hide. Handy and light-footed, it masters all river crossings, up- and downhills and sandy passages. On road stages, the F 900 GS impresses with its confident handling and the two-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine with its solid performance.
Outside of the main tourism season, the only people we have to share the beach with are a few surfers.
We not only bring back great new product shots from this "business trip", but also plenty of emotions. The Algarve is a perfect destination for motorcyclists who want to escape the cold weather at home, especially in late winter and early spring. With pleasant temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees, the Algarve is the perfect place for adventurers on two wheels at this time of year.
STATEMENT MARION GROSS – BMW F 900 GS
The new BMW F 900 GS is an intuitive off-road machine. It offers comfortable geometry, a good centre of gravity and plenty of torque. An absolute plus point: ABS and traction control can be switched off quickly and easily - for more freedom off-road. Thanks to the Touratech tank bag, I had everything to hand: Water, wallet and mobile phone.
STATEMENT GRÉGORYY GORDINE – BMW R 1300 GS
I had the opportunity to test the R 1300 GS! The new engine runs really smoothly, it's really fun to ride. I was surprised by the excellent offroad capabilities, which do not come at the expense of any loss of comfort on long journeys. The numerous assistance systems require a certain familiarisation period, but once you have internalised the menu structure, you won't want to do without the friendly electronic helpers. During my two small off-road failures, the bike was fully protected by the Touratech stainless steel crash bars and remained completely undamaged. The new GS is once again the perfect touring machine. It makes you want to go on a big discovery tour straight away - and I think I will be doing that soon!
STATEMENT FILIPE ELIAS – BMW R 1250 GS
Even if the focus is now naturally on the brand-new 1300, which undoubtedly offers a host of powerful innovations, the R 1250 GS remains a superb touring Enduro that cuts a fine figure in all situations. Its pleasantly manoeuvrable engine is just as much fun on a fast country road as it is on a tight single trail. I was especially impressed by the performance of the chassis with the suspension elements from Touratech Suspension. The sensitive response behaviour is unrivalled and ensures outstanding precision both on and offroad – and even in extreme situations I have not yet managed to push the suspension to its limits.
STATEMENT JO WOLFRAMM – HONDA XL 750 TRANSALP
During the photo and video shooting in the Algarve in Portugal, I was able to ride the Honda XL750 Transalp over 1,500 kilometres in five days on the motorway, small and larger country roads and on many gravel tracks. The bike was equipped with a Touratech comfort seat and Touratech suspension (shock absorber and cartridge). The very well-balanced suspension makes the machine a good-natured, easy-to-manoeuvre companion. Especially on the frequent offroad passages, the Honda was precise and controlled at all times, even at higher speeds. The comfort seat proved its worth on the motorway stages of the journey there and back.