A friend of mine got in touch last year…….”Do you fancy joining me and some friends on a pre 1980 motorcycle rally based in Santander?”
The answer was yes, what are the details? Well the details, other than send hundreds of euros to sign up, were sparse. Whatever, we sent off the money and booked a Brittany Ferry to Santander.
Choice of bike was simple, my 10 plate GS was too young so a Sunbeam S7 or Suzuki GT750. Easy decision other than I had never done more than 40 miles in one go since buying the GT three years ago, and Portsmouth is 75 miles away from home. However, all went well on the trip south, indeed the bike ran trouble free for the whole trip.
On arrival at the Hotel Santemar all change, everything was so organised.
“Here is your goody bag, what size polo shirt would you like? Here are all the tulip guides for the rides, and here is a book of vouchers for the dinners and pitstop meals on the ride-outs. Oh, and the bikers’ bar is out there in the sunshine.” The hotel was to a very good standard and beer was about £3.50 a pint, result!
In simple terms approximately 200 bikers from all over Europe had ferried, ridden or trailered their bikes to Santander for a week of riding, with an option to sign up for a 2 or 3 night trip into the Picos mountains.
Each day there was a route of about 100 miles organised and the culmination of the rally was a 320 mile day of ‘5000 curves’, er, that is a long ride on any bike.
Bike-wise all makes were represented, I spotted and chatted to 2 other Suzuki GT750 owners as well as a 500 and 380, there were lots of Spaniards on 2-stroke Bultacos and Ossa bikes, and scores of British 4-strokes.
The organisers back-up capability was tested when a Norton Commando in our group blew out a spark plug which hit the following rider! The head thread was all but gone, some aluminium foil was used to get some purchase on the worn thread. The bike was ridden back to the hotel and once there the organisers arranged for a mechanic to take it away. It was brought back in the morning suitably helicoiled and ready for the long ride. Happy days.
The 5000 Curves ride was a great day out in the mountains and indeed there were thousands of curves, with pit stops including a wholesome lunch.
During the late afternoon the forecast rain arrived and one of our group dropped his bike on a roundabout covered in diesel, just 2 miles from the hotel. Sadly he broke
a shoulder and 6 ribs and that was only doing about 5mph!
We finally arrived back at the hotel in the early evening to have our course cards checked and stamped, and were then presented with a large tankard that was quickly filled with a much-needed beer.
In conclusion bookmark and keep an eye on the MC Piston website and consider making plans for next year. You will have a great time riding, make lots of new friends – oh, as long as you have an old bike!
Dave Tilton
First published in Slipstream November / December 2023