Just my two cents worth, the cost of this tour is almost £5k for a rider without a pillion. That's £500 a day, allowing £120 a day for the bike, and £100 a night for a hotel. that's £280 per day for the van and the guide. That seems ridiculously expensive to me. Glad you enjoyed it, I rode through Portugal in Sept 2022 and it was beautiful.
My view.. Tour organisation and preparation has to have the time costed Knowledge is with paying for Businesses need to make a profit I have not had any contact with this tour operator these are my views on what smallbestoke tours can cost
..yes these guided tours can appear expensive, but top qaulity hotels, bike hire and so on is expensive and the companies concerned need to make some money - but yes I get these tours aren't for everyone....
Cheers for that Martin. £500 a day! Wow… I/we tour Europe for @ 10 days. @cost is 2k. Our own bikes x2, and local b+b pre booked, plus plannned our routes.
Love the show, may I ask, I've noticed the camera which I believe is the 360 upon the handle bars, how have you found the camera so far and what type oh mount are you using, thinking of getting one but seen conflicting reports, value your thoughts.
Great video Andy and a great choice too, Portugal, my home country, has some of the best places for motorcycle riding, on and off-road. Also for everyone who wants a real Portuguese motorcycle experience, with a huge variety of scenarios, village, food & drink, then riding the whole N2 road, that crosses the Country all the way North to South and vice versa, it's a must. The N2, total of 738Km was the 1st road built to cross the Country, it's the is oldest route still in existence and in use and it's nicknamed the Route 66 of Europe! Rode it last year with my best friend, on 2 rented bikes and it's a must to repeat it again!! Have fun Andy & Carol!! 👍👍
I am enjoying your return to touring. I really liked that you took time to introduce the riding group and the bikes they ride. It seems few TH-camrs do that but it helps me feel more a part of the video. Also enjoyed the mapping of the tour with the paper map (yes I’m over sixty years of age). Thanks 👍
Did Spain & Portugal last late Spring on my KTM Supeduke GT. All the way from Glasgow via Santander ferry, Pico's, Astorga, Chaves, Covilha, Elvas, Tavira, Ronda, Granada, Mojacar, Zaragoza, San Sebastian, Santander & back to Scotland. Absolutely epic, the best empty roads in Europe
Funny watching this as I live right between Alhaurin and Ardales and used to travel to Portugal frequently using the main roads, so it’s nice to see some alternative routes to Seville to ride on my Super Tenere
Good start to a series I am looking forward to, as it will remind me of the my Spain/Portugal trip last year. The roads and people over there are just so motorbike friendly, making it riding heaven for me.
I see how the team of Mrs. Flyer and you works so well: While you get things you have to say of your chest she gets her workouts from disciplinary measures! ☺ And what a beautiful scenery that is! Wow, just wow!
Great to see another tour series. With the ever increasing price of the Portsmouth to Bilbao/Santander ferry the fly/ride tours are becoming more attractive.
You're tempting me to go to Spain on my bike again, Andy! On my epic to Morocco and the Sahara on my 2002 GS soon after I took up biking we rode down though Spain (off the ferry at Santander, then a night in Salamanca and a night in Seville) from where we rode to Algeciras for the ferry to Africa. We went from Seville via Ronda, and that road from Ronda to the Med coast near Marbella was the best biking road I have ever ridden. So good that even though on our way home back up through Spain we went a different route (a night in Granada and another - via Toledo for lunch - in Segovia), it still included that Marbella to Ronda road! I still can't believe that as a novice rider I rode my bike from Cheshire to the Sahara and back (OK, we bypassed France by using the Plymouth - Santander ferry) but even so! I was younger and madder then! A flight to southern Spain and then a hired GS would probably suit me better these days!
Don't know if this is helping me watching this . I was already missing the summer , now I'm properly missing riding in the sun and heat 😫 🤣 thanks for taking us with you both on another holiday adventure , this looks like it's going to be a good one 👍
wow, I stopped getting your video recommendations (probably because it's winter) and after a few months I come back to your channel and you are touring my beautiful country. Funnily enough, I've only ever ridden in UK and US, never in my home country. Stay safe and enjoy!
@@TheMissendenFlyer happened that I started my riding life after emigrating. I will definitely go touring there, in fact one of my lifetime dreams is to open a motorcycle touring company and tour Portugal, Spain and Morocco, kind of like Lyndon's.
I love this type of content from you so I naturally look forward to the next episode of this series. Thanks. And always a pleasure to see Mrs. Flyer. :)
Hello. I was waiting for this. You can show how Portugal is so good for motorcycle riding and you’re your subscribers can see. Best regards! Manuel Evaristo from Portugal.
I sometimes return one-way rentals for a friend with a motorcycle rental company in San Francisco. Lots of BMWs and Harleys. I returned one GS and when I got to his shop I told him that it was the first time I had really enjoyed the big dual sport. "It's the low version," he told me. I'm 5'9" and it makes all the difference.
I live in Silves, Algarve, and the mountain bike routes here are beautiful - empty and epic. This time of year isn't the best though, I wouldn't come out here until March. It's cold, changeable and wet in Jan and Feb.
From the depths of winter in the US where I’m dreaming of a ride without my electric clothes, thanks for some inspiration. (And I hope you realize you’re a lucky SOB to have this for your job.) thanks again.
Nice to see some sun , thanks for the video , looks good food and nice roads th I’d love to ride Portugal especially when the weather here is less than bearable
WooHoo ... I'm seriously looking forward to this series . I have a relative who lives in a little Dora Valley village and I'm planning a ride there this summer. Thank you Thank you 🙂
Living your best life man. Outstanding. Makes me so happy to watch this given the season and weather here in Michigan, and recovering from a serious case of pneumonia personally. I love that you have Carol with you on these, makes me jealous my wife will not ride on the bike with me. You are doing it right!
Looking forward to another great series Andy went to Portugal last year on the bike it’s STUNNING as you have said a few times already 😀 keep up the great channel 👍
I am from Gibraltar, so I am blessed with all those roads being round the corner. Oh by the way, in Gib we drive on the right, like in Spain and the rest of Europe, but I rode recently in UK and I could not believe how comfortable I was driving on the left. In my case I put that down to have watched all your reviews in some cases several times !!!
Visited Gib last summer (2022) and happened to be there when there were a lot of cruisers enjoying a 'meet' in Casemates Square. Seriously considering a ride from the UK to Gib this summer....
Thanks for posting. Finally, somebody who shares my opinion about olives. Just a word of advice, I would not say it very loudly in Spain. If you do, you might find yourself in a boatful of trouble. Similar to Clarkson in Argentina.
Sailing over to Santander to do the picos and Portugal down to Portimao in June. 2 week tour. Done the Alps, dolomites and Pyrenees a few tines. Just love the empty roads.
Morning Andy, takes me back to when I lived in Nerja about 45 mins east of Malaga for a year. I’m with you on the olives, my two biggest tapas nightmares are olives and Russian salad which looks like someone’s already eaten it and it didn’t agree with them 😳. While I lived there I owned a Harley 883 Sportster flat tracker replica and a Kymco movie XL125 scooter and regularly explored small mountain roads which the scooter was better for tbh. Last year on a trip back to Nerja I rented a 125 scooter and rode some of the local mountain roads again, the sounds of insects, smell of pines just pottering around in the mountains was magical.
30 plus degrees. That's 9 months of the year for me here in Australia. Some of that scenery even looks like the drive down the Newell highway around Moree and Narrabri. I bet the food's better in Spain though. Except for the olives. I share your disdain, except for one time someone gave me some fresh ones which were amazing.
Not sure if it's done me any good ha-ha, fed up of this winter, and need the summer. But what a lovely start to your tour, absolutely beautiful scenery, looking forward to you reaching Portugal. Thank you.
Another tour…great. Bring it on. 8 cm of snow yesterday. -4°C during the night and 0,5°C during the day. In other words winter 🥶 Do I envy you now…yes, I hate this cold. Great views. Great roads. Don’t tell me about (not) getting your feet down on the ground while on your bike.
@@TheMissendenFlyer yes I did. I did a u turn on a road but I failed to notice that the road was on a slope. The motor stalled and the ground was too far away. When my foot reached the ground, the bike was tilted so much I couldn’t hold it and I fell down. One broken front indicator, some light scratches and a dent in my pride.
Loving the tours. You've inspired me and the wife to do a tour of New Zealand (we live here now) on the yamaha XSR900 that I purchased after watching your review of it. We leave soon and are away for 2 weeks. First big tour. She is getting a little concerned that I watch your channel too much haha
NZ is high on my list of places to ride, top to bottom, or bottoms to top. I’ve got a couple of friends who live just north of Auckland. Henry Cole did it in one of his shows, well worth a watch. 👍
Looking forward to seeing some of the roads in Portugal. Planning on heading over in May to do the N2 (Portugal's route 66) from Chaves in the north down to Faro and maybe take in some of the N222 through the Douro valley if time allows.
Having ridden in Portugal and Spain for many years I agree the roads and views can be spectacular and reasonably close to get to. The only issue for me has always been the unpredictability of Portuguese road conditions and construction standards. Example: the Puente International del Bajo Guadiana, a joint Spanish/Portuguese border crossing only completed in 2009. The Portuguese side degraded at an alarming rate to become downright dangerous in places while the Spanish side was a beautiful ribbon of tarmac. Great care needed at all times in Portugal and that's before you get on the cobbles.
Great scenery, great company. The envy, it burns, LOL! Looking forward to the rest of this series. Thanks Andy and Carol. PS. I stopped by a local dealership this past Wednesday to sniff around their inventory and lick the windows.
Watching this video from Ontario Canada after a day of freezing rain and snow, your video came at the right time. Hopefully you will be in the Algrave region. Anyways being Canadian born of Greek heritage I love olives 🫒 especially on pizza 🍕.
Ah great tonic for us. I’m looking forward to getting the RS out but in between all the rain and now the frosts, am going to have to make do with your vids! Keep up the good work 👍
This video has me longing for the summer months. Recently changed jobs so don't even have much of a commute on my himalayan, five minutes in all. So looking forward to getting the k1200 out for a proper run come spring.
That HP livery with the white, blue and red and the gold wheels is just one of the most beautiful bikes on this planet. Absolutely lovely, which seems to match the riding down there!
God, I can't wait to get my bike out of winter storage in a couple of months.... Just started planning my first tour, won't be getting all the way to Spain and Portugal I'm afraid, but Norway to France ought to be a fairly epic adventure as well I'd say 😄 Getting quite the education as I try to figure out what roads to take, which ones to avoid, and how long/far I can do each day and still have a great time...
Hi Andy. Susan and I love your trips. Just wondering if it might be possible to show us on a map where you are and where you have been. It would help us to be part of your trip. Thanks for sharing it all with us. W & S.
Hello Andy and welcome to Portugal (finally)!! I'm from Portugal and I've been following your channel for some time now and I was wondering when you'd come to Portugal for a tour!! I hope that our people and roads make you and your traveling companions happy and eager to come back! I also hope that you had the opportunity to ride some iconic motorcyclist roads such as the N2, N108 or N222.
Lovely glimpse of sunshine and suggestion of heat after a cold, cold week in East Yorkshire. Two questions: How tall is Helen, so we can get an idea of how much better the 'low' seat GS could be for shorter riders who want that bit more confidence. Secondly, on many tour videos by you and your fellow Motovloggers. there are references to how smooth (in general) the road surfaces are, even on some of the smaller roads. I wold love to know from the guys/gals who run these tours (and are based in the countries you are visiting) how it is that the roads are in such good condition (yes, I know there will be plenty that are not.....). Is it because; the warmer weather means they don't deteriorate so quickly; there is not the volume of traffic on them; that the Spanish (including the Canary Islands) spend masses on road infrastructure .... or some other reason? It always strikes me that the quality of the road surfaces are amazing, even on the back roads, compared to what we (again, generally!!!) endure in the UK.
I think it's a mix of those reasons - and Im guesing Helen is about 5'6" - I was with her last weekend and her lycra Abba outfit fitted me perfectly (I'm 5'8")...
Well despite us in comments land . being green with envy😉 your doing a grand job (wether we can afford trips or not)..... inspiration to travel to these places . isle of mull your good self shetland richy vida...ireland wheely good tv thanks utubers👌👌👌👌😊
Looks lovely, roll on summer 👍. Took the scooter to Portugal a couple of times. Found some of the older road surfaces, particularly in the Algarve, a bit slippery!
Great video - am hoping to do a trip to Spain (North) later this year. What was the mount you used for the camera on the handlebars? I've been trying to get similar for my GS, but all the one's I've found are too short to get the camera outside the front screen!
Hi Andy, Going to try and stick this tour out, (as long as it isn't too many episodes ;) ) Every time I watch you guys 2 up, I feel that having missus flyer (Carrol) mic'd up and able to pipe in would (with some practice) make for a very interesting addition to the format. I just feel that the opinion and experience of the pillion is some thing of a mystery to many. My wife loves to join me on rides, and she always says she really likes going out on the bike. There doesn't seem to be any content that shows the pillions experience. Any way, Nice to see the sunshine, and got me thinking about where I can go on my bike this year... Keep up the great work 💪 (perhaps a helmet cam for the pillion perspective could be added in a small corner tab, not sure how hard that is to edit in though)
Thanks Mr. Flyer, what a lovely route through Spain! I'm glad you hired a bike you're familiar with, everyone on YT seems to love a "GS" - not for me I'm afraid it seems rather counter-intuitive to buy a big, tall bike and them have to lower it to ride lol. I have one question (sorry if you already mentioned it) but I'm assuming the riding gear is all your own, how do you manage to lug it about before you get to the bikes? See you on the next episode. :>)
@@TheMissendenFlyer Haha! No no, I was wondering about the logistics of getting the bike gear to Spain. Does it go on the plane with you or some other way? I don't travel abroad you see. Thanks. :>)
Great video! Andy we are both avid riders GS1250(his) & Spyder RT(me). We prefer your tour videos! Loved your tour through our Canada! PS I Love olives lol. Cheers
@@TheMissendenFlyer you absolutely must!! It's so easy to get there from Portsmouth or Plymouth and once off the ferry it's less than 2 hours and you're in some of the best roads ever. We did it for the first time last October after watching all of Richy's, Teapot's and Bandit Mans videos. We did 6 full days and couldn't stop talking about it for weeks after!
You are a cruel man! -6C and foggy in Worcestershire as I watch this, but at least you are correct about olives, so I forgive you!! Great video, as always. Thank you Andy. Looking forward to Episode 2 already; I wonder if it will be snowing here by then...
Just my two cents worth, the cost of this tour is almost £5k for a rider without a pillion. That's £500 a day, allowing £120 a day for the bike, and £100 a night for a hotel. that's £280 per day for the van and the guide. That seems ridiculously expensive to me. Glad you enjoyed it, I rode through Portugal in Sept 2022 and it was beautiful.
My view..
Tour organisation and preparation has to have the time costed
Knowledge is with paying for
Businesses need to make a profit
I have not had any contact with this tour operator these are my views on what smallbestoke tours can cost
..yes these guided tours can appear expensive, but top qaulity hotels, bike hire and so on is expensive and the companies concerned need to make some money - but yes I get these tours aren't for everyone....
Cheers for that Martin. £500 a day! Wow… I/we tour Europe for @ 10 days. @cost is 2k. Our own bikes x2, and local b+b pre booked, plus plannned our routes.
Fair enough - there are lots of ways to skin a cat!
Love the show, may I ask, I've noticed the camera which I believe is the 360 upon the handle bars, how have you found the camera so far and what type oh mount are you using, thinking of getting one but seen conflicting reports, value your thoughts.
Great video Andy and a great choice too, Portugal, my home country, has some of the best places for motorcycle riding, on and off-road. Also for everyone who wants a real Portuguese motorcycle experience, with a huge variety of scenarios, village, food & drink, then riding the whole N2 road, that crosses the Country all the way North to South and vice versa, it's a must. The N2, total of 738Km was the 1st road built to cross the Country, it's the is oldest route still in existence and in use and it's nicknamed the Route 66 of Europe! Rode it last year with my best friend, on 2 rented bikes and it's a must to repeat it again!! Have fun Andy & Carol!! 👍👍
I am enjoying your return to touring. I really liked that you took time to introduce the riding group and the bikes they ride. It seems few TH-camrs do that but it helps me feel more a part of the video. Also enjoyed the mapping of the tour with the paper map (yes I’m over sixty years of age). Thanks 👍
Thanks for the positive feedback appreciated - another tour with this crew coming soon!
Did Spain & Portugal last late Spring on my KTM Supeduke GT. All the way from Glasgow via Santander ferry, Pico's, Astorga, Chaves, Covilha, Elvas, Tavira, Ronda, Granada, Mojacar, Zaragoza, San Sebastian, Santander & back to Scotland. Absolutely epic, the best empty roads in Europe
Ahhhh pure day dreaming vibes. Southern Spain is unbeatable!
Oh to be there now eh?
Thanks for the tour. The route you took on this episode reminds me of California's central valley, brown and extremely hot. cheers.
Our pleasure Rob!
Beautiful transitions in scenery and geography.
It's one of the most enjoyable aspects of long distance bike travel.
The contrast is amazing.
Thank you Frank….appreciated!
Funny watching this as I live right between Alhaurin and Ardales and used to travel to Portugal frequently using the main roads, so it’s nice to see some alternative routes to Seville to ride on my Super Tenere
Beautiful blue skies! Cannot wait to get out there and ride!
You and me both!
Good start to a series I am looking forward to, as it will remind me of the my Spain/Portugal trip last year. The roads and people over there are just so motorbike friendly, making it riding heaven for me.
It absoloutely is for me too.....
I see how the team of Mrs. Flyer and you works so well: While you get things you have to say of your chest she gets her workouts from disciplinary measures! ☺
And what a beautiful scenery that is! Wow, just wow!
So true! ...and yes, a spectacular place to ride....
5 weeks sitting behind you this year for Mrs Flyer. She needs a medal 🏅
She does indeed - and it was more than 5 weeks in total I can assure you!
Great to see another tour series.
With the ever increasing price of the Portsmouth to Bilbao/Santander ferry the fly/ride tours are becoming more attractive.
Very true!
You're tempting me to go to Spain on my bike again, Andy! On my epic to Morocco and the Sahara on my 2002 GS soon after I took up biking we rode down though Spain (off the ferry at Santander, then a night in Salamanca and a night in Seville) from where we rode to Algeciras for the ferry to Africa. We went from Seville via Ronda, and that road from Ronda to the Med coast near Marbella was the best biking road I have ever ridden. So good that even though on our way home back up through Spain we went a different route (a night in Granada and another - via Toledo for lunch - in Segovia), it still included that Marbella to Ronda road!
I still can't believe that as a novice rider I rode my bike from Cheshire to the Sahara and back (OK, we bypassed France by using the Plymouth - Santander ferry) but even so! I was younger and madder then!
A flight to southern Spain and then a hired GS would probably suit me better these days!
Sounds like a great trip - and yes that "Ronda Road" is a great ride isn't it - I try and ride it every chance I get!
Another tour in a beautiful sunny place! I'm loving it.
Glad to hear that!
Don't know if this is helping me watching this . I was already missing the summer , now I'm properly missing riding in the sun and heat 😫 🤣 thanks for taking us with you both on another holiday adventure , this looks like it's going to be a good one 👍
wow, I stopped getting your video recommendations (probably because it's winter) and after a few months I come back to your channel and you are touring my beautiful country. Funnily enough, I've only ever ridden in UK and US, never in my home country. Stay safe and enjoy!
Why not Portugal?
@@TheMissendenFlyer happened that I started my riding life after emigrating. I will definitely go touring there, in fact one of my lifetime dreams is to open a motorcycle touring company and tour Portugal, Spain and Morocco, kind of like Lyndon's.
Do it!
Looks fantastic, riding in the sun whilst we're ring in the cold n wet! Not jealous at all (he lied)
Oh and I'm with you on the olives... YUK!
Glad it’s not just me!
Woohooo, another cracker of a series to look forward to. Some stunning scenery there. Another cracking video 👍👍👍
Thanks Mick 👍
I love this type of content from you so I naturally look forward to the next episode of this series. Thanks.
And always a pleasure to see Mrs. Flyer. :)
Glad you enjoy it! Next episode up nest Saturday!
On a cold and wet British Columbia day, this video was a lovely escape 👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it - great to hear that!
Hi Andy, Olives are Like Marmite “love or hate” I love both.
The road and weather look very inviting to me 👍🏻
Great ride and beautiful countryside...Looks splendid...thanks for sharing!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
You’re spoiling us! Thank you 👍
More to come!
Flipping heck its all right for some!! Tour after tour!
....and not only that but I manage to churn out 2 videos a week whilst I'm away too! The things I do for you eh!
Hello. I was waiting for this. You can show how Portugal is so good for motorcycle riding and you’re your subscribers can see. Best regards! Manuel Evaristo from Portugal.
Great to have you along Manuel! You have a stunning country!
Beautiful Spain! Great ride and superb episode … Thank you!! I happen to own the same bike and I’m very happy with it!
Glad you enjoyed it Walter!
I sometimes return one-way rentals for a friend with a motorcycle rental company in San Francisco. Lots of BMWs and Harleys. I returned one GS and when I got to his shop I told him that it was the first time I had really enjoyed the big dual sport. "It's the low version," he told me. I'm 5'9" and it makes all the difference.
It sure does!
Very well chosen. Portugal has a lot of nice roads, but the weather can be inconsistent. (BTW: I am from Portugal)
You are so right there! We got drenched on this trip!!! Stay tuned….
Great stuff. Never ridden in Portugal but Spain is fantastic.Going to enjoy this.
Stay tuned!
I live in Silves, Algarve, and the mountain bike routes here are beautiful - empty and epic. This time of year isn't the best though, I wouldn't come out here until March. It's cold, changeable and wet in Jan and Feb.
I went to Silves in 1975, I was 5, my first ever family holiday abroad. We had a lovely villa just outside the town.
From the depths of winter in the US where I’m dreaming of a ride without my electric clothes, thanks for some inspiration. (And I hope you realize you’re a lucky SOB to have this for your job.) thanks again.
Trust me I know how fortunate I am to be doing this - luck only had a very small part to play though….😉
I enjoy riding EVERYDAY in an English summer here in Australia. :)
You are very fortunate!
Nice to see some sun , thanks for the video , looks good food and nice roads th I’d love to ride Portugal especially when the weather here is less than bearable
Tell me about it!!
Hooray. What fun. Hoping to make it back to Spain this year. And maybe Portugal. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Just what we need in the dead of winter!
I thought you may need warming up!
I’m heading out to Toro Adventure in April and looking forward to it even more now. Another excellent video.
Awesome! Thank you!
WooHoo ... I'm seriously looking forward to this series . I have a relative who lives in a little Dora Valley village and I'm planning a ride there this summer.
Thank you Thank you 🙂
In that case stay tuned!
Great to have another tour Andy 👍
Cheers Tim!
Living your best life man. Outstanding. Makes me so happy to watch this given the season and weather here in Michigan, and recovering from a serious case of pneumonia personally. I love that you have Carol with you on these, makes me jealous my wife will not ride on the bike with me. You are doing it right!
Cheers Scott - so sorry to hear about the pneumonia, hope you're feeling better soon mate!
Looking forward to another great series Andy went to Portugal last year on the bike it’s STUNNING as you have said a few times already 😀 keep up the great channel 👍
Thanks - will do!
I am from Gibraltar, so I am blessed with all those roads being round the corner. Oh by the way, in Gib we drive on the right, like in Spain and the rest of Europe, but I rode recently in UK and I could not believe how comfortable I was driving on the left. In my case I put that down to have watched all your reviews in some cases several times !!!
Visited Gib last summer (2022) and happened to be there when there were a lot of cruisers enjoying a 'meet' in Casemates Square. Seriously considering a ride from the UK to Gib this summer....
Brilliant video again mate I love touring in Spain 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for posting. Finally, somebody who shares my opinion about olives. Just a word of advice, I would not say it very loudly in Spain. If you do, you might find yourself in a boatful of trouble. Similar to Clarkson in Argentina.
Well there is that - but surely not even all Spaniards love the hideous things?
@@TheMissendenFlyer Well, if it makes you feel any better, I am of Spanish descent and Spanish speaking, but not Spanish.
Close enough for me Amigo! Gracias!
I'm thinking of doing exactly this in November, so I'll be taking notes..perfect!
Enjoy Peter!
Are you constantly bruised from all of the times you must have to pinch yourself you lucky, lucky boy! Looks amazing!
Yes I am indeed very fortunate - although I must say luck has had very little to do with it!
Looks rough, cheered me up on a cold Northumberland morning looking forward to a week in Madeira😎
Have fun!
Wow, you've ridden in a lot of interesting locations. Hopefully when the kids fly the nest I can experience such adventures 😊
I hope so too!
Sailing over to Santander to do the picos and Portugal down to Portimao in June. 2 week tour. Done the Alps, dolomites and Pyrenees a few tines. Just love the empty roads.
Enjoy!
Morning Andy, takes me back to when I lived in Nerja about 45 mins east of Malaga for a year. I’m with you on the olives, my two biggest tapas nightmares are olives and Russian salad which looks like someone’s already eaten it and it didn’t agree with them 😳. While I lived there I owned a Harley 883 Sportster flat tracker replica and a Kymco movie XL125 scooter and regularly explored small mountain roads which the scooter was better for tbh. Last year on a trip back to Nerja I rented a 125 scooter and rode some of the local mountain roads again, the sounds of insects, smell of pines just pottering around in the mountains was magical.
I've ridden through Nerja many a time - lovely part of the world!
Looks to be another epic tour
Yes it was lovely - wish I was there now!
Great video. I live in Gibraltar and southern Andalusia is where I ride my bikes most weekends when the weather is agreeable.
PS Your first coffee stop in Teba was where Sir James Douglas was killed during the Battle of Teba in 1330.
30 plus degrees. That's 9 months of the year for me here in Australia. Some of that scenery even looks like the drive down the Newell highway around Moree and Narrabri. I bet the food's better in Spain though. Except for the olives. I share your disdain, except for one time someone gave me some fresh ones which were amazing.
Ooh no - I hate the things!! Thanks for watching all the way under there!
I like olives and I like this video (and your trip). Thank you!
Two out of three ain’t bad!
Not sure if it's done me any good ha-ha, fed up of this winter, and need the summer. But what a lovely start to your tour, absolutely beautiful scenery, looking forward to you reaching Portugal. Thank you.
Our pleasure - thank you for watching!
Another tour…great. Bring it on.
8 cm of snow yesterday. -4°C during the night and 0,5°C during the day. In other words winter 🥶
Do I envy you now…yes, I hate this cold.
Great views. Great roads.
Don’t tell me about (not) getting your feet down on the ground while on your bike.
You have some experience in this regard??
@@TheMissendenFlyer yes I did.
I did a u turn on a road but I failed to notice that the road was on a slope. The motor stalled and the ground was too far away. When my foot reached the ground, the bike was tilted so much I couldn’t hold it and I fell down. One broken front indicator, some light scratches and a dent in my pride.
@@palantir135 I had a very similar experience on this trip and dropped the bike with Carole on the back....oops!
@@TheMissendenFlyer nobody hurt I hope
@@palantir135 Nah - Just embarrassment...
Brilliant,another great travel episode
Thank you - glad you enjoyed it!
Loving the tours. You've inspired me and the wife to do a tour of New Zealand (we live here now) on the yamaha XSR900 that I purchased after watching your review of it. We leave soon and are away for 2 weeks. First big tour. She is getting a little concerned that I watch your channel too much haha
That’s not even possible!! Have a great trip…
NZ is high on my list of places to ride, top to bottom, or bottoms to top. I’ve got a couple of friends who live just north of Auckland. Henry Cole did it in one of his shows, well worth a watch. 👍
Looking forward to seeing some of the roads in Portugal. Planning on heading over in May to do the N2 (Portugal's route 66) from Chaves in the north down to Faro and maybe take in some of the N222 through the Douro valley if time allows.
Yes the N222 is an incredibly twisty road! Stay tuned for that one later in the series....
Looks amazing Andy ✊️
Brilliant video, I’m off there in May this year, looking forward to the rest of the videos
Have fun!
Having ridden in Portugal and Spain for many years I agree the roads and views can be spectacular and reasonably close to get to. The only issue for me has always been the unpredictability of Portuguese road conditions and construction standards. Example: the Puente International del Bajo Guadiana, a joint Spanish/Portuguese border crossing only completed in 2009. The Portuguese side degraded at an alarming rate to become downright dangerous in places while the Spanish side was a beautiful ribbon of tarmac. Great care needed at all times in Portugal and that's before you get on the cobbles.
Great scenery, great company. The envy, it burns, LOL! Looking forward to the rest of this series. Thanks Andy and Carol.
PS. I stopped by a local dealership this past Wednesday to sniff around their inventory and lick the windows.
BMW dealer per chance?
Watching this video from Ontario Canada after a day of freezing rain and snow, your video came at the right time. Hopefully you will be in the Algrave region. Anyways being Canadian born of Greek heritage I love olives 🫒 especially on pizza 🍕.
I can just about excuse them on pizza…
Ah great tonic for us. I’m looking forward to getting the RS out but in between all the rain and now the frosts, am going to have to make do with your vids! Keep up the good work 👍
Cheers Colin - will do!
I have said it before but love the view thru your camera, especially on full screen
Hi under there Edward - great to hear from you again!
Watched the first 5 seconds about 10 times but finally got it - yes my pausing skills are impressive
Congratulations! Nice mouse work....
New adventure, cool!
As you said man's influence can be seen in Spain , while Alaska and Canada is mostly wild looking and very expansive .
Yes quite a contrast!
This video has me longing for the summer months. Recently changed jobs so don't even have much of a commute on my himalayan, five minutes in all. So looking forward to getting the k1200 out for a proper run come spring.
That HP livery with the white, blue and red and the gold wheels is just one of the most beautiful bikes on this planet. Absolutely lovely, which seems to match the riding down there!
Couldn't agree more!
God, I can't wait to get my bike out of winter storage in a couple of months....
Just started planning my first tour, won't be getting all the way to Spain and Portugal I'm afraid, but Norway to France ought to be a fairly epic adventure as well I'd say 😄
Getting quite the education as I try to figure out what roads to take, which ones to avoid, and how long/far I can do each day and still have a great time...
You're going to have a ball!
Hi Andy. Susan and I love your trips. Just wondering if it might be possible to show us on a map where you are and where you have been. It would help us to be part of your trip. Thanks for sharing it all with us. W & S.
Hello Andy and welcome to Portugal (finally)!! I'm from Portugal and I've been following your channel for some time now and I was wondering when you'd come to Portugal for a tour!! I hope that our people and roads make you and your traveling companions happy and eager to come back! I also hope that you had the opportunity to ride some iconic motorcyclist roads such as the N2, N108 or N222.
Oh yes! Say tuned....
It’s unusually gloomy hear in Texas. Thanks for the beautiful ride…🏍
Glad you enjoyed it!
you have the right bike for the job
Nicely produced....
Bourgeois & indulgent though ::
Thanks....I think!
Portugal
Lovely glimpse of sunshine and suggestion of heat after a cold, cold week in East Yorkshire.
Two questions:
How tall is Helen, so we can get an idea of how much better the 'low' seat GS could be for shorter riders who want that bit more confidence.
Secondly, on many tour videos by you and your fellow Motovloggers. there are references to how smooth (in general) the road surfaces are, even on some of the smaller roads. I wold love to know from the guys/gals who run these tours (and are based in the countries you are visiting) how it is that the roads are in such good condition (yes, I know there will be plenty that are not.....). Is it because; the warmer weather means they don't deteriorate so quickly; there is not the volume of traffic on them; that the Spanish (including the Canary Islands) spend masses on road infrastructure .... or some other reason? It always strikes me that the quality of the road surfaces are amazing, even on the back roads, compared to what we (again, generally!!!) endure in the UK.
I think it's a mix of those reasons - and Im guesing Helen is about 5'6" - I was with her last weekend and her lycra Abba outfit fitted me perfectly (I'm 5'8")...
Is it you to Freddie Dobbs leading the ‘Stunning’ scenery score so far this year? 😂😂
Well despite us in comments land . being green with envy😉 your doing a grand job (wether we can afford trips or not)..... inspiration to travel to these places . isle of mull your good self shetland richy vida...ireland wheely good tv thanks utubers👌👌👌👌😊
Thank you for watching! .....I'll take the warmer trips if it's OK with everyone? :0)
Would help to know how tall Helen is if you can tell us. Thanks for a great video! Looking forward to the rest of the trip!
I don't know I'm afraid - a little shorter than me...!!
Looks lovely, roll on summer 👍. Took the scooter to Portugal a couple of times. Found some of the older road surfaces, particularly in the Algarve, a bit slippery!
Tell me about it!! Stay tuned on that front......
Oh no!!!
Great video - am hoping to do a trip to Spain (North) later this year. What was the mount you used for the camera on the handlebars? I've been trying to get similar for my GS, but all the one's I've found are too short to get the camera outside the front screen!
It was just an EBay special I think....
It may be the depths of winter there, but it is hot here in Australia. 😁
Lucky you - as I type it's 2C here in Buckinghamshire!! ...it was -7C earlier!
Hi Andy, Is there any way to pick up the Spain - Portugal route, maybe a PDF or link? I am a subscriber!
I’m afraid I don’t have a copy of the route - sorry about that….
Looks amazing . Love Spain but not the guards!!
Hi Andy, Going to try and stick this tour out, (as long as it isn't too many episodes ;) ) Every time I watch you guys 2 up, I feel that having missus flyer (Carrol) mic'd up and able to pipe in would (with some practice) make for a very interesting addition to the format. I just feel that the opinion and experience of the pillion is some thing of a mystery to many. My wife loves to join me on rides, and she always says she really likes going out on the bike. There doesn't seem to be any content that shows the pillions experience. Any way, Nice to see the sunshine, and got me thinking about where I can go on my bike this year... Keep up the great work 💪 (perhaps a helmet cam for the pillion perspective could be added in a small corner tab, not sure how hard that is to edit in though)
Yes several have suggested the same - Mrs Flyers not too keen though and it makes for a heck of a lot more work in the edit….
@@TheMissendenFlyer perhaps just a little trial 😉
Thanks Mr. Flyer, what a lovely route through Spain! I'm glad you hired a bike you're familiar with, everyone on YT seems to love a "GS" - not for me I'm afraid it seems rather counter-intuitive to buy a big, tall bike and them have to lower it to ride lol.
I have one question (sorry if you already mentioned it) but I'm assuming the riding gear is all your own, how do you manage to lug it about before you get to the bikes? See you on the next episode. :>)
Well we’re wearing it??
@@TheMissendenFlyer Haha! No no, I was wondering about the logistics of getting the bike gear to Spain. Does it go on the plane with you or some other way? I don't travel abroad you see. Thanks. :>)
Wow! How time fly's, 3 years!!
Weather looks great and the food looks 'scrummy', what's not to like?
Take care
Great video! Andy we are both avid riders GS1250(his) & Spyder RT(me). We prefer your tour videos! Loved your tour through our Canada!
PS I Love olives lol.
Cheers
Well I guess I can excuse the olives thing....
I reckon TMF will eventually crack,and buy a 1250,or 1300 GS 🤔🤔, looking forward to the rest of this series.
I think there's a high chance of that! Gotta see one forst though and decide if it's worth the extra ££'s over my perfectly good 1200....
Just started this series and absolutely love Spain.
Have you done the Picos ??
No I haven’t…. I know I should!
@@TheMissendenFlyer you absolutely must!! It's so easy to get there from Portsmouth or Plymouth and once off the ferry it's less than 2 hours and you're in some of the best roads ever. We did it for the first time last October after watching all of Richy's, Teapot's and Bandit Mans videos. We did 6 full days and couldn't stop talking about it for weeks after!
I suddenly feel a craving for some olives.
Those are words that will never pass my lips I can assure you.....
I’d like do travel down to Portugal as my friend has just moved to Lisbon.
You are a cruel man! -6C and foggy in Worcestershire as I watch this, but at least you are correct about olives, so I forgive you!! Great video, as always. Thank you Andy. Looking forward to Episode 2 already; I wonder if it will be snowing here by then...
Quite possibly!
You should make a trip to ride in Western Turkey- looks just like this, but much cheaper to get around!
Uh-oh. Portugal is on the bucket list. This might cost me some plane tickets.
😬
Mrs. Flyer, please give Andy a swat for forgetting to introduce you at the coffee shop, and for failing to have the discerning palate to enjoy olives.
Trust me I get more than my fair share of clips 'round the ear and she continually tries to get me into Olives (which she claims to love!).....
Feel your pain Del, I have the same problem on the GS, bashing shins, not fun in short boots