Make no mistake, Barcelona is a walking city. And only by doing so do you let the city unveil an element of surprise at every turn. But summertime in Barcelona is motorcycling season, much like it is across the rest of Europe.
The key difference, when compared to cities like Paris and Berlin, lies in apparel. While other parts of Western Europe have riders wearing some manner of protective gear, the Catalonians’ contrasting devil-may-care attitude is evidenced by them riding around in shorts and flip-flops. The city has one of the highest motorcycle per inhabitant ratios in Europe, with many preferring to putter about on moto scooters through the many narrow lanes that city offers.
Given that July and August are when the city sees the biggest crowds, bikes are pretty much the most bang-for-buck option with a variety of easy rentals and plenty of parking spaces in the city. Particularly if it’s the city’s vast periphery you wish to discover. This is particularly true of Barcelona, which is surrounded by hills with ribbons of buttery smooth tarmac snaking its length and breadth.
Banked curves, long, sweeping sections, flat straights—there’s a bit of everything. If walking is equivalent to taking measured sips of the elixir that is life, riding around on a motorcycle is akin to grabbing the bottle and chugging it down with complete abandon, allowing the drink, or in this case, the countryside to consume you instead of the other way around. Within the city, a motorcycle is more of a practical consideration, with throttle gates only partially open to facilitate movement, in the hills, they’re the closest thing to a religious experience.
Even a street bike like the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450. In profile, it’s every bit an urban roadster with just a whiff of neo-retro scrambler to it. Block-pattern tyre tread, upright handlebars and ever-so-slightly rear-set foot pegs, to keep you leaned forward in the saddle, while still sitting relatively upright.
The mountain roads feel dramatically different from the city streets, with little more than a cargo truck or two groaning away uphill, serving as temporary obstructions. Within roughly 55 km north west of the city’s bayside, near the Els Casots region, lies motoring nirvana. Roughly 25 km of free flowing tarmac going through terrain alternating between dense tree-lined pinewood groves which then give way to seemingly endless grass fields.
The best way to make it to the Els Casots region is through the Collserola mountain range, the tranquility of which is punctured by the rat-tat-tat of the Guerrilla’s distinct and rorty single-cylinder engine note. The Guerrilla is a bike that’s focussed on one thing and one thing only—having fun. It’s no slouch around a circuit either, which is exactly what Barcelona had to offer—a section of the road in the city’s inner periphery that once served as a bonafide F1 city circuit.
The Montjuïc circuit, located on the eponymous mountain ran its last F1 race back in 1975 before a fatal crash ensured that it was abandoned for good. While the chicanes may be gone, the tarmac integrity is still incredible, with a particular roundabout offering clear views of the city’s most prominent monuments including the Sagrada Familia basilica and the Catalonia square. With more power (40bhp) and just as much torque, the Guerrilla is playful, ideally suited to Spanish countryside, which doesn’t need superlatively quick motorcycles.
For ardent motorcyclists Western European countryside is a gift that keeps on giving. From the Apennine mountains in Bologna to the West Fjords in Norway, and Barcelona is right up there with the best of them, especially if motorcycling isn’t the core activity you’re traveling for. Late sunsets ensure long hours in the saddle and leisurely biking, brought to a gratifying end by an array of craft beers served-up around the port area.
Once you hang-up the helmet, that is..
