If you come here with a boat you probably know a bit about Mallorca, but you may wonder why people come here from as far as the USA to ride motorcycles.
We live on a giant limestone island thrust out of the sea, along with Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera, millions of years ago. Known as the “Island of Pines” by the Romans who came here in 123 BC, we love it because away from the resorts it is still an ancient place, where pinewoods cling to the shoreline, fishing boats set out at dawn and the fields produce fine wines, fabulous fruit and vegetables, the famous local pork and delicious lamb. In spring wildflowers compete with almond blossom to fill the senses.
All this makes for an unforgettable motorcycling experience, especially when most of Northern Europe is still battling the cold and damp of winter. Albion Motorcycles, established here a year ago near Calvia, offers a collection of immaculate British, Italian and German classic motorcycles – Ducati, BMW, Triumph, BSA, Moto Guzzi, Vincent – for fully guided tours of the island and selected rentals.
Albion’s customers are usually visiting enthusiasts who book for a few days touring, but the trips are increasingly popular with yacht crews and captains with motorcycle licences who get out to enjoy the interior of the island with Albion’s knowledgeable and affable guides. “Many of our crew guests have not really had the chance to explore the interior of the island” says Albion’s English founder and bike enthusiast Hugh Birley. “They work and live on the boats and even the ones who have houses on the island don’t have much time to really get under the skin of it all. I’ve had guests who’ve been here for 3 years who have been amazed at some of the places we take them to, and it’s opened up whole new vistas for them and their families. Some even ask us to tailor surprise itineraries to include bird-watching stops, local markets, beaches or special restaurants”.
The craggy spine of the island, the Tramuntana mountains, provide stunning views and challenging roads before they slope away to the gently sweeping routes that cross the windmill-dotted central plain. Here, secret villages and intimate rural landscapes are never that far from the sea – and with 554km of coastline to explore, even those with many miles of touring behind them will find plenty to keep them interested.
Check out the bikes, prices and more at www.albionmotorcycles.com
