Dear Diary,
While winter is doing a shoddy job of turning up and getting it over with, rather than just being damp and objectionable, I’ve found myself longing for some winter sun and dry roads.
After all, those nice people at Suzuki have asked that we winter road-test the GSX-S1000GX, and every time I walk into the garage, I’m tempted to load the panniers and head south in search of sunshine and double-digit temperatures.
Deciding that the further south I went, the warmer it would be, our resident tour guide pointed me at the Sierra Nevada National Park in the very south of Spain.
Getting There
For many UK motorcyclists, Spain equals visiting the Picos. And why not? Miles of smooth twisting tarmac, warm temperatures, and after enduring 36 hours on a boat across the Bay of Biscay, we just want to get on with some inspiring riding.
If I get to pick my method of transport, riding is my preferred option, but for a few days of sun, it would be 1100 miles each way, plus the Péage tolls and a couple of nights in hotels.
I could catch the night ferry to Le Havre or somewhere similar and then bash out two, preferably three, long days to get to Granada, a few miles north of Malaga. But if a week is all I have, then by the time I’ve had a rest day, I’d be back on the Suzuki and riding home.
The GSX-S1000GX would be the bike to do it on. A constant 80MPH on the French motorways would be a lazy stroll for the engine. With cruise control to stop an aching wrist and the Puig Flip to remove any buffeting, all I’d need to do is sit there, watch the miles click by, the temperature climb, and wonder how square the rear tyre had become.
But time is the killer. At best, that is a week on the road and not time scratching my way around the National Park (see the Tour Guide routes)
Airports
Malaga (AGP) is a popular winter sunshine destination, so I asked Skyscanner to find me flights from East Midlands to Malaga, and, at the time of writing, Jet2 would take me there and back for £83.
That includes 10 kg of hand luggage, which isn’t enough if I pack my riding gear, so with a little lateral thinking, I could wear my riding jeans and my jacket. Walking about in riding boots is an option, but I have a pair of ankle boots that are easy to walk in.
My helmet could be a problem. On smaller planes, it doesn’t fit in the overhead locker, but otherwise, if I use a decent helmet bag for hand luggage, pack a couple of T-shirts, camping trousers, and some spare “shreddies” in and around the helmet, I’d be good to go for the week.
Motorcycle Hire
There are a couple of options for motorcycle hire. MotoRoads and Rental Motorbike operate directly from the airport, with Hertz, Eagle Rider, and Aries Moto Tours all within a 15-minute drive.
Picking a midrange motorcycle, a Bonneville 900 from MotoRoads, and a Triumph Trident 660 from Rental Motorbike, both with a helmet included and some form of insurance (more on that in a minute) gave an average cost of around £450, if I picked up the bike on a Monday morning and returned it first thing Friday.
On the basis that I’m travelling with a backpack and a handlebar clamp so I can use a phone for navigation, I can’t see that I need any further accessories or luggage.
Insurance and Deposits
The small print on the hire agreement is well worth reading in detail.
All the motorcycle hire companies provide insurance, but only third-party, fire, and theft coverage, and even then, one company offered theft coverage as an add-on option.
Your UK insurance is unlikely to cover you, even third-party, as rentals are typically excluded. All the short-term insurance companies we checked wouldn’t cover a hire bike and didn’t offer coverage outside the UK.
The hire companies also require a substantial deposit to cover any damage or the excess due on any insurance claim. Typically, you are required to pay by credit card, so the motorcycle hire company knows they will get their money.
There were several ways to obtain additional cover and reduce the excess liability, but reading the small print is an absolute must. On one of the websites, I had to hunt down the insurance section. Tread carefully. If it all turns to custard, you don’t want to end up paying retail for a crashed, ex-rental motorcycle, located in Spain.
Where To Stay
Malaga is a popular holiday destination, so there is no shortage of hotels to suit all budgets. If you are going for some Winter Sun, expect a wide range of options.
Yet Malaga, like any big town, doesn’t offer the best access to the awesome roads. For that, Granada – 70 miles to the North East – is a better option.
On Booking.com, there are hotels with breakfast for four nights priced from £250 to well over £1,100, depending on your requirements, but 2 Wheels Granada is a much more motorcycle-oriented place to stay.
Situated in the mountains north-west of Granada, the area is within easy reach of Cordoba, Jaén, and the Sierra Nevada National Park, with access to the TET only 20 minutes away. A little further east is Almeria and the Tabernas Desert.
And if the free motorcycle routes the Tour Guide has put together don’t float your boat, 2 Wheels Granada has 20 years of experience organising local motorcycle tours.
Is It Worth It?
On the basis that you are tempted by some riding in warm winter sunshine, then “hell yes”.
If I had the time (circa 10 days), I’d ride down; without it, flying down and hiring are the only options.
Add £100 a day for somewhere to sleep, food, fuel, and a few beers, and it will cost around £800 for four days of riding in the sunshine.
For comparison, the Portsmouth-Santander ferry will cost around £550 return in January ’26. You may choose to stop in northern Spain, but add four days at £100 per day for necessities, and you are close to a full bag [£1000 Speak English ~ Ed.] sitting for 72 hours on a boat, and no guarantee of temperatures in double digits.
If you are going to ride all the way, the costs from Le Harve to the Sierra Nevada National Park are roughly £350 in petrol and £70 in Péage tolls – that is return – plus the ferry across the English Channel.
Riding needs 10 days to do it properly and spend time on the twisties, so it isn’t an apples-for-apples comparison when it comes to cost.
Bottom Line
Would I do it? Undoubtedly, I just need to talk Snr Management into sitting alone by a pool in Malaga, while I gorge myself on the glorious roads.
Meanwhile … it is 2°C this morning. Chilly ride to the office. KEIS kit on Gas Mark 6.
