Tour Reports & Reviews

Motorbike Self Guided GPX Tours Ireland 2023/24

Biking Routes - Ireland, The Wild Atlantic Way

New Self Guided Tours route packs available for 2024. All routes supplied as either generic .gpx files (works for all satnavs, most apps, google maps etc) or Garmin .gdp files. All the routes are created in Garmin BaseCamp and based on both my guided tours and personal gallivanting. Continue reading »…

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Exploring the Majestic Pyrenees: A Motorcyclist’s Reckoning

Aug 03 2023

Picture this: You’ve finally got your annual free pass and now you’re back on two wheels, heading south roaring through picturesque landscapes, fueled by adrenaline, and destined for adventure. Slapped between France and Spain, the Pyrenees mountain range stands a monumental testament to the forces of nature, its majestic rugged battlements a captivating playground for [...]

RoadTrooper’s Border Hop Pyrenees Motorcycle Tour

Aug 03 2023

My 1st full self guided motorcycle tour of the Pyrenees is based on both my guided tours and my own explorations over my 12 years living in Spain/France and works in exactly the same format as my .gpx motorcycle routes for Ireland.

GPX Self-Guided 6 Day Tour – Killarney Base West Cork & Kerry Highlands & Peninsulas

Jan 30 2021

Motorbike Tours Ireland – Routes and prices update 2023 » This is the first set of routes in an all new concept I’ve come up with for those on all budgets wishing to get the absolute best riding experience without the many hours of research it takes to plan a trip or the the expense [...]

GPX Self-Guided 6/8 Day Tour – Ireland’s East, South & West Coast

Jan 28 2021

Motorbike Tours Ireland – Routes and prices update 2023 » New for 2019 – Ireland South, Dublin/Rosslare to Westport via Kinsale GPX Self Guided 6/8 Day Tour. As with the Killarney Base 6 day tour this is simply a pack supplied by email containing GPX routes and all the poi’s you could possibly need to [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 6 Cáceres to Bilbao by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

I felt good for another long ride today. I had a great night’s sleep. The storm has passed and hopefully took the wind with it. The sun was already up when I weaved the bike out of the car park and the day time staff arrive. I’m back on the E-803 and looking to sail [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 5 Antequera to Cáceres by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

There are lots of options for places of interest I could visit from here. Lovely beaches are due south. Córdoba, an ancient city with Roman, Moorish and Jewish influences is 70 miles north. Gibraltar is half a tank of fuel to the south-west and the Algarve would cap a star-studded ride west via Seville and [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 4 Hellin to Antequera by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

I needed to sharpen my wits to avoid any early morning mishaps on loose, chalky rocks as I left the hotel grounds. I also need to revert to a closet sized room with articulated lorries backing up outside before I get too accustomed to all this finery. I’ll be wanting sheepskin padding for the seat [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 3 Caspe – Fuentes Calientes – Hellin By Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

I’m up nice and early again, raring to get on the bike and go despite having less than 100 miles to cover to reach my bed for tonight. It’s a fairly direct route too, with nice open roads to begin with, ending with a steep climb and some squiggly bits before the plateau, to one [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 2 Los Arcos – Pedrola – Caspe by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

Stocked up and packed up, I’m ready to go. It’s a beautiful sunny morning and only 09:00 as I pull away from the fuel stop. I would have been away five minutes earlier but a guy went into the store to buy his bread and then came over to ask about my bike. He then [...]

Spain by Motorcycle Pt. 1 Bilbao to Los Arcos by Eddy Smith

Mar 14 2019

It’s all very well sitting comfortably in your favourite armchair, reading tales of leather clad bikers riding top of the market machines with matching accessories, off to conquer the mountains that separate countries, as they brave altitude sickness, sub-zero road temperatures and hairpin bends that make your bald spot tingle. It’s inspiring when they grind [...]

The Wild Atlantic Coast Road By Dave Daniels

Nov 07 2018

By Dave Daniels I’ll start off with the overall plan. Leave the east coast of Lincolnshire and head for Holyhead, catch ferry to Dublin and stay there over night. Next day head for Cork and then stay there the night. After that pick up the Wild Atlantic Coast road and go until we fancied stopping [...]

Shropshire’s Hidden Treasures by Eddy Smyth

Dec 21 2017

By Eddie Smyth For a day ride in the West Midlands you only need a little knowledge of escape routes from the cities and ring roads and before you realise it you are chomping along lovely quiet roads with vistas to the west promising verdant hills and vales, tucked away villages with more character than [...]

The Ice Run Returns

Nov 14 2017

After a year away the world’s ‘coolest’ motorbike event is back and promising more crashes, splashes and Russian vodka shots than ever… If you’re looking for a biking adventure next year, how about riding 2000km over and around Planet Earth’s deepest lake? Lake Baikal in Russia is the oldest and deepest (it’s just over a [...]

Louis Moto’s Vanucci HiRider III Jacket and Pants Review

Oct 23 2017

During 2016 Louis Moto came out with an upgrade to their popular Vanucci HiRider II riding suit, aptly named it the HiRider III which they then kindly sent to me for test and review. I’ve always loved doing this type of stuff as deep down I’m a closet geek. Before I started this website I [...]

SW-Motech TRAVELLER RIDER “Blue Bum” Cushion (Airhawk Seat) Review

Aug 30 2017

I’m sure many of you will have heard of AirHawk Seat Cushons as they’ve been around a while now. I got one about 6 years ago to relieve the pain caused to my gluteus maximus (arse) on long days on the F800GS traveling up and down to the Alps and Pyrenees from my old base [...]

Nishua Enduro Carbon Helmet Review

May 12 2017

Not so long ago Louis Moto popped into my world and asked if I’d like to try some of their own brand gear. I love when I get offers like that as I’m a complete gear geek. While others are entertaining themselves watching some snoozefest on TV I’m typically glued to the Revzilla YouTube Channel [...]

Classic TT & Wild Atlantic Way Tour 2017: Book Now

Mar 27 2017

Tour Route:This is a full on, 11 day, 12 night tour taking in some of the best roads Ireland has to offer as well as the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling in August. Start:Killarney on August 21st Finish:Killarney on September 2nd What is included: Prices include 11 days riding, 12 nights accommodation, SatNav with [...]

Brilliant Motorcycle Rides – The Bardenas Reales Badlands of North West Spain

Mar 06 2017

As another long cold winter comes to a close many you ye in northern Europe will looking to your next motorcycle adventure or just a simple cruise south in search of blue skies and a little headspace. If the Pyrenees or Spain is the direction your headed I’d highly recommend a little detour into your [...]

Good News for Motorcyclists in Ireland as German Megastore Louis Motorrad Enters Irish Market

Feb 22 2017

Luis Motorrad enters the Irish market with it’s new Louis.ie website, and with the Brexit looming and Irelands access to the UK’s far larger motorcycle gear market in doubt this can only be good timing. Having already checked out the new irish Louis Motorrad website I have to admit for me at least, they’ve made [...]

Isle of Man to Baja – Part 2 by YorkshireManx

Feb 09 2017

By Bryan Rogers YorkshireManx’s Belton to Baja   Day 11, Saturday.   Such an amazing sunrise over the sea of Cortez greeted us! A camera could never do it justice as the stars gave way to the sun for the day, a spot I’ll hopefully be back to one day! With the sun warming us [...]

Isle of Man to Baja – Part 1 by YorkshireManx

Jan 31 2017

By Bryan Rogers Isle of Man to Baja – Touring America on Honda’s clutchless NC750   Day 1, Wednesday   It’s always on the morning of a trip like this that I wake up fidgety! Have I done this? Have I done that? Just do this…. Just do that…

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 8 by Eddie Smyth

Nov 24 2016

By Eddie Smyth Snow. It covered the hill tops, lawns and cars. It was freezing as I stepped out of the door into the blinding sunlight. I don’t fancy crossing the moorlands on two wheels to get to Dublin in these conditions, there was ice aplenty. Good job my ferry is not scheduled until 14:30.

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 7 by Eddie Smyth

Nov 24 2016

By Eddie Smyth Today I changed back to being a lone rider following a route plan of my own making as I set off for County Wicklow for an overnight stop in a Mountain View retreat before meeting up with the ferry that brought me here to take me back to the UK.

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 6 by Eddie Smyth

Nov 18 2016

By Eddie Smyth It looked very much like the weather would hold today. Denis had worked out that a trip to the lesser known and more remote parts of this fabulous region would top off the trio of trips. There would be little coastline to work along and I was warned that some of the [...]

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 5 by Eddie Smyth

Nov 17 2016

By Eddie Smyth It was seriously raining after breakfast today. The view towards the hills were obliterated by low cloud and curtains of rain sweeping across the valley. We left it an hour or so hoping for the forecasted break to appear. Thankfully, it did.

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 4 by Eddie Smyth

Nov 11 2016

By Eddie Smyth After taking three days to get from Worcestershire to Killarney, via Dublin, Westport and Kilrush I now have three more days in the company of my good friend Denis who runs the biker website www.roadtrooper.com, with the promise of riding some of the most glorious touring roads you could hope to imagine [...]

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 3 by Eddie Smyth

Nov 09 2016

By Eddie Smyth It rained so had during the night I thought the TV had switched itself on and was blaring out static. I slipped out to check the bike at 08:00. It looked like a miserable puppy caught in a downpour. If only I could get it inside the hotel side door and up [...]

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 2 by Eddie Smyth

Nov 04 2016

By Eddie Smyth It was very cold outside but the sky was clear and I was optimistic that the original forecast for day would be wrong. The forecast I’d noted every day for this coming week before I set off said it would be 100% miserable.

Getting a Bit of Wild Atlantic Way – Day 1 by Eddie Smyth

Oct 18 2016

By Eddie Smyth The excitement, to be loaded up and leaving at 07:00 on a cold grey Saturday morning was not dampened in any way because it wasn’t damp, despite a whole week of pouring rains and icy cold mornings. Spring is very late this year and April 10th felt more like February 10th except [...]

RoadTrooper Biker Clothes Store Now Online

Sep 06 2016

Support the RoadTrooper Independent website, help keep me rolling and score yourself a RT t-shirt, hoodie, sweatshirt or cooltex base layer. Just click Shop Now to easily and securely order online. All sizes catered for.

The Motorcyclists Guide to Spanish Roundabouts

Jul 08 2016

If you or anyone you know intend to ride (or drive) in Spain one of the biggest danger hotspots are Spanish roundabouts. Even the Spanish seem confused on how to take them, add the massive herds of tourists and expats, each navigating them as they would at home and you have a recipe for potential [...]

BMW Motorcycle ECall System and the Evolution of Stupidity!

Jun 22 2016

Here is my slightly angry biker rant for this week! How many of you are likely to sign up for this highly questionable BMW safety option? I’m having a real hard time to see the value in it but first let me tell you what this is all about before I tell you why I’m [...]

Spanish Police Target Motorcyclists in Summer 2016

May 19 2016

The Spanish Guardia Civil Trafico will be targeting motorcyclists in a new safety campaign over the coming months.

RoadTrooper – Wanderlust Motorcycle Therapy T-Shirt

May 05 2016

In the upcoming few months RoadTrooper will be opening an online store with a range of branded and well-tested t-shirts. The first design available for a purchase is RoadTrooper – Wanderlust Motorcycle Therapy branded t-shirt. All proceeds to go towards the development of the new Roadtrooper.com website and the repair of my beloved 2009 F800GS [...]

Puig Touring Screen Review for F800GS Adventure

May 04 2016

Due to a recent “DOH!” moment whereupon my F800GSA fell over from it’s side stand where I’d stupidly left it during a storm I found myself in need of a new screen. Luckily the AdventureSpec F800GS Adventure Crash Bars did their job and absorbed most of the shock and protected the bike for the most [...]

First Bike on Scene, Exploding Jackets, Poker & Motorcycle Game Theory

Mar 09 2016

Recently I had an extremely interesting and enjoyable day at the First Bike on Scene (FBoS) Emergency First Response training course. Like many folk, I’ve attended workplace First Aid training. And as a biker I’ve attended some form of advanced or extra motorcycle training skills, in my case one in France and another in Spain [...]

Nordkapp, Norway. An Irishman at the Top of Europe

Mar 02 2016

By Gerry Casey Nordkapp (North Cape) has been a mystical place for me since I was a boy. I remember reading a book about a car journey from North Cape to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It was probably written in the early ‘50s. I never dreamed then that I would travel [...]

Ride Out to Inishowen and Malin Head

Feb 26 2016

By Bernard Mc Dyre Irish translation: Inis Eoghain, meaning island of Eoghan. Eoghan Mac Neill was the son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, once High King of Ireland.

Zipping Up My Boots and Heading Back to My Roots

Jan 11 2016

By Eddie Smyth The journey according to Google maps would cover 130 miles and take me around 2 and a half hours. But that entails all but 30 of those miles to be on the M5. I had arranged to visit an old friend in Somerset that I had not seen for almost 10 years.

Battle Sites of Picardie and Belgium – Day 3

Nov 30 2015

By Eddie Smyth I took the bike out from its personal garage for the final time and loaded up my belongings with enough straps and bungees to foil Houdini. The two cars set off for Vimy Ridge via the main roads. I pointed the bike to the back roads towards Arras where Vimy Ridge sits [...]

Battle Sites of Picardie and Belgium – Day 2

Nov 17 2015

By Eddie Smyth The next day was spent visiting several sites around Albert. There are so many that an attempt to stop at every one you pass will take you months. To visit them all in Northern France would be a lifetime’s work.

Battle Sites of Picardie and Belgium – Day 1

Nov 09 2015

By Eddie Smyth A trip to the battle sites of Northern France is always a good topic of conversation for bikers as they sip ale in the cosy confines of the local pub. It’s not as far away as the Alps and certainly not as risky as a trip across the Andes.

African Motorcycle Diaries by Spencer Conway

Oct 30 2015

Adventure motorcyclist Spencer Conway took on the biggest challenge of his life – to be the first motorcyclist to circumnavigate Africa. Many of you may have heard of Spencer already as more than a few newspapers and bike mags have been covering him, and he has written articles in Adventure Bike Rider (ABR) and others.

RoadTrooper Teams up with LemonRock Motorcycle Rental & Tours on Ireland’s West Coast

Jul 10 2015

There are a few rumours floating around about what I’m up to next so here’s is the official news. I’m on the move yet again, this time I’m relocating from the Isle of Man to Killarney in the Kingdom of Kerry on Ireland’s West Coast.

The Wild Atlantic Way Guide for Bikers – Clare to Limerick

Apr 09 2015

I once had a fair flame named Clare in the long long ago. I’d like to think she was a real beauty but as the memory of her has long faded the reality was probably quite different as I was not overly fussy back then The County of Clare however is utterly unforgettable, and if [...]

Triumph Bonne “David Beckham” Custom Bike Competition

Mar 26 2015

What’s this all about you ask? UK based motorcycle gear mail order company Motolegends have built their own version of the Bonne T100 used by David Beckham on his manly, hair challanging adventure in Brazil last year. The really interesting part is that Motolegends have gone and lost their sanity and have decided to give [...]

The Wild Atlantic Way Guide for Bikers – South Mayo & Galway

Mar 19 2015

Assuming you’re legally and physically capable of riding a motorcycle after a night in Matt Molloy’s in Westport (see previous post) this next stretch of the WAW brings you south towards Clifden and the mythical landscape of the Connemara National Park in Galway.

The Wild Atlantic Way Guide for Bikers – Sligo & North Mayo

Mar 11 2015

This excellent part of the WAW entails riding from the Donegal/Sligo border to Westport in Mayo, taking in Mullaghmore Head, Downpatrick Head, Achill Island and finishes in the most excellent party town of Westport, this is one hell of a ride. This route is approximately 600km, so if ye take on the full WAW coast [...]

The Wild Atlantic Way Guide for Bikers – Donegal to Sligo

Mar 02 2015

Only the roving Saint Columbanus the patron saint of motorcyclists and the fairy folk know how much I love Donegal! There has always been something ancient and mythical about the place. I learned to horse ride here as a kid and the best way to see Donegal as far as I’m concerned is mounted on [...]