The Road to Ronda

Friendships form on a classic ride through the twisting roads of southern Spain
Story and photos by Viktor Radics

Something magical happens when a group of strangers set out on a ride together. It doesn’t matter what we do at home, how important or unimportant we think we are – the simple experience of riding together somehow takes us back to the basics of human experience.

So when the opportunity arose for me to join riders from Italy, India and Canada – including H-D Canada’s Karen Mayberry and Jay Owens – for an epic trip on the new Street Rod® 750 model, I jumped at the chance. Where better to make new friends than on some of the twistiest mountain roads in southern Spain

The ride would see us climb from Marbella to Ronda via El Burgo and return on the classic Highway A397, packed with hairpin turns. After meeting my fellow riders, I strapped my camera around my shoulder and sat into my familiar shooting position – right hand on the throttle and left on the trigger (not advised for everyone). Then it was kickstands up, and within a few minutes we were in the mountains, cruising on some of the most incredible roads I’ve ever experienced.

Everything seemed to come alive as the landscape changed from open rolling hills covered in orchards and farmland to mid-sized mountains with overgrown vegetation and gnarly rock cliffs. The roads were nicely paved, well maintained and twisty – the type of roads the Street Rod model was made for. 

We broke for lunch in El Burgo, a small mountain village that’s a popular stop for motorcyclists taking the road to Ronda. At Restaurante Casa Pepe, I ordered tuna, because when you’re this close to the coast of Spain and you’re told that the fish was caught that morning, you order the fish. As our group ate around one large table, the mutual excitement began sparking conversations – regardless of insecurities and language barriers. Our egos were starting to fade, part of that motorcycle magic.  

After lunch, we cruised through rolling hills with wild rock formations and trees similar to the northern spruce in Ontario cottage country. 

Soon, we were descending into Ronda, cruising from the east side of town to the west, and parking our bikes next to the 18th-century bullring, one of the oldest in Spain. While some members of our group went sightseeing in this stunning town, perched above a 120-metre gorge, the rest of us strolled through the cobblestone streets to Restaurante Don Miguel, a beautiful little spot built into the edge of the main bridge – Puente Nuevo. 

We grabbed a table on the back patio, ordered sodas and coffees, and laughed in disbelief about where we all were. From the bridge, we could look back to see the Serrania De Ronda Mountains, where we had just ridden those perfectly winding roads – and anticipate the return journey still to come. We had experienced something great together, and by the end of the ride, we were old friends. 

– This story appeared in HOG Magazine (September 2017)