It's been a few years since I visited a round of the MotoGP championship, even though the Ricardo Tormo circuit is only a little over an hour from my home.  Time to get my finger out and go racing again.

During the early part of the year before the racing season started, it looked like Valentino Rossi would retire at the end of 2018 as he hadn't signed a new contract yet.  Not wanting to miss out on his final race a plan was hatched and 5 tickets purchased for the Valencia round held at the Ricardo Tormos circuit near Cheste.

Over the course of the year, Spain has quite a few National Fiestas (Bank Holidays) and I tend to forget about them until a couple of days before.  Usually, this means I don't have time to organise anything and another bonus biking day goes by without turning a wheel.

This week was no different and I had to be reminded by my lovely wife on Thursday evening that Friday was a fiesta and I should really get out on my bike again.

What to do on holiday if you don't have a bike to ride but need a buzz?  Throw yourself off a bridge of course.

What to do? what to do? With the little BMW that is.  After about 18 months of ownership a couple of good trips and many days exploring the local mountain roads and trails a decision had to be made over the fate of the bike.

On Friday 11th June 2010, 10 intrepid explorers embarked on a trip that would change their lives forever, well maybe not forever but for a while.  I haven´t laughed so much for a long time, or been quite so wet on the bike.  Fair weather bikers pah, not us we carried on through rain and hail and along muddy, gravely downhill hairpin strewn roads.  We also visited some of Spains prettier towns, ate lovely food and enjoyed a beer or two.

Should I go or shouldn't I go that was the dilemma building up to the Vive La Moto event in Madrid.  I had made the decision that I would attend this year as it has been about 10 years since I have visited a biking event in our capital, before Bikers España even existed.