What a great weekend at the Honda facility in Barcelona! It’s always great to be a multinational bunch, and our group of 19 consisted of 11 Dutch, 3 French, 3 Brits, 1 Spaniard and 1 American (James, the organiser of Moto Gymkhana and world course in California).
Us Brits hired bikes from the facility; the CB500f and the NC700. While the CB500 was acceptable, nobody enjoyed the NC700 for Moto Gymkhana, and next year I’d definitely look to go back and take my own bike. It was a great first day on Saturday blitzing around the practice course followed by a top meal at an Argentinian restaurant in the evening.
We had an even better day on the Sunday, race day; warm ups and course walking first thing, followed by 2 attacks before lunch, and general practice/world course attempts in the afternoon. As is the norm there was plenty of bike switching to be had (which is how I fell in love with the CB-1!) and everyone was so friendly, always ready to give you pointers on how to improve. The Dutch are especially dedicated to Moto Gymkhana and I walked away with sore muscles and some new friends. Definitely recommended for next year!
As a young female who’d only been riding for a few years I was intimidated by the prospect of joining a motorbike organisation thinking they were mainly for overconfident people on supersports bikes. I needn’t have worried – Moto Gymkhana’s vibe is fantastic! It’s genuinely the most fun I’ve had on a bike, and since joining my riding and confidence have improved tenfold. Let’s also not forget that it’s amazing to be surrounded by welcoming, like-minded bikers! If you’re wondering whether to have a go – do; you won’t regret it.
