Santander to the Mediterranean Motorcycle Trip — Why Touring Reminds Us Why We Ride
There’s something about rolling off the ferry in Santander that gets the blood going. You know you’ve got a few thousand miles of perfect tarmac ahead, the weather’s warmer, and you’ve got no real plan other than to point the bike inland and ride.
That was exactly the plan. I was on my old ZR550 Zephyr, my mates were two-up on a ZX9R. Looking around, you’d see plenty of riders on bikes far better suited to big touring miles — proper adventure bikes, big tourers loaded with all the gear. But that’s never really the point, is it? The best bike for the job is the one you’re riding. And whatever you’re riding from Santander to the Mediterranean, it’s always going to be an adventure.
You don’t think about your brake calipers — until you absolutely have to
We headed south-east, riding out through the twisting roads towards Jaca, carving our way across northern Spain and onto the N260 — one of those routes that feels like it was designed by bikers for bikers. Smooth, sweeping bends, no traffic, mountains rising up either side, the occasional pop across into France just because we could. You find yourself wondering if tarmac can get better than this. Somehow, over there, it just does.
This kind of riding is what motorbikes are all about. No phones, no meetings, no schedules — and nobody shouting in your ear every time you lean it over a bit too far. Just you, the bike, and the road ahead. The sound of the engine humming away beneath you, the occasional buzz of chain slap when you shift down a little too lazily, and that feeling when you brake into a tight corner fully loaded and everything just holds solid. That’s the feeling we chase.
Everyone loves the climbs — the bike digs in, you roll off the throttle, engine braking and gravity take care of most of it. But on the descents, when you’re fully loaded with panniers, camping gear and tools strapped on, it’s your brakes that do the hard work. That’s when you want to know your calipers are doing exactly what they should — smooth, controlled, and predictable every time you squeeze the lever.
Trips like this remind you how important simple reliability is. You don’t think about your brake calipers — until you absolutely have to. That’s exactly why we started Apex Braking. We wanted to build proper caliper pistons, seals, and rebuild kits that give you confidence to just ride — whether you’re crossing Spain or heading off for a Sunday blast at home.
Santander to the Mediterranean – we eventually made it
We eventually made it all the way down from Santander to the Mediterranean. Bikes covered in dust, visors smeared with bugs, fuel tanks nearly dry — but grinning ear to ear. Because that’s what motorbikes give you. Freedom. Adventure. And a good excuse to do it all again — on the way home.