Gusto Sidecar Adventures

27/04/2024

27/04/2024

When opportunity knows… go for it, have a laugh!

20/02/2024

20/02/2024

Lunch in Portugal is a very important pause in the middle of the day, so each time we go out we try to find a location that offers us a feast for the eyes as much as for the stomach. If we can get local charcuterie, bread, fruits and more it makes it all the more delightful.
We love track-side picnics because you can stop anywhere, and that’s all part of the adventure - seeing where we’ve ridden through and where we’re going next.
Cone and join us for lunch and a sidecar adventure!

02/01/2024

We ride our adventure tours along these forest roads all the time… but have only just seen that they each have a name and were built to lead you somewhere! Of course these tracks are all part of the road network, but it’s easy to forget that until you see the name on a sign.
This is Rua Hospital das Gafas.

Update to our previous post: when we look up ‘Gafas’, it comes up with glasses in some cases… but better yet are the historic meanings, references to life in our region from a time gone by. Look at these!
1. Hook used to pull the crossbow string to arm it.
2. Claw.
3. Leprosy (alluding to the hooked shapes of lepers’ hands).
4. Scabies.
5. Olive disease, which causes them to shrivel and fall.

Number 3 seems most likely but we’ll dig a bit deeper to find out more, with the help of our neighbors I’m sure we’ll figure it out.



GustoMotorbikes

09/10/2022

Wedding day for Grupo Motard Sicótesos. What a pleasure and a privilege to be asked to take the beautiful biker bride to the church by Ural sidecar. The entourage was impressive, they’re clearly a close knit group. A wonderful day. Congratulations to the happy couple and everyone in the group.

04/10/2022

ACT Pyrenees by Ural Sidecar Motorcycle. The two of us, unaccompanied, rode 1160kms on and off road (not including the nearly 1000kms journey there and back!)… through epic landscapes and picture-perfect villages. This has been the most challenging and amazing experience we have undertaken by sidecar to date.
We rode ACT Pyrenees in the recommended 5 days, (only skipping a few segments), and we decided to ride it in “reverse” (from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean). Riding it that direction in this instance, allowed us to just stay ahead of the worst of an Atlantic cyclone, however it also turned out to be the best way (in our opinion) to tackle this track by Ural. The track is designed for off-road motorcycles, but when riding a sidecar, the third wheel, additional weight and modest power mean you have to look at the track completely differently – in terms of the lines you take and the way you tackle each technical challenge.
ACT Pyrenees is rated as “beginner with some off- road experience” but to be honest, in our opinion, some parts were definitely more on the difficult side with loose rocks and earth on endless winding hairpin turns. That’s challenging enough even without all the mud and few, if any, easy exit routes.
Sometimes you stop to look back at what you’ve just ridden, and the fulfilment of traversing this beautiful and rugged landscape is just so satisfying - especially given the close partnership involved in riding an adventure sidecar motorcycle in such challenging conditions.
Each day was different and memorable in its own way. Day 3 was wet and stormy, but it added extra character to the already majestic and rugged Alt (High) Pyrenees. Every day we saw eagles, vultures and other birds of prey, wandering cattle, curious grazing horses and people who lived in the most unimaginably remote, inhospitable yet beautiful locations.
The hospitality we enjoyed was exceptional and hoteliers, bar tenders, cafe owners and the locals we met were very friendly and welcoming - maybe especially so because of our unique choice of vehicle......!!
From the minute we watched the ACT Pyrenees movie, we vowed we would ride it. We’re so glad we did.

ACT
ACT AdventureCountryTracks
Ural Motorcycles
Ural Motorcycles Portugal Spain
Ural Motorcycles Ireland UK
Touratech

19/07/2022

Part 2. Ponte de Lima - Serra de Freitas - Termas Sao Pedro de Sun
We’ve chosen the less obvious places in a part of the country we’ve not explored much… what a treat. Homeward bound now. What a great few days.
It’s a gusto life.

/s

14/06/2022

Raising the bar on sidecar adventure picnics…. Oh and the view was pretty magnificent too!
Today we went out exploring new tracks by sidecar with our lovely guests Paulo and Sandra, and look where we ended up!!! Top of the world. They were great sports… the tracks to get there was pretty rugged….. and even though we discovered a paved road down the other side they still chose the gravel steep one. It was fab.

14/06/2022

Today we went out exploring new tracks by sidecar with our lovely guests Paulo and Sandra, and look where we ended up!!! Top of the world. They were great sports… the tracks to get there was pretty rugged….. and even though we discovered a paved road down the other side they still chose the gravel steep one. It was fab.