2008 Colombres Rally

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Participants ride through one of the many picturesque villages aboard a Sanglas single, just one of the many bikes from small Spanish manufacturers at the rally.
Participants ride through one of the many picturesque villages aboard a Sanglas single, just one of the many bikes from small Spanish manufacturers at the rally.
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Paul Smart puts in some miles on his loaner Enfield.
Paul Smart puts in some miles on his loaner Enfield.
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Curvy mountaintop roads are the norm here. The views are excellent, the traffic is light (except for other motorcycles) and the weather is warm. What more could you ask for?
Curvy mountaintop roads are the norm here. The views are excellent, the traffic is light (except for other motorcycles) and the weather is warm. What more could you ask for?
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A hill-climb rider gets serious aboard a beautiful Norton Manx.
A hill-climb rider gets serious aboard a beautiful Norton Manx.
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A perfect Bultaco Metralla.
A perfect Bultaco Metralla.
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Bikes line the main square of Colombres as riders socialize and admire the machines.
Bikes line the main square of Colombres as riders socialize and admire the machines.
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Phil Butler (at right) with Paul Smart.
Phil Butler (at right) with Paul Smart.
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One scooter, two windshields.
One scooter, two windshields.
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The giant paella served on Saturday.
The giant paella served on Saturday.

For the 2008 Colombres Rally, nearly a third of the 500 registered participants came from England, rolling onto a ferry in Plymouth for a 20-hour cruise to Spain’s northern province of Cantabria and the port of Santander. From there, they rode 80 miles down the coast to the small village of Colombres for four days of sun-kissed classic bike activity in mid-October — a welcome break from the appalling wet U.K. weather.

Twenty-one years and rolling
Now in its 21st year, the event is more than just a romp across northern Spain, with several thousand other bikers from all over Spain and Europe converging to enjoy the combined bike show and swap meet, along with the twisty hill climb on the road into the hill-top village.

The Colombres Rally is essentially four events in one: a gathering of classic enthusiasts, an eight- hour road trail over 300 miles, a hill climb and, finally, a combined show and swap meet. The show runs the last two days of the meeting, and is free to everyone enrolled in the road rally.

Each year the show adopts a theme, and for 2008 it was the Spanish manufacturer Bultaco. As a result there were some superb bikes on display representing just some of the incredible dirt bikes the firm produced, plus a sampling of road bikes to remind us Bultaco built more than just dirt bikes.

It’s easy to forget Bultaco’s road racing successes and ordinary road models, and there were quite a few taking part in the event. In addition, there were numerous road versions from other Spanish manufacturers like Montessa and Ossa, also better known outside their home country for their off-road competition machines.

  • Published on Feb 4, 2009
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