Season extension in sunshine
The 17th Mallorca Bike Week had something to offer for every taste. Wonderful tours and a great atmosphere during the varied evening program at the Robinson Club Cala Serena.
Mogendorf, December 11, 2023
“Quiet Bay” means “Cala Serena” translated from Spanish. This may also apply to the club complex in the southeast of Mallorca for most of the year. A week in the first half of November is always different: 400 to 500 bikers with their own motorcycles - mainly, but not exclusively, from Milwaukee - take over the club, ride tours on the island during the day and enjoy it in the evening entertainment program specially designed for you.
At a pleasant 24 degrees you can, for example, drive the wonderful curves to Sa Calobra or to the lighthouse at Cap Formentor, the Orient Tour Cala Torta or to the port of Andratx. And you can do this either alone, in your own groups or under the local and expert guidance of the SKS tour guides, who drive their black trucks in everyday life as professional drivers, but who also feel comfortable on a motorcycle.
The guided tours were regularly fully booked. This was probably because SKS Reisen was able to welcome a particularly large number of new customers to the island at the legendary end of the season. Accordingly, three so-called “first offender tours” were scheduled for Sunday. Under the leadership of the managing SKS partners, Adrian and Kevin Kießling, as well as show truck driver Markus Trojak, the nearest gas stations were driven to, staggered group driving was practiced and the necessary safety instructions were given.
Sunday evening began with the official welcome of all participants in the club's theater. The idea for Mallorca Bike Week was born in 2005 at a Harley-Davidson dealer conference by Bernhard Gneithing, who was responsible for marketing at Harley at the time, Monti Galmés, then Managing Director of the Robinson Clubs Spain/Portugal and Adrian Kießling. Monti is retired and Adrian has largely withdrawn from day-to-day business at SKS, but to the delight of everyone involved, both of them insist on welcoming the guests to the theater in their own unique way: a dialogue with its own entertainment value, that too could have taken place on a stand-up comedy stage.
On the second day of the event, all tours led to the same destination: Es Forti. An 18th-century fortress with walls up to six meters thick, built on a 500-meter-long headland to secure the harbor in Cala Llonga Bay. No fewer than seven groups, each with a front and back guide from SKS, ended their day tour here and numerous self-organized groups of experienced participants completed the impressive rally. The Robinson Club treated everyone who arrived to a full-blown barbecue right on the forecourt of the fortress with a fantastic view of the sea. At the grill tongs was none other than Klaus Breinig, WBQA Grill World Champion from 2017 and World BBQ Champion 2018, who many knew from his numerous television appearances.
A separate tour with a supporting program was designed for the bikers. On Wednesday she took the ladies to the only farm in Mallorca that produces organic aloe vera. The interesting lecture on growing, harvesting and using the 200,000 plants was enhanced by practical exercises in both external and internal use. Many participants then took the opportunity to arm themselves for the next summer season with natural products in the in-house shop. Then we went along beautiful country roads to Son Serra Beach. In the El Sol restaurant you could either drink coffee or eat well, with a wonderful view of the sea included. The Street Glide rider, who was not part of the troop, caused amusement when he - obviously confused by the unusually high number of female bikers present - failed to get his bike started. A participant finally saved him by shouting the word “sidestand”. His subsequent hectic departure only gave an idea of the red head under the full-face helmet. The stay at Son Serra Beach ended with a photo shoot right by the sea. Here, all riders were able to have Fabian Friese and Ben Ott take a perfect holiday memory with their bikes in optimal light.
Back at the club, the ladies were welcomed with champagne and roses by more or less dressed young men. From the author's point of view, a clearly sexist affront to fellow bikers who, due to advanced life experience, no longer wear a six-pack around their belly button. The Harley Factory Frankfurt knew how to cleverly exploit the situation and invited the women to their on-site boutique - “sex sells” live and in color!
After dinner we went to the open-air block party in the club's courtyard, which was decorated with a US show truck, fire barrels and numerous Harley-Davidson memorabilia. The Free Electric Band played songs mainly from the 70s and met the audience's taste exactly. However, the singer's suggestion that Albert Hammond wrote the eponymous piece specifically for her belongs to the realm of legend.
Celebrations are not neglected throughout the week. The already legendary toilet party is particularly worth mentioning. Created almost by accident years ago, it has now achieved cult status. With dim lighting and strong drinks, inhibitions fell in sync with the quality of the music. The mood and exuberance of the celebrants were exactly the opposite. Thanks to the photographers and videographers Fabian and Ben, a living disco ball was also documented.
Parallel to the daily excursions offered, the “Young Generation Tour” started on Friday specifically for participants under 40, which was interrupted by a stop at Kalle in the wonderfully located Restaurante Pura Vida. Burnouts are not welcome at Robinson, which is why Kevin Kießling painted his “doughnut” outside in front of the parking lot after the tour. Back at the club, you parked your bike directly in the central square next to the beer stand set up especially for the participants and were able to immediately review the most beautiful part of the route and the best curve. Why key protagonists of the YoungGenTour then jumped into the pool clothed and with a beer bottle in their hand is not known or was probably due to youthful arrogance.
The week went by far too quickly and ended with an emotional farewell in the club's theater, for which a first excerpt from the film documentation was shown. A short version of the video for Mallorca Bike Week 2023 is already on the SKS World YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sksworld2412 , a longer one will follow shortly.
The mix of wonderful motorcycle tours, parties with excellent live music, the amenities of a four-star club complex and the organizers' all-round carefree package is probably the secret of the Mallorca Bike Week's success.
It was not without reason that it was taking place for the 17th time. I'm already looking forward to next year.
Text: Andreas Scholz Photos: Fabian Friese and Ben Ott
