Pedro and his Dune 125

Pedro did a four-day and 800 km long road trip through central Portugal with the aim to ride as close as possible to the Spanish frontier. With his Dune 125, he crossed the country from the coast to the border and returned through the central mountains chain. Read here about his exciting solo adventure with many off-road tracks where Pedro discovered amazing places and incredible landscapes.

On the first day, the frontier was my destination. I drove through a flat region with little population. When I stopped to have some food, the supermarket was closed because it was Sunday. I stopped everywhere desperately trying to get something to eat, when a guy at a tavern offered me some bread. When I wanted to pay for it, he said no because it was from yesterday and not fresh anymore. I will never forget this guy.

I camped out on the Portuguese side of River Erges which is a natural frontier between the two Iberian countries. I didn’t get much sleep that night. It became very hot inside the tent and the sound of animals I couldn’t identify but seemed not happy with a stranger in their territory made it hard for me to sleep.

On the second day I went north. In the nature reserve “Serra da Malcata”, the Dune took me almost to the top of the mountain. The motorcycle made a very hard track to allow me to see the Águeda river valley, another natural frontier with Spain. I was a bit concerned because of the stony road but the Dune performed perfectly, and it was a good test for the next day.

On day three I woke up with thunders and strong winds shaking the tent. I was afraid that the Dune gets damaged and the bad weather was not a good sign for my plan to go to the highest mountain of Portugal. I had to drive off-road most of the day. The Dune took me through incredible off-road tracks, from small village to small village until I reached the “Serra da Estrela” Natural Park where the views were breathless.

Some tracks were very tricky and there was another thing that I was afraid of: In this area with many wolves, the biggest problem are the big shepherd dogs that can be very aggressive. I could have been in trouble when meeting them. But then I said to me: a bit of throttle with the Dune and no dog could catch me! Gladly I made it to Tapadinho camping park without any problems.

The last day I decided to visit windmills. And windmills mean mountains and good riding tracks. In the valleys, rivers Alva and Mondego offered nice places to swim and spend the day. But with the Malaguti it is not possible to rest for a long time. Just taking some photos and back on track! In the afternoon I crossed the vineyards of Bairrada and the rice fields of Mondego. Finally, I arrived home after 800 km, with lots of satisfaction, low petrol consumption and ZERO problems!

As I always avoid busy roads, the Malaguti is perfect to ride relaxed and enjoy the view. When it comes to off-road tracks, the Dune never compromises and is very agile. My Malaguti Dune 125 was the perfect buddy for this solo adventure – just me and the motorcycle. After one year and almost 10.000 km, I am very happy with the choice I made and the amazing places I visited riding the Dune.

Copyright: Pedro Brites

We want to hear about your trips with your Malaguti! Contact us via hello@malaguti.com