2010 Rallies & Events
Bikes and Beach Llunatica Rally at Benicassim on the Spanish Coast
Part 2
Story and Photos by Horst Rösler, Motographer
This event’s origin can be traced back to the late nineties when Dr. Juan Alberto Martinez Guerra celebrated his birthday with his Harley-Davidson riding friends. It then became bigger and bigger. In many ways, the party character had been retained, althought at times the event has hosted some 5.000 plus visitors and was running out of everything. Last year’s show was plagued by bad weather and this year’s by rain on Thursday. That is the day when most people may decide what to do on the weekend; this did not help to boost numbers. The weather on all three rally days was cold but dry, with the Saturday being perfect.
Saturday morning, the parade takes the riders out to the beaches and harbors along the coastlines, from Benicassim to El Barco and on to Castellon, the big neighbour of Benicassim. The entrance fee of only thirty euros includes a t-Shirt and several vouchers for drinks along the parade route, plus the mandatory paella (yellow rice) dinner served when the bikes get back to the site from the parade.
As the sun sets down behind the mountains, the motorcycles are lined up for the annual visit into town. The torch ride in memory of the riders killed last year attracts thousands of inhabitants of Benicassim who live there all year round. But most of the appartment blocks that line the beach side and hinterland are empty. Very little remains of the old tourist town heritage, the rails have been replaced by a modern Talgo high-speed train station. Only the iron girder bridge, built by none other than Gustave Eiffel, remains as a memorial to old times. The good news for the riders is that there are plenty of cheap hotel rooms available, beaches and restaurants are empty in early February. The local tourist board and the real inhabitants of Benicassim welcome the 2-wheeled guests, a big plus for the event which has developed quite a reputation in its 10 years of existence.
Huge orange plantations dominate the area and with 300 days of sunshine per year. Formula One drivers come to the local circuit to track test their cars at Valencia. At Benicassim‘s hotels, you can meet several sport teams training for the upcoming season.
For bikers, the Llunatica is the real deal, no training neccessary. After the blessing of the bikes in front of the old church next to the tourist information center, the party kickstarts at the event site again around 11 p.m. at night, lasting into the morning hours. Concerts, stripshows, a last check of the custom bikes, and the huge party tent is rocking all through the night. Survivors and especially customizers had to be fit for the 11 a.m. trophy ceremony the next day, which closes the event. But not before the 10th Anniversary cake had been cut to pieces and digested. It has to be noted that in this respect, Spanish bikers and bike events are unique: the party will always center around good food and drinks – and it doesn‘t care how long the bikers get in line for it. A biker after Paella is a happy biker…