Portugal – a true off-road paradise
Gothenburg is wrapped a uniformly grey sky and rain as our plane lifts off from Landvetter, heading towards the adventures awaiting us in Portugal.Flying south always feels particularly satisfying when the weather back home is anything but inviting. Ahead of us lie several days of riding with two completely independent operators, each with a different approach, but sharing one thing in common – a deep passion for motorcycles and off-road riding.
WIM Motors Academy
Our flight lands in Faro on Saturday evening and, after collecting the hire car, we head towards our first destination, just over an hour’s drive from the airport – WIM Motors Academy, located just outside Odemira. On arrival, we are welcomed by Wim himself, who greets us warmly and shows us our room, along with where to find snacks and other essentials such as coffee. The philosophy here is simple: feel at home and help yourself to whatever is available in the kitchen.
WIM Motors Academy (WMA) was founded by father and son Wim and Clint De Cramer. They are originally from Belgium, where Wim ran a motorcycle dealership for 25 years before the business was relocated to Portugal and WIM Motors Academy was established in 2014. The company continues to grow, as does the team. Wim’s daughter Ruth moved to Portugal in 2022 with her family to become part of the business.
The facility boasts several tracks of varying difficulty. In addition, WMA offers guided tours and, above all, roadbook riding, making it an ideal destination during the winter months to improve riding skills while combining training with tours through the stunning landscapes of Alentejo, Portugal’s largest province.
When former Swedish national enduro team coach Calle Bjerkert needed to train navigation using a roadbook ahead of the Dakar Rally, WMA was where he chose to go.
“Clint and Wim are not only genuine and welcoming, they are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to rally and roadbook navigation, and they have excellent facilities,” says Calle. Wim has enormous experience and knowledge from both road racing and rally. He’s the real thing.”
Digital or classic roadbook
A roadbook consists of symbols and arrows which, together with the trip meter, tell you where to go. This type of navigation is used in rallies such as Dakar and in many other off-road disciplines. TRIPY is a digital roadbook that, in addition to traditional notes, also provides a track to follow, much like a GPS. You can choose how you want to navigate – following the track with the roadbook symbols as support, or relying mainly on the roadbook itself.
On the first riding day, Wim wants to assess our riding in order to select a suitable route. We start on their basic track, practising braking and obstacle avoidance, before sampling sections of their other enduro tracks with varying levels of difficulty. Once that is done, Clint gives us an introduction to the TRIPY digital roadbook and a briefing on the route we will be riding.
My bike for the day is a Husqvarna FE250 fitted with the TRIPY digital roadbook, while Jens rides a Husqvarna FE450 equipped with a traditional rally tower and roadbook holder.
A natural rollercoaster
At first, both the bike and the navigation feel a little unfamiliar, but before long we grow accustomed to the equipment and the riding begins to flow. This is great fun. Jens rides ahead, navigating with his roadbook. In dusty sections, I keep my distance and navigate independently using TRIPY, taking the opportunity in between to enjoy the stunning scenery we pass through.
The route loops around Lake Santa Clara, with our first stop in the small village of Pereiras-Gare. It appears to consist of a church, a petrol station and a popular café, where what seems to be half the village is sitting, drinking beer, smoking and playing games. Paying for fuel by Visa card is no problem, but when we order toasted sandwiches from the same woman, cash is the only option.
In Alentejo, there are villages where the sense that time has stood still is very tangible. Once both bikes – and riders – are refuelled, we continue. The loop around the lake feels like a real rollercoaster: up one hill, down the next, with countless bends in between. The landscape of south-western Portugal is characterised by wide open spaces, dotted with olive and cork trees, vineyards and grazing animals. The houses are whitewashed, the locals welcoming and the pace of life unhurried.
Day two begins straight after breakfast. The morning greets us with bright sunshine and a temperature of 17 degrees. Today, we both ride Husqvarna FE450s and feel ready for the route Clint has planned. It turns out to be more technical than the previous day, featuring a couple of steep and challenging downhill sections. Excellent training – although to my frustration, Jens charges down without any visible trouble, while I find myself well outside my comfort zone, using every trick I know to make it down safely. Not pretty, but I made it.
Wim and his family offer all kinds of riding experiences, not only roadbook routes but also guided tours. According to Clint, navigating with the TRIPY digital roadbook is so intuitive that it is often enough for them to accompany riders as guides for one day. After that, most customers quickly gain the confidence to navigate using TRIPY on their own and head out independently.
Fact box: Wim Motors Academy
- Open: Year-round
- Offers: Personal coaching, roadbook training/riding and guided tours – from beginners to Dakar riders
- Accommodation: On-site accommodation available
- Equipment: You can bring your own equipment, but rental is also available on site
- Motorcycles: Four-stroke motorcycles from Husqvarna. Set up according to the riders’ preferences and, as standard, equipped either with a full roadbook navigation system or a navigation tower with Tripy II.
Anna Haglund