I took my girlfriend for two pillion laps of the Nürburgring in the wet... and she loved it!

I took my girlfriend to Spa Francorchamps in Belgium recently. The four-hour trip from Calais is worth it just to bask in the circuit’s majesty as it winds its way through the Ardennes Forest. But we also checked out the Spa Bikers Classic Festival and I did a two-day trackday with No Limits.

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• Update one: Can wheelie control turn you into a stunting god?
• Update two: Testing the Evo’s advanced electronics on track
• Update three: 3250-mile navigation test in Spain
• Update five: 15k mile update – The ultimate all-rounder?

There are few bikes as comfy for me as the KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo. The riding position spreads my weight evenly, there’s loads of room for my long legs, and the accessory screen keeps the wind off. And thanks to the Evo model’s electronic suspension, a plush ride and self-levelling rear preload is just a press of the button away.

Around Spa the KTM lets you enjoy this fast, dramatic circuit to the max. Leaving the pitlane and heading straight down into Eau Rouge leaves you wide-eyed at the start of every session. Despite making 178bhp, its lack of bodywork hurts its speed along the straights compared to track-prepped superbikes, but it’s stable through the undulating, ultra-fast curves.

The easy suspension adjustment is worth its weight in gold. My Pirelli Rosso IV Corsa tyres were superb, too, with grip to rival proper trackday rubber. Wheelie and traction control help too.  

It was hot and we didn’t have a garage, but some kind Dutch fellows (Maikel and Nico) took pity on us and gave us a spot in their awning to shelter from the sun. You meet the nicest people in a bike paddock. 

Half way through the second day we began the 60-mile jaunt to the Nürburgring to catch the evening ‘pay-and-play’ session. My girlfriend has always wanted to go on the back of a bike on track, but the only place to do it is here, at the hairiest circuit in the world, sharing it with other cars and bikes. Rather her than me…

It rained, which wasn’t ideal. Cars use the track and deposit rubber and sometimes the contents of their innards, so the tarmac can be like ice. We waited as long as possible for it to dry and finally headed out just as the circuit was about to close.

We managed two steady laps (€36 each!) chaperoned by Brit locals Billy Burke and Dale Lomas. They showed us the slippery bits to avoid, but it was hard to tell in the low sun – scarier than riding fast in the dry. My girlfriend loved it, though.

We stopped in Brugge on the way home and I carried on to Donington for another trackday – but as days go, riding Spa in the morning and the Ring in the evening on my ever-impressive KTM was very special.