Belfast is a Victorian industrial city that has spent the last few decades reinventing itself, and it is worth giving yourself a morning here before you head out. The Lagan river runs through the middle toward Belfast Lough, and on its banks stand the two enormous yellow cranes of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, known as Samson and Goliath, where the Titanic was built and launched in 1911. The area around them is now the Titanic Quarter, with a big museum shaped like the prow of a ship. The city's other great landmark is the hills; Cave Hill, whose cliff face is said to have inspired Swift's idea of a sleeping giant, rises right behind the north of the city.
Politics and history are everywhere here, and visitors who take a walking or taxi tour of the murals will understand a lot about the Troubles and the peace that came after. Away from that, the Cathedral Quarter and the city's pubs are lively, with live music most nights and food that has become genuinely good. Stop for an Ulster fry if you are hungry; it is the sort of breakfast that sets you up for a long ride.
For motorbikes, Belfast is the start of the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the best roads in the British Isles. You leave north along the A2 through Carrickfergus, with its Norman castle, and then follow the coast of Antrim past Larne and the Glens, with the sea on one side and green hills on the other. It is a big road, sometimes slow behind lorries and tourists, but rewarding in clear weather, with the Scottish coast visible across the water on good days. Rain comes in fast, so be ready.
Fuel and food are no trouble in a city of this size, with filling stations on all the major roads out. Traffic is heavy at rush hour, particularly on the Westlink and the M2, so aim to leave between nine and ten. You will find plenty of secure parking near the city centre, and many of the hotels have bike spaces.