An afternoon in Manama begins with a lesson in geography that the map sometimes hides: the Al Zubarah of the ride's name is not in Bahrain. It is a ruined pearling and trading town on the north-west coast of Qatar, a short sea crossing away but with no road between the two countries, so no rider will get there from here. What links them is a family. In 1783 the Al Khalifa, who had built up Zubarah, moved across the water and took Bahrain, and their descendants still rule. So the afternoon in Manama is best spent seeing where that move led.
The capital is compact and busy, a mixture of old and new that rewards a slow wander. The old centre is organised around Bab al-Bahrain, the Gate of Bahrain, a colonial-era arch built in the 1940s at what was then the water's edge, and behind it the souq runs through a maze of lanes selling spices, gold, perfume, textiles and tea. Beyond, the skyline is a mixture of glass towers, including the World Trade Center with its three wind turbines slung between the towers, and the huge white dome of the Al Fateh Grand Mosque, one of the largest in the region and open to visitors outside prayer times. The National Museum on the waterfront tells the island's story from the Dilmun period to the present.
Riding in Manama requires patience. The streets of the old centre are narrow and one-way, the main roads are fast and crowded, and the flyovers can be confusing, so give yourself time and use a navigation app. Parking for motorcycles is usually informal, so choose a spot out of the way of traffic and well away from pedestrians. Summer afternoons are fierce, and shade is rare, so keep water close. Cameras watch most of the major roads.
Fuel is easy, with stations throughout the city, and the food is excellent. Look for machboos, a spiced rice dish with chicken or fish, and fresh dates and halwa, a gelatinous sweet in a rainbow of colours. In the evening the restaurants of Adliya, a district of galleries and cafés, are lively and varied.
The Corniche at dusk, with the lights of the towers reflected in the bay, makes a pleasant end to the day.