Inland from Sassari, the Logudoro is a country of limestone ridges, small towns of honey-coloured stone and fields enclosed by dry walls, and in its folds lies the necropolis of Mesu 'e Montes, near the villages of Ossi, Muros and Florinas. It is a group of domus de janas, the rock-cut tombs of Sardinia's prehistoric farmers, some of them richly decorated with carved pillars, false doors and the stylised bull horns that seem to have been a symbol of protection or power.
The tombs were carved with stone tools into the hillside some five thousand years ago or more, and they were often reused for burials over many centuries. Standing inside one, with the cool rock around you, you feel how much effort went into shaping these spaces for the dead.
This part of Sardinia is also home to some of the island's finest Romanesque churches, built when Pisan and Genoese influences were strong in the twelfth century. The most famous is the Santissima Trinità di Saccargia, a short ride away near Codrongianos, with its striped walls of black basalt and white limestone and a tall bell tower rising from the fields. It looks as if it has been transported from Tuscany. There are several other similar churches in the area, many standing alone in the countryside.
The riding is good. The SS597 towards Olbia runs east from here through rolling hills and cork oak woods, with fast bends and good visibility. The minor roads that link the villages are narrower and more winding, with stone walls close to the edge, occasional potholes, and flocks of sheep moving between pastures. Sardinia is one of the great motorcycling islands of the Mediterranean, and even these unassuming inland roads show why: empty, flowing, with a new view at every crest.
The nearest towns with full services are Ossi and Sassari, a short ride away, both with fuel and shops; the smaller villages around have bars where you can get a coffee and perhaps a panino. Spring is the best time, when the fields are green and full of flowers; summer can be scorching. Look for pecorino sardo and the local carasau bread, thin and crisp, which shepherds once took with them on long trips to the pastures.