Adventure bike rider may-june 2016

DUCATIMULTISTRADA ENDURO

S TA F F O R D S H I R E WAYA D V E N T U R E S I N T H E U K

C A N A D AC O A S T T O C O A S T

T R I U M P H T I G E R S P O R TR E V I E W E D

ISSUE 34: MAY|JUNE 2016 4.25

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Credit is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. TriStar Personal Contract Purchase is only available through Triumph Motorcycle Finance which is a trading style of Black Horse Ltd, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardi CF10 5BH. Finance fi gures correct as of 01.04.16 and are subject to change. Finance o er ends 30.06.16 and requires a minimum deposit of 15%. With TriStar Personal Contract Purchase you have the option at the end of the agreement to: (1) Return the motorcycle and not pay the Optional Final Repayment. If the motorcycle is in good condition (fair wear and tear accepted) and has not exceeded the allowed mileage you will have nothing further to pay. If the bike has exceeded the allowed mileage a charge for excess mileage will apply in this example 6p per mile + VAT for any excess mileage up to 4,999 miles and 12p per mile + VAT for any excess mileage exceeding 4,999 miles. (2) Pay the Optional Final Repayment to own the motorcycle or (3) Part exchange the motorcycle subject to settlement of your existing fi nance agreement; new fi nance agreements are subject to status.

#fortherideFor more information or to book your test ride, visit triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

TIGER 800XC RANGE from 9,100 OTR

You dont need tarmac when you ride a Triumph Tiger 800XC. A category-defi ning model range that sits fi rmly at the head of the mid-weight adventure class. With three versions, all tailored with greater levels of o -road tech and a low seat XCx model... adventure is even more accessible.

SOMETIMESTHE ROADISNTENOUGH

TIGER 800XC TIGER 800XCx TIGER 800XCa

Tiger 800 is also available in three XR versions, plus a low seat XRx model. All feature cast wheels for more purposeful on road action. XR prices start from 8,600 OTR.

REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE

89.00 5,005.00 10,338.95 6.64% 6.9% APR 9,100.00 2,129.95 6,970.05 37 Months 10.00

36 MonthlyRepayments

Optional FinalRepayment

Total AmountPayable

Interest Rate(Fixed)

RepresentativeAPR

On The Road Price

Deposit/PartExchange

Total AmountOf Credit

AgreementDuration

PurchaseFee

Based on: Tiger 800XC @ 5,000 miles per annum.

Includedwithin theOptional Final Repayment.

F r o m t h e E d i t o rotorcycling has been a big part of my life for over 40 years and I suspect its always going to be that way. Coupled with

that, Ive also been fortunate to live a life where travel and adventure have also been at the forefront. ats a result of publishing and editing a magazine called Adventure Travel for the past 22 years.

Ive been lucky enough to climb new routes in the Himalaya, hike across vast deserts and explore the Arctic ice and tundra. Ive also racked up enough miles on two wheels to make estimating them way outside the scope of an edu-cated guess. So, with that in mind, Id have thought by now the opportunities to feel like an exited teenager would be few and far between.

However, over the past two months the teen has made a couple of delirious appearances. e fi rst was on a trip to the south coast of Sardinia where I rode the mighty impressive Ducati Mul-tistrada Enduro through spectacular

scenery on the sort of roads and trails I dream about. A fantastic bike, a terrifi c event and a destination to inspire.

e second outing was diff erent. Like the Ducati launch it was a reminder of just how privileged a position it is to be the editor of ABR magazine. It also gave me a buzz and level of excitement Ive not experienced since I was 17 and Angus Young held out his hand to me at the Colston Hall in Bristol.

It happened on a Dunlop press event on their private race circuit Mireval, near Montpelier in the South of France. e evening before the track day the gentle-man sitting opposite at dinner had stated Ill take you around the circuit Taff .

And he did, for two laps my view of him was in my rear view mirrors and then for two more I followed in his slip stream riding at a pace and with a sure-ty like never before.

ank you Dunlop, motorcycles and... John McGuinness.

I hope you enjoy the mag as much as we do pulling it all together.

I hope you enjoy the mag as much as we do pulling it all together.

J o i n u s o n l i n e :www.adventurebikerider.com

A B R W a n t sY o u !

Were on the lookout for great adventure motorcycle features and pictures. And it doesnt have to be a 20-year round-the-world epic, were just as interested in small

road trips to Europe. Email a synopsis and some pics to

[email protected].

DUCATIMULTISTRADA ENDURO

S TA F F O R D S H I R E WAYA D V E N T U R E S I N T H E U K

C A N A D AC O A S T T O C O A S T

T R I U M P H T I G E R S P O R TR E V I E W E D

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S o a k i n g u p t h e s u n o n t h e 12 0 0 e n d u r o l a u n c h

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EDITORS COMMENT

3 adventurebikerider.com

mailto:[email protected]://www.adventurebikerider.com

contents10 R i d e t h i s R o a d CalifoRnia state Route 1In case you needed a reason to throw your leg over the saddle

15 e v e n t s W h a t ' s g o i n g o n ? Find an event to go to this spring

16 n e W k i t h o t s t u f fWe round up the latest and greatest kit for adventure bike riders

22 f R o m t h e R e a d e R s l e t t e R sWe hear from ABR readers and social media fans about the adventures they've been having over the last few months

25 d i s C o v e R b R i t a i n t h e s o u t h C o a s tWe've teamed up with TomTom to ride an exciting route along the South Coast that highlights just how great Britain is

31 g R e e n l a n i n g t R a i l R i d i n g i n t h e u kABRs green laning expert, Mike Beddows, details two fantastic UK green lanes

37 a b R m a s t e R C l a s s f R o m t h e e x p e R t sMake your next adventure a success with advice and tips from our expert panel:3 8 Riding Techniques4 0 Photography4 2 Medical Advice4 4 Maintenance 4 6 Legal

48 i n t e R v i e W d a n e l l ly n n Rob Slade talks to the latest record-breaking adventure motorcyclist on the block

54 g R e a t b R i t a i n t h e s ta f f o R d s h i R e W ayWe ride a surprising route through the Midlands that demonstrates why you should never write a place off before youve tried it

60 o f f - R o a d s k i l l s honda adventuRe CentReBryn Davies heads to South Wales to check out the Africa Twins new off-road school

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The all-new CRF1000L Africa Twin A world of adventure starts just around the corner, at your local Dealer.

To nd your nearest Dealer call 0845 200 8000 or visit honda.co.uk

THERES A WHOLE world of

ADVENTURE OUT THERE

Inheriting the go anywhere spirit of its celebrated predecessors, the all-new CRF1000L Africa Twin is back. Packing an innovative and powerful parallel twin-cylinder engine into a lightweight, agile chassis, this machine is as happy exploring continents as it is a town or city. Theres no telling where the adventure will take you.

66 E u r o p E t h E l i t t l E m a g i n o t l i n EJames Marr takes a break from the gluttony of Monaco and explores the WWII fortifications in the Maritime Alps

75 p h o t o f E a t u r E a d v E n t u r E f a m i l yWhen Mihai Barbu got the taste of adventure, he decided to bring his wife and son along on a tour of Europe

80 c a n a d a t h E t c a tBears, mud, water and mountains, David Allen recounts the experience of becoming the first person to ride the length of the Trans Canadian Adventure Trail

92 b o l i v i a t h E l a g u n a s r o u t EMatt Snyman puts logic aside as he decides to attempt one of Bolivias most notorious rides

104 d u c a t i m u lt i s t r a d a E n d u r oDoes Ducatis new big trailie cut the mustard? Alun Davies heads to Sardinia to find out

112 t r i u m p h t i g E r s p o r tStuart Barker heads to Nice to check out Triumphs updated adventure sports bike

120 b m w f 7 0 0 g s a n d f 8 0 0 g sBMW has made some minor updates to its mid-range adventure bikes, but are they worth your money? Alun Davies finds out

125 l o n g t E r m E r s changing of thE guardIts time for us to say goodbye to our long term Suzuki V-Strom 650XT, but we wont be too sad as our Africa Twin has just been delivered

127 l o n g t E r m E r K tm 1190 advEnturE rWe welcome the latest addition to the ABR fleet

129 d u n l o p r o a d s m a r t i i i Alun Davies is in Montpelier to ride around a track with John McGuiness, oh and to test out Dunlops new sport touring tyres

130 g r o u p t E s t s u m m E r g l o v E sMike Beddows puts 12 of the best waterproof summer gloves to the test

148 r E a d E r m o d s h o n d a c r m 2 5 0Phill Hall-Davis tells us about his custom build

158 abr r E a d E r s r i c h a r d s y m o n d s We get to know ABR reader Richard Symonds

p u b l i s h e r : Alun Davies [email protected]

01789 450000

E d i t o r : Alun Davies [email protected]

a s s i s t a n t E d i t o r : Bryn Davies [email protected]

o n l i n e E d i t o r : Rob Slade [email protected]

a r t E d i t o r s : Matt Price [email protected]

Charlie Salt [email protected]

a d v e r t i s i n g : Alex Johnson [email protected]

01789 450000

s u b s c r i p t i o n s a n d b a c k i s s u e s : www.adventurebikerider.com

or 01789 450000 [email protected]

E d i t o r i a l s u b m i s s i o n s : [email protected]

c o n t i b u t o r s :Alice Cook, Mike Beddows, Robert Wicks,

Simon Thomas, Doc Edwards, Andrew Dalton, James Marr, Mihai Barbu, David Allen

Matt Snyman, Stuard Barker, Dave Reynolds, Phill Hall-Davis

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.adventurebikerider.commailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

*With a PCP product a significant proportion of the total amount payable is payable at the end of the contract by one large final repayment, so your regular monthly repayments are low.

Credit is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. This finance offer is only available through Ducati Finance which is a trading style of Black Horse Ltd, St. William House, TresillianTerrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH. Minimum 20% deposit required. Finance offer ends 31st August 2016. The Cash Price shown above include 1st registration fee and road fund licence. With TriOptions Personal ContractPurchase you have the option at the end of the agreement to: (1) Return the motorcycle and not pay the Optional Final Repayment. If the motorcycle is in good condition (fair wear and tear accepted) and hasnot exceeded the allowed mileage you will have nothing further to pay. If the bike has exceeded the allowed mileage a chargefor excess mileage will apply in this example 6p per mile + VAT for any excess mileage up to 4,999 miles and 12p per mile +VAT for any excess mileage exceeding 4,999 miles. (2) Pay the Optional Final Repayment to own the motorcycle or (3) Partexchange the motorcycle subject to settlement of your existing finance agreement; new finance agreements are subject to status.

New Multistrada 1200 Enduro

The Wild Side of Ducatiwith affordable* monthly repayments

ducatiuk.com

The flexible, affordable wayto ride a new Ducati today.

Representative Example: Based on Multistrada 1200 Enduro in Phantom Grey with a contracted annual mileage of 5,000.

Cash Price Deposit / PartExchange

Total Amountof Credit

AgreementDuration

Purchase Fee 36 MonthlyRepayments

Optional FinalRepayment

Total AmountPayable

InterestRate (Fixed)

RepresentativeAPR

17,027.00 3,529.73 13,497.27 37 Months 10.00 195.00 8,787.00 19,336.73 6.67% 6.9% APR

Included in Optional Final Repayment.

Please note: image is for illustration purposes only, the Panniers shown are Ducati accessory items and are available at additional cost.

t h e b e r w y n m o u n t a i n s , w a l e sDuring the making of this issue we headed over to Mid Wales for the re-launch of the Mick Extance Experience which is now sponsored by Bridgestone. The off-road school is located in the heart of Mid Wales and offers over 1,500 acres of off-road riding bliss, through scenery thats as beautiful as any part of the UK. Its not just the off-roading that makes Mid Wales a worhty destination though, while youre there explore the many deserted valleys and enjoy having the exciting roads to yourself.

reason to ride


reason to ride


sk any biker what the best route to ride in the USA is, and the likelihood is that California State Route 1 will be up near the top of their list.

is 655 mile route runs along the majority of the Californian coastline, from Interstate 5 in Orange County, to US Highway 101 in Mendocino County, and has made it into top ten best rides in the USA lists time and time again, and it isnt hard to see why.

State Route 1 (SR1) was built in numer-ous stages with the fi rst constructed in the 1930s in the Big Sur region. is section has become a popular route for its scenic beauty and challenging stretches of road.

To ride the entire route, its recom-mend that you give yourself around

three days if you want to revel in the stunning scenery and enjoy the road to its fullest. If you are strapped for time and can only make the journey one way, then its worth going from north to south - this way youll be on the ocean-side of the highway all the way and you can experience the majority of the dramatic scenery within the 240-mile stretch between Monterey South to Santa Barbara.

e route consists of hundreds of hairpins and there are some steep drop off s, so you need to pay attention to the twists and turns of the road. ere isnt much room for error if any oncoming vehicles veer onto your side of the road.

e riding conditions are good, but there are a couple of points along the way where regular landslides and ero-sion can result in the road being closed temporarily in parts.

One of the must see stop-off s along

the way is the Bixby Bridge - Big Surs version of the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Soaring 280ft above the Bixby Creek Gorge, its a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge, off ering some of the most amazing panoramic views in the region.

e SR1 has a lack of gas stations and refreshment stops, so make sure you fi ll up where you can as there are areas where phone service will also drop off , leaving you all but stranded should you run out of fuel.

Most of the traffi c along this route oc-curs during the months of July and Au-gust, so if you are looking for a peaceful ride without the hassle of other tourists then avoid this time of the year. Instead go in one of the quieter months to enjoy the SR1s winding design and the daunting prospect of miles upon miles of challenging road with no guardrails and drop-off edges!

If theres one road where fantastic riding, incredible scenery, and perfect weather come together, its California State Route 1. Alice Cook explains why this should be your next riding destination

sk any biker what the best route to

three days if you want to revel in the stunning scenery and enjoy the road to

the way is the Bixby Bridge - Big Surs version of the famous Golden Gate

C a l if or ni a S tat e Rou t e 1

If theres one road where fantastic riding, incredible With BMW Motorrad, owning a motorcycle is just the beginning. Ably assisted by its partners, BMW off ers a truly comprehensive

range of activities, training, travel and adventures for owners and enthusiasts to experience. Put simply, World of BMW is your passport to adventure! For more Go and Ride inspiration visit www.worldofbmw.com

Sponsored by

A

GO AND RIDE


http://www.worldofbmw.com

The Bixby Bridge cost $200,000 to build - a substantial amount back in 1932 .

Along the way you can visit Julia Pfi eff er Burns State Park where there is an 80 waterfall that cascades from the granite cliff s down to the beach.

The SR1 is broken into fi ve sections, one of which is the famous Pacifi c Coast Highway.

In the 1964 a er state highway renumbering the route was offi cially designated as Highway 1.

The entire route is designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway to recognise those in the US Armed Forces.

The road also takes in the world renowned wine region of Sonoma County - a must visit area for any keen wine drinker.

Its essential to check the weather in the area before you travel - it isnt unheard of for fog to suddenly descend in parts, slowing down drivers and interrupting a smooth ride and unimpeded views of the scenery.

the more you know

WHERE

USACalifornia

LENG TH

695miles

built

1934

GO AND RIDE


EXCEED EXPECTATIONSPowered by a sophisticated 1301 cc V-twin engine, the class-leading KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE will effortlessly take you to unimaginable destinations with ease of use, luxurious riding style and unmatched safety features. Find out more from yourlocal authorised dealer or visit: www.ktm.com.

KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe theapplicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

Phot

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KTM Group Partner

http://www.ktm.comhttp://www.kiska.comhttp://www.kiska.comhttp://www.kiska.com

V i va l i ta l i a Touring in the Alps is like a rite of passage for an adventure bike rider, and no matter which country you choose to visit youll be spoilt for choice as exciting mountain pass after exciting mountain pass presents itself to you. But why not head over to the Italian Alps this summer for some of the most dramatic scenery and incredible riding you can experience from the saddle of a motorcycle.

W h e r e v e r t h e r o a d t a k e s y o u . . .Whether its long haul touring or demanding road riding, RoadSmart III off ers precision, handling, and stability without compromise. The innovative new tread design and nano technology compound provide maximum grip and performance on both wet and dry roads whilst delivering improved mileage. The ground-breaking tread pattern of the RoadSmart III has been especially developed to ensure even wear, and lasting performance so that you can explore the roads of the Alps for longer.

GO AND RIDE


Thats why you can now get your hands on a new Suzuki with 0% APR representative over 48 months, with just 99 deposit. And with monthly repayments as low as 119 (plus a 2,024 deposit on the V-Strom 650XT) nothing else even comes close.

Jonathan - Motorcycle Sales Manager

Thats why you can now get your hands on

You want the thrill of a new Suzuki?We get it.

Terms and conditions: 48 months 0% APR representative applies to all variants of Address 110, VanVan 125, Burgman 125, Inazuma 250, Burgman 400, GSX-R600/GSX-R750/GSX-R1000, SV650S, Bandit 650, SFV650, GSX650F, Burgman 650 Executive, V-Strom 650, GSR750, Intruder 800/Intruder 1500/Intruder 1800, V-Strom 1000, GSX1250FA, Bandit 1250S and Hayabusa. Offer applies on models which are privately registered between 1st April 2016 to 30th June 2016. Credit is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. This finance offer is only available through Suzuki Financial Services Limited, part of Black Horse Group, Head and Registered Office: St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff, CF10 5BH and is at a rate better than high street lenders. This finance offer is Hire Purchase. All new Suzuki On-Road motorcycles officially imported into the United Kingdom by Suzuki GB PLC and first registered in the UK between 01-01-2016 and 31-12-2016 will benefit from an additional one year extension to the normal Two-Year Suzuki Warranty. For full terms and conditions please visit suzuki-gb.co.uk.

Model shown above includes optional accessories, available at an additional cost.

Terms and conditions: 48 months 0% APR representative applies to all variants of Address 110, VanVan 125, Burgman 125,

Visit suzuki-gb.co.uk to see the full range of models included.

99finance deposit

0%over 48 months

APR

REPR

ESEN

TATI

VE

Street Sport Cruiser Adventure Scooter

AW_SGB2_29648_ABR_0%_Advert_A4_V2.indd 1 20/04/2016 09:45

W H A T S G O I N G O N ?Looking for some excuses to get out on the bike? Weve got you covered...

M A Y Touratech Travel Event

Where n where

How?

6 - 8

Hundreds of adventure motorcycling enthusiasts descend on Touratech HQ for a weekend of riding, camping and socialising. Theres oppourtunities for off-road riding at Walters Arena - home o f Dawn till Dusk and the BMW training school - and road rides around the stunning Brecon Beacons. Also expect food and beer tents, workshops and a Touratech Rally

6-8 May at Touratech HQ, Woodlands, Business Park, Ystradygnlais, South Wales, SA9 1JW

There is no charge for those wishing to attend the event and camping and amenities are also entirely free. You can register y heading to www.bit.ly/TravelEvent.

j u n Haggs All Terrain Adventure 2016

Where n where

How?

2-5

A long weekend including three action-packed days of hands-on training with professionals to help you on your way to your next motorcycle adventure. Activities include off-road skills instruction and practice course, navigation skills workshops, on and off-road motorcycle orienteering, adventure films, live music, bonfires and decent grub.

2-5 June at Haggs Bank Bunkhouse and Campsite, Nentsberry, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3LH.

Tickets cost 129 for a space in the bunkhouse or 99 for camping. Price also includes food, activities, entertainment and a t-shirt. More info at www.bit.ly/HaggsBank.

j u n Merlins and Motorbikes

Where n where

How?

11-12

Organised by the BMF, Aero Legends and WWII Headcorn Aerodrome, the event will play host to live music, a bike jumble and more than 100 trade stalls selling everything from bike kit and helmets to clothing and sunglasses. There will also be an aerial display and a 1,200m drag race between a bike and the Aero Legends Spitfire TD314.

11-12 June at Headcorn Aerodrome, Shenley Farm Cottages, Headcorn, Ashford, Kent, TN27 9HX.

Tickets cost 12 for an adult, 5 for children and 8 for seniors while there is also an option to camp. For tickets and more information head to www.bit.ly/HeadcornEvents.

j u n Ride to Work Week

Where n where

How?

20-26

Join in with thousands of other motorcyclists around the world as they show just how enjoyable a commute on two wheels can be. The aim is to show just how fun riding on two-wheels can be in the hope that more people take their tests, saving money, easing congestion and reducing travel costs in the process.

20-26 June, worldwide.

Its simple, just ride your two-wheeled machine to work for the week. Tweet (@abrmagazine) or message us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/adventurebikerider) with your pictures.

M A Y MCN Festival of Motorcycl ing

Where n where

How?

14 -15

Test ride new and classic bikes, find a bargain from the autojumble or retail zone and see all the 2016 fleets from the major manufactureres. There will also be stunt shows, a classic race bike parade and plenty of beer and good grub.

14-15 May at Peterborough Area, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE2 6XE.

Tickets are available at www.mcnfestival.com. If booked before 9 May a weekend camping ticket will cost 35 and a day ticket will cost 15. Discounts are available for concession tickets or groups.

M A Y BMW Bike Day

Where n where

How?

15

A get together with like-minded motorcycle enthusiasts at the world-renowned Ace Caf. Take time to chat with other BMW riders, check out everyone elses riders and get a brew and bite to eat.

From 9am to 5pm on 15 May at Ace Caf, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London. Postcode for SatNav: NW10 7UD

Simply turn up for the day with your BMW and youre good to go. For enquiries head to www.ace-cafe-london.com.

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http://www.bit.ly/TravelEventhttp://www.bit.ly/HaggsBankhttp://www.bit.ly/HeadcornEventshttp://www.facebook.com/adventurebikeriderhttp://www.facebook.com/adventurebikeriderhttp://www.mcnfestival.comhttp://www.mcnfestival.comhttp://www.ace-cafe-london.com

R ich a a i R f o R c e 189.99www.nevis.uk.com

W h a T i S i T ? A new three layer textile touring jacket thats ideal for summer riding As more and more adventure sports bikes are sold it seems that manufac-turers are responding by offering fresh textile suit designs with aggressive, sporty cuts. The Airforce is a brand new jacket from Richa that looks to provide an ideal combination of versatility and a sporty fit, being of a three-layer con-struction. The Airforce features fully removable thermal and waterproof lin-ings, and the external shell is made using a high-density polyamide fabric with full mesh panels to provide a fantastic flow of air for warm weather riding.

The Airforce comes with CE Level 1 armour inserts on the shoulders, elbows and back as standard, and reflective detailing will help ensure youre more visible in poor lighting. In terms of sizing, some may find the torso to be a little too short for their liking, so its essential to try the Airforce on before you buy. With that said, if the jacket fits, for 189.99 you have a great, versatile textile jacket with stylish, understated looks. BD

Mu v i X P a c k139.95www.veho-world.com

W h at i s i t ? A rucksack with an extend-ible boom pole mount to allow you to get some awesome viewpoints for your action camera footageIf youre shooting footage of a ride on an action camera, youll no doubt be aware that when on a bike youre pretty limited to what perspective you film from. Its usually a straight choice between helmet mounted rider point of view (POV) or fairing mounted bike POV. With the Muvi X Pack that all changes.

What we have here is a wearable rucksack (which fits nicely over the bulkiest of jackets) with an extend-ible boom pole that allows you to mount your camera up to 128cm overhead, behind, in front, or to the side of you to get some unique POVs. The boom pole can be split in to three sections so that you can customise the mounting distance, and the standard mounting point is compatible with most action camer-as (it uses the same style on GoPro). If your action camera doesnt fit this you can usually buy an adaptor. The boom pole features a shock absorbing baseplate so that the X Pack can be used on the toughest of terrains. In terms of carrying capacity, the X Pack will contain itself as well as your action camera, but not much more. BD

hot stuff


h o T S T u f fThe latest and greatest biking kit.

http://www.nevis.uk.comhttp://www.veho-world.com

Down there, you probably think that up here in Sweden it does nothing but snow. Well, its true that in the winter it gets a bit cold and icy.

But when the snow does thaw, Swedish bikers love to migrate south, to feel the heat and, well, to see what all the fuss is about.

When you live up here, everywheres a long way away, though, and so its not that unusual for Swedish bikers taking their summer vacations to clock up quite a few

thousands of miles in just a couple of weeks.But heres the thing; on their trips these

guys expect to wear exactly the same gear that they do during the rest of the year.

Which might just explain why we at Halvarssons have produced jackets like the Prime and Qurizo, (and matching pants).

Using technologies like Outlast for thermal control, and Dryway Plus for waterproofing, theyll cope with the worst that our snow

queens and rain gods are able to throw at us.Get to the South of France, however, and

all you have to do is remove the various linings, and open the vents, and you get to enjoy the best in natural air conditioning.

We think we do four-season rider gear rather well, and if the clothing we produce works for the kind of bikers we have here in Scandinavia, then we think it should work just fine for you guys over there.

For information about products and stockists visit www.jofama.se

When Swedish bikers go off on their summer holidays they like to migrate south

A4 JOFAMA 2016 SUMMER MASTER.indd 1 18/3/16 9:04 am

http://www.jofama.se

T R A IL BL A ZER GUIDE S A D V E N T U R E M O T O R C Y C L I N G H A N D B O O K15.99www.trailblazer-guides.com

W h at i s i t ? The seventh edition of the iconic adventure motorcycling bibleThe first thing we did was buy the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, Ewan McGregor is quoted as saying when asked about preparation for the trend-setting Long Way Round ride. Well, he certainly wont have been the first, or the last, person to do so. The Adven-ture Motorcycling Handbook is the brainchild of serial adventure motorcyclist Chris Scott and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Punctuated throughout with anecdotes from some of adventure motorcyclings most iconic names, the book is a fountain of knowledge with advice on planning, preparation, bike choice, gear advice as well as a full breakdown of what to expect on the road. For anyone looking to do some extended touring this is a must read, especially if youre head-ing to Asia, Africa or Latin America. The book has recently been updated for its seventh edition to add new sections on bike choice, an updated overland route outline, and a solo womans perspective by Lois Pryce and over a dozen full colour trip reports. RS

T CXC O M P E V O M I C H E L I N339.99www.compevotcx.com

W H A T I S I T ? A pair of off-road motor-cycle boots that make use of a hybrid Michelin sole If youre an avid green laner or your

tour destination of choice involves warm weather and off-road riding then

the TCX Comp Evo Michelins are worth a look. These impressive looking boots are

part of TCXs off-road range and theyre the result of a collaboration with tyre

manufacturing giants Michelin, whose input can be seen in the sole unit that the product uses. The upper is a remarkably solid, yet flexible amalgamation of polyurethane and soft microfibre with an elastic upper collar (to prevent debris from entering the boot) which comes together to create an incredibly comfortable, reassuring, and protective fit.

The TCX Comp Evo Michelin boots are chunky, theres no denying it, but when com-pared to similar boots, like the BMW GS Pro, they offer a far more comfortable fit straight out of the box. This is largely down to TCXs Double Flex Control System, a construction method which allows the ankle to pivot with the natural movement of the foot up

to a 15 degree angle. The Miche-lin MX Hybrid sole is fantastic in most off-road conditions, with a variety of tread patterns combining to provide optimum

grip in all areas. The exclusion of a waterproof lining and the presence

of multiple ventilation points make these an ideal choice if youre going to be travelling in warm countries, or if youre planning some deep river crossings. At 339.99 there a significant investment, but if you spend as much time on the trails as you do on the tarmac, give them a go. BD

HOT STUFF


http://www.trailblazer-guides.comhttp://www.compevotcx.com

BM WR a l ly e S u i t 985www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

W h at i s i t ? A two-layer jacket and pants comboYou can say what you want about the look and image of the BMW Ral-lye suit but theres no doubting that the original product created the adventure styling that is now commonplace and that the suit itself is of an exceptionally high standard when it comes to quality.

BMW class this Rallye as suitable for off-road and RTW adventures though in our experience its just as functional for a weekend ride out in the Cotswolds. Theres no doubting that the price is at the upper end of the scale and as such if it has a weakness then its down to the fact that waterproof membrane is not laminated to the outer layer, allowing it to wet out quickly in downpours. That said, it is more breathable and suitable for warm weather riding than its high-speced and priced laminated competition.

As with previous Rallye Suits, you get just about every useful and practical feature you could need and a few you might find redundant weve yet to zip off the sleeves in over six years. New for 2016 are two new colourways plus an improved outer mate-rial which includes a 13% technical wool mix. The result is a far more pleasant handle and increased rider comfort for a product which was already top notch. AD

Gl o v e ta c t S $9.99 (roughly 6.80)www.glovetacts.com

W h at i s i t ? A sticky pad that makes your gloves touch screen compatibleIf youve ever tried to use your phone with your riding gloves on then no doubt youve come to terms with the earth crushing realisation that our link to the digital world is effectively cut off as long as gloves adorn our fingers. Some manufacturers have begun to make specially designed finger pads on their products that allow you to use your phone while still gloved up, but what happens to us Luddites who are happy enough to use our old, non-touch screen compatible gauntlets?

Fortunately, someone has come up with a genius way of making your old gloves touch screen friendly. GloveTacts are small adhesive pads that you stick to the index finger of your gloves to make them compatible with a smartphone screen. Theyre incredibly easy to attach, the adhesive has a super-strong bond that GloveTacts claims will offer a lifetime connection and theyre also machine washable. Ive had the GloveTacts on my riding gloves for the past few weeks, and Ive found them to be a brilliant, easily affordable solution to the old glove/touch screen dilemma. BD

hot stuff


http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.ukhttp://www.glovetacts.com

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

Promotion period from 01.10.2015 to 31.01.2016 at a participating authorised KTM dealership. Retail sales only. Subject to availability at participating dealers. 0% APR Conditional Sale available on all 2015/6 EXC and EXC SIX DAYS models. Finance subject to status. Terms and Conditions apply. You will not own the vehicle until all payments are made. Applicants must be 18 or over. Guarantees/Indemnities may be required. Santander Consumer (UK) plc RH1 1SR. Voucher for 500 including vat at retail prices. Can only be used against offi cial KTM PowerWear or PowerParts when purchasing a 2015/6 standard KTM EXC model from an authorised KTM dealer.

Phot

o: S

. Tag

lioni

Phot

o: R

. Sch

edl

No other manufacturer can boast such a diverse range of two-stroke and four-stroke competition enduro machines as KTM, including the super-tough 300 EXC used by Jonny Walker to win all but one of the Hard Enduro events in 2015.

KTM Finance, powered by Santander Consumer Finance, is now available on all Enduro bikes with a minimum 99 deposit on 0% APR over 24 months or 2.5% APR over 36 months, through authorised KTM dealers.

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CALL ANDY OR DARREN FOR THE LATEST OFFERS AND INFORMATION ON THE FULL KTM RANGE.01235 519195No other manufacturer can boost so many awards in the current adventurer range, including the MCN Best Adventure 2015.

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2015 DEALER OF THE YEAR

Hi ABRIn 2013 my

Tiger Explorer took me over to Poland and Hungary on my first ever overseas bike tour. I was massively overloaded (I cant seem to master packing light), but the bike was faultless and I was grinning from the second I rode on to the Eurostar train.

In 2014, I opted for a northern route, via ferry and again a heavily laden Tiger Explorer took me from the Hook of Holland all the way up to the Arctic Circle (where I could update Facebook thanks to a 3G signal....yet I cant get one in my garden in Leics) via Denmark, Sweden and Norway where I saw some of the most jaw dropping scenery (and beer prices) ever.

Ive loved these trips, travelling solo and going where I want, but at the end of the day it would have been lovely to have shared the days experiences with someone Id ridden with.

Thankfully Im getting my wish this year, when I ship my faithful Tex over to the US along with my girlfriends Bonneville for a tour of New England (for us) and across to Seattle and San Francisco (for me), starting in Chicago in June. I cant wait....All the best, Paul Jones

I do a bit of trail riding here in Ireland and if Im not doing that I am off around the back lanes of my country on some bike or other. Many thanks for a great mag! Bye for now.Griff, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Hello Bryn,In the last year I have met Nick

Sanders, Ed March, collected ABR magazines and grown a passion for adventure motorcycles. I recently bought the excellent Suzuki V-Strom 650XT. An excellent bike that I am very pleased with. With a desire for an adventure, I have booked a ferry to Bilbao, and will travel through the Pyrenees, through France, then back to the UK. My good friend Kevin will join me in our first mini adventure in June this year. It is fun to buy kit and items for our journey. The bike is ready, we are ready too. Bring on the journey. Best regards.

Andrew Aston, HertfordI had just taken delivery of my new

GS Adventure and was running in the engine as advised on some nice twisty hilly roads, with the beautiful scenery as bonus. This route, if you have a map handy, connects Balmoral (near the Queens residence on Deeside) to Donside in Aberdeenshire. We are very fortunate to have so many wonderful biking roads in this area.

I spent all of September in the Alps last year and covered 4,000 miles. Starting in France, then into Switzerland, back into France, then Italy, France again, Italy, then back into Switzerland. I have some amazing pictures of all the passes which would make for a very interesting article.David Morris

R E A D E R SE n g a g e d

ABR readers get in touch to tell us all about their l atest adventures

happines s only re al when shared

tr ail riding in the emer ald isle

Sco tl ands mil itary roads

v-s trom: bring it on!

G r i f f o n t h e l a n e s o f I r e l a n d

from our readers


W E W A N T T O H E A R F R O M Y O UWant to see your name in the magazine and win a years subscription? At Adventure Bike Rider we love to hear from our readers, so if youre planning an adventure, want to tell us about a previous one, or just want to share your thoughts on anything bike related, get in touch!

Send your letters to: [email protected] and if yours is chosen as star letter youll win a years subscription to Adventure Bike Rider magazine.

P h o t o s F R O M S O C I A L M E D I A . . .

M O T O C A N D O P O R A I

S T E V E N O R M I N G T O NS T E V E A U S T I N

R O B E R T T O R O K /A D V E N T U R E B I K E R I D E R

P E A C H M Y S T E R

@ A B R M A G A Z I N E

A D V E N T U R E _ B I K E _ R I D E R

FROM OUR READERS


mailto:[email protected]

In celebration of our 10th anniversary, the new

TomTom Rider 410 comes with world maps and

one hundred of the worlds most thrilling routes

preinstalled. Whether you crave tight curves, steep

climbs or breath-taking peaks, TomTom Rider will

help you find them. Now its up to you. Do you dare?

DO YOU DARE?RIDER410

GREAT RIDESEDITION

Tel: 01425 620580 Email: [email protected] Web: www.tranam.co.uk

For more detailed product information please email [email protected]

16Q1_AD_RIDER410GRE_A4_UK.indd 1 31/03/16 16:38

mailto:[email protected]://www.tranam.co.ukmailto:[email protected]

hroughout 2016, with the help of TomTom weve set out to map a series of weekend rides around the coast of

England and Wales that can be linked up to form one epic, week-long circum-navigation of our home countries. Our first instalment, in issue 32 of Adven-ture Bike Rider, took us from Cardiff to Snowdonia, while our second route saw us exploring the incredible scenery and landscapes of the South West Coast. Fol-lowing on from where we left off, weve ridden the south coast of England, from Exmouth all the way around to Faversh-am on the north coast of Kent.

The emphasis of these routes is to explore this beautiful island that we call our home by taking the roads less trav-elled, and focusing on discovering the history, culture, and natural beauty of the locations we ride through. As such, weve plotted out the route, which you can see on the map on the next page, and provided you with six suggested locations to See, Discover, and Ride.

We pick up this weekend route on the Jurassic Coast and its not long before were enjoying what must be one of Brit-ains most exciting roads, The Jurassic

Weekend ride...s o u t h a n d s o u t h E a s t c o a s t

T

As part of our Discover Britain series, weve teamed up with TomTom to offer you the chance to WIN a TomTom Rider 410 Great Rides Edition worth 399.99. All you need to do is send in a photo of your bike with the Discover Britain sticker in view, somewhere along the south coast route. The best image will win the fantastic prize. Send entries to: [email protected] by midnight on June 24th 2016.

Competition time

Coast Road. The tarmac rises and falls relentlessly as you tackle turn after turn, all the while admiring the eye catching scenery of the prehistoric coastline.

Upon reaching Weymouth its a short ride along more heavily trafficked roads to Bournemouth, where we enter the fantastic New Forest. Its worth ex-ploring this area for an hour or so, and stopping off in the excellent Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum.

After the tranquillity of the forest, the coast becomes more built up between Southampton and Brighton, grit your teeth and bear the ride along the motor-ways and dual carriageways, getting it done as fast as is possible. Shortly after Brighton we follow the coastal roads once again, and get to see the magnifi-cent chalk cliffs, of The Seven Sisters and Beachyhead. Our first evening stopover is in Eastborne, a few minutes away from these monolithic sea walls.

After relaxing in a fine hotel by the sea, its time to rise early, as there are big distances to cover. We follow the coast to Dover, somewhere that ABRs will probably only see as the gateway to their European tours. If you enter the historic town from Folkestone Road rather than the A20 you begin to see it in an entirely different light. The surrounding rolling hills of the countryside are as beautiful as youll find anywhere in the UK, and

as you pass through the port town and up the other side youre afforded mag-nificent views of Dover Castle, sitting ominously on the hilltop behind.

The road between Dover and Manston, where we stop to see the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, is fan-tastic, and Id recommend taking a few moments to dive down into Saint Mar-garets at Cliffe to see the wonderful, hidden gem and watch the ferry loads of people be taken across the Channel.

Through Sandwich we ride before reaching the fascinating museum at RAF Manston. Our ride is all but over now as we follow the roads to Faversh-am, at which point we head home via Englands favourite ring road, the M25.

Discover BriTAin


exmouth

Lyme regis

Portesham

Weymouth

Lytchett Minsternew Milton

RIDE

T h e v i e w s f r o m A b b o t s b u r y h i l l a r e s t u n n i n g

1. The Jurassic Coast RoadFortunately our tour kicks off with a bang and just a few miles out of Exmouth we roll into West Bay, a beautiful seaside town that also marks the

beginning of the Jurassic Coast Road. For roughly 20 miles this stretch of tarmac takes you along the stunning World Heritage coastline, rising and falling and twisting and turning with the land. For sheer riding enjoyment this road must be up there with the best in Britain, though its not just the thrill of the ride that makes it such a fantastic experience. To your right you have the dramatic coastline which, on a clear day, provides mesmerising views across the crystal blue sea, and to the left you have beautifully lush and green farm-land rolling away into the distance.

Get your Discover Britain motorcycle sticker by emailing [email protected]

B e a c h y H e a dn e w f o r e s t

D u r d l e d o o rJ u r a s s i c c o a s t

Discover BriTAin



seafordeastbourne

Fairlight

rye Dungeness

Dover

st Margerets at cliffe

rAF ManstonFaversham

S TAY H E R E1.ExmouthWhile we were able to reach Exmouth for an early start on day one of our weekend ride, if youre going to be travelling from the north of the country, or if youd rather have a more leisurely start to the weekend, Exmouth is the ideal place to spend your fi rst night. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants and it allows for you to roll out of bed at a reasonable time in the morning, get some breakfast and head out for a full day of fantastic riding.

2. Eastbourne Your fi rst day of this weekend tour will take you from Exmouth to Eastbourne, covering a distance of roughly 230 miles. Eastbourne is a grand seaside resort and has a plethora of hotels and B&Bs to stay in. We rolled into town at 8pm and fi red up www.laterooms.com and found ourselves a wonderful kingsize room in the four star View Hotel for just 64 per person per room. As with Exmouth, Eastbourne is the perfect staging point for the next days assault on the coast of South East Britain.

2. Hastings to DungenessLike day one, our second day sets the bar high for the remainder of the ride. After re-energising in Eastbourne you begin your ride to Dover, but not

before you follow the coast to Britains only desert, Dungeness. From Hastings the riding is fantastic if you stick to the less travelled B roads. As you enter the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the tarmac climbs Battery Hill before dropping you on Pett Level Road, a bizarrely fl at area of farmland that has been reclaimed from the sea. As you ride into Lydd turn towards Camber and Dungeness and youll be rewarded with a fantastic road that wriggles its way past an eerily secret Ministry of Defence site and onto Dungeness, where an alien landscape awaits.

t h e a l i e n l a n d s c a p e o f d u n g e n e s s

stick these waypoints into your satnav to be taken as near as damnit to the TomTom south east coast weekend route...The route below is also available to download so you can stick it straight on your satnav. visit www.adventurebikerider.com/forum/58-england.html and enter the thread titled ABr south east Weekender route files

1. Exmouth2. Lyme Regis3. Portesham4. Weymouth5. Lytchett Minster6. New Milton (BH25 5SZ)7. Seaford8. Eastbourne

9. Fairlight10. Rye11. Dungeness12. Dover13. St Margerets at Cliffe14. RAF Manston (CT12 5DF)15. Faversham

for your satnav

D u n g e n e s s

r a f m a n s t o n


http://www.laterooms.comhttp://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum/58-england.htmlhttp://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum/58-england.htmlhttp://www.adventurebikerider.com/forum/58-england.html

DISCOVER1. Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum

Shorlty after navigating your way through the busy streets of Bournemouth you enter the quieter and more peaceful New Forest. Th ere are numerous

great roads to enjoy around here, but if youre only going to allow time for one stop make it at the Sammy Miller Motor-cycle Museum.Located just to the north of New Milton, the incredible museum is home to one of the most complete and well kept col-lections of fully restored motorcycles in Europe. Inside the walls youll fi nd over 300 machines from varying eras of mo-torcycling, including those used during World War II and even Sammy Millers own trials bikes. Th eres a brilliant cafe on site, so this is the perfect lunch time stop on your fi rst day.

2. Spit f ire and Hurricane Museum

As you ride along the South East Coast of England its impossible to ignore the impact that the Second World War had on the area. At Capel-le-

Ferne you pass by the Battle of Britain memorial, and as you pass Manston towards the end of the ride, you have the opportunity to visit the fascinating RAF Manston Spitfi re and Hurricane Memorial Museum. Open between 10am and 5pm the museum provides a glimpse into life during WWII and the opportunity to stand side by side with a fully restored Spitfi re and Hurricane. Th eres no charge to enter the museum, though donations are, of course, welcome and theres a cafe on site for a quick cuppa before you blast off home.

Discover BriTAin


1. Beachy HeadJust before our fi rst day draws to a conclusion we ride out of Brigh-ton and towards the dramatic chalk cliff s of Th e Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.

Rising 162m out of the water, Beachy Head is Britains highest chalk sea cliff , and it makes for remarkable view-ing as you approach it from the west before riding along it and dropping into Eastbourne. Along the route there are numerous viewing points where you can park up and walk out to the very edge of the cliff s. It goes without saying that you should be careful here. Th ese chalk sea cliff s are a perfect example of just how beautiful Britain really can be, and no matter what the weather is youll be in for an experience, with low clouds providing an eery and haunting atmosphere.

2. Lulwor th Cove and Durdle Door

Its hard to single out any specifi c place along the Jurassic Coast to see as it is riddled with dramatic and beautiful scenery. Chesil Beach is one such place

thats impressive to see, and our ride off ers a commanding view of it as we traverse the Jurassic Coast, but it is Lul-worth Cove and Durdle Door that must be seen. While you can ride to the beach at Lulworth Cove, it is best viewed from a higher vantage point, which can be reached via a short walk. Park the bikes up and put the eff ort in and youll be rewarded with stunning views of this uniquely shaped cove that has been formed by over 10,000 years of erosion. Be wary that the area around Lulworth is a very popular tourist destination in the months of July and August.

SEE


Now available for the

Water-cooled BMW1200 GS

Go on, you know

you should

Green lanes featured in previous issues of Adventure Bike RiderNo ABR Name/Location (see map)1 9 Kiln Bent/Ramsden Road (W Yorks) 2 9 Stanage Edge (Peak District)3 10 Salter Fell (Lancashire)4 10 Wayfarer Trail (North Wales)5 11 Rowland (Peak District)6 11 Sarn Helen, Betws-y-Coed (Wales)7 12 Strata Florida (Mid Wales)8 12 Corwen Car Wash (North Wales)9 12 Winton (Cumbria)10 13 Old Coach Road (Lake District)11 13 Sarn Helen (South Wales)12 14 Beginners Loop (The Cotswolds)13 15 Rudland Rigg (North Yorkshire)14 15 Three Shires (The Peak District)15 16 Farm Trails (North Yorkshire)16 16 Pant Lane Farm (Mid Wales)17 17 Mynydd Bach (Brecon Beacons)18 17 Little Langdale (Lake District)19 18 Askam in Furness Coastal Trail (Cumbria)20 18 Macmillan Way (Gloucestershire)21 19 Fosse Way (Somerset)22 20 Stalling Busk (Yorkshire Dales)

No ABR Name/Location (see map)23 21 Bwlchy Groes (North Wales)24 21 The Highway (Yorkshire Dales/Cumbria)25 22 Claerwen Reservoir (Mid Wales)26 22 Cyff ylliog Trails (North Wales)27 23 Kings Lynn, Hunstanton (Norfolk)28 25 Chatsworth & Two Dales (Peak District)29 25 Kirkby Stephen Trails (Cumbria)30 26 Golf Links (Rhayader)31 26 Four of North Kents byways (Kent)32 27 Alcester Trails (Warwickshire)33 27 A Trip Around Vigo Village (Kent)34 28 Llwybr Ceiriog Trail (North Wales)35 28 To Hill Trail (North Yorkshire)36 29 Breasthigh Road (Cumbria)37 29 Four More Kent Byways (Kent)38 30 Coast to Coast39 31 Pheasant Penn Steps (North Wales)40 31 Harrop Edge (West Yorkshire)41 32 Holmfi rth Trails (West Yorkshire)42 32 Settle Trails (North Yorkshire)43 33 Settle Trails, Part 2 (North Yorkshire)44 33 Glaisdale Rigg (North Yorkshire)

Legal trail riding in the UK G r e e n L a n e su k

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Issue 34: Masham moor, yorkshire and stonehenge, wiltshire

GREEN LANES


4 5 M A S H A M M O O R , N O R T H Y O R K S H I R E 6.71 MILES | WOW FACTOR | Words and photos: Mike Beddows

It used to be possible to link Masham Moor with the trail heading over to Scar House Reservoir to the west, and from here take Deadmans Hill into the Yorkshire Dales. Unfortunately Deadmans Hill now has an 18 month TRO which eff ectively puts a stop to this which is a real shame.

THE ROUTE 12

Leaving the main road you proceed past an Unsuitable for motor vehicles sign along a deteriorating tarmac track. e trail quickly goes to gravel at the sides and grass appears in the middle. Proceed about 400m to a gate. Head through the gate onto Longside Moor.

23Continue along more of same kind of track, hard compact, a few loose stones and grass growing in the middle. Proceed slightly up-hill where there is less grass and more loose stone. When I was there there was Grouse everywhere. Proceed to the junction. Head-

his trail off ers a fantastic, fast route across moorland and in places its possible to real-ly motor along in relatively safely as you can see for miles

ahead. Its very bleak on top of the moors and with an altitude of 400m at the highest point it can bear the brunt of any bad weather thats passing through. at said, on a clear day the views are fantastic. While you can open the throttle in places please take care as the numerous loose rocks and occasionally sandy bits can have you off in an instant.

e easiest way to access this trail from the west is heading north from the village of Pately Bridge. After passing Gouthwaite Reservoir I had planned to veer right at Ramsgill and onto the trail. But restricted byway signs on the ground prevented me from proceeding. Luckily theres a second start point further north, and this is where Ive started this lane from.

i t s b l e a k o n t h e m o o r s

TTHE FACTS

D i s ta n c e : 6.71 miles

N e a r e s t t o w n : Masham (N) & Ripon (SE)

M a p s : Nidderdale OS Explorer 298

Start/End grid reference: SE114750 / SE213759

D i f f i c u lt y r at i n g: 2

W o w fa c t o r : 3

O t h e r t r a i l s : The trail in the Dales (West)

require a detour access now as Deadmans hill has a TRO, and

the trails in North Yorkshire (east) are some distance away

GREEN LANES


ing right leads towards the restricted byway (but it isnt signed as such so may be worth exploring if you have time and you can loop back up to point four). Proceed left.

34Continue about 300 metres and head through the gate. You are now passing over open moorland and it can be very bleak in bad weather. ere are two 4x4 ruts which can contain puddles up to a foot deep and some dips to get air from if you wish.

45Another junction and a trail sign posted Six dales trail heads off to the right. Again, it may be worth exploring if you have time. Continue straight on. You pass a public foot-path on left and there are some great view here looking east. Heading downhill now you can see the trail winding its way into the distance. Take care on this section as its all too easy to pick up speed, and you can encounter soft sand in one particular part of this section.

56Head over a small bridge, theres a footpath off to the left. Continue Straight on. ere are more puddles up to a foot deep. Stop and take a look back and you can see trail wind-ing its way down to where you are. ere are still great views looking east as you continue

downhill. Keep to the right as you pass the next fork in the track. I noticed a footpath sign off to the right, but could see no trace of a footpath. Just white markers heading over the open moorland. e track forks again, this time keep to the left.

67 e going gets slightly more diffi cult, but still nothing too serious. ere are a few bigger rocks on the steeper section. Contin-ue to a gate where the moors end.

78Continue down a farm track to the road at the end.

89Short tarmac section which leads to the next short trail. At the left turn, continue straight on signposted Biggin Wood. A fairly easy farm lane which passes through a small ford.

Based on Ordnance Survey Mapping Crown copyright 076/13

1 23 4

5

67

8

9

in some pl aces it s p ossible to re ally

motor along

GREEN LANES


4 6 S T O N E H E N G E , W I LT S H I R E 3.23 MILES | WOW FACTOR | Words and photos: Mike Beddows

half of the plain making it the largest mili-tary training area in the UK. Of this around 39 square miles are permanently closed to the public, and access is restricted in other areas. However, the network of legal byways crossing the plain is fantastic. ey are everywhere and something you have to see to believe if you are not local to the area. ey are all extremely well signposted and as a result off -piste activity is severely dealt with. Ive been informed that there are 4x4 and motorbike patrols and fi nes are not un-common for those venturing off the tracks. Be wary of red fl ags fl ying and legal byways that may be closed due to military activity.

As well as Stonehenge and the fantastic network of byways the local area off ers a lot more in the way of cultural delights, theres the white horses carved out of the chalk hillsides, Silbury Hill, Avebury Ring (that I personally think is more spectacular than Stonehenge) and the West Kennet Long Barrow to name a few. Defi nitely worth an extended stay in the area if you are travelling from afar.

his trail takes you very close to one of the most famous monuments on Earth, Stonehenge, and is located eight miles north of Salisbury

in Wiltshire. At the closest point you will be riding a mere 0.2 miles from the ancient monument so this trail off ers fantastic views as you pass. e fi rst section of trail is very easy and well suited for beginners, once you cross the A303 the going gets a bit trickier but nothing too diffi cult so if youre a begin-ner and feeling adventurous feel free to give it a go. eres plenty of space to turn around if it gets too tough.

North of this trail is the vast Salisbury Plain. e plain is a chalk plateau and covers 200 square miles mainly in Wiltshire, but a little in Hampshire as well. e plain is sparsely populated as a result of military activity and is the largest remaining area of calcareous grasslands in north-west Europe. e military training area covers roughly

b i g b i k e f r i e n d ly

r o u t e w i t h a v i e w : s t o n e h e n g e s i t t i n g i n t h e b a c k g r o u n d

a s t h e t r a i l c o n t i n u e s i t b e c o m e s a l o t m u d d i e r

TTHE FACTS

D i s ta n c e : 3.23 miles

N e a r e s t t o w n : Salisbury, 8 miles south

M a p s : Salisbury and Stonehenge,

OS Explorer 130

Start/End grid reference: SU125437 / SE099393

D i f f i c u lt y r at i n g: 1-3

W o w fa c t o r : 4

O t h e r t r a i l s : The scope for trail riding in the local area is fantastic.

GREEN LANES


Based on Ordnance Survey Mapping Crown copyright 076/13

THE ROUTE

12Start at Larkhill heading south. e trail begins as a tarmac road and turns to dirt heading round a slight right hand bend.

23Continue along the straight road with a hard compact graded base. ere are a few pot holes but the going is very easy in any weath-er and probably ridable on any bike with any tyres if care is taken. You can see Stonehenge coming into view on the left. Its worth stop-ping to take in the views and a few photos.

34Continue over the crossroads, take care here. e old visitor centre has closed down and this road is used by buses from the new visitor centre ferrying people to view Stone-henge from 1.5 miles away. eres not much of a view of Stonehenge now as its obstruct-ed by the hillside. Continue straight on and the best viewing area is a couple hundred metres up this section. e going is still the same, very straightforward. Continue to the A303. Take extreme care now. is road gets very busy and most people are concentrat-ing on looking at Stonehenge as they pass.

45 e next section is slightly harder, probably a grade 2-3, so beginners have the opportunity to end the trail here. Continue straight on and the trail becomes a lot more muddy and slippery with fi elds on either side. ere are several ruts to navigate and you can see the trail heading off into the distance. Its worth stopping after a couple hundred meters and looking back towards Stonehenge. While the fi rst section of trail is great for viewing I personally prefer the view from the A303 but there is no ideal place to stop there (though checking the map there is another byway to the east that starts at the A303 opposite Stonehenge that may be worth checking out).

56After a couple hundred metres the trail becomes hard packed again and the going becomes easier as you ride a well graded farm access track. As you reach the bottom there is likely to be standing water (but this isnt too troublesome) and then head uphill slightly. Same kind of hard compact going.

67As you reach the trees the going becomes more diffi cult again and there is plenty of mud, including a nice long muddy puddle thats just over a foot deep (after rain!). Con-tinue to the end.

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DID YOU KNOW Stonehenge is a ring of standing stones that have fascinated archaeologists, historians and the public for many years. It is unclear as to when it was built, but most agree it was between 2000 3000 BC (slightly wide timescale if you ask me!). It is currently one of the seven wonders of the medieval world and the land around Stonehenge is owned by the National Trust. Those who built Stonehenge had to have been extremely sophisticated in mathematics and geometry as it was aligned with the midwinter sunset and the midsummer sunset. It was also aligned with the most northerly setting and most southerly rising of the moon. It is estimated to have taken at least 30 million hours of labour to build and some say it took approximately 1,500 years. Opinions diff er on whether Stonehenge was built for ritual activities or whether it was built as an astronomical observatory. Some people even believe that aliens built Stonehenge but there has been no proof of this theory. One things for sure, its a fantastic feat of engineering and some of the stones were obtained from 240 miles away, and weighing up to 20 tonnes it was no easy task to get them to where they are today.

GREEN LANES


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ABR Masterclass Learn how to get it right on your next big adventure

Photo: xxxxxx

ABRMasterclass

Riding Techniques 38

Photography 40

Medical Advice 42

Maintenance 44

Legal 46

Masterclass


Riding techniques: Mastering riding in MudIts the bane of even the most experienced rider, but once youve mastered the right technique, riding through mud can be enjoyable, Robert Wicks shares his secrets

It can make for some great photo-graphs and post-trip stories, but rid-ing through serious mud is arguably one of adventure ridings tougher challenges, particularly for someone who is still building their confi dence. Ultimately, practice makes perfect and you should remember that even though its a skill that can be diffi cult to master, its worth having in your repertoire in case you get into a tough situation.

Riding in unpredictable conditions such as mud generally means less trac-tion to count on, hence less control. Un-like more stable surfaces, riding through mud means you need to plan further ahead for any change in speed or direc-tion, and to then make this change at

the appropriate time. Be aware that mud conceals whats beneath, so be prepared for unexpected ruts and stones.

Generally speaking, there are no se-crets or easy answers for a rider wanting to move a heavily-laden adventure bike through mud. As a general rule, walk it fi rst and if you cant stand on it, you probably cant ride it. Technique can vary from standing up, through to a lot of paddling with your feet as you proceed. Be prepared to take your time moving through thick mud can be a slow process.

If the mud is not too deep and you can still stand up, use the neutral position. If you feel you are losing traction, then shift your weight to the back of the bike to help the rear wheel grip and drive. If

you are losing steering control, then try to move forward to put more weight on the front wheel, helping it to grip and steer. Ride in a taller gear, keep the revs low, and feather the clutch when necessary.

Momentum is your friend, especially on a big bike, so carrying a degree of safe speed will always help in these con-ditions, and linked to this is the need, where possible, to use open, fl owing lines which will help to maintain your speed. Remember at all times to try and pick the line which off ers the most grip. If you do feel the bike moving about, remember that you can move and adjust your body-weight to compensate. Th at said, these need to be subtle adjustments and you should try to avoid any sudden changes

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robert Wicks is the author of four acclaimed adventure motorcycling titles from haynes Publishing. he has always had a passion for adventure travel and motorcycles and has worked in the media and sports marketing industries for much of his career, including several years with the superbike World championship and MotogP. an avid outdoor enthusiast and keen photographer, his travels have taken him to more than 50 countries around the globe.

Robert Wicks

Masterclass: rIDINg techNIQUes


i t s n o t e a s y t o h a u l a g s t h r o u g h d e e p m u d

in weight shift or throttle oscillation. Steer-ing control in loose conditions resides in the legs and hips, and you will fi nd the bike is tremendously responsive to peg inputs.

Th e principle of keeping the tyres per-pendicular to the surface is most important, as even a slight angle can send you sprawl-ing. In muddy ruts, always try to align your body and the bike so that you are not fi ghting the edge of the rut, but try to keep the front well weighted to maintain grip and steering control. A gung-ho approach of blasting at speed through a long patch of mud seldom works for bigger bikes. Instead, commit, look up and ahead, and keep the bike moving at a brisk walking speed.

Your bike may also overheat during a pe-riod of slow riding and higher-than-normal revs, so check the radiator to ensure that it is not caked with mud.

Make sure your bike has tyres that are best suited to dealing with the mud. A road-going tyre or even an intermediate tyre is always going to struggle. You might also want to look at moving the front fender up so it doesnt clog with mud and hinder the rota-tion of the front wheel.

If you do get stuck, jump off quickly and push with the bike in fi rst gear oh, and take that all important photo to show your mates!

Heres how its donePanoramas are created from pho-tographing a number of images in sequence, and moving the camera slightly between each shot and then stitching the images together in a post-processing program like Photo-shop.

Bear in mind that creating a super wide image doesnt necessarily make for a great photo. Th e trick is to make sure that youve got something of in-terest in your foreground, middle and background. Keep a lookout for trees, lakes, a posed motorcycle, (my favour-ite) mountains, dramatic skies or even a road that sweeps around a long bend or disappears into the distance.

Photography: How to set and shoot panoramic imagesABRs photography expert Simon Thomas shares his secrets to creating the perfect panoramic photo

Theres nothing like the feeling of escaping on your bike to a wide, expansive landscape, opening the throttle and getting lost in the moment. Whether youre surrounded by distant mountains, desert or an end-less savannah, the moment is still special.

Being able to capture and share an image of that vast landscape youve just ridden into is pretty special too, as is the technique used to capture those wide panoramic images that we see in magazines like Adventure Bike Rider and on the web. Sure, theres a learning curve to getting it right, but once youve nailed the technique, I guarantee youll be addicted to creating more and more dramatic panoramas.

Words and images: Simon Thomas

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simon and lisa thomas have ridden their way into a life that most of us can only imagine. this year is the start of their 12th year on the road and in those years the duo has amazzed an insane 420,000 miles on their ride through 78 countries and six continents. along the way theyve traversed 27 deserts, survived a broken neck in the amazon Jungle, cheated death and become professional photographers, writers and public speakers. www.2ridethworld.com

SIMON& L IS A

Masterclass: PhotograPhy


http://www.2ridethworld.com

Turning headsTo make sure that your images line up youre going to need to use a tripod. This will also ensure that your huge panora-ma is tack sharp. Remember to turn the VR (vibration reduction) off. Adjust or loosen the head of your tripod to allow for smooth movement through the hor-izontal plane. Yes, that just means left to right or vice versa.

Now, tilt your camera into a portrait position. Shooting in portrait will allow you to capture taller images. In turn this means your finished panorama will have more details and give you more editing and cropping options. Shooting in landscape orientation is a newbie mistake, so avoid it.

ExposedSet your camera to manual exposure, this ensures that each image in your

sequence is exposed equally (no images are brighter or darker than the others). Set your exposure for the brightest image in your sequence. To be safe, go ahead and dial in 0.3 0.7 stops of ex-posure compensation to ensure that you dont loose detail in the brightest areas of your images. I like to shoot some-where between f8 and f16, this means I can capture a stronger field of depth and my image is sharp from front to back.

FocusPoint your camera at what you want to be the focus of your panorama and press the shutter release button half-way down to focus the lens on that spot. Now, turn your lens from Auto focus to manual. Youve just effectively locked in that focus. Alternatively, just select manual focus on your lens and turn your lens ring to focus on your subject

A s i a s fa m o u s s i l k r o u t e

or, somewhere between your fore-ground and background.

OverlapIts picture taking time! The key to cre-ating great panoramas is to ensure that each of your images in your sequence overlap. How much overlap? Well, my advice is make sure that each image overlaps the last by 1/3 to a half. Too much overlap is better than too little.

I use Adobe Bridge to select my image sequence and Adobe Photoshops auto-mated Photo-merge feature to align and stitch my sequence together.

The shot here was taken by Lisa and is comprised of nine separate images stitched together to form this one pan-orama. Asias famous Silk Route makes for one hell of a backdrop.

Go get stitching, youll be amazed at your own results.

T h i s p a n o r a m a c o n s i s t s o f n i n e p h o t o s

Masterclass: PhotograPhy


Medical: Dealing with a concussion part 2In the last issue of Adventure Bike Rider, Doc Edwards explained exactly what a concussion is, in part two he describes what to do if youre unfortunate enough to get one

Most people dont think that there is much to do after a concussion has happened, but in reality there are certain things you should do to speed up recovery and ensure youre well cared for.

Decrease infl ammation through diet and supplementationIt is clear from research that the brain heals better when avoiding glucose and fructose and other processed carbo-hydrates in the diet. In fact, the ben-efi ts of putting yourself into a state of nutritional ketosis by eating a diet high in fats and low in carbohydrates is sup-ported by research. By ketosis I mean that your body is using fat for energy either from consuming a high fat/low carb diet or fasting.

Consume healthy fatsMake sure you get your fats from healthy sources such as those from fatty fi sh, freshly pressed oils, pasture raised meat,

and DHA fi sh oil supplements. Also consume marine food such as oysters and fi sh. Fish that contain the highest amounts of DHA are easy to remember by thinking of the SMASH diet. Smash stands for salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring.

Other supplements that decrease in-fl ammation are high levels of curcumin, coconut oil (MCT oil), and DHA.

Vitamin C/Glutathione/Vitamin EVitamins C, E and glutathione have all been used in the treatment of TBI (trau-matic brain injuries) and are thought to decrease the free radical induced oxidative damage and cell membrane damage that occur. Th e studies that are out there show that a high dose vitamin C is what is most eff ective.

Glutathione goes to work inside your cells to protect your mitochondria. Your liver produces a certain amount of it naturally though many factors, includ-ing diet, toxin exposure, alcohol, medi-

cations, stress and ageing can all deplete your supply leaving you vulnerable to oxidative stress and free radicals. A good way to increase glutathione is by taking N-Acetyl L-Cystiene (NAC) packets found in most pharmacies.

Vitamin D3 and K2On to more vitamins, consume a blend of vitamins D3 and K2, both of which can help with brain injury. Vitamin D and K should really be thought of as one since they work together. Th e more im-portant point in talking about vitamins D and K is that most people are defi cient in these. Defi ciencies are associated with signifi cant impairment in cogni-tive performance.

Decreasing stress in the bodyTh is entails decreasing excess stress hor-mones produced by the body. Stress can be caused by numerous things, though decreasing stress is paramount around the time of a brain injury and that is why

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Johnathan (Doc) edwards M.D. is a veteran physician for the KtM red Bull Dakar rally team. During his medical career he has completed training in anesthesia, sports medicine, nutrition and massage. Doc edwards has completed five Dakark rallies as well as many adventure rides and has written a book called Chasing Dakar. he rides a KtM 640 adventure motorcycle and continues to help aspiring rally racers prepare for the Dakar rally.

Johnedwards

Masterclass: MeDIcal


most doctors recommend rest during the ini-tial period and, if severe enough, the patient is put into an artifi cial coma. Th e best things to help in this regard are music, meditation, con-trolling light and noise, getting enough sleep, and patience. Th is is where having a therapist can pay off as being able to talk about things in a controlled environment can relieve stress.

Brain nootropicsNootropics are called smart drugs, memo-ry enhancers, neuro enhancers, cognitive enhancers, and intelligence enhancers. Th ey are said to improve certain aspects of mental function including working memory, moti-vation and attention. All of these are aff ected in brain injuries. Many doctors will prescribe nootropics during the period of a brain injury for several reasons.

Amphetamines such as Adderall and meth-ylphenidate help improve performance on memory, control and task completion. Wake-fulness promoting agents such as Modafi nil increase alertness, particularly in patients with brain injury and sleep deprivation.

Adaptogenic herbs Adaptogens increase the bodys resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety, and/or fatigue. If you want a ready-made package of adaptogenic herbs, Tianchi is the best on the market.

MagnesiumMagnesium can have neural calming and an-ti-infl ammatory eff ects and has been shown to help in the treatment of brain injuries. It is an essential dietary mineral, and the second most prevalent electrolyte in the body.

Optimising sleepOptimising sleep is complex and has many steps. Apart from the many supplements that exist to improve sleep quality, it is important to be sure that you do not develop apnea, which is one thing that can happen to people who have brain injuries. You can purchase monitors for in-home use to see if you have apnea or not. Th is would be well worth the investment.

Brain stimulationNow, all this refers to when it comes to brain stimulation are the diff erent cognitive train-ing games. Examples are Luminosity and Brainscape. Learning a second language is eff ective treatment for a brain injury as well. Use an app such as Duolingo.

Information in this article is not intended to replace the advice of a medical doctor nor the treatment you may receive in a hospital. If you have an injury to your head, please have it properly evaluated by a medical professional.

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Ask Dave ABRs resident expert of everything bikes answers your questions

Q. Dave, I have recently given a tired old Honda CRM250AR a new lease of life, with hours of TLC, new parts and lots of heart and soul, I love riding it so much, however as it was more designed for short rides or competitions, the seat becomes somewhat uncomfortable after an hour of riding. Without upgrading to a larger more comfortable adventure bike, is there a way of modifying the seat to make it more comfortable? Phill, Brynmawr

A. Th anks for writing in, Phill, before we do anything, allow me to congrat-ulate you on acquiring one of the best relatively unknown trail bikes about.

While you ask specifi cally about the seat lets fi rst look at the minor details that can be easily adjusted to help you get comfortable on the bike. Changing handlebar and footrest position can alter the comfort on any bike quite a bit and sometimes making these small

changes will aff ect how you sit on the bike, taking some of the pressure off ya bum.

Moving the bars closer or further away, raising or lowering them, either by changing for a diff erent bend or using bar risers of some description is a good start. When it comes to footrest position, try out diff erent positions, like higher or lower, or moving them for-ward or backwards. Subtle changes like these make the bike fi t you, rather than you adapting to the way the manufac-turer has set it up for Mr Average.

Back to the seat changes then.Th ere are various products that have

been designed with the purpose of add-ing comfort. Some of these may not be suitable for a trail bike though.

Sheepskin is a favourite, but can get very soggy if youre out in the rain or riding lots of wet ruts.

Infl atable pads that fi x to the seat and can be very easily adjusted are a well

used and well liked method of prevent-ing numb-bum and improving long distance comfort.

In the same vain, gel pads that strap on to the seat can be comfortable and easily swapped to other bikes. A great solution if youre planning on getting a second steed for diff erent occasions.

Th e more permanent way of improv-ing comfort though is to take your seat to an upholsterer and either have the type of foam changed or better still get a gel pad inserted. Th is may cost a little and be diffi cult to alter once set up if it isnt spot on, but if you get it right it can make a world of diff erence.

My other suggestion is try some pad-ded shorts from your local cycle shop. It might sound a bit strange at fi rst, but I know many people that swear by this, and its a great way of improving comfort without making any changes to the bike.Alternatively, nick a cushion from the sofa and tie it on with a bit of string, job done!

GOT SOMETHING TO ASK DAVE? Send in your bike related questions to [email protected] and if we publish yours youll get a free years subscription to ABR!

ABRMasterclass

P h i l l s r e b u i l d

read more about Phills honda crM250ar custom build on page 152.

read more

Masterclass: MaINteNaNce



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Legal: which trails can I legally ride?ABRs legal eagle, Andrew Dalton, takes a look at the legality of trail riding in the UK

The law on green lanes is simple but messy. Your starting point is that a road marked as a by-way open to all traffi c ( ) on an Ordnance Survey map should be OK to ride, but life is never that simple. If you cannot read an Ordnance Survey map, maybe green laning or adventure biking should not be your thing, but if you can read a map, the fact that that the OS shows a byway is half the battle. e next question is is it a restricted byway? If it is marked as restricted nothing with a motor can go on it. e next test is does it have a traffi c restriction order (TRO) showing no access to bikes or bikes and cars? A lot of green lanes are shut in the winter, some are for motorbikes only, and nothing else with a motor can use them. Check out www.trailwise.org.uk for a comprehensive list of green lanes around the UK and their status.

Bridleways and footpaths are strictly

forbidden, as are common areas of land for use by motorised traffi c, but the police have limited powers. Riding on bridleways, footpaths or common land is an off ence under Section 34 of the Road Traffi c Act, but it is a non-endors-able off ence carrying a maximum fi ne of 1,000. e police do have powers of seizure of vehicles for repeat off enders but notice has to be given under Section 58 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

e highways authority must mark out the route and status of byways and they must be marked with reasonable clarity. e test is whether or not a per-son unfamiliar with the area could route themselves around the byways without excessive diffi culty.

e truth of the matter is that the po-lice have no method of policing byways or bridleways, it is respect for the law which stops riders using the coun-tr

Adventure bike rider may-june 2016

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