One great thing about Europe is the diversity in scenery within a relatively small area. One day you can be motorbiking through the Alps and the next day you are cruising along the coast. The winding European roads are a lot of fun to drive, so if you’re looking for the next big route, you need to check out the ones on this list.

The Amalfi Coast, Italy     

What better place to start than southern Italy, arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world with one of the most incredible drives you’ll find anywhere. The trip from Naples to Salerno going around the Amalfi coast is absolutely stunning, and the best part is it can be done in a few hours if you drive straight through. Starting from the chaotic city of Naples, you’ll drive past Pompei and Mt Vesuvius and through the coastal town of Sorrento before arriving at Salerno. There are plenty of great cafes to stop, have a coffee, and take in the sights, so you can choose to take an afternoon, a whole day, or even spread it over a weekend!

From Cabo de Gata to Granada, Spain

From southern Italy to southern Spain, our next route takes you from the coastal town of Cabo de Gata to the city of Granada. What’s great about this journey is that you’ve got two choices - depending on what you want to see. You can drive across the southern coast of Spain before heading north and passing the Sierra Nevada mountain range, or you can head north, driving through the beautiful Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada and getting a great view of the mountain range from the other side. Both journeys will take 2-3 hours if you don’t stop, but if you take the coastal route, we recommend stopping at one of the beautiful seafront cafes to take in the view.

The Cat and Fiddle run, England   

The next route on our list is often described as the most dangerous road in Britain and is ridden for the challenge rather than for the scenery. That said, it does go through the Peak District, which is a beautiful part of the country, but you’ll be too busy focusing on the road to truly enjoy it. The road is constantly climbing through a series of sharp bends until you reach the Cat and Fiddle Inn at the summit. From there, you begin your descent into Macclesfield through another series of sharp (and often blind) corners. Local motorcyclists often consider the road a gamble, especially in wet conditions, which are common in the UK. For a safer way to spend your time, give an online casino UK site with exciting casino games a go.

The Transfagarasan Highway, Romania

The last route on our list is one that visitors to Europe often overlook: the Transfagarasan Highway in Romania. This 90km stretch of road snakes up through Romania’s highest mountains, giving you fantastic views of the country. As well as stunning views, it’s also a challenging ride, with sweeping turns, tight hairpins and long dark tunnels to navigate. The best time to take the journey is during the week, as it often gets busy over the weekends. The Highway is generally closed from late October/early November through to June due to the ice and snow at the summit. If you can get over for the summer, it’s a route you won’t want to miss.

Conclusion

These routes highlight the variety of journeys you can find across Europe, from treacherous mountain roads in Romania to leisurely coastal drives in the south of Italy. There are plenty more stunning routes around the continent that we haven’t mentioned, including the Furka Pass in Switzerland, the Antrim coast road in Northern Ireland, and Bergen to Geiranger in Norway.

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ROAD SAFETY and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is keen to ensure motorcyclists put safety first on rides this summer. At the heart of this call, according to GEM, is a focus on rider skill for those who may be back into biking after a lengthy gap.  

There were 285 motorcycle fatalities in 2020 (the most recent available figures), with 4,429 seriously injured. Date from recent years consistently shows that ‘born again bikers’ (males aged between 40 and 60) continue to be an over-represented group in collisions.

GEM chief executive Neil Worth commented: “There’s a lot of satisfaction to be gained from riding a motorcycle with skill and precision. That’s why we’re encouraging riders to give themselves a ‘skills MOT’ which will help ensure they lower the risks they face on journeys – and greatly reduce the likelihood of being involved in a collision.

“The recent heatwave has placed unprecedented pressure on the already overstretched emergency services this summer, so anything we can all do as road users to avoid adding to this pressure will help save lives.”

Follow GEM’s simple ‘lifesaver’ safety tips and reduce the risk of being involved in a collision:

• Invest in a refresher day with a training professional. Search online for motorcycle training days or consult your local club or advanced motorcyclists’ group.
• Motorbikes are capable of rapid acceleration and high speeds, but if you’re back into biking after a lengthy gap, then your reactions are likely to have slowed down. Typically, a 55-year-old’s reactions will be almost a third slower than those of a 25-year-old.
• Ensure self-preservation is your priority. The predominant cause of motorcycle crashes is the failure of car drivers to detect and recognise motorcycles in traffic. So, wear high visibility clothing on all journeys, and ride in a way that gives others a better chance of seeing you.
• Please invest in the best protective equipment you can afford. For example, your helmet should be comfortable and fit correctly (for details of ‘SHARP’, the national helmet safety scheme, visit sharp.dft.gov.uk).
• Choose boots that are sturdy, well-fitting and above ankle height. Remember, nearly one fifth of all hospital admissions for motorcycling injuries involved broken bones in the lower leg, so providing protection for ankles and feet is vital.
• On a ride, don’t go beyond your comfort zone, especially if you’re riding in a group. If your friends are cornering too quickly for you, let them go and join them at the next junction.
• Try not to dwell on your errors as you go along. Plan 10 to 15 seconds ahead, anticipate the next hazards. When you stop for a break, reflect on anything that didn’t go to plan, ask what you have learnt and how you can reduce the chance of the same thing happening again.

www.motoringassist.com

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The UK is an amazing place to take a road trip no matter how many wheels your vehicle has. This country is home to winding routes, spectacular landscapes, amazing scenery and some of the best roadside pubs and restaurants to stop off at. If you love the freedom of the open road, then the UK is an ideal place to be. From the coasts of Devon and Cornwall all the way to the Scottish Highlands, you can find smooth roads and stunning views. No matter which region you choose to explore, some foresight and planning will help you put together the best trip. With that in mind, here are some of the main tips to keep in mind when you plan a motorbike road trip in the UK.

Be Flexible with Planning

First of all, it’s a good idea to have a general plan in place, including a detailed route of any roads that you are going to be taking and where you are going to be staying, so that you can get the most from your trip with a smooth and stress-free experience. If you’re going to be staying on the road overnight, it’s a good idea to book your stays in advance as the last thing that you want is to end up struggling to find somewhere to stay after a long day of riding. It’s also a good idea to check the weather in advance and plan your trip around it, as you will want to avoid getting caught in any storms.

However, while careful planning is essential for some aspects of your trip, it’s also good to have some room for flexibility. When you’re on a motorbike road trip, it’s good to be able to keep your plans flexible as much as possible as you never know when the weather might change or when you might want to stay somewhere different to where you had originally planned if you’re too tired from driving or have found somewhere else that you like better. Try to book places to stay with free cancellation or amendments.

Breakdown Cover and Insurance

Before heading on a motorbike road trip across the UK, it’s important to protect yourself and your bike in the event of an emergency or accident. As a motorbike rider it’s hard to ignore the statistics that prove accidents and fatalities are more common on motorbikes compared to in cars, which is why it is so important to make sure that you are safe and have precautions in place to protect both you and your vehicle. Driving on roads that you are not familiar with can increase the risk of an accident, so make sure that your motorbike insurance is valid and up to date.   

Along with checking your insurance, you should also make sure that you have valid motorcycle breakdown cover for the duration of your trip. If you are unlucky enough to have your bike break down in a remote location, you will want to know that somebody can come to help and take your bike to the nearest place where it can get repaired.

Communication, Navigation and Entertainment

Once you are on the road and exploring the country, it’s important to have a good system in place so that you know where you are going, especially if you are travelling somewhere you have never been before. A good GPS system is one of the best pieces of equipment that you can have on your bike.

Along with this, you should make sure that you have enough data on your phone so that if you need to stop and check Google Maps to figure out where you need to go, you’ll be able to do so easily.

If you don’t already have unlimited data on your phone, most networks will allow you to purchase an add-on so that you can use as much data as you like. This is definitely worth paying for as Wi-Fi might not always be available everywhere you go, especially when you get to the more remote areas. 

Clothing

Making sure that you pack the right clothes for your motorbike road trip is another part of planning. While you might not be able to fit everything that you want to bring, you should make sure that you can carry any indispensable items with you, especially clothing items that are designed to protect you against the often unpredictable weather in the UK. If you don’t already have one, it is worth investing in an outfit that is lightweight, high quality, breathable, waterproof, and designed to be worn in all weathers.

You may want to consider getting a good quality jacket that is fitted with a removable fleece or thermal liner so that you can easily be comfortable in all weather conditions. Invest in biking jeans or trousers that are designed to not only look cool but also offer the utmost protection in the event of an accident. Consider getting an undergarment that’s designed to absorb moisture and is breathable as this will make it easier for you to enjoy a ride that is more comfortable and less sweaty. And last but not least, invest in some heated gloves if you are going to be travelling during the autumn or winter.

The UK offers some of the best roads for a motorbike road trip with everything you need no matter where you go. Whether you’re exploring the Scottish Highlands or the coasts of the UK, keep these tips in mind to plan the road trip of a lifetime.

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FROM 2023 MORE SPACE FOR TEAMS AND RIDERS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO GROW IN THE SADDLE OF A FORMATIVE, PERFOMANT BIKE WITH LOW RUNNING COSTS

After two years of growth and satisfaction, the Trofeo Aprilia 660 evolves to give even more space to the teams and riders who choose this formative formula to begin their path in the world of sport motorcycling.

The Aprilia RS 660, born as an easy and intuitive road bike, immediately showed incredible dynamic qualities and a propensity for track riding rooted in the very DNA of the Italian manufacturer's products. The torque-rich and usable twin-cylinder engine, a sincere and communicative chassis and a front end with the feeling of a real racing bike have made it, thanks to targeted modifications, a perfect formula in the transition from the minor categories to the higher displacement bikes. The constant on-track development conducted by BK Corse, the young test rider Tommaso Marcon and the expert Matteo Baiocco has brought the 660 Trofeo project to full maturity, an evolution that now allows the focus of preparation and management to be shifted directly to the teams and private riders who intend to engage in the Trofeo.

This is a necessary step in the growth process of the Trofeo 660 which, in parallel with the commitment in the Twins Cup category of MotoAmerica, confirms the value of both the Aprilia RS 660 and the management formula: performance worthy of much more expensive bikes and the ability to train young riders in the "modern" riding of top-level motorbike competition.

MASSIMO RIVOLA - APRILIA RACING CEO
"What we are announcing today is an important step in the evolution of the Trofeo Aprilia 660, which for us is not just a single-brand championship but a true concept. In which we believe and which we want to see grow, together with the riders and teams that participate in it. Entrusting the management of the bike and the race weekend directly to them means increasing, even more, the training value of this formula that we want to turn into a real 'School of Champions'.
We are doing this now, after two years of constant evolution, because we believe that from a technical point of view the Aprilia RS 660 has reached full maturity. This is thanks to the incredible work of our partner BK Corse, a structure whose competence and professionalism will remain an integral part of the Trofeo in its confirmed capacity as organiser. A road-derived bike that, in the hands of test rider Tommaso Marcon, manages to lap in 1'58 at Mugello is proof of which road to take for the future of the training categories. We are also thinking about this at international level, a continuation of the excellent work done with the Italian Federation in our two championships Aprilia 250 Sport Production and Trofeo 660".

Indian Motorcycle has announced two summer destination ride-ins to Baffle Haus and the Super Sausage for members of the brand’s Indian Motorcycle Riders (IMR). The ride-ins offer the opportunity to ride more, explore new roads, meet other Indian Motorcycle owners as well as gain an edge in the Indian Motorcycle Rally national ranking.  

Indian Motorcycle Riders members interested in participating in these ride-ins should register for free on EventBrite HERE.

Registration not only ensures entry on the day to the destination venues of Baffle Haus and the Super Sausage, but also entitles attendees to a commemorative gift and a free refreshment voucher on arrival. Once registered, riders can contact their local Indian Motorcycle dealership to find out how to join their local rider’s group as they make their way to the destinations. With fixed capacity at each destination, riders should act fast to ensure they can gain entry to these well-known motorcycle venues on the dates below.

Riders participating in the Indian Motorcycle Riders Rally should bring the IMR Rally passports to be stamped as these rides can be logged on the rally website for extra miles that count in the national ranking. The IMR Rally challenges owners to visit all 20 UK and Eire dealerships before Nov 30, gaining stamps on their unique Indian Motorcycle Rally Passport, recording their journey mileage with a national ranking to reward the highest number of stages and miles completed.

Indian Motorcycle Riders Summer Destination Ride-Ins

Baffle Haus – Saturday 20th August 

Capacity: 120

Baffle Haus is a café, event space that opened in March 2021 to be a hub of motorcycle culture realising in reality the Baffle Culture that has drawn so many followers on Instagram since 2016. With SHARE THE RIDE printed on the wall, a mantra they live by, Baffle Haus always strives to provide a warm, inclusive and welcoming place to visit. Stocking today’s best riding gear alongside their selected lifestyle range, grab a brew and try out the most sought after brands in one of the spacious changing rooms.

Other attractions in the area include – Tintern Abbey, Penderyn distillery, Llandegfedd Reservoir and the famous Black Mountain Pass (A4069) that cuts across the western corner of the Brecon Beacons and passes through Lower and Upper Brynamman.

www.baffleculture.com/bafflehaus

Google Maps

The Cedars, Goytre, Pontypool, United Kingdom, NP4 0AD

Super Sausage Café – Saturday 10th September

Capacity: 150

Situated on the A5 (Watling Street) in Potterspury, Northamptonshire, the Super Sausage is ideally located between Milton Keynes and Towcester and only 10 minutes from the world famous Silverstone race circuit. Now owned and managed by the Murray family who bought the cafe in July 2009, there has been a café on the site for well over 70 years, formally known as the Nelson cafe, which was renamed to the Super Sausage café in the 1970s. 

Other attractions nearby include the Stoke Bruene canal museum, Towcester racecourse, Bletchley Park, Cosgrove Park , not to mention the fantastic historic towns of Stony Stratford and Towcester.

Google Maps

Watling St, A5, Northampton, NN12 7QD

To find out more about Indian Motorcycle Riders membership, please visit: imrgmember.eu.

For more information on Indian Motorcycle visit IndianMotorcycle.co.uk and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.