A few folks expressed interest in the Colombia tours but don’t use Facebook. I’ve been using less and less lately, so I suppose it’s a perfectly reasonable request for the information another way.
So, I’ve added a page with the information to the Peak Motorcycles web page which should be accessible without needing any social media accounts… now I just need to find a way to reach those people 🤣. Not sure I’m ready for billboards or tv advertising just yet.
peakmotorcycles.com/pages/colombia-2024
Happy New Year all. After a busy 2023, this year is also shaping up to be a good one. I'm still working on editing my travel videos from last year, and while the weather is cold, wet and stormy, I'm finally finding some time for it.
This year I will be running two, one week fly-ride tours out of Medellin, Colombia in May. These are the first time these tours have been run and they are £1,400 for 8 nights B&B accommodation, 6 days riding (bike, fuel, guide, support vehicle), all meals on tour and one dinner in Medellin. Flights are extra. More information on what's included and the itinerary is on the Facebook events at:
4-12 May (5 spaces available) fb.me/e/43b8W5LDX
11-19 May (2 spaces available) fb.me/e/1Gl5knUik
I know that not everyone does Facebook (and why would they!?) so if you're interested in any of these, drop me a note to admin@peakmotorcycles.com and I'll send you the details via email.
A couple of years ago I met Clive and Noel from the @TheTAMPodcast at the ABR Festival.
They said hello, and that they did a podcast. I said I didn’t really listen to podcasts.
A couple of years on, I do. I’ve listened to four this year, but only the Trail and Adventure Motorbike Podcast on a regular basis… ok, not really, but when I have a long drive I catch up and I think I’m now up to date.
Anyway, I had a chat with them a couple of weeks ago and they’ve done something in the edit to make it a 50 minute podcast. I can only apologise, but if you’re curious, this is it:
www.tampodcast.com/tamp-season-6-episode-12-andre-…
Other weeks are better! 🤣
After a two week gap following my EICMA video marathon, I visited Motorcycle Live in the UK to cover some of the gaps from my other videos, both manufacturers who weren't in Milan, and also some key bits from the stands that I missed. I'm halfway through the edits now, and I'll be uploading this evening. Expect some content from the BMW, BSA, Herald, Norton, Ural, Langen and CCM stands, and some extra content on the Royal Enfield HIM-E, the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX, GSX-8R and V-Strom 800RE and the Kawasaki Ninja Hybrid and EV's.
After this, I'm definitely done with shows... until London in February 2024!
And I'm done. the 39th video is uploading now, and I'm going for a lie down. If you've never tried to make a video for YouTube, this will mean a bit more to you.
With some practice I can now prepare for, film, edit and publish a 7-10 minute stand video in around 1.5h.
For 39, that's around 60h of work to fit in to the 80h between 8:30am on a Tuesday and 4:30pm on a Friday. In that time I also have 4h of commuting to and from Fiera Milano for the show. The other 16h can be split between eating and sleeping for 4 days and 3 nights.
I think I'll now step away from the laptop for a bit (Until Motorcycle Live which starts a week tomorrow at least!)
Thanks for all the comments and views over the last four days. I hope I've given you a glimpse into what will be coming for the world of motorcycles in 2024.
Ride safe.
Another late finish yesterday, but that's 30 EICMA videos done. 9 more to go today and then I'm all done for this show. In no particular order, today will be Triumph, MV Agusta, QJ Motor, Cake, Enduristan, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, Keeway and Suzuki. I'll see if I can get them all done before teatime!
My apologies to those who requested videos from stands not in this list, unfortunately I ran out of time. I will be at Motorcycle Live in two weeks time, so if any were missed who will be there, I'll try to fill in the gaps then.
Thanks again to all who have watched, supported and commented. It is very much appreciated.
Of the new bikes that are coming out, there is a lot of interest in the new Himalayan 452 and also the CFMoto 450 MT. These bikes have similar specs, and I suspect similar prices (when they are announced) and seem to fill the gap between small capacity trail bikes and big adventure bikes.
I had been waiting for a bike in that gap for a while which is why I bought a Kove 450. The Kove is a Rally bike, not an Adventure bike and has the extra fuel capacity, better suspension and better off road performance to go with it. That said, it's also probably £2k more expensive than either of the two new offerings. So my question is to those of you who are looking for a lightweight adventure bike, all things considered, if you could buy any one of the three today with your own money, which way would you go?
Right then, that's enough for one day. The last two edits from today, Kove and Zontes will be published as soon as the uploads complete. I finished 9, with 13 more recorded but not edited yet. Today was actually better than I thought as I had only counted 18 videos done, whereas I've actually filmed 22. 9 edited is a few less than hoped for day 1, but sleep is required.
More fun to come tomorrow!
The clocks have changed. It’s dark at 4:30pm. It’s wet, and damp, and though I know I should (and will) keep riding, it’s just not the same.
I have guided trips across Europe for Magellan Motorcycle Tours and people that know me through Peak Motorcycles have often asked how come I don’t do guided tours of the Peaks. I’ve done a few day rides, for which folks were committed enough to travel half the length of the country, and while it was fun, part of the enjoyment of riding is the social aspect which is cut short when people have early starts and to get back home.
Recently, the rather fabulous new Bike & Boot hotel has opened up at the former site of the Rising Sun in Bamford and when visiting for lunch recently, I was delighted to see that they had dedicated motorcycle parking under massive umbrellas in the car park. I asked to look around and saw a bedroom, their residents lounge, cinema, bar and restaurant, and all this sparked a thought…. Maybe this could be a place where folks could gather for a weekend, perhaps to kick off the 2024 riding season, to ride the sights of the Peak District with plenty of stops for coffee, lunch and a chat, and even a few drinks in the bar in the evenings.
Quite a few emails later, I have a plan. For those who would like to join me, I will be running a Peak District Season Starter weekend on the weekend of 12-14th April 2024. Riders to arrive on the Friday afternoon and to gather in the bar to say hello. On Saturday a 10am start will visit many of the highlights of the Peak District, stopping for lunch at the excellent The Oil Can Cafe at The Carding Shed in Holmfirth before continuing on and finally back to the Bike & Boot for 4-4:30pm. An evening talking about motorcycles will follow and on Sunday morning, a shorter 10am ride on new roads will take us first south before finishing at the always popular @theoldsmithymonyash for a spot of lunch before saying our goodbyes and heading home.
If this might be your sort of thing, please drop me a note to admin@peakmotorcycles.com with ‘2024 Season Starter’ in the subject line and I’ll send you full details.
I hope to see some of you there, if not before. #Ridesafe
I’m heading out west in a couple of weeks to San Francisco to visit family and attend a conference for my other job. I have managed to free up two days between my other commitments, so will be renting a bike and going for an explore.
Probably one day south down to Big Sur and one day north up Highway 1 to see some Redwoods and then back via Napa.
That said, I don’t know the area at all, so any recommendations for day rides out of San Francisco would be grand!
#motorcycletravel #motorcycletour #california #sanfrancisco #biketrip #flyride #highway1
Hi, I'm a motorcycle rider, traveller & guide based in in the Peak District National Park in the heart of the UK.
Over the years, motorcycles have taken me to 34 Countries across 5 continents, and though recent circumstances have meant more is being done locally, I try to get out and ride as much as I can on as many bikes as I can.
This channel is me sharing my thoughts on various things, mostly motorcycle or motorcycle travel related. Please take a look around!
Facebook: @PeakMotorcycles
Instagram: @PeakMotorcycles
Current Rides:
BMW R1250GS Rallye
Ducati Scrambler 800
Honda CRF300 Rally
Kove 450 Rally
Honda CT125 Trail
BSA Gold Star
Royal Enfield 411 Scram
CCM Spitfire Six
CFMoto 450MT (Arriving June 2024)
Next tours:
Romania July 2024
High Himalayas Spiti Valley September 2024
Colombia February 2025 (Spaces available)
Current projects:
Kove 450 Rally
CRF300 Rally
Things I use:
HexInnovate GS911: www.hexinnovate.com/shop/
Calimoto: calimoto.app.link/e/peak30