HAVE PASSPORT, W
WILL RIDE
When local options are exhausted, or you’re just looking for a new adventure, dust off your passport and duffel bag and head overseas
hen the term ‘adventure’ is used in conjunction with motorcycle touring, we’re all too often conjuring images of rocky mountain passes or vast desert plains aboard unwieldy machines ready for the Paris-Dakar. Those heroic illusions may keep our dreams alive, but our reality is much more modest.
While that dusty road may exist in our mind, there’s no shame in breaking it up with lashings of tarmac. No, I’m not talking about six lanes of dual carriageway, rather a meandering strip of bare bitumen heading to the unknown horizon. Let’s go find some.
CUBA
Castro’s communist time warp is alive and well in Cuba and among the battered Chevrolets and Plymouths on the pot-holed roads the Harlistas ride. Despite the strained relations between the two countries, American metal is still coveted and worshipped like gold.
Based out of Havana, La Poderosa Tours (lapoderosatours.com) runs a fleet of late model Harley-Davidsons on escorted tours around the island, visiting historic centres like Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and Varadero. And when I say ‘escorted’, it’s by none other than Ernesto Guevara-March, the youngest son of Che. Yes, that Che. Che Guevara, champion of the people and leader of revolutions.
After some 230km from Havana, the ride stops in the square in Cienfuegos, not far from where the abortive CIA-backed ‘Bay of Pigs’ invasion took place in 1961. Stroll the historic plaza before setting off on the 80km ride to the UNESCO-listed city of Trinidad, renowned for its immaculately preserved, 500-year-old colonial architecture. For giggles, motor around the old cobbled streets as the sun sets. It’s warm work in the tropical sun, so the beers are welcome at day’s end, as is the music, cigars, rum and sleep.
IMPORTANT: If you do travel to Cuba, it may impede your entry into the USA under current visa regulations.
USA & NORTH AMERICA
Unless you’re living under a rock, you can’t avoid hearing about the US every day. Regardless, the United States is the domain of a stalwart motorcycle hire company, EagleRider (eaglerider.com), best known for its association with HarleyDavidson. Of course, the most iconic ride in the country is the famous Route 66, known as ‘The Mother Road’, which retraces the transcontinental journey of millions of Americans as they headed west in search of a better life.
Then there’s the ‘mecca’ for Hog riders from all over the world: Sturgis. The little town in South Dakota (pop. 7000) welcomes more than 500,000 bikers to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August every year, surrounded by iconic landmarks like Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse National Memorial and Devil’s Tower Monument.
Brett Cross has led tours to seven Sturgis events and just loves the atmosphere and pretty much everything else that goes with the world’s biggest biker party. “I’m not a fan of riding in the big cities,” Cross says. “But once you’re out of the cities, off the freeways, the traffic disappears. The roads are of excellent quality, the people in the country towns are very friendly and treat Aussies like celebrities. Food and drink service in restaurants and bars is excellent, but you have to tip, which is not a problem because of the good service!”
JAPAN
Warren Mallett is a two-wheeled world traveller and true digital nomad who lived as an ex-pat in Japan and completed 37 moto tours there totalling more than 100,000km. Despite his understated reports (on motorcycleparadise.net), he’s clearly a great fan of riding in Japan with its excellent roads, sensible drivers and stunning, pristine scenery.
“Riding a motorbike in Japan is an absolute dream!” he says. “The country boasts some truly stunning landscapes –rugged coastlines, towering mountains and deep valleys, all accessible by excellent roads. Plus, Japan’s super safe, so you can focus on enjoying the ride without worrying about a thing. And when you need a break, it’s easy to find great food, comfy accommodation and interesting stuff to see and do.
“Whether you’re into history, culture, or just taking in the views, Japan’s got something for everyone.”
EUROPE
Some of our favourite people are touring Europe right now; prolific travel author Lee Atkinson and her illustrious partner Bill McKinnon, as well as multi-talented Nigel Paterson.
As always, Atkinson has copious tips for travelling Europe, in fact, anywhere: “We spent most of the four months in the Alps (France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Bavaria) doing dream rides, each and every day, except Sundays when the supercars, bicycles and motorhomes came out to play, which meant everything slowed to snail pace, although unlike the supercars, we could at least overtake. We shipped our bike (Suzuki V-Strom 650) from Melbourne to Felixstowe in the UK. It will sit out the winter in storage in Heidelberg, Germany, waiting for the next ride in spring. Heaps cheaper than hiring a bike.”
Nige and his partner Kirrily threw off the constraints of urban life and set off on a year on the road, with much of it in Europe. Besides lots of free-roaming, the pair took Edelweiss’s week-long ‘Best Of
Europe’ tour (edelweissbike.com).
Riders on that tour kick off their road trip from Munich, heading northwest through the Hallertau hop region and along the picturesque Altmuhl valley. The scenic ride goes to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a preserved medieval town that’s a total must-see.
Next up was Heidelberg, a student city that’s all about vibes – think the world’s longest pedestrian zone and a nightlife that’s off the charts. On the way, they cruised through the winding roads of the Odenwald, which are basically any motorcyclist’s dream.
After a chill day in Alsace, France, surrounded by half-timbered houses and cozy wine bars, they hit the Black Forest, another motorcycle paradise. The roads are perfect for riding, with plenty of bends and hardly any traffic. From there, it was up to Switzerland, where riders find Europe’s biggest waterfall and get up close and personal with those stunning alpine peaks. The narrow roads and tight bends are a thrill, giving a taste of what it’s like to ride across the Alps – great fun.
INDIA, SRI LANKA AND THE HIMALAYAS
The ‘Holy Grail’ for many adventure riders, with plenty of challenging roads, oxygen deprivation and lunatic drivers, India should not be taken for granted.
Riding buddy and newspaper editor Keith Austin came away with some sage advice after tackling the southern end of India recently with Extreme Bike Tours (extremebiketours.com).
“Use your horn constantly. If you don’t use your horn, you don’t exist,” he advises, “and flash your lights when overtaking. Everyone coming the other way will do the same but at least you know where everyone is. You have to assume everything is just dying to throw itself under your wheels, including other motorised vehicles, carts, cows, oxen, monkeys, chickens and potholes. Looking out to see if anything’s coming doesn’t seem to be a priority here.”
TV personality and one of the nicest blokes you could meet, Grant Denyer (pictured above and below), is still soothing his aching muscles after a fully catered Himalayan ride with Zenith Motorcycle Tours (zenithmotorcycletours.com).
“The Himalayas were hard but so rewarding. Challenged everything I had. Up to 14 hours on the bike a day, rain, landslides, snow, cold, air too thin to breathe and a height I didn’t know was possible without a plane. But I’m so glad
MOROCCO
Once described by an English traveller in the 1920s as ‘the closest faraway place’ Morocco must be ‘the farthest faraway place’ for Aussies.
Clocking up 4000km over 21 days in a giant arc around this amazing country has AMCN’s Dep Ed Hamish Cooper reckoning this ride should be on everyone’s bucket list.
“It really is a fascinating kaleidoscope of culture and landscape,” he says.
“From the snow-covered Atlas mountains to the edge of the Sahara, from the vehicular vortex that is Marrakesh to the medieval human and donkey vortex of the car-free old quarter of Fez, it will simply blow your mind.”
A country world famous for its mint tea and tagine ‘one-pot’ meals, it was first developed as an exotic tourist destination by the French in the 1930s, rediscovered by hippies and rock stars in the 60s, became a movie location in the late 90s but, most importantly, is an emerging modern nation full of confronting contrasts.
Several tour companies offer extended riding options that start in-country but
SOUTH AFRICA
It often flies under the radar as a motorcycle touring destination but the movers-and-shakers in the ADV community simply rave about South Africa and what it offers. Hamish Cooper agrees. A few years ago he rode a loop from Pretoria to Swaziland and down to Cape Town via the Wild Coast.
“Geographically, it’s similar to many parts of Australia,” he says. “However, the wildlife and culture couldn’t be more different. I remember dodging some damn fool monkeys that jumped out of the bushes in front of me; then we had to stop to let some elephants cross the road.”
The country is full of riders’ roads. One of them is the Sabie Triangle, near Kruger National Park. It brings bikers from as far away as Johannesburg (four hours) and even Durban (seven hours). It’s a South African cliche of ‘high veld’ (highaltitude grassland) mixed with ‘bush veld’ (subtropical lowland savannah).
“You ride through lush river valleys then it rises to a plateau with longdistance views,” says Cooper.
The other is Swartberg Pass, a world-famous dusty mecca for off-road adventurers. It’s in a semi-arid district
another option is to hire a motorcycle in Spain and catch the ferry across. Motorcycle touring has boomed in Morocco in recent years, so there are plenty of options for accommodation and local cultural tours.
Cooper urges riders to spend at least part of the trip staying in the medina (old quarter) of the major cities. “You find out how the original inhabitants have lived for centuries,” he says. “Their houses,
called riads, have rooms set around an internal courtyard, often with a central fountain. Most have a rooftop garden.”
You’ll get really immersed in the changing culture too: “One night I was woken at 4am in a riad in a medina by the calling of prayer to a nearby mosque. In the laneway below, I also heard the click of a woman’s high heels on the cobblestones, then a few minutes later the clip-clop of a donkey’s hooves.”
called Little Karoo in the Western Cape province. Most people start the ride from Oudtshoorn, the so-called ostrich capital of South Africa. “It dates back to the 1880s,” says Cooper, “and retains a lot of its original dry-stone retaining walls.” South Africa is one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries. Since 1652, when the origins of Cape Town were established by the Dutch East India Company, it has had waves of colonists sweep across it. Early on, slaves were brought from as far away as Indonesia. Original black inhabitants make up
SOUTHEAST ASIA
While it may not attract riders like India or Europe, Southeast Asia definitely has its fans. Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia and even Cambodia all offer riding opportunities, but their licensing requirements vary, which can discourage some adventurers.
Regarding Laos, Indo-China aficionado and Australian expat David Unkovich of GT-Rider told us that a couple of French guys had recently taken about seven hours to cover the 40km stretch from Huai Xay to Pak Beng. Everywhere, it seems, takes seven hours in Laos! While Laos was the most heavily bombed country during the Vietnam War, it’s actually heavy Chinese construction vehicles doing the damage now. Think of the worst road you’ve ever ridden on. Now double that. More jagged potholes than tarmac.
The money shot in Laos is, however, the Thakhek Loop, a 450km corridor through endless limestone karsts and lakes. Secluded Spring River Resort nestles near the pristine Blue Lagoon swimming hole, a short pump-boat ride upstream from the famous 7km Kong Lor Cave. Thailand, on the other hand, will come as a complete surprise. The drivers are cautious and chill, the roads remarkably good and there is plenty of quality accommodation at all price points.
80 per cent of the population and speak nine officially-recognised languages. Although widely understood, English is only the fifth-most common language spoken in households. Because it has some major internal political and social issues, Cooper recommends you take a guided tour, rather than just set off on your own.
“Okay, there are thieves, pick-pockets and scammers around – but beware of the hippos. These grass-eaters are one of biggest threats to locals. Get between one and the water and be prepared to run at 30km/h, their top speed!”
Prasit Aphiphunya, founder of Ride Asia Ltd (rideasia.com), regularly conducts rides for his clients through beautiful Thailand from his base in Bangkok as far afield as Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, with occasional forays into China and Tibet. He’s particularly enthusiastic about his 30-day odyssey, The Buddha Route.
“It’s an epic adventure – incredible landscapes, twisting mountain roads, mouth-watering local grub and remote jungle tracks are all on the menu,” he says. “We’re heading to one of the country’s most captivating regions, riding anti-clockwise along the Thai border on some of Southeast Asia’s most iconic roads. I’ve ridden this route many times before, but it never gets old; the terrain is fantastic, the villages are authentic, and the historic border country of the Golden Triangle is a real treat. If you’ve got 30 days to spare, trust me, you won’t regret booking this trip!”
