16-PAGE RIDE MOREPULLOUT CHANGE YOUR LIFE IN 2018 POWERED BY: IN ASSOCIATION WITH MCN’S TRUSTED PARTNERS l Essential events l 10 Amazing roads l 61 great destinations l Real-life stories www.motorcyclenews.com #MCNwednesday 02 # RIDE MILES TO JOIN, LOG ON TO facebook.com/groups/ride5000miles March 21 2018 03 5 GREAT RIDES CONTENTS PERFECT BIKING YEAR RIDE MORE, BE HAPPIER DESTINATION PLANNER 8 The best events, bike meets, tea stops and race #RIDE MILES meetings 12 4 Pullout It’s never too late to start planning brilliant planner to destinations and events for the biking year ahead Five incredible 5000 rides that’ll inspire you put on your to get out and about on your bike garage wall 10 GREAT RIDES TRIPS OF A LIFETIME SIGN UP NOW! R5K NUMBERS Meet new friends, find new #ride5000miles members nominate ten easy routes, broaden your horizons weekend routes to help you build your mileage 6 and have your best year yet 14 How just riding 13 sing your bike more is a but if you use the target to spend more the challenge in the last year and our 11 sure-fire route to happiness time with your biking mates, or head Facebook site has become a real com- miles a day will be – and that’s a fact. Boffins out on a trip you’ve always fancied, it’ll munity – a hub for route-sharing, tips enough to hit your in white coats have proven improve your life, too. and encouragement. It’s an inspiration 5000-mile target Calais to Kazakhstan? Don’t mind if I do. U 7 Plus tours of Europe and the Alps just spending time with bikes will re- Nearly 5000 MCN readers took up that can’t help but make you get out on lease feel-good hormones in your brain your bike. – and in this world of uncertainty and The world is a won- strife, that can only be a good thing. #ride5000 miles is derful place full of two- MCN’s #ride5000miles is all about wheeled adventures getting out on our bikes more. The real community – waiting to be enjoyed average rider does about 3000 miles – don’t miss out on the a year but having a target that pushes and thousands have experience. past that distance will enrich your life. already signed up to JOIN THE ADVENTURE At the very least, riding more will make Matt Wildee, HIGH QUALITY you more at-one with your machine, ride more in 2018 Senior Editor ITALIAN MADE ACCESSORIES K-Venture Aluminium Black Line KVE58B 58 ltr top case KVE48B 48 ltr top case RRP £395.99 RRP £359.95 Dtitititititititititititixtititititivtitiy titititihtitiUKtitiyti NtititiDtitititititititititi KVE42B 42 ltr top case KVE37Bpack2 37 ltr pair of side cases titititititititititititi titititititititititititititititititititititititititi RRP £325.99 RRP £635.49 tititititititititititititititititi www.motorcyclenews.com #MCNwednesday 04 # RIDE MILES TO JOIN, LOG ON TO facebook.com/groups/ride5000miles March 21 2018 05 ‘I covered over GREAT 5K RIDES 2 5000 miles for 5 Blood Bikes’ ANDREW HARRISON GETTING “I returned to riding after a 27-year INVOLVED break so #ride5000miles has been an inspiration. On top of the 6000 IS EASY… ‘#ride5000miles makes miles that I covered on my Triumph Tiger 800, I did just over 5000 miles Just do the following… on various bikes for Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Blood Ride your bike more, Bikes. So in 2017 I got back into biking, then tell people about it rode over 11,000 miles, passed my What a year for you addicted to biking!’ IAM test and became a Bloodbike returning rider volunteer! Amazing year. What can I do Andrew to top that in 2018?” MAKE A NOTE OF Five incredible things that our members achieved in 2017 1YOUR MILEAGE “We raise money for the Poppy hese are just a selection while hitting their target mileage. ‘I rode 1000 Appeal and although it’s a tough 24 Your target is simple – to ride figure at the start. Take a picture of some of the incred- From raising money for charity to 3 miles in a day hours, the smiles on the riders’ faces 5000 miles in 2018. But this is just of it, write it down, or even put ible feats that members transporting blood and even riding and raised money for afterwards say it all – it’s a brilliant day really a number – the idea is just a sticker with the figure on your of the #ride5000miles to Russia, it was a busy year for MCN’s out and a great way to tick off 1000 to ride more, to enjoy riding and bike as a reminder. On modern T the Poppy Appeal’ miles. This year we are starting from to love biking more than ever. So, machines with two trip meters, Facebook group got up to last year #ride5000miles brigade… GRAEME DAWSON Squires Café on Saturday, June 16 make a note of your odometer’s reset your second trip. and there will be a choice of six routes (we will provide satnav files to make Who needs a five-star hotel when you “I’m a member of a small group of things easier) and even a 500-miler if can bunk down in a cosy shed? volunteers who run the Royal British you don’t fancy the 1000. A minimum RIDE TO SOME Legion Riders (RBLR) 1000-miler. We sponsorship of £50 is all that is PLACES gather together between 120 and 200 required to enter, but hopefully you can 2 riders and pillions if they want to come raise a bit more! If you want to join us in 1000 miles in 24 hours? It’s tough but and ride a 1000-mile route in 24 hours. 2018, visit www.rblr1000.co.uk.” 100% achievable and rewarding too Sounds obvious, but that’s all you that’s not a bad idea too…). need to do. These pages are full Instead, this about riding to work great roads to ride to and great a bit more, going a bit further at events to attend, so go to some of weekends, doing that trip you’ve them – and don’t let that awesome always wanted to do, or doing ‘I passed my test and rode bike rot in the garage. This isn’t a tour with your partner. This is about jacking in work and heading about making your life better 4 16,000 miles in a year!’ around the world (though maybe through riding a bike more. SALLY WEIGHILL You meet the nicest people on a Honda… New rider Sally has “I only passed my test a few months become hooked on TELL PEOPLE before 2017 started and so it was my motorcycling 3 ABOUT IT first full year of riding – but I made the most of it thanks to #ride5000miles! I got addicted to riding and after starting By signing up to our updates of your year, sharing out on a Street Triple, then progressing #ride5000miles movement, you’ll how you’re totting up the miles. to a Z900, I was doing so many miles be joining a club of bikers who all The group has riders of all I had to buy a Z1000SX as I wanted to have the same common aim – to experience levels so if you’re new go touring. ride more and get more out of to motorcycling don’t be afraid to “I live in Lincolnshire and I just love biking. ask for help or advice. going to the coast, so I racked up miles doing that, and I also spent a week People share their pictures, Don’t like Facebook? In that case, touring Scotland with a friend who has stories, routes experiences just send us your riding pictures also completed the #ride5000miles and arrange meet-ups on our and stories to ride5000miles@ challenge. #ride5000miles Facebook group. motorcyclenews.com. ‘I did 5500 miles in a month with my retired dad!’ Scotland is amazing, it was my 1 first big tour on two wheels and after Our Facebook group is a Sign up to our newsletter. Just go packing way too much I now know wonderful, positive thing. It’s to www.motorcyclenews.com/ what to pack for the next trip. I’m there for you to post regular ride5000miles. Mike Taylor Russia was added to the itinerary… planning on going back to Scotland this “My father has just “We set off on our Africa Twins year, but I’d love to go to Cornwall as retired. He had been to from near Edinburgh and went down well and explore the south of England. Norway years ago with to Newcastle to get the ferry to And I’m also taking my IAM test – not mum and was keen on Amsterdam and from there headed bad going for just 16 months of riding READ ABOUT returning, so he suggested a bike through Holland, Germany, Denmark experience and #ride5000miles has 4 IT IN MCN trip there. I wanted to go to Romania, and Sweden and into Norway. Once been a big part of it!” but he talked me into Norway. When in Norway we headed up the middle we looked at the map I said ‘if we are towards the Arctic Circle and got a Each week in our new stories, so we’ll be with you every going to Lofoten, we may as well hit ferry over to Lofoten. The further north wanted to ride again. I was doubtful, #ride5000miles section, we’ll be step of the way. Make 2018 your Nordkapp.’ A few more beers and you go the more expensive Norway ‘I got back into even questioning if I would be able to sharing your best pictures and best biking year yet.