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This site is about adventurous and fun Motorcycle Tours in England, the Isle of Man TT races, France, Spain, Iceland, Thailand and probably Sri Lanka soon if anyone would like to go there :)
On my tours, the sky is always blue, the sun always shines, it never ever rains and there is fine Ale to be had every evening. And we never tell fibs.
These are mainly exciting road trips, but several off-road or trail tours options are also offered. Most biking holidays are escorted, although in many cases I can offer self-guided or "DIY" versions if you prefer. All bike trips tend to have an element of "adventure" and unpredictability. I'm not jumping on the current popular adventure bandwagon here; the Bike Tours UK motorcycle experience has always been like that, way before TLWR came along :)
Are websites outdated now? Certainly this one's a bit long in the tooth, so for a fresher approach, if you use that Facetube newfangled thingy, there are lots of trip photos, tips to be had, and copious good natured banter here
STOP PRESS - the ISLE OF MAN TT RACES TRIP. 1ST TO 9TH JUNE is now FULL, subject to confirmation from the final American guest.
Both April & May "Best of Three" tours are fully booked.
The second Iceland tour is full, but space remains on the other 3. The itineraries for Iceland Adventure trips 1 & 2 are fixed and pre-planned already. However, if you have a group of 3-6 riders, get in touch and I can customise either tour 3 or 4 to suit your small group. In my opinion, the existing 6 day camping adventure, with 4 days gravel road riding, to the exciting inland sites of Hveravellir and Landmannalaugar is about the best thing you can do, given the time frame and moderate cost. But, if you have a small ready-made group, I can adjust the duration, route and accommodation to suit you.
My 2012 tours and dates are now published. As expected, it's more of the same. Same destinations, similar dates & continued competitive prices. We ride to the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and Wales, plus the Isle of Man TT Races, the French Alps and of course the splendid new big adventure that is ICELAND. (the place, not the shop.... although Mums are very welcome)
2012 Motorcycle Tour Dates now published in right hand margin, or click here
I occasionally throw in some surprises and variations to keep my regular Bike Tours guests on their toes. 
Motorcycle Tour Dates for 2012
See list to the top right hand side of this home page. Within this website you will find;
1. A wide range of Motorcycle Tours, both UK. European & Worldwide. Click Tours
2. Help in organising your own bike tour if you prefer this option. DIY France
3. General information related to Motorcycle Touring in the UK and elsewhere. UK info
4. Lots of tips to help smooth the way if it's your first visit to the UK
5. I no longer providemotorcycle rental directly- but go to http://superbikerental.co.uk instead.
6. Advice on trail biking and UK based trail days & weekends
7. A vast of range of light-hearted chat, gossip, advice, and links, loosely connected with the world of motorcycling or just the great outdoors. Just browse around! This is more of a Club than a commerical enterprise - and better for it In My Humble Opinion.
Bike Tours UK Ethos
I've come to regard my motorcycle trips as Adventure Motorcycle Holidays, at the livelier end of the biking spectrum. These are usually full-on, active tours, with scarcely a moment to catch your breath. The emphasis is firmly on the quality of the riding, and top destinations, not necessarily high on creature comforts & the poshest hotels. We sometimes use up-market hotels with swimming pools, but this is not usually my main priority. If it's clean and comfortable, and in a great location, that will do for me. And if it saves you a few quid as well, then that's an extra bonus.
I'm becoming a creature of habit, and my 2012 bike tours will follow the same tried & tested pattern as in previous years. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Iceland has gone extremely well since 2009 and is The Next Big Thing for the slightly more adventurous motorcyclist. Of course the erupting volcano came along just in time to spice up my Icelandic tours even more.
Have a good look around my site - I like to think it's fairly informative and far from "hard sell". This site is partly dedicated to selling you some sort of tour or service, but the rest is purely help, advice and trivial gossip. All for FREE! Facebook is rapidly becoming the quickest & most flexible form of communication. If you use it, search for the Bike Tours UK group page & join us for tips, fun & photos.
Bike Tours UK is small business, running a just small number of tours per year normally - as much for my own pleasure as yours. I only go to places that I know well, and areas I enjoy riding in myself. I don't do boring, flat, straight-road tours. The emphasis is firmly on the riding, the twisty roads and the scenery, not fancy accommodation. I try to offer very good value, and try to get back to the "good old days" of pure biking fun. Like it was when you were still a teenager, and went out riding with your mates. "Just a few years ago". Personally, I love camping trips, and if I won the Euro-Millions* , you'd still find me shacked up in a tent. However, I offer hotel & self-catering options as well. Read the website fully. You should be able to work out if you're a Bike Tours UK sort of person or not. *Lottery win? It ain't gonna happen; I haven't bought a ticket for 8 years. My wife says, "it's a Tax on the Stupid".
Let me quote something to you. While in The Alps a couple of years ago, we met another British motorbike guy on our campsite. He'd booked his own solo Alpine motorcycle tour, purely on information gleaned from this website. He thanked me for the info, of course. He said he had considered booking a place on my Alps Tour, but he thought this "might be too formal and organised". My group of clients fell about laughing :) How rude!
Bike Tours UK is more like a club. Yes, I organise it all, set up the trip, make it all work, and I'm around (with my language skills) to help resolve any problems should they occur. But, the trips are in no way sterile and prescriptive. Plans are all very loose, there's plenty of space for people to do their own thing. There's no tight formal itinerary and we enjoy many spontaneous activities "on the hoof".
If you're the type of person who likes to rise at dawn, and have every minute of the day pre-planned for you, with pre-set times and places for coffee and lunch, then these tours are not for you. You'll be twitching with frustration within a couple of days. Some might say "chaotic", but I'd say it's like being out riding with a group of friends rather than a fully-regimented Motorcycle Package Tour. I can't stand "package tours" myself, although we sometimes use them for long-haul family holidays when the price works out cheaper than a flight only! I can't think of anything worse than a standard package tour to Magaluf, or somewhere equally vile - so I try to prevent my own motorcycle trips ever becoming like that.
Bike Tours Fun Club
I've not had chance to progress this much yet, but my plan was to set up a social arm of Bike Tours UK. This would have a separate website, maybe a forum, and would act as a vehicle for all past tour guests to keep in touch with each other and organise ride outs and other fun things. I suppose the Facebook Bike Tours UK Group Page has fullfilled this role in the meantime. However, at long last, my friend, TT racer and Trail Guide extraordinaire, Mark Halliday, has just laid the foundations for, "All About Bikes", our emerging social club.
Bike Tours on Facebook
Look up Bike Tours UK on Facebook - I have a group page on there. It's a good place to display tour photos, although at present, they are all mixed together. Real friends can also access my personal profile, which I partially dedicate to biking stuff. A picture tells a thousand words - which is also what a phonecall gives you! Study the tour photos and I think you'll get an idea of what these motorcycle tours are all about.
Ferry Ticket Booking feature You can book your own cross channel, or other European ferries directly through this website. The prices you can find here are very competitive indeed. Try out the system, for a no obligation quotation.
I've placed this "DIY" touring information in this new section here |
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