Tag: motorbike

Celebrating the last road trips of the season…

All of us here at Cotswold Motorrad are bike enthusiasts as you can see pictures below from our journeys. As we reach that time of the year for the last rides of the season we got to reminiscing about our road trips. Some people feel the call of the open road. Some people go for the memories. Some people go to build friendships and connections that you can’t make in any old place.Whatever your reason, road trips are a huge attraction for motorbike owners and lovers. But what makes the grade for a good road trip?

The road maketh the rider.

When it comes to a bike break or tour the road itself is a draw and not necessarily the final destination; after all, you don’t kayak on a river just to get to the other side (we may have just discovered why the chicken crossed the road). When you have a passion for riding you love finding a road that shapes your driving skills and builds up your riding experience. Sometimes its exciting to pick a road you’ve never ridden down before just to see where it leads, although we do thoroughly advocate planning your routes too so you know your rest spots and refuelling locations.

Location, location, location.

You don’t have to go far and wide to find a place that is breath taking, where you see something you’ve never seen before, or where great memories become intrinsically tied. If you have the time and money to go overseas it’s a fantastic opportunity and there are plenty of recommended tours in America, or through the Rockies and across European continents. But Wales will do just fine too. Wherever you go in the world do make sure you’re packed for the climate and for emergencies-even if you’re in the middle of civilisation and not in the wilderness.

Sharing is caring.

Last time we heard about Werner’s trips and we felt inspired to share his stories with you. There is something about great memories being shared that inspires you to go out and make your own. It is quite possible that some of those memories may be one of those ‘you had to be there moments’, but you were there and you will always be able to share those times with the people you went with. And who cares!? Tell the story anyway!

 

We are currently asking where our customers want to go with a Dream Road Trip map in our coffee area, we really want to know! You might find people have the same place in mind, or they already have a great story to share about the place. If you have any photos or stories and recommendations about your trips, your bike or your kit please send them into mymotorrad@cotswoldgroup.com and we would love to share them.

Interview with a Senior Technician

Werner is joining the Cotswold Motorrad family as a senior technician. We are over the moon not just because he is very good at his job, but because he has fantastic experience on extended motorbike tours, and is bringing these invaluable insights to our team. Werner has spent time as Expedition Technician on a Trans-Africa trip and on a Round The World Tour.

“When I had the opportunity to do this, and I could do it, I had to go for it. These trips were fantastic fun but hard work as well. We would do daily maintenance sessions on the bikes as it’s always better to do preventative maintenance and these machines were working hard the whole time”

The terrain included mountains, deserts and river crossings as well as through more populated areas. That didn’t necessarily mean there were roads however as through some villages there were no roads, simply tracks frequented by the locals, if at all.

“Crossing the Sahara was a challenging 4 days of soft sand desert riding. The river crossings were interesting because there were no bridges, so you had to wade through with the bikes. We did have to resuscitate a drowned bike or two!”

“It’s difficult to say which was my favourite place but Mongolia was one of the most stunning places I have ever seen. It was incredibly vast, remote, and wonderfully untainted. At the same time maybe it was the most challenging for riding and some injuries, but all the riders got each other through.”

When asked what the downside of the trip was, the answer was of course that “it had to end”. While maybe it is the cliché answer, it never was truer. Each expedition was 4 months long and although the technical hurdles were sometimes demanding, you still wouldn’t wish that it would come to an end any sooner than it had to.

“I think the time spent on these trips has developed my overall experience as a biker, as well as building great experience as a technician. I appreciate these vehicles and their capabilities. I love the freedom and opportunity to ride that they offer. It was also great to immerse myself in the bike riding life; the camaraderie and friendships that developed on the tours are unique”

We are looking forward to working with Werner, and being the next step on his journey as a technician and a rider.