The Bear Tries Motorcycle Touring - Without Travel

Is this the future of bike travel holidays?

Peter "The Bear" Thoeming

It feels a bit like cheating. Is it really touring if you head out in the morning for a day's ride, only to return to the same place in the evening without "travelling anywhere"? The only answer I could come up with was, who cares when it works?

Edelweiss Bike Travel has made a highly successful business out of taking motorcyclists to all kinds of places around the world. The usual procedure is that a couple of tour guides with the bikes and a van meets participants at a hotel. After an evening of familiarisation and a night's sleep full of dreams of the tour, the van is loaded with luggage and one of the guides prepares to follow the group with it. The other guide and the riders fire up their bikes for a day's riding; late that afternoon, everyone meets at the next night's hotel. The guide in the van distributes the luggage to the rooms, then it's dinner and the process repeats.

Then someone at Edelweiss came up with an idea. There were numerous destinations on the company's books which were surrounded by what were effectively great day rides, where there was little point in moving hotels; it was easier for both guides and riders if they used one as a base for the entire "tour". There was no need to unpack every night, or for a van. The Touring Centre was born.

The first time I sampled this was in the Canary Islands. Distances are short in the islands, so it was a logical way to cover their roads. When I thought about it, the Dolomites were just as obvious a Touring Centre destination, especially since the scenery and the riding vary so much over quite a small area. I signed up.

From the base hotel in Klobenstein near Bozen in South Tirol, we headed out every day to sample the wonderful views and roads of the Dolomites. And whether you call it touring or... well, whatever else you can think of, it's a great way to "travel"!

The Bear took part in this event at the invitation of Edelweiss Bike Tours. He rode a Yamaha 700 Ténéré, in anticipation of Edelweiss launching a series of tours equipped solely with Yamahas. Check them out on the website!

This story originally appeared in Ulysses Club 'Riding On' Issue 164

Yet another Quad Bike fatality highlights the need for safety

The danger of unprotected riders of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), also known as Quad Bikes, being involved with fatal accidents was brought to the fore again with the recent death of much-respected female executive and Medibank chief marketing officer, Lisa Ronson, 52, when she lost control of an ATV she was riding on her family property near Daylesford, Victoria, on Saturday evening.

Along with husband, Chris Taylor, the couple had bought the Ullina property in 2019 and had been working together on making it a loving home for their family. A detailed and heartfelt tribute can be read here.

According to official sources, 42 children and 207 adults have been killed in quad bike accidents in the last 20 years, highlighting the danger these vehicles pose even in the hands of experienced riders. It's the third death involving an ATV on a rural Victorian property in two months. 

The primary danger exists when the vehicle rolls over and traps the rider underneath, either crushing or asphyxiating them. Given that these unregistered vehicles are ridden mostly on private property by riders without helmets, the danger of death or serious injury is significant.

Data from Safe Work Australia also reveals that around two thirds of these accidents occurred in the workplace and that quad bikes are a leading cause of death on Australian farms.

Beginning in 2020, national regulations were introduced in Australia that mandates that the retail sale of new or secondhand ATVs have rollover protection.

CF Moto brand ATV showing mandatory 'quad bar' rollover protection. (supplied)

"Every ATV sold across the country must have an approved quad bar fitted," said John Davies of Gawler Motorcycle Centre, a leading reseller of the top-selling CF Moto brand of ATV, "unfortunately we have no control over what people do when they take them home."

These quad bars must pass a rigid test and vehicles sold with these devices carry a tag explaining their conformity to regulation.

While specific details of Ms Ronson's accident are not yet public, we make no suggestion that her accident was a result of misuse of the equipment, lack of due care or whether the ATV in question was fitted with a 'quad bar'.

We do, however, make the strong recommendation that if you own a quad bike or are invited to ride one, that you take every precaution possible before doing so. 

A coroner's report is being prepared.

Rare stolen Aston Martin DB2 found

Guest Blogger David Ellis says that a dilapidated and unroadworthy 1949 Aston Martin DB2 sports car has just sold at auction in England for 679,000 British pounds—the equivalent of nearly AU$1,243,000.

But it is the car’s amazing history the new owner obviously thinks worthy of every penny of what he’s spent: after competing in the 1949 French Le Mans and Belgium Spa-24 endurance races, it raced for a few more years before being retired and eventually bought by an English enthusiast – from whom it was stolen in Hertfordshire in 2002.

Looking forlorn after being recovered from a storage shed in
Holland 14 years after disappearing, the famous Aston Martin DB2
sold at auction for the equivalent of AU$1,243,000. (Pic: Bonhams Auctioneers)

A prestige hire car for $5 a day? The Secret of Vehicle Relocations.

For a long time, the relocation of hire vehicles was something of a secret society. Once upon a time, if you kept in touch with the hire car companies, you could be lucky and find a vehicle that needed relocating and get it for a few dollars a day.

These one-way return rides used to take some finesse, but nowadays, several websites exist to help you actually plan such a trip, with listings of available vehicles and their intended destinations.

These are mostly campers and motorhomes, but you can also find sedans, SUVs and light commercial vehicles. 

A new player in the market is U R Drive, a prestige vehicle hire company that frequently shifts new and near-new vehicles all across the country. These vehicles are mostly German luxury SUVs and sedans, such as Audi A3s and A5s and their SUV stablemates, Q3s and Q5s, as well as equivalent BMWs, KIAs and Mercedes-Benz.

The best time to avail yourself of a relocation is during peak season when airfares are sky high (so to speak) and you have two or three companions with luggage. Driving an empty vehicle on your own is of little benefit unless you have time to kill.

There is the added benefit of the simple pleasure of a road trip and this effort can be lightened when a fuel subsidy is offered. A fuel subsidy, you say? Yes, depending on the distance and urgency, the hire car company may provide you with a fuel rebate. It doesn’t hurt to ask even if the rebate is not advertised.

If you like the idea of a fancy luxury German vehicle, contact U R Drive directly and ask about current relocations. Their website lists current fleet vehicles (of which there are almost 300) but not relocations, so you’ll need to call. 

And if you just need a nice car for a few days while you’re in town on business, you’ll find their daily rates surprisingly affordable. 

Phone: Amy 0450 233 070

Email: bookings@urdrive.net

WIN a Harley-Davidson Street Bob 114

SAPE is giving away a 2024 STREET BOB 114 Harley Davidson worth $25,500 to customers buying 3M product.

SAPE director Paul McMartin said: “The SAPE Group is excited to team up with 3M Australia for this amazing giveaway. One lucky customer will have the chance to enjoy summer on a brand-new Harley Davidson Street Bob 114. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

To enter, SAPE Group Trade Customers must make a minimum purchase of $500 on 3M products within a single invoice during the months of September, October, and November 2024. Each qualifying purchase will grant one entry into the draw. Multiple entries can be obtained through additional purchases. Draw will take place on 29th November, 2024.

Download the T&Cs flier and good luck.