Finding new things to do on your motorcycle isn’t always the easiest. Whether you commute daily, like to tinker or ride out with mates on sunny Sundays, it’s easy to do the same old, same old on your motorbike. So, to help you shake things up, we’ve picked out a few things that might not be an immediate first thought for you to have a go at in 2020, but which we’re sure you’re going to love.
Give ‘em a go, and make sure you share your experiences with us online if you decide to use these ideas for some inspiration!
Watch a motorcycle hillclimb event
Hillclimbing is one of the UK’s oldest forms of motorcycle racing but remains one many people have never been to watch and when you understand what goes on that’s such a shame!
The locations use for hillclimbing are spread widely across the country from Cornwall to Yorkshire with some of the most famous being Hartland Quay, Bideford, Gurston Down, Salisbury and Shelsley Walsh in Worcestershire.
The idea is simple enough, who can get their motorcycle up a hillclimb course in the fastest possible time?
The fun is watching the multitude of different classes and types of motorcycles that are put to the task of racing; eclectic barely covers it as there is everything from supermoto racing bikes through to barely modified road bikes, classics and the occasional oddball machine.
You can also get up close to the bikes and the competitors; unlike to many parts of motorsport where racers are sectioned off from the general public.
Check out the National Hill Climb Association website here for more details and a look at the new 2020 calendar.
Of course, if the lure of taking part is too much to bear, you could always enter and have a go yourself. There are few branches of motorcycle sport that are as accessible to more people for the smallest outlay of money. When it comes to eligible motorcycles, almost anything goes!
Ride to a foreign motorcycle show
Most of us have been to a motorcycle show in the UK at some point but how many of you have made a trip abroad to see one of the huge international shows?
While the biggest of the international shows is an annual event held in Milan, Italy in November, there is an alternative in Cologne, Germany that while it’s not quite as big, does still host some important new models reveals so you can be among the first in the world to see them. Unlike EICMA, the Cologne show takes place every other year – and 2020 is that ‘other’ year.
BMW for one almost always use the show to launch at least one new model in its domestic market and the scale of the manufacturer stands is impressively huge!
There’s a large custom bike show added onto the main show which always makes for an interesting way to spend some time checking out some of the wild work done by custom builders from around the world.
There are also freestyle motocross events, stunt shows and lots of accessory and equipment manufacturer showing off the very latest aftermarket and tuning parts for bikes of all kinds.
Being based in Germany, there’s a big touring and adventure bike focus to many of the stands.
The advantage of Cologne over Milan is that the German show is just five hours of riding from Calais and can easily be done in a day even if you avoid a single mile of motorways while in Europe. It takes place in early October, when you’ve still got a fighting chance of some half decent weather.
The show is called Intermot and the dates of the show are from October 7 to 11, 2020 and more details can be found at: https://www.intermot-cologne.com/
The other option is to ride to the Milan show in Italy although the timing in November and the distance of almost 1000 miles makes this a lot more of a time and expense investment. It is bigger though, and will have even more new-for-2021 models on display.
Details: www.eicma.it
Travel to a foreign MotoGP or WSB race
Heading off to a foreign World Superbike or MotoGP event doesn’t have to be the wallet-crushing experience many believe it has to be as long as you choose the right race to go to.
Travelling to a foreign race can be a fantastic way of not only getting to see Carole Nash-ambassador and five-time champion Jonathan Rea in action in the World Superbike series
If you want to use your own motorcycle for the trip then it does make your choice between which European race you wish to visit and what falls into your time and budget allowance.
The two opening rounds of the WSB series are in Australia and Qatar so riding there on your own bike is possibly a little bit of a non-starter. However, the first European WSB round is at Jerez, Spain at the end of March and even closer is the second round at Assen in the Netherlands, in April.
From there, the WSB series stays in Europe all the way to the end of the season except for the final round of the championship which is being held in Argentina in October.
To keep costs down book the ferries or Channel Tunnel well ahead of time, the same for accommodation and if you don’t mind camping at races or nearby, there are always loads of options at European rounds.
There are more options with MotoGP which travels to more countries during the season and while there are loads of options across Europe, if you have the time and the budget then why not take a look at renting a motorcycle in the US to ride to the MotoGP round Road America in Austin, Texas.
Check out https://www.eaglerider.com/ who are one of the best known in the USA and have dozens of pick-up sites across America which allows you to tailor your trip to both the time you have spare and your budget.
With so many options to choose from, across so many countries, there is a race that can suit.
And if you don’t have the time or spare cash to ride to a race away from the UK, why not pick the furthest British Superbike round from your home and ride to that for the weekend? Camping options are always available either on site or nearby and visiting a track you’ve not been to before allows for some creative route choices to get there and back.
Use your motorcycle for commuting
There are lots of reasons to try and use your motorcycle for your daily commute – but the fact those who use their motorcycles for commuting rank themselves as happier than anyone else is perhaps the most compelling.
For some people using their motorcycle for commuting just isn’t possible; not many tradesman have the option of using a motorcycle when they have huge loads of work tools and materials to lug around, for example, but for those people who work in jobs that allow for commuting by motorcycle then making the change can make a significant improvement to the time spent travelling, costs and your own happiness.
The key to using your motorcycle for commuting is deciding if the maths stack up along with some other elements like being able to change when you get there, can you park anywhere nearby and if it makes personal sense for you to do this.
For many people the chance to ditch a bus, train or a nightmare car journey in favour of a motorcycle journey could make their life a lot more enjoyable and save them time.
But there are some basic maths that need to be done first.
In order to work out the costs you need to take into account a possible extra charge for changing your insurance cover to include commuting, the fuel, servicing and tyres that will increase with your mileage.
One you’ve worked these costs out, comparing those to the costs to that of the alternative can make it clear if changing to use two wheels makes sense.
Don’t forget, if you’ve bought your bike on a PCP contract then there are costs for extra mileage over the agreed terms. These can be as high as 15p per mile so you need to bear this in mind if you’ve signed up on a low annual mileage.
For some people, if the commute is short, buying a small-capacity scooter or motorcycle as well as their main motorcycle can still work out cheaper than using public transport; especially if there are expensive daily parking charges and free motorcycle parking is available at or near your workplace. Stick on a top box and you’ll have an inexpensive and practical means of daily transport.
