Adventure bike tours are more popular than ever, with record numbers of riders signing up for long-distance expeditions, covering thousands of miles and lasting up to four months on the road.
GlobeBusters, the UK’s longest-established overland motorcycle expedition company, recently completed their biggest ever Trans-Americas tour, with 24 riders rolling into Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world. A core group of a dozen motorcyclists completed the full 22,000 mile journey, from Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic Circle to Patagonia in the Antarctic, with a further 22 riders joining for different stages of the expedition.
“We’ve run the Trans Americas since 2005 and we’re used to groups of around a dozen riders” says Kevin Sanders, who founded GlobeBusters. “Doubling that number takes things to a different level – for starters, we needed two support vehicles!”
“It also creates logistical challenges” adds Julia Sanders, who founded the business with Kevin after two record-breaking rides in 2002-2003. “Many of the locations we travel through are off the tourist trail, so finding accommodation for large groups requires a lot of patience and local knowledge.”
Other trans-continental trips are proving equally popular; “Both our big expeditions planned for this year – the Ace to Ace from London to Beijing and our Southern Africa tour – are sold out” says Kevin. “We get motorcyclists from all over the world joining us, so it’s not just a British phenomenon. It seems the initial attraction is that it’s on their bucket list, but once they’ve completed one trip, a significant number come back for more. It’s a bit addictive like that.”
Dates for the 2020 Trans Americas tour have been released; starting on 19 July in Anchorage, Alaska, it ends in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 3rd December. For prices, itinerary and details of bike hire options visit www.globebusters.com.