The rise of the adventure motorcycle has been almost as big in London as in its natural environment - the countryside - and now there’s a big festival to celebrate the phenomenon.
Dubbed ‘Glastonbury for motorcycles’, the Adventure Bike Rider Festival runs from June 23 - 25, with thousands of enthusiasts expected to enjoy days of demonstrations, have-a-go experiences and off-road riding schools.
Set in the historic grounds of the Ragley Hall Estate on 23-25 June 2023, the ABR Festival will welcome up to 12,500 motorcyclists for three days of biking action which will include talks and live music.
One of the key attractions will be the Bridgestone Adventure Trail, offering visitors 30km of exclusive off-road riding around the picturesque estate in Warwickshire, a two and a half-hour ride from central London.
Challenge
A new riding feature at this year’s festival is the TRF Trail, an eight km all-bike leisure riding loop. Created and designed in collaboration with the Trail Riders Fellowship, the new
route will be open to all bikes, providing a more advanced riding challenge than the big-bike-friendly Bridgestone Adventure Trail
The new trail will take riders over a series of climbs, descents and water crossings and will be ideally suited for smaller trail bikes or individuals with considerable off-road riding experience.
The Main Stage will feature party and tribute bands, playing throughout the weekend, with acts including the Detroit Soul Collective, Definitely Mightbe (Oasis), Mercury (Queen), Let There B/DC (AC/DC), Imagine the Beatles (The Beatles), Red Hot Chilli Peppers UK (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) and Cream of Clapton (Eric Clapton, of course). Ska/reggae outfit ‘The English bEAT’ will also perform.
Godfather
The 2023 ABR Festival will feature some of the biggest names in the adventure biking world including the ‘Godfather of Adventure Biking’, Ted Simon, author of Jupiter’s Travels, which inspired legions of riders to saddle up and discover the world on two wheels.
Ted will be speaking about his extraordinary four-year, round-the-world tour which started in 1973. Visitors will also have the opportunity to rub shoulders and hear from other biking stars including Elspeth Beard, Nick Sanders, RyanF9, Vanessa Ruck (The Girl on the Bike), The Missenden Flyer, Lyndon Poskitt and Austin Vince.
Interviews with guest speakers will take place on the Ténéré and Bridgestone Campfire Stages throughout the weekend.
In the Adventure Arena more than 100 of the world’s leading motorcycle and adventure brands will showcase the latest accessories, technology, clothing, luggage and hardware, giving adventurers the opportunity to buy the latest gear and consult industry experts.
More than 25 motorcycle manufacturers have committed to this year’s festival, including Yamaha, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Suzuki and KTM, pleading their fleets for visitors to use across the weekend.
The organisers claim that no other motorcycle event across Europe will have as many test bikes available to ride as this year’s ABR Festival, with nearly 1000 bikes confirmed for the event including the new Honda Transalp and Suzuki’s V-Strom 800DE.
“The ABR Festival has been described as ‘like Glastonbury, with motorcycles and posh toilets’,” said festival founder, Alun Davies. “It’s now also the largest gathering of adventure bikes and riders in the world and that’s something we can be proud of in the UK.”
More information here.
