What IS rallying?

I’m often asked to explain what motorcycle rallying is all about.  AdventureSpec sponsored the ATRC series this year, and have put together this short video which explains it better than I can.  


Taking stock : repairs and replacements

Just a quick one today.  I’ve been going over the bike and looking at what has been replaced or repaired this year.  Some of the bits have been salvaged from the spare bike and, in one case, even off my KTM Adventure, so will need to be replaced so they […]


ATRC 2013 Final results.

The points have all been calculated and the results are out for the 2013 ATRC series. http://bigbikerallychallenge.co.uk/content/atrc-winners-2013 Rally Class 1st Ollie Lloyd – SpeedBrain 450 (116 pts) 2nd = Phil Page – Yamaha 450 JVO (75 pts) 2nd= Mike Wharton – KTM 450 Rally (75 pts) 4th Ian Pritchard – […]


Cambrian Rally : last race of the year.

The Cambrian Rally is the last round of this year’s ATRC series.  As one of the easier events, and also one I did last year on my KTM 640 Adventure, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect for a change.  I also knew to expect hectic parking […]


Safe and Sound?

Motorcycle security is something that’s often overlooked until it’s too late. It’s also something that many underspend on, in my opinion, balking at spending a couple of hundred quid on top security which could stop their pride and joy worth several thousands from being spirited away one night by a […]


Adventure bikes are outpacing sports bikes

…no, there’s not some new big off-roader that’s faster in a straight line than an R1, but they are selling more of them. According to the latest figures for new bike registrations, sales of Adventure bikes increased over 15% from 2012-2013 with 1685 new bike registrations compared to only 1402 […]


Now’s the time to talk about Mousses

One of the inherent hazards in motorcycle rallying is that of a mechanical failure. Some failures you can do nothing to prevent nor preempt, some you can, such as punctures. This is especially relevant when on a rally with time pressures to consider.  If you reach a time-check more than […]


ATRC Points update

After a disappointing Hafren rally, the DNF has cost me two places in the series, and I’ve slipped to 5th place. With only one round to go, I’ll have to do something spectacular to get back into a podium finish for the year.   Results after: Brechfa Rally Pikes Peak […]


Elsworth motoparc

Yesterday, Sunday, I finished rebuilding and fettling the bike after the crashy Hafren rally and decided to take it over to Elsworth Motoparc for a shakedown. I’ve never been to Elsworth motoparc before, indeed I’ve never been to any MX track, so I was interested to see what it was […]


Hafren Rally 2013

This weekend saw the ATRC championship back in Wales for the penultimate round of the season, the Hafren rally.  This is a one day event starting and finishing in the Sweet Lamb rally complex near Llangurig. One of the more technical rallies on the calendar, and also one that I […]