As winter continues to pound the northern part of the country (we’re in the middle of an ice storm here in Michigan), my thoughts naturally turn to motorcycle touring.
Of course, I can’t just jump on my Harley right now and head for the hills. But I can begin to plan my season’s riding, and I can fantasize about joining a motorcycle touring company for a warm weather ride.
If you’ve never participated in a motorcycle tour, they basically work in three different ways. One is where you show up with your own bike at a designated starting point, and join a tour guide and group for a journey. Another is to travel to a starting point where the tour company will provide you with a motorcycle to ride, a guide, a group and usually a chase vehicle to carry luggage, tools, and a spare bike or two. The third is a self-directed tour, where you pick up a bike from a tour company, and they provide you with a map (or GPS unit) and you take a journey on your own. Most tour companies offer all three types of tour.
There are several advantages to using a tour company. If you choose to ride their motorcycles, you’ll probably be able to select a bike that’s perfect for the environment and the journey. It’s great to ride a touring bike on highway rides; but sometimes it’s more fun to ride a lighter, nimbler bike when the roads are more challenging. You can try out a different style or brand of bike than you own for an extended test ride before you make the decision to buy one. It’s also comforting to put miles on a bike that you don’t own, don’t have to maintain, and don’t have to worry about long term.
The disadvantage of riding a tour company’s bike is that you’ll pay for the privilege, and you won’t be able to modify the bike to your liking and comfort. Most of the time, the tour company will help you with setup, adjusting handlebars and levers, foot pegs and other ergonomics. You’ll have to bring your own seat pad, throttle lock, phone mount and other doodads that you can’t live without, but that’s a minor inconvenience.
Some tours come with a pre-set agenda, including bikes, lodging and meals. In my experience, though, most of the tour operations are small and personal. You can talk with the tour operator before your ride, and specify the level of accommodation that you want, the price range for meals, and other details. I have traveled with tour companies where I specified that I wanted to stay at Best Western® Hotels & Resorts during my stay, because I wanted to use my Best Western Rewards points to pay for my rooms. The more people you bring to a group, the more leverage you have to influence the hotel selection.
Here are a few of the best motorcycle tour companies operating today:
EagleRider is now the official tour and rental company for Harley-Davidson, which gives them tremendous reach. They offer 30 different guided tours in the United States and eight tours in foreign countries (South Africa, Mexico, Australia, and Italy, currently), from a day trip to 15 days.
Edelweiss has been conducting guided motorcycle tours since 1980. They’re particularly well known for their tours of the Alps, which they conduct on BMW and Ducati motorcycles. Though they’re well-established, Edelweiss is open to custom tours, and they’re known to have the best guides in the business.
Alaska has always been on my bucket list as a motorcycle touring destination. When I go, I’ll be riding a BMW GS behind a guide from Ayres Adventures. The company also conducts tours in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand and across North America.
No matter where I ride, I’m always comparing the experience to my rides in the American Southwest, which I consider the best place to ride anywhere. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Twisted Trailz Excursions agrees with me, and conducts tours on Harley-Davidson motorcycles to multiple destinations across Arizona, Nevada, California and Utah, specializing in guided tours of the National Parks.