Day of arrival - Factory Tour

Arriving at London Heathrow airport the group will be transported to Hinckley by minibus to start the tour with a visit to the Triumph Factory. The factory is located at Hinckley, which is east of Birmingham, and about 100 miles northwest of London. Therefore, the journey from the airport will take a few hours.

The tour of the Triumph facility is an experience that delves into the brand history and product development. The exhibition area is not just a motorcycle museum but also displays achievements in motorcycle design, engineering, racing and motorcycle culture. You will learn the evolution of Triumph from 1902 to the present day.

After the factory visit the group will be taken to a 16th century country house hotel close to Hinckley for dinner and their first night stay. Bikes shall be delivered to the hotel ready to start the motorcycle tour the following day.

Cotswolds ~ 140 miles (225km) ~ 4 hours riding

Shortly after beginning our ride, we travel along The Fosse Way. This road was built by the Romans during the 2nd century as a route to connect Exeter and Lincoln. Being a straight with relatively low traffic it will help accustom riders to being on the left side of the road before joining more technical roads. We deviate off the Fosse Way near Compton Verney, a grand Georgian mansion, to make our way to Tysoe at the northern end of The Cotswolds.

The Cotswolds is a region of central Southwest England and home to some of the most unspoilt, historic towns and famous villages in the country. It runs along a range of rolling hills that rise from the pastures of the upper River Thames to an ridge above the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham. The honey-coloured stone buildings provide a quintessential English charm found no-where else in the world.

As we meander through the twisty Cotswold lanes we take a short break at Diddly Squat Farm Shop, from Clarkson’s Farm TV Series, then stop at some of the famous villages; Bourton-on-the-water, Bidbury and Castle Combe and the Cleveland Lakes nature Reserve before stopping at Bath.

We end the day at a Georgian Country House hotel just east of Bath in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside.

Stonehenge to Wye Valley ~ 175 miles (280km) ~ 5.5 hours riding

The day begins with a visit to Stonehenge, the world renowned prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

Our next leg of the journey turns west to pass through Cheddar Gorge, a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, Cheddar Man, estimated have lived 9,000 years ago was found in 1903. Other remains from as far back as 13,000 years ago have also been discovered in the caves that dot around the area.

As we head towards Wales we circumnavigate Bristol and cross the River Severn, enter Wales and join the Wye Valley that acts as a natural border between England and Wales. Starting at Chepstow, a delightful town with a rich history and a castle dating from 1067 that is probably the oldest surviving stone castle in Britain, we head a little further up the River Why to find the ruins of Tintern Abbey which was founded in the 12th century and later Monnow Bridge, the only remaining fortified river bridge in Great Britain.

English tourism began in the late 18th and early 19th century and the Why Valley was amon the early spots on the tourist trail and boat trips often set sail from our next stop Ross-on-Wye. The town has been voted the UK’s best-loved market town.

The final section of the route takes us across the Hereford countryside and back into Wales where we end the day at Hay-on-Wye which has several quaint bookshops. You shall be staying in the town centre at a charming Georgian boutique hotel.

Wales ~ 155 miles (250km) ~ 4.5 hours riding

We take a little loop south into the Brecon Beacons before turning north to make our way through Wales. Our first stop is at Brecon Cathedral, where the earliest parts date from 1093, when it was a Norman Christian place of worship.

As we continue north, we reach the market town of Builth Wells in the upper part of the Wye Valley then onwards to the village of Llangurig by which time you shall see the Wye has narrowed significantly. We leave the Wye near its source as we turn west to Aberystwyth where some might care to take the Cliff railway to an elevated viewpoint overlooking the town.

The final leg of this route takes us into the Eryr National Park where you will see Snowdonia the highest mountain in Wales. There are only 15 mountains in Wales that are over 3000 ft high, and they are all located within this national park then onwards to Portmeirion, designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis in an Italian style, where you will be staying in a castle.

Peak District ~ 170 miles (270km) ~ 6 hours riding

We head east across the Eryr National Park along some narrow roads overlooking gorges and passing some waterfalls on our way to the market town of Denbigh where a ruined castle overlooks the town.

We continue through the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Park and onwards to Chester, a historic city with Roman, Viking and Norman heritage. The city walls are largely intact and the Tudor Style timber buildings and a popular attraction.

The journey continues east to enter the Peak District National Park where the route includes Snake Pass, a very popular road with bikers, which we follow to Glossop before deviating north to end the day at a former mill owners home that later became a Coaching Inn to the northeastern edge of the National park.

Yorkshire ~ 185 miles (295km) ~ 6 hours riding

Heading northerly across moorland to the west of Huddersfiled and onwards to Hebden Royd as we make our way into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The area is very popular with hill walkers and routes like the Pennine Way, Dales Way and Coast to Coast Walks pass through this landscape.

The route will deviate east across the Nidderdale National Landscape and onwards to the Yorkshire Moors National Park passing through pretty villages like Hovingham and market towns including Helmsley, a popular tourist town that regularly wins prices for its floral displays.

The B1257 road between Helmsley and Stokesley is another popular biker road. We continue from Stokesley to Yarm a market town on the River Tees. The town is though to have grown from a Viking Settlement formed in the 10th century.

The final leg of this route brings us past Durham to Beamish where there is a world famous open air museum. We shall be staying in nearby Beamish Hall, an 18th century Country House Hotel.

Beamish circuit ~ 200 mies (320km) ~ 5.5 hours ridng

Today riders and their pillions have a choice. Some might want to spend the day visiting the Beamish Museum whilst others will wish to ride.

Those visiting the Museum will soon discover that there is lost to see and do at Beamish. The open air museum brings the history of North East England to life at its 1820s Pockerley, 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas. To find out more about each area visit our Explore & Discover pages. Visitors to the museum will meet costumed folk and discover fascinating stories of everyday life in the region through time, see machinery and use vintage vehicles to travel around the site.

The riders will be guided across the North Pennines National Landscape and onwards to the Lake District making stops as Keswick and Windermere before returning via The Moor House National Nature Reserve and Barnard Castle before returning to Beamish Hall.

Northumberland ~ 145 miles (230km) ~ 4 hours riding

Departing Beamish we make our way to Hardian’s Wall. There were three Roman invasions of Britain. General Gnaeus Julius Agricola led initial occupation and brought troops deep into Scotland. Between AD78 and AD84 he progressively moved north across the country. In AD85, Agricola was recalled from Britain after an unusually lengthy service by Emperor Domitian. The second invasion terminated at what we now call Hadrian’s Wall a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia. It was created in AD 122 during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. At this time the tribes north of this line were hostile and unruly. The third came further north in AD142 under the order of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and is referred to as the Antonine Wall. We shall visit some of the remains on Hadrian’s wall.

The journey continues into the Northumberland National Park and onwards to Cragside, a Victorian Tudor Revival country house and former home of William Armstrong an industrialist, scientist, philanthropist and inventor. Armstrong displayed his inventiveness by making Cragside the first house in the world to be lit using hydroelectric power. In the grounds, he built dams and lakes to power a sawmill, a water-powered laundry, early versions of a dishwasher and a dumb waiter, a hydraulic lift and a hydroelectric rotisserie. All remain there to see making Cragside a most interesting stop.

We take our next stop at Yeavering though there is nothing really to see but it will help explain about life here in ancient times. The site was occupied throughout Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age periods and during the Iron Age a hillfort was built which was a home to King Edwin and Queen Aethelburg during the 7th century. A little further around the national park we come across an anomaly. At the border between England and Scotland check your compass. You will find you are heading due south because the border is not a straight line and, on this road, (the only road where this occurs) Scotland lies to the South of England.

As we enter Scotland we pass through Yetholm and later Kelso and Selkirk as we make our way to Peebles. We end the day just north of Peebles at a Castle where you will discover a 3D map of Scotland.

Scotland West ~ 170 miles (270km) ~4.5 hours riding

We head in a westerly direction to our first stop at the New Lanark Visitor Attraction, a restored 18th century cotton mill and workers village on the banks of the River Clyde. The facility can take time to view as there is much to see.

We leave Lanark to progress north westerly and as we are entering densely populated areas we shall use major roads to avoid Glasgow and many of the towns around its periphery. This will lead us to Loch Lomond where we break for lunch.

We use a road created by the military to cross over to Gareloch then join a great wee twisty road that leads to Arrochar then onwards yo the model town of Inveraray where some might want to visit the Castle and others the Jail.

To end this day we ride north to Lochawe and could consider stopping at St Conans Kirk which is quirky and in 2016 a Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland public poll voted it one of the Top 10 buildings in Scotland of the last 100 years. We then continue to our hotel close to Connel.

Scotland West to East ~ 200 miles (320km) ~ 6 hours riding

On this final day we will try our best to finish on a high taking you north to Ft William where Britains tallest mountain, ben Nevis towers over the town, then East to Dalwhinnie where we stop at the distillery for a tour. No sampling the goods, you can take then away with you for drinking when the riding is over.

The route south tries to use as little of the A9 as possible taking a narrow road to Tummel Bridge and another to Pitlochry where we break for lunch.

then then cut back inland to Aberfeldy and onwards to Crieff before stopping at Stirling Castle one of Scotland’s greatest stone castles. It can take a few hours to view the castle and an audio guide is available offering translation into many languages.

We end the tour passing through Dunfermline, once the capital of the Kingdom of Scotland between the 11th and 15th centuries, eighteen royals, including seven Kings, were buried at Dunfermline Abbey between 1093 and 1420 including Robert the Bruce in 1329. They journey continues to cross the River Forth with its iconic bridges and you will end the tour at a modern hotel on the south side on the crossing a short distance from Edinburgh Airport. The bikes will be uplifted from here and after an overnight stay, that could include a night out in Edinburgh you fly home.

Triumph Tiger Sport 660

A comfortable sports touring bike with a sporty 80bhp tripple cylinger engine . Equipped with two side panniers and top case. Seat Height is 835 mm. Mileage charge is £0.30 per mile

Restrictions: Theft-Damage deposit £2500, Minimum age 25, 2 years riding

Weekly Hire From: Pound £1,000

Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 Alpine

The Tiger Explorer 1200 Alpine Edition was inspired by epic alpine adventures. Supplied with top box and 2 panniers. We have 2 saddles; a low heated one and regular comfort. These provide a versatile saddle height from 815mm up to 855mm to suite a variety of leg lengths. Mileage charge is £0.30 per mile

Restrictions: Theft-Damage deposit £2500, Minimum age 25, 2 years riding

Weekly Hire From: Pound £1,400

Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro

The world's most capable, agile and manoeuvrable large capacity adventure motorcycle. Supplied with top box and 2 panniers. We have 2 saddles; a low and regular comfort (both heated). These provide a versatile saddle height from 815mm up to 855mm to suite a variety of leg lengths. Mileage charge is £0.30 per mile

Restrictions: Minimum age 30, minimum experience 2 year, Excess £2500

Weekly Hire From: Pound £1,570