ABR 2025

Made it to the ABR Festival this year and was not disappointed. A great weekend with the focus around bikes, chats about bikes, stuff to buy for bikes, bikes to test before considering buying, music, nice cold beers, GnT's, great food and company!

The route up was broken up with a great breakfast stop at Gilks Garage Cafe - useful to remember if you're trekking up the M40 and prefer good coffee and real food as it's only a few minutes from junction 12.

The ABR Festival exceeded expectations, showcasing a broader array of motorcycles than anticipated. Beyond the extensive range of off-road and adventure bikes, major manufacturers like Ducati offered test rides on their sport bikes, and Harley-Davidson featured their heavy road tourers, mentioning just two. It was particularly insightful to witness the significant progress of Chinese brands and the continued growth of Royal Enfield. For me, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 stood out as the "bike of the show" – a versatile all-rounder, built for 'all road and no roads'. I'll certainly be arranging a local test ride soon!

The event offered a unique opportunity to hear from several true heroes, none more rewarding than Elspeth Beard. As one of the first female motorcyclists to circumnavigate the globe, she spoke openly about the trials and tribulations of her incredible journey. What made her talk most insightful was her openness to sharing the emotional challenges she faced during that period of her life. This moment alone made the ABR Festival truly special.

Beyond Elspeth Beard, I had the opportunity to listen and chat with Adam Riemann (Motology Films) and Tim Rodie (link Tim's YouTube Channel). James Hillier was also there and gave a fascinating insight into his high octane cocktail of TT and Dakar racing. 

The event also  showcases most major clothing, parts and performance specialists, while mostly adventure bike focused,  there were some great general purpose bike parts there too, this part of the festival could easily get expensive! 

The Travellers' Area at the festival was another highlight, providing the opportunity to connect with numerous companies offering motorcycle adventures across the globe, sparking inspiration for future journeys further afield, and to listen to individual travel experiences in the smaller, more intimate, Travellers' Tent.  

As evening comes, the tone changes to a musical beat coupled with the challenge of what to eat from the incredible array of street food available! Oh and a few 'light refreshments too'!!  Music, I really enjoyed Detroit Soul Collective's set,  the 50 strong Treorchy Male Voice Choir were also great, as was the relaxed acoustic vibes emanating from the little Horsebox Stage!! 

 I'm unable to comment on how good the 50+km's of trails are as I didn't take a bike, instead choosing to take our Glamping Pod on Wheels thus ensuring we had a very comfortable bed to sleep in! We needed it too with all walking, chatting and dancing! Oh did I mention that there's also a silent disco!! 

Tickets brought for 2026, including a Trail Pass. So 11 months to get the GS and myself trail fit, and resolve a solution to get it there in or behind the van!