Prince joins charity epic

HRH Prince Michael of Kent is to join ten riders on a $1 million epic charity ride from end to end of the old Soviet Union.

The Prince will join the R1150GS Adventure riders for the first leg of the trek – from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk.

The rest of the team – which includes former House of Lords and Parliamentary Motorcycle Group member Nicholas Fairfax and double Guinness World Record holder Kevin Sanders – will continue on to St Petersburg with the aim of raising over 1 million US dollars for the Charities Aid Foundation Russia and the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign in the UK.

The 6500-mile ride –dubbed the White Nights Ride – was the brainchild of 48-year-old Nicholas Fairfax.

“It became clear very quickly that the BMW R1150 GS Adventure was the most appropriate choice for our journey, and the support of BMW Motorrad UK has enabled my idea of a relatively small motorcycle trip to be taken to the next level,” he said.

All members of the White Nights Ride team have received tuition from BMW Motorrad Off-Road Skills instructor and Dakar rider, Simon Pavey. They will tackle 1500 miles of off-road terrain and variable weather conditions across the top of China and Mongolia, before trekking through 13 Russian cities towards their final destination of St Petersburg.

For updates check www.whitenightsride.org.uk (external site)