A change is better than a rest for #ride5000miles fans

It’s easy sticking to what you know, but some #ride5000miles members have bucked the trend this year and taken the plunge with something different.

Gordon Hill, 49, from Dumfries, chopped in his 2003 Suzuki GSX1400 for a BMW R1200GS Rallye.

A huge change from a four-cylinder naked, Gordon opted for the boxer-twin adventure bike after a miserable ride back from the 2019 Isle of Man TT, saying: “We got off the ferry at midnight and I had to ride two-and-a-half hours home in the rain on a naked bike. That’s when I decided I had to get more protection.”

Despite early concerns about height and weight, he added: “The Suzuki was comfortable, but this is in a different league altogether. I’ve done more miles this year than in the last three years on the GSX. It’s recharged my passion for bikes!”

Another rider changing styles is Richard Bentham, 54, from Bristol, who swapped his Kawasaki ZZR600 for an upright Z900 in April of this year. “I just got that new bike bug earlier this year,” he said. “I just couldn’t resist.

“On an older machine, there’s always a job to do; a brake to strip or some carbs to balance, whereas on a new bike you just get on and ride it and then just give it a wash,” he added.

“I’ve got no regrets. I’m thrilled to bits with it and that new bike feeling hasn’t worn off. I’ve actually given up my company car, so I’m riding 12 months of the year, which is more than I was using the ZZR, because of that ease of use.”

And Sutton-based, Sam Beech, 38, sold his Harley-Davidson Fat Bob after five years for a Triumph Thruxton R. Sam said: “When I first got on the Thruxton, I felt like a giraffe on a pair of unicycles but it is now beginning to click.

“My girlfriend was somewhat perturbed about the lack of pillion so I have fitted pegs and bought a two-up seat.”

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