Born to ride.

WORDS CARLA CARUSO

What better way to get up close and personal with a new destination than on two wheels? Just you, a driver and the open road…

Photo: Lani JensenMotorcycle riders say you can’t have more fun than on two wheels. The wind whipping in your hair, the roar of the engine in your ears, the bitumen just inches from your feet… there’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of riding a motorbike.

Ever since Rebel Without A Cause star James Dean leant against one, the two-wheeler has been associated with excitement, rebellion and freedom. If you’ve always wanted to get your motor running, a holiday can be the best excuse to give the fantasy a spin. Plus, you don’t need a motorbike licence to enjoy a two-wheel adventure – many hire companies now come with a driver-tour guide. So, all you have to do is don leathers, jump on the back and hold on. But what types of tours are available and where are the best places to head?

Guided motorbiking tours rev up all over Australia – and beyond – with something to suit every whim. The hardest part is choosing which one takes your fancy.

Melbourne’s Vicmoto Motorcycle Tours (tel: +61 (3) 5429 5360) offers BMW motorcycle passenger tours around Victoria, starting from AU$245 per person. Father-andson team Martin and Steven Craig ride luxury bikes with such mod cons as heated seats, electronic windscreens and UHF radio links, so driver and passenger can communicate without screaming in each other’s ears. Steven says: “The BMW motorcycles particularly appeal to non-riders and those who may never have considered taking a tour on a motorcycle before.”

Whiz along extraordinary coastlines, through rolling vineyards and forested ranges on tours to the Great Ocean Road, the Grampians, the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, as well as less-travelled areas such as the Macedon Ranges.

Sydney is also a place where you can get out on the highway. Karen Burcher from chauffeured motorbike and trike business Wild Ride Australia (tel: +61 (2) 4733 5366) says nothing beats biking over the Harbour Bridge. “It’s a totally different experience riding over it on a bike, even if you’re a local. We even took a lady on her 100th birthday for a ride!” says Burcher. (The trikes are like motorcycles, only on three wheels, with space for two passengers side by side at the rear.) Wild Ride’s tours, starting from AU$95 per person, also take in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury Valley and Sydney’s beaches, including Bondi. Passenger Debbie is typical of many who have given the tour a go: “It was awesome! It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Just Cruisin’ Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Tours (tel: +61 (2) 4294 2598), also in Sydney, is unique in its thrill-seeking “ride, dive and beer package”, which includes a ride along the Grand Pacifi c Drive, a tandem skydive at Wollongong’s Stuart Park, and a food platter and beer tasting at Five Islands Brewing Company (’cause you deserve it). Tours start from AU$85 per person.

In Western Australia, Down Under Motorcycle Tours operate chauffeured Harley-Davidson motorbike and trike runs in Perth and Albany (tel: +61 (8) 9307 4608/9842 2468). Julie Wallis, from the Albany arm, says most travellers enjoy the flexibility: “The beauty of being on a motorbike is you’re not stuck in the usual tour group. You can just tap your driver on the shoulder and say, ‘Stop here’, when you need to.” Tours start from AU$110 per person and range from visits to wine regions and along the coast, as well as simply cruising along the open roads.

Get a new taste for Tassie with
Bertrand ‘Le Frog’ Cadart from Le
Frogs Trike Rides In Tasmania, the Glamorgan Spring Bay municipality on the east coast has adopted a motorcycle-friendly tag for the whole area, thanks to the nous of local motorcycling identity and French-expatriate mayor Bertrand Cadart. In turn, the community has attracted scores of riders. Cadart, who also runs the sideline Le Frogs Trike Rides at Bicheno (tel: +61 (3) 6375 1777) and appeared in the first Mad Max film as a biker, says the area has three advantages: “A dry road with up to 300 days of sunshine each year (unlike elsewhere in Tassie), winding roads with plenty of corners, and little traffic.” Hot spots for bikers include Coles Bay Road to the picturesque Freycinet National Park and the coast-hugging Tasman Highway, which boasts an endless series of corners and postcard views. Prices start from AU$12 for a Bicheno tour, to AU$200 for a half-day tour with gourmet lunch.

Head for the hills of Bali with
a Harley tour Those wanting to go further across the water than Tasmania can opt for Harley-Davidson’s Bali tours (tel: +62 (361) 764 272). Here, you can ride with a “jockey” for four hours, revving up to the mountain lakes in Bedugul or riding around the back lanes of Uluwatu in south Bali, from Rp. 550,000 (AU$70) per person. Really, there is no end to the thrills. The only downside of motorbiking here can be inclement weather – if it’s teeming with rain or over 30°C, your adventure will generally be called off to save you drowning or melting in your safety gear.

Still, motorbiking adventures can be enjoyed pretty much all year round, and in any location you can imagine. So long as you’re willing to try life on the wild side. Rev it up.

For all your travel choices, go to jetstar.com