With the heat of summer soon to be burning through the seemingly permanent layer of clouds that we appear to have been blessed with throughout most of May and June, it’s once again the time of year when a young man and woman’s thoughts turn towards the freedom and excitement that is motorcycling. Now way, way back in 1989, a fresh faced sixteen year old MotorMartin could finally ride the Simson S51 Sports (ahem) moped that had spent the last few weeks waiting in the garage for such an occasion.
After a few moments practice up and down the cul-de-sac with MotorMartin Senior running alongside shouting instructions I was clearly ready for whatever the road could and can bring. ‘L’ plates on and off you go. Part 1 and Part 2 test passed, then off to claim whichever motorcycle you could afford to insure. A way into motorcycling that was easy to understand and possibly, ever so slightly dangerous. But since those heady days of 1989 there have been a great many changes to how you go about passing your motorcycle test and what class of motorcycle you can then ride afterwards. And let’s not forget this can all change depending on your age. Oh dear.
To help prospective motorcyclists through this potential minefield of information and to promote motorcycling and its benefits to more experienced riders, Honda have just launched a new Just Ride web portal that guides new riders through the licence process, inspires lapsed riders to get back on and, with the help of some famous Honda faces, lets people share their favourite rides.
Honda have shared with MotorMartin that, housed within honda.co.uk, Just Ride guides people through the journey towards obtaining a bike licence, with personalised plans presented, depending on age and experience. For new riders, there are 0% finance offers and, for those looking for more adventure on their bikes, information is available about Honda’s ever-expanding range of experience days.
The whole idea behind Just Ride is that it is designed to offer a step-by-step guide towards putting people on the right bike for them, to help them refresh their skills and then share their two-wheeled journeys with other Honda riders, as Nick Campolucci, head of motorcycles, informed MotorMartin that:
“It was during the lead-up to Ride to Work Week, one of our most important industry initiatives, that we realised that there were very few places out there that present the world of motorcycling in a user-friendly way.”
“Just Ride puts novices in touch with the Honda School of Motorcycling, walks people through the four categories of bike licence and, for the more experienced, opens the door to a whole new, online biking community, with its Best Rides roadmap. Plus, if you look carefully, you’ll find a few road-rides favoured by the pros.”
One of the features that MotorMartin likes is the Best Rides section, as this lets you select a region of the UK, check out other people’s favourite roads and grades each route to suit the type of licence you hold. Honda British Superbike stars Dan Linfoot and Jenny Tinmouth have already posted routes for people to follow. This is well worth checking out in MotorMartin’s opinion and I recommend that you do.
Finally, and to coincide with the Just Ride launch, for three months, Honda have made MotorMartin aware that they are offering 0% interest on their entire 125 cc range. To post best rides, get a finance projection or register for your own personalised licence plan, visit honda.co.uk/motorcycles/justride.
Well done then to Honda for a fantastic idea and execution. One that will help a lot more people get onto the correct motorcycle for them and get lapsed Motorcyclists back on the road.
Where will you go?