R5K members doing their bit to get kids interested in bikes
R5K members help the next generation to have a blast
By Dan Sutherland SENIOR WRITER
Ride5000miles members from across Europe have been hitting the road as a family – adding to their annual totals and sharing the thrill of riding across the generations.
Many have turned to motorcycling to keep the kids occupied during the Covid-19 restrictions and inspire the next wave of two-wheeled enthusiasts at the same time. Mark Nichols, 43, from Wisbech, said: “It gives you the chance to spend the time with just one of them!” Mark has ridden with bikemad son, Alfie, 13, since he was eight, exploring local roads and bike dealerships together, as well as spectating trackday action at Snetterton. “If anything, he gets me out on the bike more, because he’s always pushing for a trip,” he continued. “During the lockdown, the idea of going out on the bike was always at the front of his mind.” Following the ease in coronavirus regulations in ‘He is always pushing to get out on the bike’ R5K MEMBER MARK NICHOLS England, Mark and Alfie have been out for around four rides, taking food and drink and stopping halfway for a lengthy chat. What’s more, daughter, Rosie, 10, has also shown an interest and has since been out twice on the back of the bike. Germany-based KTM 1290 Super Duke GT rider, Markus Schmid, 50, embarked on a 400-mile day trip from his home in Mannheim to his parents’ house in Reutlingen and back alongside his 17-yearold daughter Vici aboard her own Suzuki GSX-R125. Markus said: “In the Black Forest, there are really beautiful mountain roads and we took routes that were twisty, so I could observe how she went into the turns.
“It was fun to ride, but of course due to the different horsepower it was a challenge to align the speeds,” the chemical company worker told us. “The small Suzuki always had to rev a bit higher!”