125cc 125 quid and 1250 miles later...

The Challenge 125 riders finally completed their epic trip from the UK to Spain. With 1250 miles under their belt, Steve Keys, George Nickless and Danny John-Jules arrived at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia on 10th November.

Leaving on 3rd in Goring-by-Sea, torrential rain welcomed them as they prepared to set off on their adventure. Over the next seven days they experienced all kinds of weather, with the sun finally shining on them as they hit Southern France.

George was the competition winner chosen to fulfill his dream of passing his full motorcycle licence and ride through Europe on a Yamaha YBR125.

George said, ‘The trip was by far the most challenging but equally rewarding adventure of my life! It's going to be hard adjusting to the normal day to day routine again, but I'm sure I'll quickly cope sleeping in my own bed and not a tent with two chatty old geezers! I'm very grateful to Steve and Olivia at MotoVentures for taking me along for the journey and cannot thank them enough for making me a fully fledged biker.’

All money raised for the trip will be donated to Riders for Health, a charity that provides motorcycles for medical teams in Africa.

Danny said, ‘Challenge 125 was designed not only to raise money and awareness for Riders For Health but also to test the mantle of the man. With the added responsibility of chaperoning a novice rider, it was obviously going to be a lot harder than riding with an experienced one. When frustration meets bad weather, small budgets and and a deadline, I can assure you it makes very interesting watching.

With long days riding through the countryside in France and Spain, the riders enjoyed their time off the bikes too and had great hospitality from everyone they met along the way.

Steve said, ‘It was great to be reminded that you don't need to ride expensive motorcycles to go touring and have fun. Everywhere we went we were greeted with such warmth and kindness from everyone we met and that's what you get from the worldwide biking family. Having George with me and Danny reminded us how lucky we are to be part of a trip like this, he was so enthusiastic and never stopped smiling, well almost never!’

Find out more about Challenge 125 at www.motoventures.co.uk