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Tempted by Touratech travel event
06 February 2025
Tempted by Touratech travel event
Touratech celebrates 35 years of knocking out top notch motorcycle accessories in 2025.
There’s been plenty of adventures – or well-dressed riders enjoying adventures – along the way, including one captured for a rather famous TV show.
This summer, Irish riders can enjoy a mini-adventure by hopping over to the company’s German HQ and sampling one of its acclaimed travel events.
A long, long time ago in a land far, far away, Ewan McGregor and a little known actor, Charley Boorman, rode around the globe on a pair of BMW adventure bikes.
A TV series and a book, The Long Way Round, followed.
Both made Mr. Boorman a star, and not just in the motorcycle world.
Most of the adventure bike story, meanwhile, has its origins here in Europe.
Bigger, slower bikes they may be, but they have a lot to offer in the real world.
Luggage capacity, multi terrain use, easy to carry a pillion on and a huge amount of damage resilience have always made them something that a certain, select breed of riders enjoyed.
Add Charley and Ewan’s adventure to the mix and all of a sudden that changed, with BMW’s 1150GS going on to break all the sales records and opening up a whole new two-wheeled world.
Necessary accessories
While all of the manufacturers made clothing and accessories to go with their bikes, it was the lesser known companies which made specialised pieces who were the real heroes.
Just one of these was, and still is, Touratech, an outfit which has gone from strength to strength over its 35 years of trading.
Indeed, before our intrepid duo set off, both of their bikes were dressed in Touratech kit, with the factory stuff being quietly left behind.
Charley remembers getting the bikes ready; “When we started the preparations for Long Way Round, we contacted Touratech and explained what we had in mind.
“To our surprise, Touratech was immediately on board. I’ll never forget when this box with all the Touratech material arrived at our office where we were setting up the bikes. It was like Christmas!”
Up and down
After their adventure, Charley, BMW and Touratech were all very much on everyone’s radar.
The English actor then went on to take part in the Dakar Rally on a Touratech prepped F650GS.
Then there was the Long Way Down through Africa – again on a pair of GS machines – and the Long Way Up Livewire electric adventure through South America.
Thailand Unleashed was another project that both he and the German firm were involved with and partnered on.
Last month Charley rode in the ‘O nosso Dakar’ rally in Portugal on the new BMW R 1300 GS. This was, once again, dressed by Touratech.
Our turn
Meanwhile, us lesser mortals can get the chance to check out the company’s range when it hosts another of its travel events from 30 May to 1 June.
This will the 20th year they’ve been putting on these weekend shindigs with attractions including riding training, tours, test rides and the opportunity to test the latest Touratech products.
Once again, the action will take place at Touratech HQ in Niedereschach, Germany, offering Irish riders an excuse for a mini-European adventure.
Of course there are also options closer to home. You can always drop by Overlanders or visit www.touratech.ie to check out all the goodies.
