Aaron’s Dave Day Adventure

Matthew Aaron Hankinson, Saturday, 8 June 2024

Aaron’s Dave Day adventure – 8th June 2024 – and what an adventure it was!

I’d decided to ride part of the Dave Day ride a couple of months back, planning on doing to the Solihull to Knutsford leg but the week before I’d decided I’d do the whole ride and come back through the North Lakes via Preston and Southport, Merseyside before heading back south to Warwick.

Itinerary for the day:

• Depart Ace Cafe London 0800hrs travel to M40 Oxford services.
• Depart 0930hrs. Travel to National Motorcycle Museum M42.
• Depart 1115hrs. Travel to Knutsford services M6.
• Depart 1300hrs. Travel to Moto Services Burton In Kendal
• Depart 1500hrs (This is the main form up area for anyone travelling from Scotland and all points North or East of main route).
• All bikes will then depart En Masse to Barrow in Furness and arrive in Town Centre at approximately 1600hrs.
• The ride is to honour and remember Dave, Si King will be leading the ride and raising funds which will be evenly split between NSPCC Childline and The National Institute of Cancer Research

My day started with a 5:30 departure from Warwick, cool 10 deg C with a 15-20MPH northerly tailwind, reaching the Ace Café on the London North circular Rd shortly after 7:40. There were a 1000 bikes already there, and the police turned us round on the slip road as the car park was full. Si King led the precession out at 8:10 heading north to Oxford Services on his Harley CVO StreetGlide. It was immediately clear this was not going to be a normal day but a very special Dave Day.

As we left the Ace Café more and more motorcycles joined the procession from every roundabout and junction, a trend that continued throughout the day. The motorcycle spectacle was amazing enough but the number of spectators was humbling and heartwarming, people on every bridge, junction, corner, and pavement.

The cavalcade rode out down the north circular road heading north for Oxford Services, where we were greeted by two thousand more bikes. After a short stop the ever-growing group headed north, with Si King and Dave Myers wife Lili riding us all out on 2 Harley Davisons Streetglides. We headed for the National Motorcycle Museum, each mile seeing more bikes joining the procession. Even at this early stage the cavalcade was 10 miles long and bikes were still joining from the opposite carriageway as we headed north.

Pulling into the National Motorcycle more than 5000 motorcyclist were already there, forcing the organisers to open the overflow carpark at the rear of the museum.

By this point in the journey, it was becoming clear this event was going to be far bigger than the estimated total rider count of 5400 motorcycles. The police estimated more than 10000 bikes left the Museum heading north.

On every motorway bridge, spectators waved and clapped, a feature of the day that never stopped and always brought a smile, at times this spectacle was really quite overwhelming.

By now, the procession of motorcycles was 10 miles long and the Police, Blood Bikers, Marshals and volunteers did an amazing job keeping roundabouts clear and junctions free. A huge shout out must go to these folk who gave their time to make this ride a safe and fluid one, without them it would have been very tricky at times.

The next stretch of the journey became very difficult, after a vehicle breakdown on the M42/M6 part of the route. At one stage all three lanes were static for 20 minutes while the Police recovered the vehicle, not even filtering was possible, which in the warm sunshine made for a hot and sticky stop. Even when the traffic started to flow the huge backlog meant filtering in very heavy traffic for nearly an hour, which was mentally very taxing. My decision to bring a Camelback Water Backpack proved to be my wisest choice, meaning refreshment on the move, as by this time the motorway services had become no-go areas. The schedule was now ‘out of the window’ and news was circulating on social media that Moto Services in Kendal had been shut due to the sheer number of motorcycles waiting to join the procession, the police estimated 17000 motorcycles already in the procession which was >25 miles long.

The next leg of the journey was just about getting to the destination in Barrow in Furness and finding services that were empty enough to allow you to get in for pitstops and fuel. I was ever so grateful for the 23litre fuel tank on the GS, the 300 mile range brings a lot of peace of mind. As I passed the Moto services on the M6, at Burton in Kendal at 4:30 they were still closed,  I doubt in my lifetime I’ll see the vista looking north up the M6 and seeing motorcycles as far as I could see.

The last 10 miles on the M6 was 30-40mph with a sea of bikers ahead and behind. As we headed west for the A590 toward Milnthorpe and Barrow in Furness speeds dropped to 10-15mph with long periods of stop start and filtering. Never had I been more grateful for the comfort of an adventure bike, a guy next to me on a Ducati Panigali who done the whole trip looked like a broken man. His wife later posted on FaceBook that he couldn’t walk for two days afterwards! The 33 miles from the M6 to Barrow on the A590 was an amazing scene. The police had closed all the roundabouts/junctions to all vehicles bar motorcycles. The decision to protect vulnerable road users by the Polices organising team really had a positive affect on the whole day. They did a great job of making other road users aware of the traffic risks without it becoming a nanny situation, great job all.

The ride into Barrow was a long and slow one. We joined the 37000 assembled bikes which was astonishing, such a warm welcome and the people of Barrow couldn’t do enough. Locals were walking around offering accommodation or camping spots in their gardens free of charge. I arrived at 6:30 but couldn’t get near the Town Hall Square. The afternoon and evening were amazing and after a coffee and snack I had to move on, my accommodation was on Cleator Moor near Whitehaven further north up the Cumbrian coast. The last bikes rolled into Barrow at 8:15 in the evening so a very long Dave Day!

The last leg of my journey was 60 miles of recently laid fast A road in near perfect conditions, stunning scenery with the setting sun out to the west over the sea. I finally arrived at my overnight farmhouse stop on Cleator Moor at 8:30 in the evening, utterly knackered but buzzing, what an adventure and what a ‘Dave Day’.

This trip was amazing and will live long in my and many other people’s memories too. 15 hours, 428 miles, 5 stops, 37467 bikes attended of every size and form, from every corner of the UK and Europe, many in Hawaiian shirts. 440 000 spectators waved and clapped us all during the day along the route. There were no incidents or accidents as I understand it, surely down to the discipline of the riders and excellent organisation and support teams who made the day possible. A humbling and amazing experience and one that hopefully has done a great deal to raise the positive view of motorcycling.

All this down to two best friends, a nation who loved the Hairy Bikers, and a very brave and determined man who had a passion for motorcycles, travel and great food. Godspeed Dave Myers.