The following are our general Frequently Asked Questions.
Click on a frequently-asked question:
Our riders tell us it’s because of our style. See: The Ayres Adventures Style.
Our guests are avid motorcyclists who enjoy touring by motorcycle, and who prefer premium level accommodations and meals and attention to personalized service. They are generally in their late 40s to their late 60s with some a bit younger and a few a bit older. They are mostly either successful retired people or professional people who have the time to get away on such trips and have sufficient disposable income to be able to do so. About half of our riders are couples riding two-up and sometimes a spouse will ride in our comfortable support vehicle. The testimonials on our web site provide an excellent means to learn more about our customers. To borrow from an old Honda advertising slogan, “you meet the nicest people on an Ayres Adventure!”
It varies, depending on road conditions and attractions along our route. Many days include fewer than 200 miles of riding, and it’s unusual for any day to exceed 300 miles. If so, be assured you’ll be on good, high-speed roads. Our trips are designed to provide a good mix of sightseeing and riding. The schedule provides time for a nice breakfast, a leisurely lunch, some sightseeing and arrival at the hotel in time for some local sightseeing and relaxation before dinner. We usually arrive at our destination by about 3:30 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon.
You must have a valid motorcycle operator’s license. You should also have experienced a trip of three or four day’s duration – the approximate number of days between rest days. If you’re comfortable averaging 200 miles per day, with an occasional longer day, you should do fine on trips that are specified as 100% pavement. For trips where non-paved roads are specified, you should have off-road riding experience. For our Prudhoe Bay Excursion and our Namibian Splendors Adventure, you should have some additional off-road riding experience, possibly including a training program in riding off-road. If you have any doubt about whether your experience is adequate for the trip, please contact us.
No. We try to plan a rest day every three to four days and on some trips we spend three nights in the same hotel. This is generally scheduled for cities or towns where there are special attractions for which you’ll want to spend more than one night. It’s up to you if you wish to ride on these free days.
You’re always welcome to do so, but it isn’t a requirement. You can select your own riding companions, or even ride alone, if that’s more agreeable with your riding style. The maps and route materials we provide will enable you to find your way to the next destination.For alternate routes in remote areas, we suggest you ride with a companion. Our tour leaders will advise you in these cases.
Yes. Our support vehicles are sufficiently roomy and comfortable to provide an enjoyable ride for up to two non-riding companions. Guests who elect to pay the same rate as a rider will be guaranteed a reservation in the support vehicle. Guests who elect to pay the co-rider rate may ride in the support vehicle if space is available, without guarantee.
It isn’t necessary, but if you are accustomed to using one, bring it along. We provide a RAM ball mount – you bring a power cord, cradle, and mounting arm for the ball mount. We provide detailed, printed route instructions and maps, so if you don’t have a GPS receiver, you’ll still be well-equipped.
Yes. A comfortable, late model support vehicle accompanies each trip, except for our Adventure Center Holidays in which daily rides take place from the same location. Each rider may place up to two medium-sized pieces of luggage in the support vehicle. For our trips in Africa, North America and South America we also use a trailer for carrying luggage and a spare motorcycle.
Trips are limited to 10 motorcycles, plus the tour leaders. We think customers will prefer the more custom, intimate nature of a trip with fewer motorcycles. We will accommodate more riders if the trip is for a private group.
The tour price includes lodging based on double occupancy. Riders wishing to reserve private accommodations may do so by adding a single room supplement to the cost of their trip.Refer to the trip descriptions on our web site to see how many meals are included, as this varies from trip to trip. Many of our trips include all breakfasts and dinners, but breakfasts (and some dinners) are not included with some trips. In some cases (such as when we’re staying at certain game lodges in Africa) lunches are included as well. Alcoholic beverages are excluded, but our meals always include non-alcoholic beverages.The trip price also includes airport transfers to and from the starting location of the trip, provided you arrive and depart on the published arrival and departure date of the trip. Riders arriving early or departing late will be responsible for their own airport transfers.Depending on the tour selected, special activities may be included, such as game drives, admission to National Parks, night club events, etc. Consult individual tour descriptions for details.
The base price includes the use of a rental motorcycle. A motorcycle larger than the base unit may be reserved at additional cost. The motorcycles are equipped with panniers and a tank bag. A top case is provided when there is a co-rider. We deliver the motorcycle with a full tank of gas and ask that it be returned full.
The cost also includes The Plan Ahead, a customized booklet that includes route maps, directions, addresses and contact information for our hotels, emergency contact numbers, and an overview of the activities and attractions for each day of the trip. The Plan Ahead is distributed after final payment for the trip has been received.
The fee does not include airfare or other transportation costs to the starting city of the trip, lunch, alcoholic beverages, or fuel costs for the motorcycle or the 4×4 used on the safari portion of African trips. While the tour price includes many planned premium activities such as boat, helicopter and hot-air balloon rides, game drives, park and entertainment admissions, it may not include an activity of specific interest to you. The individual trip descriptions describe what is included with each tour. The fee also does not include medical evacuation coverage. The coverage, very modest in cost, is strongly recommended. We’ll suggest how to obtain it. Any items not mentioned as included are not included.
Accommodation varies from comfortable, middle-class hotels and lodges to luxury hotels and game lodges, depending on the type of accommodations available along our route. All accommodations will be clean, safe, and pleasant. The basic tour price includes double occupancy, but you can reserve a private room by paying an upgrade fee.
Our base tour price is based on double occupancy and there is an additional charge if a rider requests a private room, or if we are not able to match the rider up with another who wishes to share a room. Virtually all hotels either charge the same amount for a room that is occupied by one or two people, or they provide only a modest discount for a room occupied by only one person. The surcharge for a private room is calculated only to cover the additional cost that we incur for accommodations when only one person occupies a room.
In most cases, you’ll order whatever you want from the restaurant menu. You can count on restaurant selections to be first class. Occasionally, dinners may be served buffet-style. Alcoholic beverages are not included, but our meals always include non-alcoholic beverages.
Yes. In most cases you would pay the “co-rider” cost. If you are riding two-up, you and your co-rider would pay the co-rider cost. For some trips, your cost may be more than the co-rider cost, and this is indicated on the tour description.
We are usually able to confirm that you will ride the model of motorcycle requested on your registration form. We will notify you immediately if all units of that model are already booked, and we will offer a different choice.You won’t be charged an upgrade fee if we must substitute a more expensive model for the model you requested. However, if we commit to provide the “upgraded” model, and the model that you originally requested becomes available due to a cancellation, we will provide you with the model that you originally requested.
We can provide a lowered version of the BMW F650GS in all of our markets. In addition, several low models of cruisers are available In New Zealand.
Our motorcycle rental partners provide insurance for the motorcycles. They have established a damage deposit for each motorcycle, which represents your maximum liability. The amount varies depending on region of travel and model. Damage deposits are published on the AA website. Click the Motorcycles Available tab on the tour page. Click your motorcycle of choice to view the damage deposit. You will be asked to submit a credit card number to AA in advance of the tour with authorization to pay the damage deposit in the event of damage.
We’ll do our best to get it repaired quickly. In the meantime, if you’re driving one of ours, you’ll be provided a spare motorcycle. We don’t have an obligation to replace a motorcycle that has been rendered inoperable due to a traffic accident.
We only ask that you follow the laws of the country we’re riding in, that you don’t conduct yourself in a manner that endangers other members of the group, and that you let us know if you plan to be late arriving at the next evening’s stop.We also insist that you not drink alcoholic beverages until after your motorcycle has been retired for the evening. Riding privileges will be suspended for anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If a rider operates the bike after drinking any alcoholic beverage or using a mind-altering drug, the damage waiver signed by the rider is considered null and void and the rider incurs unlimited liability for damage to the motorcycle.
We suggest that you bring the same riding gear that you would use during a long trip at home: helmet, boots, gloves, and riding suit. You should also pack a rain suit if your riding suit isn’t waterproof. Other suggestions, such as especially warm or cold weather clothing requirements, depend upon the location and time of the trip. Information will be available in our planning document, The Plan Ahead, which is distributed to registered riders in advance of the start of the trip.
Our tour leaders are equipped with cellular phones and/or satellite phones and can accept calls in the support vehicle during the day, or in the hotels in the evening. In The Plan Ahead, your customized trip itinerary booklet, we describe how you can subscribe to a telephone service that makes it possible for your family to call you from the U.S. or Canada very inexpensively.In many areas we can assist you in obtaining your own cell phone for use during your stay. The base rental for the phone is less than $1.00 per day. Outgoing calls to North America are expensive, but calls from North America to the cell phone are very inexpensive if you subscribe to the telephone service we recommend before you leave home. Then, friends and family members can contact you on your own cell phone when you aren’t riding. The procedure for arranging this is described in The Plan Ahead.
It’s not accurate to divide the cost of the tour by the length of the tour as published in a catalog or on a web site. Other tour operators often include travel days to and from the point of departure in the length of their tours even though these days (as many as three or four) are not actually part of the tour.The best way to compare similar trips is to divide the tour price by the number of nights of lodging that are included. Then, adjust for other included attractions. Ayres Adventures includes planned activities, such as boat rides, helicopter rides, hot air balloon rides, admissions, game drives, entertainment, etc. Most other companies do not.You’ll also find that some companies charge nearly as much for a passenger as they do for a rider even though it isn’t necessary to provide the passenger with a motorcycle. By comparison, Ayres Adventures charges a relatively modest fee for the passenger.
Yes. For back-to-back trips with a gap of a few days, we’ll pick up the cost of the lodging for the days between the trips. You’ll be responsible for your meals and other expenses for the days between the tours.
We strongly recommend that you obtain trip cancellation/interruption insurance from an insurance company or opt for protection available from Ayres Adventures. This protection provides for payment of a refund in the event you are prevented from taking or completing the trip because of a qualifying circumstance. Additional information on this option is included on our web page: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection.
Send an email message to [email protected]. You’ll receive a prompt response. You may call toll free at 877-275-8238, locally at 972-635-5210, or write us at:
Ayres Adventures
P.O. Box 864018
Plano, Texas
75086-4018
P.O. Box 864018
Plano, Texas
75086-4018