Empowered Journeys

Do you know anyone who wants to learn to ride a motorcycle or get their Basic Handling Skills certificate so that they can get their motorcycle licence?
I have one slot available in Mount Maunganui this Sunday at 3pm for either Learn To Ride or Basic Handling Skills. 90 minutes. $230. Follow the link below:

Empowered Journeys Motorcycle Training — Events List Welcome to Empowered Journeys Motorcycle Training! Based in Tauranga (Bay of Plenty, NZ), we offer one-to-one lessons and assessment for every level of motorcycle licence from Learner licence (Learn To Ride and Basic Handling Skills) through Restricted licence to Full licence, and the ACC Ride Forev...

UPDATE: this appointment has now been filled.

Do you know anyone who wants to learn to ride a motorcycle or get their Basic Handling Skills certificate so that they can get their motorcycle licence?
I have one slot available in Mount Maunganui this Sunday at 3pm for either Learn To Ride or Basic Handling Skills. 90 minutes. $230. Follow the link below.

Empowered Journeys Motorcycle Training — Events List Welcome to Empowered Journeys Motorcycle Training! Based in Tauranga (Bay of Plenty, NZ), we offer one-to-one lessons and assessment for every level of motorcycle licence from Learner licence (Learn To Ride and Basic Handling Skills) through Restricted licence to Full licence, and the ACC Ride Forev...

Very proud of this lovely lady, my partner Mariz, who has been learning to ride with me and passed her Restricted licence assessment in February.
Like most motorcyclists, she prefers riding in warm and dry conditions, but that's not always an option, and this weekend she did a fine job in less-than-optimal conditions, when we took a trip across to the West coast of the North Island for an overnight stay in Raglan (where the photo was taken). This trip was originally planned for my birthday weekend in mid-May, but it got postponed because I was sick with Covid. Instead, we went on Sunday and returned today, and along the way Mariz experienced several firsts: first time carrying luggage on the bike, first overnight trip by bike, first time in fairly cold temperatures (less than 10 degrees C - we actually got down to 8 degrees C), first time riding in fog. These are all small but significant milestones along the journey of motorcycling experience. We also had lots of great discussions along the way about things like layering to keep the body warm, heated grips to keep the hands warm, scanning the road surface to pick the best lines for grip, and smooth use of the controls to optimize grip.
Winter riding may not be everyone's favorite (and there are plenty of riders who take their bikes off the road for 3 months at winter time), but there's heaps to learn and it can definitely help make you a better rider, so why not equip yourself and get out there for a ride!
Come on a Ride Forever course with me and we'll have a whole day to work on your riding.

Great news for anyone looking for a Royal Enfield dealership in Bay Of Plenty, it has now been picked up by Action Sports Direct in Mount Maunganui.

(After Smiths Motorcycles closed in Tauranga, the nearest RE dealership was Hamilton. 😕)

Join us from 9am-1pm, 22nd June at 30 Kereiti Street for our Royal Enfield grand opening! Take advantage of our open day exclusive deals plus, with every purchase made on Royal Enfield models, grab yourself a FREE HJC helmet worth $199.00 & your first service FREE, valid on the day only, see you there! - Royal Enfield Australia & New Zealand

A little insight into my world for you. If you have ever wondered why I am not available for appointments on Thursdays, the answer is that I volunteer for Tauranga RDA (Riding for the Disabled), helping kids get access to therapy sessions with horses.
They're celebrating Volunteer Awareness Week at the moment and I was delighted to be recognized for 5 years service. That's a drop in the bucket compared with some of my fellow volunteers, but hey, every little bit helps.
And if there's anyone out there who could spare some time on a regular basis (particularly the guys, as we are very much outnumbered 😆), please reach out to RDA as we can always use more help.

FOR SALE: Royal Enfield Classic 350

Customer and friend Nicole has this charming Royal Enfield Classic 350 for sale on TradeMe now.
Check out the advert on the link below and contact Nicole directly if you are interested.
Don't worry, she has something very exciting coming soon to replace it.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/4762909221

I have a space available on Sunday 23 June at 11am in Mount Maunganui for either Learn To Ride or Basic Handling Skills session.

Learn To Ride session is designed for people who have not ridden motorcycles (much) before. It is generally sufficient to prepare someone for one of our Basic Handling Skills sessions.

Basic Handling Skills session is designed for people who have ridden motorcycles extensively and need to pass the BHS test in order to get their NZ Learner motorcycle licence.

If you know anyone who could benefit from either of these sessions, please direct them to our website (direct link below):

Empowered Journeys Motorcycle Training — Events List Welcome to Empowered Journeys Motorcycle Training! Based in Tauranga (Bay of Plenty, NZ), we offer one-to-one lessons and assessment for every level of motorcycle licence from Learner licence (Learn To Ride and Basic Handling Skills) through Restricted licence to Full licence, and the ACC Ride Forev...

I have just been waiting for a plane and reading a very interesting article on the origins of the Vision Zero safe systems approach to road safety in northern Europe. Lots of good stuff in there. It's a shame there is so much public resistance here in NZ to some of the measures that can make road crashes less frequent and more survivable. Maybe we will catch up one day.

More than a million people die on roads every year. Meet the man determined to prevent them Almost 30 years ago, a revolutionary idea changed the way Europe regarded road collisions. It has probably saved countless lives but it's yet to be fully accepted by politicians.

Due to a cancellation, I now have a place available on a Ride Forever Bronze course on Saturday 4 May in Tauranga.
Weather forecast looks mint! 17C and ☀️.
Follow the link below for more details and to Register online:

Ride Forever Bronze (Tauranga) — Empowered Journeys Motorcycle Training Ride Forever programme (subsidised by ACC).

Beautiful day for riding today. Took a stop at Lake Matahina while I was out doing some research for upcoming Ride Forever courses in the Whakatane area.

Nice day for a ride out today with my partner Mariz. Lunch at Rhubarb Café, Arapuni.
Weather was pretty good, just one shower and that passed while we were having lunch.
Mariz is getting on really well with the Honda, passed her Restricted licence assessment a few weeks ago, and continues to grow in confidence.

A couple of photos from my pre-Easter gravel riding trip. Great roads, great weather, great people.

Trip organisation and photos by ADV Smart NZ. Nice one Rowan and Ange!

Motorcycle impact protectors: Are they any good? Hell yes! Can they guarantee to protect you from all injury? No, of course not, but something is definitely better than nothing.
You might have seen a recent video on the FortNine YouTube channel where presenter Ryan effectively wrote off impact protectors as 'useless' because they couldn't guarantee to protect against fractures.
If that felt all wrong to you (as it did to me), you might appreciate this video on the BikeSocial channel, which makes a good case for the opposite point of view (i.e. it discusses why wearing high-quality, well-fitted armour is valuable).

Why I always wear motorcycle armour (it's NOT useless) In a recent video by Ryan Kluftinger for the Fortnine channel, he talks about why motorcycle armour protectors are 'useless'. What you wear is and should alw...

Enjoyed watching this video today. Llewellyn Pavey speaks with authority and makes some great points about the keyboard-warrior facet of the adventure riding community:
Pick bike(s) that allow *you* to feel confident on the types of riding that *you* want to do, given *your* current skill level.
Invest in training to improve your skill level.
Focus on yourself, your skills and your choices, and leave others to make the choices that they feel are right for them.

The internet thinks you're on the wrong adventure bike... For more on the V-Strom 800 DE | https://bikes.suzuki.co.uk/bikes/adventure/v-strom-800de/For more on our sponsor Leatt Clothing - https://leatt.com/gb/shop/...

Awesome day for a ride! I'm meeting some friends in Napier for a few days of gravel and country road riding practice. I took the long way from Tauranga to Napier, via Lake Waikaremoana. Beautiful country round here.
I know there's a much shorter, easier way to get there via the Napier-Taupo highway, but where's the fun in that?

I get a lot of lovely feedback from customers. Here's a beautiful example, just in today from a customer who has recently taken some coaching and passed the Restricted licence assessment with me (after previously completing Basic Handling Skills and a Ride Forever Bronze course):

"This is my third course with Neil and he has delivered again. Clear and concise instructions, calm manner and always wanting the best for his clients. Neil has a wealth of knowledge and experience that he is passionate about sharing.
Highly recommend Neil as your motorcycle instructor, whatever your level of riding."

I enjoy delivering great service for my customers and it is very rewarding to receive such awesome feedback on a regular basis. Not everyone gets that in their role, even when they work hard and do a great job, so I consider myself very fortunate.

MAKZ GEAR - KTM, Kawasaki & Suzuki are looking for a new team member. If you love motorbikes and want a challenging role in the retail side of the industry, this could be the opportunity for you.

MOTORCYCLE, JET SKI & ACCESSORIES RETAILER | Trade Me Jobs MOTORCYCLE, JET SKI AND ACCESSORIES RETAILER IN TAURANGA. ARE YOU READY TO BE PART OF A TEAM WHERE YOUR SKILLS WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR SUCCESS? YOU N...

Nought to sixty in 12 months doesn't sound like the kind of acceleration we would normally celebrate on this page, but since we're talking about Google business reviews now, it's a little bit different. Back in February 2023, I started asking customers to leave reviews on my Google business profile. Now, a year later, we are up to 60 reviews, and I am very pleased to report that everyone has given me 5 stars out of 5.
I work hard on delivering great service, so it's gratifying to see the number grow, but I think it's even more important to reflect that behind each of those reviews is a motorcycle rider that we've helped to be safer and enjoy their riding more, which is the mission here at Empowered Journeys. Happy Days!
(If you have enjoyed my service and have not yet left me a review, feel free to look me up on Google and add to the reviews.)

Had a bit of fun this week taking a test ride on this lovely bike, the Triumph Scrambler 400 X.

I absolutely love the looks and it was a hoot to ride, with a very perky engine, strong brakes, and nice handling. It's learner-legal and super-easy to ride but definitely offers some fun for more experienced riders too.

Cruising around town and back-country roads are likely to be the domain for this type of bike, with 80km/h feeling like a definite sweet spot.

At higher speeds, the lack of wind protection was noticeable, but manageable. It felt a little bit reminiscent of the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled that I used to have (the most enjoyable bike I've ever owned), but with rather less weight (and less grunt, too).

As well as the tar-seal, I tried the 400 X on gravel too and it felt right at home. The bike has options to switch off ABS and traction control, but with only a short ride I didn't get into testing all the options. With standard road settings, the bike felt safe and fun on the gravel and appeared not to suffer the intrusive feel you sometimes find on beginner-friendly off-road bikes, where traction control intervenes too readily and spoils the fun.

At a shade under $9K, the 400 X seems very well priced and will no doubt be flying out the doors of Triumph dealers all over the country. Strap on a few bags and go explore the roads less-travelled!

At least one of my customers has already purchased the 400 X, and I'm sure that both the new Triumph 400s (Street 400 and Scrambler 400 X) will be on the shortlist for many others.

Thanks to Mal and Damian and the team at Bayride Motorcycles for the chance to ride this little charmer. Get in touch with them if you're interested.

This video is definitely worth a look, particularly if you are looking to choose some new riding gear.

Asphalt versus chip seal – Abrasion testing motorcycle clothing on the two most common road surfaces Asphalt and chip seal are the two most widely used road surfaces in Australia and New Zealand. Asphalt has a negative texture as the bitumen and aggregate is...

I haven't posted any customer stories for a while, but this one is a bit special.
I have been working with the lovely Nicole over the last few years as she has progressed through Learn To Ride, Basic Handling Skills, Bronze Ride Forever x2, Restricted licence, Silver Ride Forever x2 and today was the day for smashing out the Full licence assessment. Check out the smile of a very happy person!
Congratulations Nicole, it has been such a pleasure working with you and hopefully we will see you and 'Cupcake' again soon.

Can you help the ACC Ride Forever team ensure they have the right information to help new riders? Leave them a comment on their post.

The Ride Forever team are working on a new page on the Ride Forever website looking to support new riders and those thinking of starting to ride.
To help us make sure we have the information you all need, we are asking for your input.
Comment below what you had difficulty finding, or wish you knew before starting your journey. How can we help you, your whanau and your friends become safe skilful riders?