No Motorcycle License? No Problem!

EagleRider Launches Pillion Rides & Day Tours Allowing 

Non-Riders to Experience the Thrill of the Open Road

Pilot Program Will Roll-Out in Florida First

Los Angeles – May 8, 2012 – EagleRider, the world’s largest motorcycle rental and tour company, is once again revolutionizing the industry by unveiling its Pillion Rides & Day Tours program today for travelers and adventure enthusiasts who want to experience riding a motorcycle without the requirement of a license.  With packages starting at $359 per person, riders will be teamed up with a certified EagleRider Tour Guide to roar down the open road to breathtaking destinations along the Florida Coast for an adventure of a lifetime. 

“For 20 years, EagleRider has been dedicated to helping our customers live the dream, giving them the ultimate thrill of riding with the wind in their hair,” said Chris McIntyre, EagleRider co-founder and president.  “This program is perfect for non-riders whether they be cruise travelers looking for a new excursion at port, island hoppers wanting to seek new roads or thrill seekers thirsting to burn a little rubber.  We want motorcycle riding to be accessible for everyone.”

The Pillion (Passenger) Rides & Day Tours are offered in half-day or full-day escapes which include a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Certified Motorcycle Driver, Motorcycle Driver’s EagleRider Serviced Rental Bike, Fuel and Oil, Rental Helmet and Jacket, Rider Orientation & Motorcycle Familiarization, Discounted Activities during Tour, Lunch, and an EagleRider Souvenir T-shirt and Photo.  Riders may choose from Harley Davidson, BMW, Honda or Triumph models.  All EagleRider bikes are meticulously inspected and serviced for the safety of all riders. 

For more information, visit www.EagleRider.com, or call within the USA, +1 (888) 557-3541, or outside the USA, +1 (310) 321-3178, or email at tours@eaglerider.com.

ABOUT EAGLERIDER

In 1992, EagleRider pioneered the Harley-Davidson® motorcycle rental concept and the guided motorcycle tour business. Today, we are the world’s largest motorcycle travel and tourism company. EagleRider understands the needs of motorcycle enthusiasts and adventure travelers; offering over 4,000 perfectly maintained Harley, Honda, BMW, Triumph and many other motorcycle models in more than 100 locations worldwide. Our vast network of EagleRider locations allows us the unique ability to offer One-Way Rentals, Guided Tours and Self-Drive Tours from the most desirable tourist destinations in the world. For more information, please visit www.EagleRider.com, like us on Facebook at EagleRider Motorcycle Tours and follow on Twitter @EagleRider.

# # #

Tsunami motorcycle owner located in Japan

Harley-Davidson hopes to restore bike discovered on remote West Coast beach

The Japanese owner of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was washed out to sea in the tsunami of March 2011 says its discovery on a remote beach on the West Coast of B.C. last week is a miracle.

The owner, Ikuo Yokoyama, a 29-year-old resident of the town of Yamamoto, in Miyagi Prefecture, was tracked down by a Harley-Davidson representative in Japan who saw the story, first reported by CBC News, in the media.

A company spokeperson told CBC News they are now hoping to pay for the return of the bike to Yokoyama and to see if they can restore it for him.

previous

1 of 12

next

The bike is a little rusty but amazingly intact. (Submitted by Peter Mark)

Yokoyama told Japanese television station NHK that the discovery of the motorcycle was miraculous and he wished to thank the B.C. man who found it personally, but so far he has only been able to do so on TV.

He said he lost his home and three family members in the tsunami and is now living in temporary accommodation. The motorcycle was being kept at his house in the back section of a cube van that he was using as a storage shed when the tsunami struck.

He said he bought the bike five years ago and some of his fondest memories were of his tours around Japan on it.

When asked if he wanted to say anything to his bike, Yokoyama laughed and and said, "Thanks for coming back buddy," in Japanese.

Drifted 5,000 km to Haida Gwaii

After it was washed out to sea in the tsunami in the makeshift storage container, the motorcycle apparently floated 5,000 kilometres across the Pacific Ocean

It was discovered by Peter Mark, a resident of B.C.'s Haida Gwaii, while he was exploring a remote beach on Graham Island.

Your story

If you live along the B.C. coast and discover debris that may be from the Japanese tsunami, we'd like to post it as part of a special online feature. Send photos to yournews@cbc.ca.

The bike was rusty, particularly on the wheels and handlebars, but the logo on the fuel tank was unmistakable.

The motorcycle's licence plate showed it was registered in Miyagi Prefecture, and writing on the container matched photos of a commonly used Japanese moving van. Mark also found a few golf clubs, tools and camping equipment in the container.

Miyagi Prefecture, on Japan's east coast was the worst hit part of the country in the tsunami, with more than 11,000 people dead and missing.

Experts estimate more than 1.5 million tonnes of tsunami debris was swept out to sea and is now drifting across the Pacific Ocean toward Canada's West Coast.

The Kuroshio ocean current runs in an almost direct path from Japan's east coast over to North America, passing right by the islands of Haida Gwaii.

Until now only bottles, buoys and other small items have washed ashore, but one unmanned fishing boat was sunk by the U.S. Coast Guard before it reached the West Coast of Alaska last month.

Courtesy of CBC News - British Columbia