The mountains are calling thrill seekers

BALLARAT expat, Matt Sutherland, will launch motorcycle adventure tours across British Columbia, Canada from June.

Mountain View Motorcycle Adventures will go off the beaten track, fuelled by Mr Sutherland’s great love of the Rockies, motorcycles and belief that “adventure is necessary for living.”

Groups will travel on Mr Sutherland’s fleet of KTM 1090R adventure bikes or the – soon to be added – brand new, much anticipated KTM 790R adventure bikes.

“They’re by far the most off-road capable bike and best quality bike when it comes to durability and user friendliness,” he said.

The tour season will run through to the end of September with a variety of options to suit experienced riders with a full and valid motorcycle licence.

MVMA will run introductory tours over three days to give riders a taste of British Columbia.

For those that want a little more, a six-day trip will run from Chilcotin Mountains through the Okanagan Valley.

An 11-day Rocky Mountain adventure will hit BC’s most stunning tourist destinations and a 12-day West Coast wilderness tour will take groups into some of the province’s most remote areas.

Alternatively, Mr Sutherland is happy to tailor an adventure ride – to a group of four or more – to suit individual needs.

MVMA is also set to expand later in the year, with several rides offered in Baja, Mexico from September to June.

Mr Sutherland emphasised that the tours – especially in Canada – are about a whole experience, not just riding.

“I don’t want it to just be a tour where people come and get on the bikes and we ride from point A to point B.

“The whole reasoning behind this is to allow people to book an incredible experience that surrounds them in BC’s stunning scenery, wildlife and culture,” he said.

The tours will also include rest days with rafting, fly fishing, bear watching and wine tours along the way.

“We’ll be taking adventurers through some of the most stunning backcountry British Columbia has to offer whilst staying at a number of different secluded mountain lodges and guest ranches.

“We’re combining on and offroad riding for an all-encompassing experience that might have you wondering which is better – the journey or the destinations.”

Mountain View arrives as Mr Sutherland celebrates 10 years since he first travelled to Canada.

He caught the adventure motorcycling bug early on during his time over there when he rode 35,000kms over 14 months from his home in Vancouver down to Argentina.

But his passion – more broadly – for motorbikes sparked as a teen in Ballarat, where his family is still based and where he spent his entire childhood.

Mr Sutherland’s first bike was a 1996 Yamaha WR250 two-stroke that he would ride through the bush around Miners Rest, Creswick and Invermay with his mates.

“It lit a fire inside me that I never imagined would turn into a business like this.”

He looks forward to taking local Ballarat people on a “trip of a lifetime that everyone should do.”

To discover more visit www.mvmadventures.com, @mvmadventures on Instagram or email [email protected].