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Specialists in Margaret River tours.

Choose from a tantalising array of multi day tours & private charters. Experience the spectacular Margaret River region and see why we’re rated 5-star “Excellent” on TripAdvisor™.

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Multi day tours, multi day tours, private tours, private tours, must-see margaret river.

4 Best Caves in Margaret River

From world-class wineries and six-course degustation dinners to shimmering turquoise waters, ancient granite cliffs and winding roads lined with lush vineyards – we can almost guarantee you’ll be planning your second (and third) visit in no time.

Let us give you a rundown on why this little slice of heaven is the ultimate holiday destination, plus a three-day Margaret River itinerary.

How to spend 3 days in Margaret River

Margaret River Lighthouses: Two Iconic Maritime Wonders

Who doesn’t love a tale of the sea? Of shipwrecks, scurvy and maritime heartache. On visiting Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse last week, we learned that caretaker and guide Paul Sofilas just celebrated 25 years, so we asked him about life at the lighthouse to mark the special occasion. We also share some insights into what makes Margaret River’s lighthouses so important.

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Neil and his wife Coralie and son Lincoln operate  McLeod Tours  from part of the old family farm that Neil grew up on, sharing the Margaret River experience with visitors from near and far.

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• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino
• Peter the Great Military Academy
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• Pekhorka Park
• Orekhovo Zuevsky City Exhibition Hall
• Ramenskii History and Art Museum
• Noginsk Museum and Exhibition Center
• Saturn Stadium

Leod Escapes is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. We specialize in International tours with “Track Time”. That means sport touring the best curvy roads for week and riding a proper sport bike on a famous race course. Leod Escapes pioneered the concept of “Track & Tour” and each year we seek to add a new destination to keeps things fresh and exciting. Since we are located in the best place for motorcycle sport touring the USA we also do GPS self guided and custom tours in Northern California.

Who comes on a Leod Escapes Tour?

Our tours bring together groups of like minded riders. They have intermediate to advanced track riding skills. On street they are safe and smooth but naturally quicker than your average tour. They are all interested what’s authentic in a destination rather than tourist traps. These riders want good food and comfortable but not overly fancy accommodations. Most important our clients don’t want a pleasant vacation, they want an exhilarating escape with a touch of adventure. As we say proudly “Life as it Should be Ridden"

Why Track Time on a famous Race Track?

If you are a fan of MotoGP or WSBK racing the answer is obvious. Once you have ridden a track yourself, you will never watch a race the same way again. This is a chance to ride where your heroes ride and gives you fresh appreciation for their incredible skill. Track day riders know there’s nothing like riding a race track. It is completely different than riding on the street, yet it makes you a better street rider. There’s another important reason. There’s nothing more authentic than a track day. No matter where you are in the world your track day brothers and sisters are there ready to welcome you as one their own.

How did Leod Escapes begin?

After working for decades in both the motorcycle industry and the travel industry Cat MacLeod wanted to create motorcycle riding experience that more closely resembled the style of organized industry rides rather than standard motorcycle tourism. This means a tour more focused on the route and the authenticity of the experience rather than on touristy type things. You ride where the local riders go, you eat where local riders would take their visiting friends. This creates an experience of waves of exhilaration and joy rather than a safe steady steam of bland pleasantness. It also means you return home with an accurate understanding of the place you’ve visited. You’ve escaped your day to day world, left your mild mannered alter ego at home, and reconnected with the reason we all ride. That’s why the company is not called Leod “Tours” but Leod “Escapes”.

How did the idea of of tours with track time start?

Years ago looking out from a pit wall at a little race track called Groß Dölln in Germany we had a crazy idea. Motorcyclists are the same the world over and there’s nothing more authentic than a track day. What if we combined a motorcycle tour with track time in an international destination. What if we gave riders the opportunity to not only experience the great roads of a place far from home, but then let them ride a proper sport bike on a famous MotoGP or WSBK track. So it all began with a tour to ride the Italian Alps and then track time on Germany’s Sachsening. Founder Cat MacLeod comments ,“That first Track & Tour was the best tour we’ve ever run and the worst tour we’ve ever run. Some things were a complete disaster and we learned a hell of a lot but the clients didn’t care, they absolutely loved it. We still run that tour ever year and it’s still our most intense"

If I come on a tour with track time what is the pace like?

On our track and tour escapes you’ll be riding with fellow track riders. Track riders are much more up for an adventure of thrills and discovery rather than well manicured amusement. Someone who’s been pushing it a little harder in turn 5 back home isn’t going to be intimidated by a menu that isn’t in their native language. Track riders are also experienced riders but that does not mean they are speed demons on the street. Our typical pace on the tour part of a “Track & Tour” is certainly faster than your average motorcycle tour but not reckless. Riders with track experience are typically smoother on the street.  Skills levels range from intermediate rider to professional race champion and we make accommodations so that everyone can ride at a pace they are comfortable with. Once we get to the track, riders are grouped to their skill level and often change once they are familiar with the track.

What is Leod Escapes attitude to food?

Food on a trip is important. A bland boring meal in a strange place can make you wish you never left home, while a fantastic meal can make your whole day. Leod Escapes main offices are in the San Francisco bay area, a local famous for being the home of food snobs. Food on your trip is part of the adventure. This is why we often do not include lunches and dinners. We want you to feel free to experience the flavors of the destination rather than be locked into a boring catered meal.

What is Leod Escapes philosophy on hotels?

Leod Escapes wants you to feel happy you left home. Accommodations are selected based on their location and their amenities. Typically these range from 3 and 4 star rooms with a focus on luxuries you can feel rather than fancy decor. We also want you to get a feel for the place you have come to visit. You will be staying in places that a savvy local would recommend rather than boring chain hotels.

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Get Ready You’ve invested in the adventure of a motorcycle tour. Here’s how to prepare so you’ll get the most smiles per mile.

Not Being “the problem” Riding in groups on a motorcycle tour far from home is fun. That sense of wonder and discovery is infectious. Everyone you are with is more likely to be relaxed because they are “on vacation”. Far from their guarded home environment people are often more authentic and honest than they would be at home. Indeed, if you really want to know someone, travel with them. Tours are often where life long friendships are made. It doesn’t happen every tour but us motorcycle tour guides know the common types of “problems”. When you’re “the problem” you usually aren’t having any fun either so here’s how to avoid it.

What’s Your Plan? Riding ability is always the big unknown for motorcycle tour operators. No matter how much a tour guide tries to learn about someones skills before the tour, you just don’t know until the first day. Leod Escapes tours run at a quicker pace than your average motorcycle tour as we attract more skilled riders. Regardless of which tour operator you are with, there’s usually a range of skills within your group. While the general rule we say on Leod Escapes tours is “if you are trying hard to keep up DON’T”,you still don’t want to be the rider that is holding everyone up. Crashes hold everyone up for hours. To get more enjoyment out of your motorcycle tour make a conscious effort to improve your riding skills before you get on the plane. Every time you swing a leg over your bike, you should have a plan of what you want to be working on: Braking? Vision? Smooth throttle? How about picking and executing a line? What’s your plan?

Driving Culture People are products of their environment and regions do develop their own habits. It’s hard for a local tour guide to explain their own culture. You have to have a basis for comparison. Here’s our biased take on some of the places Leod goes. Italian drivers are aggressive but skilled and they expect you to be just as a aggressive. In an emergency Italians will turn the steering wheel before pressing the brake. Italians aren’t too worried about the rules. Germans follow the rules. In Germany and Austria the passing lane is for passing only, once you done passing, get the hell over. The positioning of stoplights is completely different in Germany and outsiders will find themselves often stopping too late. Germans will show you five road signs all at once. In Spain, once outside of the cities you won’t see many vehicles at all. Spaniards just don’t drive that much and their skill level shows it. Overall your average European has spent time on at least a scooter growing up so they are in general more courteous to motorcycle riders. Australians tend to follow the speed limits pretty closely on main highways because while tickets are rare, they are damned pricey.

Smooth on the Brakes, Plan with your Eyes Before your grand adventure, practice really getting hard on the brakes smoothly. Practice loading the tire with 5% of front brake lever, THEN squeeze on full brake smoothly. Sudden hard moves with anything on a motorcycle is a recipe for disaster and that certainly includes the front brake. Proper front brake usage can slow you down dramatically. Load the tire with a little brake, pick a smooth patch of pavement and give it a hard squeeze. You’ll realize you’ll have to prepare your body for this. Keep you body weight low, and weight both your pegs, yes you’ll have some weight transfer to your arms but the idea is to minimize this as much as you can. Proper braking ability will help if you are one of the slower riders who needs to catch up in the straights and then brake for the next turn. Indeed it’s often the first step to becoming comfortable with higher speeds, knowing you have the ability to slow down. Practice being mindful of where you want to enter a turn; where you want to apex and don’t open the throttle until you see your exit point. This will help you enjoy your trip and give you more relaxed moments to view the spectacular world you’ve come to see safely.

Rehearsal and Practice Gear up in all the riding gear you intend to take with you and take your bike out for a long day trip. Will this gear serve you well? Where do you always put your wallet, your cell phone, your motorcycle keys, your camera, your gloves, your helmet when you stop. Develop routine habits for these items. Practice doing fuel stops fast and being ready to go quick. These habits will serve you well when you are faced with all the wondrous distractions you’ve paid to experience.

Being the Traveler, not the Tourist You are going on this organized trip to experience another land on two wheels. We all know this is best way to see the world. Realize that unless you travel abroad a lot, most locals will spot you as a foreigner straight off. Body language is often the first giveaway. If this is your first trip in a non-English speaking land avoid the temptation to speak in English at double volume. Guess which nationality is famous for this? Various tour operators vary in their approach; at Leod Escapes we focus about 80% on authentic local stuff and 20% on touristy spots. As touristy as some things are they are often still worth seeing. Be patient with people who speak only a little English. Try to learn a few simple words and phrases. Curiosity is of course encouraged but asking complex questions in English will probably get you an inaccurate answer if not a blank confused smile. While abroad you are an ambassador of your nation, be a polite and courteous guest. Cultural attitudes, regional characters and just plain acceptable behavior varies far more than most of us realize. If you feel you are being wronged, tell your tour guide and let them handle the situation.

Handle your High You might be able to pound 4 beers at lunch and ride just fine but don’t do it. It will make your fellow riders nervous. Attitudes vary from tour operator to tour operator with regard to evening festivities. At Leod Escapes when the ride is done, we often encourage our clients to have a bit too much fun with the subtle reminder that tomorrow we have to ride again.

Come home different Some people are used to high amounts of control in their home environment. To suddenly be in a strange place without comforting indicators of status and authority can be very threatening. When fear gets the better of them they lash out. Sometimes, if they can’t be the captain of the ship, then they’ll do everything they can to sink it, just to feel like they have some sort of control. We would urge you instead to engage control over your attitude about travel. To have a great tour you need to cultivate an attitude of adaptation. Find joy in learning about the world around. Comforting narratives from home and beliefs you may have been taught for decades can be called into question often as you travel, let go and learn. As travelers we seek to return home not just happier but wiser, how will your trip change you?

Game for Adventure Tour operators and guides just set the stage. How you enjoy yourself is out of our control. Things don’t always go as planned. Bikes break down, road construction happens, restaurants unexpectedly close, there’s a massive convention in your arrival city. Much as your chosen tour operator has hopefully tried to plan for all eventualities… rain happens. Take it in stride, you could be safely at home sitting on the couch binge watching Netflix but you chose to experience life and life is unpredictable. You will undoubtedly return home with some amazing memories. That’s why we all do this. Now you know… so let’s go!

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