Trans-Atlantic BikeShare is a member supported, member driven organization focused on motorcycle touring. The key difference between Trans-Atlantic BikeShare and other touring options is the cost. With traditional choices you can spend thousands of dollars to ship your motorcycle or sign up for a structured tour with predetermined destinations each day. For me, those options just didn't seem like much of a choice.

To help you understand what Trans-Atlantic BikeShare is all about I need to back up a few years. In 1991 I responded to a letter in the BMW Motorcycle Owners News. The letter was from Tony Wood of Leicester, England. Tony and his wife, Shirley, had toured in the states previously and wanted to return. However, the cost of shipping their motorcycle a second time was a less then enticing concept and renting a motorcycle in the U.S. is costly and not easy. In Tony's letter he proposed an arrangement where he would borrow a motorcycle here in return for use of his motorcycle in the UK. I had been looking at all of my options for touring in the UK and this looked like an excellent opportunity.

In 1992 I was on my way to Leicester, England to borrow Tony's motorcycle and see Scotland. The next year Tony and Shirley came to the states and borrowed my motorcycle. They rode to Memphis to enjoy some Memphis blues and then headed east to enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway. Throughout both of our tours we often heard from other motorcyclists we met about how they would like to find a similar arrangement. The problem was locating other motorcyclists with the same interest. They were out there and needed a central place to make a connection.

Another feature of Trans-Atlantic BikeShare is the great sense of a global community. Neither Tony or I could have imagined how the members have helped each other out. International friendships have developed along with lasting memories. There is no price you can place this feature.