Farside is a unique ‘club’ of riders that looks for a different way of enjoying track riding. The key to this is providing trackdays for small groups (a maximum of 45 riders) allowing us to run an open pitlane that is totally inclusive for riders of all abilities, and to have much fun as possible both on and off track. If this is you then read on...
Some years ago a group of friends were on a riding tour of southern France, in the only way they knew how – on sportsbikes with just enough gear to fill a small tail pack for a week, tearing around some of the greatest riding roads in Europe. Then one day the group of friends came across many French Ducati’s. After a little ‘tete a tete’ in a petrol station it was discovered that there was a Ducati trackday at a circuit not too far away. So the group of friends followed the Dukes and duly arrived at Circuit Nogaro.
After a day of sharing two of the group’s Ducati’s so that everyone could join in the day, it was decided that Circuit Nogaro would make the perfect destination for a trackday holiday – and so Farside Sportsbiking was born – that was 1999.
Originally the trips took the form of a week away. We’d meet at Portsmouth for an overnight ferry, fuelled by the excitement of 7 days away on a bike (and a few beers). The following morning saw us riding from Le Havre for 3 days of blasting through the best of the roads we’d found on previous trip before finally arriving in the village of Nogaro.
We then had the luxury of this wonderful circuit to ourselves. A day of fun in the sun – and always sun! This was a unique experience for any trackday rider, but spoilt those, for whom this was their first time on a track. Nothing in the UK was ever going to match it!
Finally a 2 day blat home for the return overnight ferry and a sad return to normality.
From Nogaro we began to explore more circuits. Future trips found the group at circuits such as the little training track at Folembray, to the GP circuits of Magny Cours, Assen and Catalunya, all of which were ridden to, ridden around and ridden home from – sometimes all three successfully!
But the needs to explore further afield were always present and soon the focus of the trips changed to putting bikes on a truck and heading to southern Spain and Portugal.
Farside were the first UK group to visit the circuits of Cartagena, Almeria, Alcarras, Parc Motor and Estoril. We continue to run our trips in the way they have always been run and will continue to do so for as long as people wish to ride and have fun in a manner not found with the more mainstream companies.
Farside trips are based around a few key principles;
There is a small premium to pay for this degree of exclusivity but there is not one rider over the last 15 years that has not thought the extra cost is exceeded by the fun had!
If you are looking for a trackday experience that is a world away from the normal sessioned events then come and join us. Farside is a ‘club’ for likeminded riders who want to enjoy their riding to the maximum no matter their level – and share a few beers as a group of new and old friends when the riding is over!
For a full list of current and future events please use our Contact page.
This year will see us attending the BSB round at Assen with a few days road riding to get there and a very exclusive track trip to Portimao in October.
Track event photos.
Road trip photos
The fun stuff
For all enquiries please email Charles at charles@farside-sportsbiking.co.uk
You can also folow us on acebook