BUELL’S EUROPEAN ADVENTURE
06 April 2006 - Buell UK

Two Buell Motorcycles visit 10 Capital Cities in 10 days for BLISS

Two intrepid motorcyclists will be taking to the roads of Europe this May to visit 10 capital cities in just 10 days; a journey of over 4,000 miles to raise money for the premature baby charity BLISS. Tom Johnson and Rob Dransfield are taking on this extreme challenge with the help of two Buell Ulysses XB12X Adventure Sport motorcycles.

The challenge will see the riders leaving London on 27 May 2006 and riding to Amsterdam then on to Berlin, Warsaw, Budapest, Sofia (Bulgaria), Skopje (Macedonia), Rome and Bern before finally ending in Paris 10 days later. With over 4,000 miles to cover in such a short time, Tom and Rob aim to be travelling for up to 12 hours per day – a gruelling test of both man and machine. Their goal is , with the to raise up to £30,000 for the charity.

To help the riders in their endeavour, Buell UK is loaning them two fully-equipped Ulysses motorcycles, complete with panniers, top-box and satellite navigation systems. They will also be provided with Buell clothing and apparel to help them on their journey.

The Ulysses provides a plush, comfortable seat and upright riding position for maximum comfort during long distance touring. The 100bhp air-cooled V-twin has instant useable power through the rev range and the bike also features fully-adjustable suspension. Buell’s innovative fuel-in-the-frame, oil-in-the-swingarm technology is designed to aid the motorcycle’s agility and in this package makes it perfect for a cross-continent journey.

Tom (30) is the proud father of twins Harvey and Niles, who were born 10 weeks premature. The landscape architect from Sheffield wanted to give something back to the charity that helped his children through the critical stages of their young lives – and so the “10in10” challenge was founded.

Rob (35), Tom’s neighbour and friend, also wanted to help raise money for BLISS and has played a key role in gaining national sponsors, sorting out visas and planning the journey meticulously.

Tom said: “With all the support my family received from BLISS, I wanted to be able to show my thanks properly. Both Rob and I share a passion for motorcycles and we felt we could use this to raise money and get some helpful headlines for the charity. The 10in10 idea came from the number of weeks early my boys were born: 10 weeks became 10 days for the journey and 10 scheduled stops in capital cities across Europe.

“We’re both really excited to be doing this journey and we’re looking forward to doing it on the Ulysses motorcycles. Before this plan we had never even ridden a Buell, but now we’re training for the journey on them all the time I’m extremely confident it’s the best machine for our needs.”

The 10in10 challenge is also supported by Corus Engineering Steels (CES). The company is not only making a donation direct to the BLISS charity from the Stockholding division but also providing funding for the 10in10 trip. The CES contribution will be used to purchase crucial items for the trip, including camping equipment, fuel, ferry crossings and first aid kits.

BLISS relies entirely on voluntary income as Jackie Glazebrook, BLISS fundraising manager, explains: “Every day hundreds of babies are born prematurely or sick -some weigh less than a bag of sugar and are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. With the help of valued supporters, like Tom and Rob, we can make sure more of these vulnerable babies survive and have the best quality of life. We thank them profusely and wish them the greatest of luck in their endeavour.”

Already gaining widespread interest in their exploits, the two men are planning a series of events leading up to the May 27 departure date. For further information, or to pledge your support for Tom and Rob’s journey, please visit www.10in10.co.uk or visit www.bliss.org.uk to find out more about BLISS, the premature baby charity.

For more information on the Buell Ulysses XB12X – and details on where you can test ride one for yourself, please visit www.buell.co.uk

www.buell.com

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