Winter Rallies 2016 / 2017 season

Christmas now apparently starts sometime shortly after summer but the motorcycle winter rally is a tradition more immutable than the birth of Christ himself, for the unchanging season of cold weather two-wheeled camping runs from November through to February. Period.

Over here in the UK the media is predicting a harsh winter, they do every year but usually we end up with murky grey skies and rain. If you want the real deal head North to Scandinavia. Personally I've already got my Dragon Rally ticket and seeing as I now have a sidecar combo and heated grips I say bring on the cold.

So, here for your delectation, I present the annual RDM listing of motorcycle camping masochism. Out with the handlebar muffs and enjoy!

Quick disclaimer - all dates are probably correct, check for yourself to make sure. Most events will be ticket only. Winter riding and camping is very obviously not a walk in the park, make sure man or woman and machine are well prepared for all eventualities.

Winter Rally. 11 to 13 November 2016, Horton, Wales, UK. Welsh Coast MCC.

Icy Ale Rally. 2 to 4 December 2016, UK. Druids MCC.

Force Ten Rally. 6 to 8 January 2017, Warwickshire, UK. Mayflower MCC.

Wintertreffen Augustusburg. 14  January 2016. Schloss Augustusburg, Augustusburg,Germany.

Agnellotreffen. 20 to 22 January 2017. Pontechianale, Italy.

Hot Rod Rally. 2017 dates tbc. Normally end January. Holland. BSA OC.

Alteisentreiber. 26 to 29 January 2017. Austrian Alps.

Savalen Rally. 25 to 29 January 2017. Savalen Fjell Hotel, Savalen, Norway.

Elefantentreffen / Elefant Rally. 27 to 29 January 2017. Loh / Thurmansbang-Solla near Passau, Germany. The original Elefant Rally.

Kickstart Rally, 27 to 29 January 2017. Cirencester. UK. Ogri MCC

Fjord Rally. 7 to 10 February 2017. Jostedal Hotel, Jostedal, Norway.

Wild Boar. 3 to 5 February 2017. Cantabria, Spain. MC Piston.

Frozen Nuts Rally. 3 to 5 February 2017. Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Danger Mouse Rally Club.

Altes Elefantentreffen. 10 to 12 Febraury 2017, Nurburgring Germany. Confusingly the'Old Elefant Rally' is in fact the upstart new Elefant Rally and held at the Nurburgring.

Dragon Rally. 11 & 12 February 2017, Wales. The British Elefant and a grand tradition. 

Krystall Rally. 16 to 19 February 2017, Røros Hotel, Røros, Norway. Just because it is in a hotel don't think that this is an easy option. Temperatures this time of year can drop to minus 20 degrees.

Primus Rally. 24 to 26 February 2017, Velmunden near Bjøneroa, Norway.

Primus Borealis Rally. Mid February. Just South of the North Cape, Norway. Not sure if this one is still running but it merits inclusion by nature of being the most extreme. Both of the Primus Rallies are notoriously hard to find information about on the web.