Exmoor & Dartmoor motorcycle routes Ride Exmoor & Dartmoor.

Exmoor motorcycle routes

Exmoor is the gentler of the two moors, and a good place to start if you are looking for Exmoor motorcycle routes. The National Park, designated in 1954, sits across Somerset and Devon, and about seven-tenths of it is in Somerset. Expect rolling heather and grass tops, steep wooded combes and a coastline of cliff roads that climb and drop in long, sweeping stretches.

Our Exmoor loops keep to two-lane roads wherever there is a choice. The coast and the hills just inland of it are the heart of the riding, and several rides begin in small market and harbour towns, so you can park, pull on the gloves and be on the open road within minutes.

Dartmoor motorbike routes

If you want Dartmoor motorbike routes, think high, open and exposed. Dartmoor National Park was designated in 1951, and the roads across its heart run between granite outcrops, wide skylines and the odd stone bridge. Further out, the edges of the moor give you wooded valleys, climbing lanes and a good evening ride.

On the open moor, ponies, sheep and cattle roam freely and often stand on or beside the carriageway. Most roads across the open moor carry a 40 mph limit to protect them, and it is worth treating as a ceiling rather than a target. Animals can step out without warning, and they are hardest to see at dusk and after dark.

Devon motorcycle routes and when to go

Taken together, these are Devon motorcycle routes with a bit of Somerset thrown in, planned as loops that start and finish in the same place. They are built to avoid U-turns, dead ends, motorways and unpaved tracks, so what you load on your satnav is a route you can simply follow rather than a line to second-guess.

Spring and early autumn are kind: the moors are quieter than in high summer, and the light is good. In the school holidays, the busiest spots are the beaches, the harbours and the car parks beside well-known viewpoints, so aim to be early or ride midweek. Weather on both moors changes quickly. Mist and rain can arrive in minutes on high ground, and the same sunny hour can feel very different at the top of a climb, so carry a waterproof layer.

Fuel stations are thinner on the ground once you leave the towns, so fill up at the start of the day rather than hoping for one on the moor. Slow for livestock, give ponies a wide berth and leave gates as you find them.

Exmoor & Dartmoor rides start from Barnstaple, Bovey Tracey, Dulverton, Minehead, Okehampton, Tavistock and Williton.