Empowered Journeys

18/09/2026

Ride Forever Gold can be a fun day out and a great opportunity to brush up riding skills.
With our current FREE bookings promotion to the end of the year, places are filling up fast. I've got one place left in October and have already taken several bookings for November and December, so jump in soon if you want to join a course before the end of the year.

Professional coaching on real-world roads, learning skills you'll use every single ride. A Ride Forever Gold course isn't about being the fastest or fiercest, it's about investing in yourself as a rider. Improve your riding skills and reduce the ACC motor vehicle component of your registration.

13/09/2026

Motorcyclists are very vulnerable road users given the much lower levels of protection they have in the event of a crash.

No Police officer wants to knock on somebody’s door to tell them their loved one has been seriously injured or killed, so we’re asking riders to take all the necessary steps to ensure their safety.

Here are some things you can do to keep yourself safe ⤵️
🔹Ensure your safety gear, including your helmet, is properly fitted. This could be the difference between walking away from an accident or not.
🔹If you’re riding with friends, ensure everyone is riding safely and has all the correct equipment on before you go.
🔹Drivers and riders need to take responsibility for themselves and other road users.
🔹Consider taking a Ride Forever course. More information here www.rideforever.co.nz

12/09/2026

Motorcycle Awareness Month is well under way now. I had 3 people out on a Silver course today and have another 4 booked in for Gold on Saturday 26th.
This year, the promotion continues a little longer, with FREE bookings on courses through to the end of the year.
I have now published my course dates for October, November and December, and they're filling up, so jump in soon if you want to freshen up your riding skills.

It's Motorcycle Awareness Month, which means more of us are back on the road. But after a quiet winter, drivers may have forgotten we're out there. Let’s remind them: headlight on, smart road positioning, bright helmet and bright gear. Drop a photo of where you’re riding this MAM.

19/08/2026

12/08/2026

Great news! Empowered Journeys continues to offer the ACC Ride Forever range of courses (Bronze, Silver, Gold) in partnership with Rightway Riding Academy and those courses will be FREE through until end of December 2026. A free day with a professional riding instructor, what's not to love?

And, if you're eligible for a Gold course, that could earn you a discount on your bike registration(s) too. Awesome!

Just check out my website and follow the Ride Forever courses link for my full schedule. I hope to see you soon!

Free courses between 1 September 2026 and 31 December 2026. Book your course with www.rightwayriding.co.nz

11/07/2026

I had a fantastic day today, leading an ACC Ride Forever Gold course for Rightway Riding Academy with this great bunch of folks (Jason, Warren, John, Simon), who are all returning customers of Empowered Journeys.

Why are they looking so happy?

A: It has been a long day and it's time to go home.
B: We have had perfect weather (13C max, but very sunny so it felt warmer) and some great roads for riding.
C: We've had lots of excellent practical learning opportunities, including urban riding, slow speed skills, emergency braking, trail braking, loose-surface riding, country road riding and heaps of great conversations about topics including riding in groups, carrying pillions and preparing for longer rides.
D: After completing a Gold course, they should now qualify for a 25% discount off the ACC Levy component of their registration on any bikes registered in their name.
E: All of the above

Of course, it's option E folks! Come and do a Gold course, you know it makes sense!

(Thanks to MAKZ GEAR in Mount Maunganui, who help me out with a starting venue for my Ride Forever courses.)

24/06/2026

There have been some significant changes in the ACC Ride Forever space recently and I am happy to announce that with effect from 1st July 2026, I am partnering with my friends at Rightway Riding Academy as a contractor to deliver Ride Forever courses in the Tauranga area.

What does this mean for my customers? Same great level of instruction available from me, but my Ride Forever bookings will be through Rightway's booking system instead. (I have added links to their booking system on my Empowered Journeys website.)

What does this mean for me? Same great interactions with customers on courses, but slightly less background admin.

What does this mean for Rightway? A little bit more admin, but a bigger customer base and a slice of the pie. Mmmmm pie 🥧🍰 - what's not to like?

Win, Win, Win! I look forward to seeing some of you (again) on a Ride Forever course soon.

22/06/2026

I had a great day out on Saturday, leading a Ride Forever Gold course from Makz Gear in Tauranga, with 4 experienced riders.

All 4 were kind enough to leave me awesome 5-star reviews, and this comment from one of them, a fellow instructor, was particularly pleasing:

"I have now done a Gold course with 4 providers and 5 trainers. This was by far the best course I have been on. Outstanding."

That's job satisfaction, right there.

17/06/2026

I have been using Roadcraft in my riding and driving for over 25 years, and teaching it for over 20 years. I firmly believe it can be an excellent base for anyone who wants to develop safe riding and driving habits.
Motorcycle Roadcraft is one of the key sources for ACC Ride Forever training (others being the NZ Road Code and the NZTA Competency Based Training and Assessment system).
This video gives a great introduction to Roadcraft and why it is suitable for everyday riders (not just the police riders for whom it was originally developed).
Check it out and let me know what you think.

For years there has been debate around whether the UK Police motorc...