Can you ride the NC500 in a weekend (without missing out on the best bits)?

Do you dream of riding Scotland’s NC500 but you’ve never had the time? Then you’ve come to the right place because we’ve just premiered a sensational feature-length video that reveals how to ride the world famous road trip in just a weekend, without missing out on any of the best bits.

That’s right, ABR Staff Writer Billy and I had just two days to travel the 516-mile route while attempting to tick off the top 10 must-see NC500 attractions along the way.

Time was tight but we had a hell of a lot of fun making what turned out to be a hugely entertaining film and one I genuinely believe captures the joy of riding this spectacular journey.

So, crack open a beer, get comfy, and set aside 40 minutes of your day to immerse yourself in an epic weekend adventure.

Not an endurance test

Let’s be clear from the start, this wasn’t an endurance test. Anyone could whizz around the loop of northern Scotland without seeing or experiencing anything of any worth. No, we wanted to see if it was possible to enjoy the full NC500 experience in a short amount time. After all, our research suggested most people recommended at least four or five days to complete the route, but we had a secret weapon: motorbikes.

That’s right, we wouldn’t need to worry about getting stuck behind lines of holidaymaker traffic, or worrying about finding places to park because we had the Kawasaki Versys 1100 SE and Kawasaki Ninja 1100 SX SE, both new models for 2025, beneath us. And what a joy to ride they were.

Top 10 must-see NC500 attractions

NC500

To ensure we got to enjoy the full NC500 experience we came up with a list of 10 must-see attractions to enjoy along the way. They included sights to see, places to eat, castles to explore, and experiences to have. And here’s a sneak peek of the list before watching the video:

1. Whaligoe Streps 2. John o’Groats 3. Smoo Cave 4. Cocoa Mountain 5. Kylesku Bridge 6. Ardvreck Castle 7. Corrieshalloch Gorge 8. Gairloch Beach 9. Eat freshly caught Scottish seafood 10. Whisky distillery tour.

Ride the NC500 in a weekend

Riding the NC500 over two days was a challenging but hugely rewarding experience and one we would highly recommend doing yourself. Everything might not have gone to plan and the time limit certainly proved a challenge but when you’ve got a spectacular part of the world to explore on two exceptional motorcycles, you can’t help but have a good time.

Bikes, gears, tyres, and protection

ABR-NC500

Here’s a breakdown of the bikes and kit James and Billy used on the NC500.

James
Bike: Kawasaki Ninja SX SE
Tyres: Bridgestone Battlax T33
Helmet: Schuberth E2
Jacket: Rukka Kingsley
Trousers: Halvarssons Nyberg
Boots: Daytona Road Star Pro GTX
Gloves: Rukka Forsair 2.0
(You can find out more about all the riding kit over on the Bikerheadz website).

Billy:
Bike: Kawasaki Versys 1100 SE
Tyres: Bridgestone Battlax T33
Helmet: Schuberth C5
Jacket: Halvarssons Vansbro
Trousers: Halvarssons Malung
Boots: Falco Avantour 2
Gloves: Halvarssons Flon
(You can find out more about all the riding kit over on the Bikerheadz website).