There’s no doubt that innovative technologies have helped to power adventure riding to new horizons by creating a complete package that includes a modern suspension, state-of-the-art engine, long distance tank and a seat made for comfort.

But what happens when you challenge the orthodoxy, and opt for a motorcycle singularly unsuited to long distance touring; a trials bike? According to the antics of two Englishmen on a coast-to-coast crossing of northern England, it becomes an unforgettable stand-up adventure, astride a Montessa Cota 315.

For extra spice, the trip from Whitley Bay on the North Sea to Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea is undertaken during winter. True to form, a snowfall during the overnight stop makes progress a lot more slippery the next morning.

Not that the seasonal preference makes a difference to the challenges of putting a trials bike through some unfamiliar paces. Designed to hop, skip and jump over tricky obstacles, the 250 cc single is not made for distances longer than the length of a trials course. Similarly, the top speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) and a .8 gallon (3 liter) tank, makes for a slow journey with numerous fuel stops, while luggage is strapped to the handlebars. And then there’s the stand-up riding position, at least for the architect of this mad-cap adventure on his standard Montessa, while his riding buddy opts for a seat and larger tank on his Beta.

They may be covering a relatively small distance, but are exploring some spectacular tracks and trails through the rugged English countryside, thanks to the go-anywhere Montessa and Beta trials bikes. With it comes an intimate appreciation of a trials bike’s unique characteristics that, in the hands of a skilled rider, make for one heck of an off-road adventure.

This is a smile-on-the-dial kind of trip, one cannot but grin at the fun-loving wackiness of it. Above all, they show that an adventure is what one makes of it, even standing up.