Picture gallery: 250cc trailies to Slovakia and back

The trusty 250cc trailie obediently sat at motorcycling’s side for years. Ready, resilient, hard-wearing and undemanding, willing to shepherd new riders into the fold or accompany the experienced on adventures they wouldn’t risk their pride and joy on.

Its reward? Years of neglect by owners and manufacturers. Now, with motorcycling in greater need than ever, Honda – with its CRF250L – has breathed life back into biking’s St Bernard. But has the 250 trailie still got life in it? How much?

There was only one way to find out: embark on a 2,600-mile -20C odyssey to Slovakia in an attempt to cross the High Tatras Mountain range in February. What could possibly go wrong?

Watch the best biking adventures over at MCN-TV.com including the fantastic Mondo Enduro, Long Way Round and MotoSyberia.