SHARED passions for motorcycling broke down language barriers when a group of Ipswich biking enthusiasts met up with foreign counterparts.Members of the Triangle Motorcycle Club set off early yesterday morning on a journey to northern France, for a weekend of activities in Ipswich's twin town of Arras.

SHARED passions for motorcycling broke down language barriers when a group of Ipswich biking enthusiasts met up with foreign counterparts.

Members of the Triangle Motorcycle Club set off early yesterday morning on a journey to northern France, for a weekend of activities in Ipswich's twin town of Arras.

The two-day trip will see them joining the Motoclub Arrageoise, the Arras equivalent to their group, to roar around on a tour of the region and be welcomed to the town with a civic reception.

It is a trip the Suffolk club had been eagerly anticipating, and for some members marks their first trip abroad.

Club committee member, Paul Curtis, said before they left: "We're all really looking forward to this trip and are going to enjoy every bit of it.

"It'll be a nice little break to start them off and hopefully in the future we'll start going a bit further afield."

About 40 members of the Triangle Motorcycle Club are taking part in the trip, some of whom set off earlier this week to visit northern Italy before heading to Arras.

They are being joined by members of the Suffolk based Advanced Motorcycle Club and the Mag Group to be greeted by their fellow French motorbike enthusiasts.

The weekend trip will include a tour of underground tunnels, a ride round the region, a dinner at the French group's social club and a civic reception at Arras Town Hall.

Motoclub Arrageoise have already visited Ipswich and it is hoped that following this weekend's visit the friendship between the two town's motorbiking fans will be further cemented to allow more exchange visits in the future.

Mr Curtis said: "Hopefully we can do this again and we're looking at a return trip in the next couple of years.

"Some of them don't speak English and not a lot of us speak French but at the end of the day it's not a problem."

The group is set to return to Ipswich tomorrow afternoon.