Motorcyclist Alex Taylor is revving up for a 2,000-mile charity challenge up and down the country on a bike that cost just £400.

The intrepid 41-year-old, from Rainham, is taking part in Performance Bikes Magazine internet forum’s Longest Day Down challenge from Sunday, June 21.

He will join 28 riders in Scotland to chase the sun from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Mr Taylor is hoping his 27-year-old Yamaha FJ1200 sports tourer will last the distance, especially as he will have to ride it north before the 906-mile journey, and then from Cornwall to Medway afterwards.

It will be the longest single journey he has taken on a bike since he started riding when he was 17.

It is the third year that the forum has organised the event, but it is Mr Taylor’s first attempt.

He said: “I think it started when there was a set of people on the forum who had cancer or had close friends who had cancer, so we thought what we can do.”

In previous years the club said that the motorbikes that take part had to have been bought for under £300.

But Mr Taylor said: “The £300 limit was putting people off, not everyone is capable of finding and fixing a bike. We are allowed to use our own bikes this year.”

Using their own bikes means the organisers will come up with another challenge for the riders to complete on the way down.