Tips on touring on a high-performance sports bike: |
|||
| Assumptions: | |||
| (1) You know what you're doing with a bike with regard to maintenance and handling. | |||
| (2) You know how to pack and load a motorcycle. | |||
| (3) You know that you want to avoid the police... | |||
| Packing: | |||
| Minimum is best. Bring a credit card for stuff you forget. | |||
| If you camping you will NEED: | |||
| Tent and Sleeping bag. Clean underwear. Couple of clean T-shirts help. | |||
|
Toiletries - Soap and holder, toothpaste and toothbrush (with holder), possibly toilet paper as well, shampoo, possibly a razor for shaving (only if you're gone for a while). Towel. If you're a girl, I have no idea what you will need ... In general, you can pack most of this stuff in those 'hotel packs'. E.G. A small bottle of shampoo should last a week. You don't need to bring the WHOLE bottle. |
|||
| Cooking - Stove, pots and pans. Paper plates, silverware, herbs for cooking. Food - (bring a tin or two in case you get stuck somewhere with no shops. If you get the chance you can go to a store and get supplies later. Remember, you may be arriving somewhere in the middle of the night when everything is shut). Eggs and bacon or sausage are good for a fry up in the morning. Can opener, coffee, water bottle / container, candles (special camping ones with covers to prevent fires). | |||
| Torch / flashlight, sharp knife or utility tool. Money. Beer. | |||
| Stuff you might WANT: | |||
| Pillow (for bum during the day and head at night). Radio (a dark field is a lonely place to be). Hat for shade in the day. Someone warm and cuddly at night. If you're staying in motels at night, then you can forget a lot of the above.... just be sure to have reservations, that's all.... it really sucks to ride for hundreds of miles in a day, then ride for another 2 hours to find a motel. | |||
| Loading the bike: | |||
| Assuming you have pannier's and a tank bag: Load heavy stuff in bottom of panniers, make sure they are balanced. If you have soft bags they will slide around over time if not balanced. Use tie-downs of some sort to ensure they will not fall of the bike even if they do slide around. Fast release clips and straps are best, and can be found in most outdoors shops. Pack rain gear in the top of the tank bag for fast access. | |||
| Long distance riding: | |||
| Boring. I never thought I would be bored at 110mph on a motorbike, but boy was I wrong. The desert is nice to look at for the first 1/2hr, after that you start thinking about how much of it you are going to see in the day. | |||
| Radar Evasion: | |||
|
Travel in a pack. If the cops get a reading, they might not know WHO they picked up. This can be a great aid in distorting the law. But, they can always issue a 'group ticket'. If you can afford it, a radar detector might be worthwhile. Don't leave it on the bike as it can be easily ripped off. |
|||
| Riding in bad conditions: | |||
|
Rain: Don't out-ride your headlight. Don't go into corners fast, wear a waterproof suit (duh). If the water is starting to lie on the surface, don't even think about leaning over the bike for a corner. If you've only got a few miles to go, keep going. If you've got 300 miles to go, pull over at the next town and book yourself in somewhere It's not worth it. Gravel / sand: Put both feet down as soon as you recognise what is happening. Pull in the clutch and don't rev the engine. Coast to a halt and then take a deep breath. Phew! Then travel VERY slowly until you are past the bad patch. If somebody passes you, let them past, you will find them face down in a gutter a mile down the road... Snow / ice: See gravel / sand. If you don't notice, you're hosed big time. If it's snowing, pull over and book into the first hotel you see if your traveling a long distance. If you've only got a few miles to go, pucker up and suck it in. You're going to be cold and wet before you get where you are going.... If the bike starts to slide, then put both feet down and pray. But don't worry too much, by the time you recognise what is going on it's too late. If the bike starts to 'shimmer', lock both hands on the handlebars and hope it doesn't tip over. Then change your pants.
|
|||
| Return to 'Bikes' page. | |||
*** End of Page ***