Touring Hints & Tips

Shamelessly stolen from elsewhere, some great info for touring abroad.

Continental Touring – The Essentials

The following are the compulsory and recommended items that you should have with you when touring in Europe.

In summary the following are required:

• GB on number plate
• Set of spare bulbs
• Warning Triangle
• Hi Viz jacket in case of breakdown
• First Aid Kit.

Documents

Originals Required (Photocopies are also advisable)

 Driving licence
 Registration document (V5)
 Bike Insurance Certificate showing European cover
 MOT (if appropriate)
 Current Passport (check that at least 6 months remaining)

Desirable – Not to be forgotten

• A sealable A4 plastic wallet for all valuable documents
• European Health Insurance Card (obtainable on-line from NHS)
• Breakdown cover documents
• Holiday insurance documents (beware - not all companies cover motorcycling – it’s classed as a dangerous sport!)
• Tickets for ferry/tunnel
• Hotel booking details
• Address book in order to send postcards, visit friends etc.
• Contact telephone numbers for any organisation/ banks / insurances which you are using throughout your tour.
• Note the numbers of all the credit cards along with the overseas phone numbers for notifying losses.

REMEMBER YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE AND IN CHARGE OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE AT ALL TIMES.

ENJOY YOUR TOUR…..RIDE SAFE…..KEEP GOOD COMPANY

The following hints, tips and advice have been provided as a guide and aide memoir, you will no doubt add to or take away from the items listed, but one essential that must be adhered to is to ensure that your luggage (whether hard or soft) must be totally and safely secured on the bike and the bike must not be over loaded.

Jobs to do Before Departure

• Check tyres for wear/damage/pressures, ensure there is enough tread for the entire trip This means YOU DBD!
• Get bike serviced – if needed
• Check oil and water level/s
• Adjust and oil chain
• Adjust suspension for passenger (or luggage)
• Check all bulbs are working
• Mask / adjust headlamp

Bits for bike

• Luggage – panniers, top box, tank bag etc
• Loading straps (Tie downs)
• Bungees (various)
• Paint protection sheet (Oxford do it – stops luggage and straps damaging your pride and joy)
• U-Lock/chain
• Spare Keys (for bike, alarm & locks) and spare alarm fob (Its a good idea to swap your spare keys with somebody you are travelling with)
• Spare alarm fuse & Alarm instructions
• Spare bulbs & Fuses (legal requirement on the continent)
• Bike Owners manual
• Bike tool kit
• Electrical block connector
• Small roll of wire
• Chain oil (for those without Scottoilers)
• Batteries/chargers for intercom
• Nylon rope
• Duct tape
• Multi-tool (leatherman or similar)
• Reflective jacket (mandatory in some countries for breakdowns)
• Helmet bag
• Spare cables
• Compass
• Ear plugs (for when fellow bikers snore!)
• Puncture repair kit
• Pad for side stand – for when parking on soft ground

Stuff to pack

LESS IS MORE……Pack less…..enjoy more.

Don’t take enough clothes to last for every day of the tour…it’s too much, they’ll get in the way, get dirty and smelly without even wearing them and you’ll end up throwing something away! Two of anything is enough- you can give light clothing & undies a quick wash when you shower at night & you will have nice fresh clothes every day without having to carry a ton of kit.
Use lightweight clothing and take a fleece layer for when it’s cold. Lightweight anti moisture walking socks are great…the ones with some kind of moisture resistant coating that lasts for years…worth every penny.
Carry something plastic to cover anything you leave on the bike + a little bit extra to cover the seat when it’s pouring with rain….that way when you come to ride out…dry bum!!!
Leave some space in your luggage….” if your cup is already full, there is no room for any tea “

• Waterproofs
• Mobile phone, plus charger
• Credit/Debit Cards (not always accepted abroad)
• Bum bag or body belt (to keep valuables safe)
• Foreign money (for fuel, tolls, croissants, vin rouge, coffee etc)
• UK Cash for ferry (tea, beer, butties etc)
• Camera/film/memory card/batteries/charger
• A small camera is only useful if you can access it without having to keep jumping off the bike, so get a small camera case and attach it to the cockpit somewhere safe and secure. (Rosco recommends Gaffer Tape!)
• MP3 player/travel speakers/batteries
• Maps (Pocket map of route)
• Sunglasses & case
• Visor cleaner/demister
• Travel Tissues -WetWipes (don’t ask!)
• Small torch
• First aid kit
• Medication (including pain killers, diarrhoea pills etc)
• Clothes (not too many – pack once, then halve number of items)
• Trainers and/or sandals (flip-flops take up little space)
• Washing stuff - travelwash/shaver/deodorant/toothbrush/paste
• Towel (travel towels pack small)
• Swimming kit
• Sun screen/lipsalve
• Hat/cap
• Insect repellent and after-bite stuff (Avon skin so soft is fantastic, especially for the dreaded Highland Midgey)
• Pen/pencil
• Glasses for reading/seeing generally/contact lenses etc.
• Phrase book/s

Camping Kit (if appropriate)

• Tent (check it’s all there and ensure its waterproof)
• Sleeping bag
• Bed roll/camp bed/travel pillow
• Stove (gas or petrol)
• Kettle/saucepan/s
• Cup/plate
• Knife/fork/spoon
• Can/bottle opener/cork screw
• Coffee/tea bags/powdered milk/sugar (in sealable plastic bags)
• Water container (although most places you can buy it in bottles)
• Matches/lighter/igniters (in sealable plastic bags)
• Torch/Lantern/head lamp
• Toilet roll/tissues/wet wipes (in sealable plastic bags)
• Camping seat

Other stuff (if you have room)

• Mains Electrical adapter
• Frisbee/Inflatable beach ball or a tennis ball
• Binoculars
• Games (cards, crosswords, Sudoku, Gameboy, etc)
• A good book
• Calibrated torque wrench (Just in case, eh Ross )

General

• Leave plenty of time to get to ferries/Channel Tunnel – expect the unexpected
• On the ferry, leave bike in gear, on the side stand and lock the front break using tape/cable tie around the lever
• Pack the bike so don’t have to cart stuff around the ferry (lock helmet to bike and leave less valuable stuff behind)
• If possible wear shorts etc. under bike gear so that you can strip off easily when you stop for a break in hot weather
• Hard luggage allows you to leave more kit with the bike when you go exploring on foot (beach visits etc.)
• Make sure you know who the Ride Leader and Tail End Charlie are.
• Make sure you have been briefed on the routes and group strategy before departure
• Write edited larger road numbers / exit points / destinations and keep on permanent display, either on tank or attached to your arm.

Riding

• Your Riding, Your Safety is YOUR Responsibility.
• Always ride for yourself and within your own capabilities.
• You are required to ride within the legal requirements of the country you are riding in.
• Get into the habit of always reminding yourself “ride on the right”, particularly when resuming the ride after a break.
• Put some coloured tap around the right hand mirror to remind you which side the kerbs are on the Continent.
(Trust me, these last two are very easy to forget )

Sat Nav

• Try to get one and get used to reading it whilst riding to the point where you can glance down at it and know what everything means without distracting you from riding.
• Waypoints are useful for ensuring that the routing does not try to take you on too direct a route. Use Sat Nav in conjuction with an overview from a map for best results, ensuring that the machine does not take over the tour!
• Bluetooth headsets are useful, especially in busy towns and cities, but get used to using the Sat Nav without the voice commands.
• Leave it at home? Or at least turn it off sometimes. Getting lost and discovering new roads is half the fun for me, and Michelin regional maps are amazing. Green highlighted roads are 'scenic drives' and are more often than not fantastic biking routes

Breakdown and Accidents

• If you suffer a serious breakdown or accident and you are not covered it could cost many hundreds of pounds to recover your bike back to the UK. It is are highly recommended to take out a motorcycle recovery policy.

Hope this lot helps someone, but I still think it's lacking something


After all of the above.
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REMEMBER YOU'RE ON HOLIDAY AND ENJOY YOURSELF!

Cheers Chris just booked my ferry to France.

Going from May 16th to 19th for extended weekend around Lille with some friends. As well as doing a few twisties will be visiting Dunkirk and seeing the Last Post.

It's done on the cheep so your post has come well timed. Best not bin it on 11th May at RAF Waddington!

Cheers Chris

• Chain oil (for those without Scottoilers)

I've learnt the hard way over the years, even having a Scottoiler best take some chain lube on the extended trips.

• Check tyres for wear/damage/pressures, ensure there is enough tread for the entire trip This means YOU DBD!

Yes. Good advice. Tyres can be rather pricey on mainland Europe. As I found out. €550 a pair if I remember correctly. and the hassle of finding a place to get them can be a bit of a work up as well. Especially if you're in a place with very little English speakers and you don't know the Lingo!!

Dirt Bike Dave wrote:

• Check tyres for wear/damage/pressures, ensure there is enough tread for the entire trip This means YOU DBD!

Yes. Good advice. Tyres can be rather pricey on mainland Europe. As I found out. €550 a pair if I remember correctly. and the hassle of finding a place to get them can be a bit of a work up as well. Especially if you're in a place with very little English speakers and you don't know the Lingo!!

I seem to remember you were surrounded by Scotsmen & honourary Scotsmen that had over indulged in the wine that was cheaper than water
I couldn't speak English either......but I was starting to think in Spanish.

Great (borrowed) write up there Chris, every time I pack to go away on the bike I can never find my packing list so what I've done is made a master UK and abroad list with a separate camping bit. Now I pack as per the list and go, try to keep it as light as possible. When I get back I check if there's any unused items and if there is they get knocked off the list so the packing gets easier every time.

I found, especially with Assen last year I packed 3 t-shirts but bought 2 at the track.... Another tip I'll share and you can use it or ignore, pack old (but clean) underwear, wear it and bin it, you'll be a little bit lighter coming home, they'll be more room for things you buy, plus who can realistically get all of their stuff back in the bag when coming home??

That's what Black Bags and spider straps are for!

Got a vision of Steve's old undies whacking against car windscreens now lol

Cheshirecat wrote:Got a vision of Steve's old undies whacking against car windscreens now lol

Not something I've ever done personally, just what I've heard
All my skivvies are pristine

You could just do what Rosco does and buy an X large cargo net, attach it to the back of the bike and keep stuffing things under it until its stretched to the max...useful things like footballs(with pump), full socket set (incl large torque wrench), 1 training shoe, clothes line (with pegs), cooker(with spare gas bottle) and many more, it also comes with a free helmet attachment..You will also be the butt of many jokes by all the other bikers lined up in the ferry queue too...

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Dirt Bike Dave wrote:You could just do what Rosco does and buy an X large cargo net, attach it to the back of the bike and keep stuffing things under it until its stretched to the max...useful things like footballs(with pump), full socket set (incl large torque wrench), 1 training shoe, clothes line (with pegs), cooker(with spare gas bottle) and many more, it also comes with a free helmet attachment..You will also be the butt of many jokes by all the other bikers lined up in the ferry queue too...

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Suprised it bloody moved lol

Cheshirecat wrote:

Dirt Bike Dave wrote:You could just do what Rosco does and buy an X large cargo net, attach it to the back of the bike and keep stuffing things under it until its stretched to the max...useful things like footballs(with pump), full socket set (incl large torque wrench), 1 training shoe, clothes line (with pegs), cooker(with spare gas bottle) and many more, it also comes with a free helmet attachment..You will also be the butt of many jokes by all the other bikers lined up in the ferry queue too...

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Suprised it bloody moved lol

It did, but not very fast...

Dirt Bike Dave wrote:You could just do what Rosco does and buy an X large cargo net, attach it to the back of the bike and keep stuffing things under it until its stretched to the max...useful things like footballs(with pump), full socket set (incl large torque wrench), 1 training shoe, clothes line (with pegs), cooker(with spare gas bottle) and many more, it also comes with a free helmet attachment..You will also be the butt of many jokes by all the other bikers lined up in the ferry queue too...

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and I bet that doesnt include what was under the seat as well!

Snowcat wrote:Another tip I'll share and you can use it or ignore, pack old (but clean) underwear, wear it and bin it, you'll be a little bit lighter coming home, they'll be more room for things you buy, plus who can realistically get all of their stuff back in the bag when coming home??

Sacrificial clothing! It works really well folks, been doing it when going to festivals for a few years. Take crappy old clothes, bin when stinking, and head home with light rucksack

P.S. I'd forgotten what a god-awful heap Rosco's bike was on that trip! Shame he didn't put that torque wrench to good use eh?

All hail the Thunder-Scania!

What a lot of shite............I took on my travels.
I'll try and travel a bit lighter this year.

Rosco wrote:What a lot of shite............I took on my travels.
I'll try and travel a bit lighter this year.

will you ditch the 1 training shoe ross......