How to go motorcycle touring

Good advice I rode back to England this year from Vienna to Leeds 2 days on the way out and one on the way back 1847Km's thankfully Germany and the Autobahns are fantastic...

Posted: 13/01/2012 at 17:00

Good advice but doesn't cover all the basics - I think you should have given some advice about planning accommodation / camping, and prepping the bike.

Posted: 15/01/2012 at 16:40

After having won free accommodation in a chalet in the south of France and enjoyed ourselves so much my husband and I have toured Europe for the last 13 years. That first year we had to get down to the south of France quickly and therefore didn't have time to stop and appreciate the surroundings but thought that was too much to miss out on. We decided that we would go back another time to see the places that we had ridden through too fast to appreciate. And there our adventures began.
We are both getting on a bit, I am a pensioner now, and my husband is just 6 years younger than me so we don't go down the camping route as we like our creature comforts.
All that we do book is the ferry and then once we dock we decide which direction to go, basically where the weather looks best. We have never had any problem finding accommodation as we usually stop riding about noon to 1pm, so have plenty of time to find somewhere to lay our heads, not bothered about how many stars the accommodation has as long as it has en suite facilities (I did say that we liked our creature comforts. We have had some fantastic rides over these years and this year we are thinking of booking a little extra and put our bikes on a train down to Italy after we have arrived in Holland by boat, and then ride back up to the dock to sail home again. This should give us the opportunity of spending some time looking round Italy this year and the furthest south we have got before is Venice and there is so much more we want to explore.
One thing I will say is that we go the first two weeks in September, to avoid school holidays and that may be one of the reasons for finding accommodation so easily, but most hotels have internet browsing available (where you can book your route whilst you are travelling) and you should be able to book one, two or three days in advance during the busier summer months whilst still on the road.
Doing it this way means that over the 13 years that we have been in Europe that I can recall we have probably only had about 10 wet days, so that is out of over 180 days.
I have always had a CBR600F and for the first year my husband had a Kawasaki Z1000, then for 11 years a Honda Blackbird, and then last year a VFR1200. The bikes are kept regularly serviced and checks of running gear and tyres are made in the week before our holiday and (touch wood) we have never had a breakdown, one broken rack, repaired roadside is the only problem. The Kawasaki used a lot of oil on the journey down to the chalet during the first year of travel but not on the way back, but that was its first long run after a complete restoration job.

Posted: 17/01/2012 at 15:41

I agree with the lady who wrote about choosing a route to follow the weather. On my last trip the plan was to go to the Alps but bad weather in the mountains forecast for the week meant we choose to head for Central France.

It was a good move, as this region between Clermont Ferrand and the Med is wonderful and the roads are quiet. Highlights were the D9 Corniche des Cevennes south of Florac and the Millau bridge.

Michelin maps are great and if you follow the scenic 'green' routes the roads can be amazing. The arrow straight old Roman N and D roads in Northern France can be used instead of toll roads to get places quickly and have nicer places to stop than the autoroutes. As in England supermarkets are cheaper for fuel.

Only one problem with going to Europe... you'll desperately want to return every year!

Posted: 18/01/2012 at 09:32

Wear light coloured gear in the warm south, good air flow means water loss so keep hydrated.

Posted: 26/06/2012 at 14:38

We've done 2500 to 3000 miles each year in Europe over the last 5 years. Highly recommended. Each to his own I guess but I wouldn't try to rack up big mileages. To do so you need to use the autoroutes which are boring, uncomfortable and expensive. The best roads in France are the D roads which are usually good surfaces and are deserted. France is certainly bike friendly but Austria is very bike friendly; it has amazing roads, mountain passes and biker hotels. The Weissespitze hotel near the Kaunertal glacier I can highly recommend. Before you travel buy "Motorcycle Journeys in The Alps and Beyond"; this is an absolutely brilliant guide and will send you to some of the best bike roads and mountain passes in the Alps, The Pyrenees and The Dolomites. Get it from www.mapsman.com Don't rely on the satnav and do take fairly detailed maps as well.

Posted: 24/07/2012 at 18:03

As an avid tourer of British Columbia every summer I usually rack up about 2500 miles in a week. The type of riding I do is a "ride and camp tour" so you have to choose your route for the day and also consider where the campgrounds in the region are where you plan to stop for that night.
Since most towns in the interior of BC are approximately 100 miles/160 kms apart, you soon realize you literally are on your own if you have a mechanical problem or any problem for that matter, so choose your pack items and tools carefully for all manner of possible issues that can cause you grief.
I noticed no mention was made of tyres, if I use my tubed wheel classic bike, I take two tyre irons, spare tubes and a patching kit as well as an engine cylinder inflator kit.
If I take one of my tubeless wheeled modern bikes I take a tubless plug kit and the engine cylinder inflator kit.
This way if you have a flat and you are out in the middle of no where its best you set about fixing the tyre so you can move on as you may be stranded there for hours anyways.
As far as the main gear goes I've been able to narrow it down to two expandable soft case pannier bags, a small insulated storage bag and a gear bag into which I fit one dome tent, one sleeping bag, one insulated inflatable aircore, a lightweight tarp and other quick to get at necessities.
A ventura rear rack/rail adds packing stability as you have the upright bar to stack the gear bag against across the rear of the seat and the insulated storage bag on the rear rack section.
According to where you are touring, various clothing choices and spare cold weather gloves plus a rain suit and all the ancillaries need to be taken into consideration for any temperature changes you may encounter.
Pack smart and well, keeping things to the minimum if you know you can afford to.

Posted: 09/10/2012 at 15:39

Hands up - yes I organise tours! But we will not be doing a lot in France this year - it seems to be getting really expensive... Fuel, toll fees, food, accommodation, beer. It all seems a bit disproportionate. Add to that the hostility of the French police who seem increasingly focused on revenue raising and we think there are better places to go. If you transit through France in 2013 rememeber your reflective strip and breathalyser kit. Can I also mention there is a brand new remote operated speed control device about 15 miles out of Calais on the A26 - a beige coloured box full of techno wizardry at the side of the road. They use that to nick you at the next toll booth (peage). Great start to the holiday huh? Watch your speed... They ban you on the spot for 40kph over the limit!

Posted: 30/10/2012 at 22:23

I posted a comment on 17th January and said that we intended to put the bikes on a train down to Italy to save a long ride to begin our journey. Well this is what we did. Ferry to Rotterdam and then put the bikes on a train down to Livorno in Italy (quite close to Pisa). The train journey took quite a long time with the slow moving train and a few stops but it did mean that we got to Italy quite fresh. Loading the bikes onto the train was a little strange with very little head height but those were the only disadvantages. We now had a full two weeks to slowly make our way back to the ferry, enjoying the various countries and fantastic sights on the return leg. We spent a little time in Italy to do the tourist thing to start with, staying two nights in Florence (having visited Pisa on the way), then two nights in a village near Venice and taking a train into Venice for a full day, which was a lot cheaper option than staying in Venice itself. We then started our journey northwards staying in Cortina d'Ampeza, Kitzbuhel, Nurnberg, Frankfurt (2 nights), Kohn, Arnhem and then for the last two nights Amsterdam. We had a great time but did encounter 3 days of showery rain but overall the weather was good. No day involved too great a distance so we had time to explore the various towns and cities that we visited. The Dolomites were certainly very enjoyable with lots of really good biking roads. Everywhere we stayed proved very friendly unlike many hotels at home in England and made bikers welcome, going out of their way to provide secure parking for our bikes, always a concern for us. Shortly we will be considering our plans for next year but haven't made any decision yet. Anybody who has not tried touring in Europe should really consider it as you will be welcomed and treated to more predictable weather than at home and also some fantastic roads that are in a lot better state of repair than on home soil. Happy biking whatever you do.

Posted: 31/10/2012 at 10:04

We went on our annual trip to the alps in July and decided to keep away from France as much as possible. From the tunnel we turned left and rode down to Ghent for first night. Over the next two days we meandered through a mixture of motorway and bendy bits into the Austrian region of achensee. From our base in Pertidau at the hotel weisenhoff. We toured for three days before turning round and heading back to the nurburgring for a lap or two. The trip involved no toll paying except for the Austrian ticket everyone has to pay to enable travel on their motorways.I cant remember how much it is but it ain't a lot. Don't think not to buy it though because the Austrian police shutdown the motorway and check everyone on it!

We did not pay any tolls (apart from the Austrian bit). We ate good food and stayed at cheap hotels apart from the weisenhoff, which is expensive but very good, with an owner who has two bikes an can ride the nuts off of a triumph rocket!

We meet European friends on an annual basis on what is known as the Smoke tour. The smoke tour is about people who work in the cigarette industry who enjoy biking and we have been going to different places for 12 years now. It is great to ride in Europe you just have to respect the rules of each country don't ride like an idiot and stay safe.
t sometimes it is tempting to go as fast as others but always stay within your own limits.

Enjoy European Riding it can be brilliant!

Posted: 17/11/2012 at 07:19

Thanks for all the information shared so far. I'm planning a trip to northern France over easter, would anyone have recommendations on great routes in those parts?

Posted: 08/01/2013 at 15:04

mctours is well out of date with his info on breathalysers and yellow jackets. I cant believe he took riders on to motorways in France either.

 

 Anyone paying for someone else to take them by the hand is thick, especially when biking is about freedom. He seems to have little idea of what biketouring is all about. What he offers (at a high price) is for big girls blouses.

 

Touring is not about riding a motorway, paying tolls and being wrong on regulations. A disaster all that mctours stuff. No real biker would touch a paid tour with a bargepole.

Posted: 08/01/2013 at 16:32

Lets keep things in context. touring anywhere on my bike including France is great, the police, speed cameras only catch you out if you're breaking the law, chill out and enjoy.
I once met a tour guide from MCI in Hein Gerick shop by chance. We chatted for some time, and I talked about going away on my own, he was very encouraging and positive, gave some good advice, but never tried to sell me anything, Ive been going on my own ever since, but I can appreciate it may not be for everyone and some riders will want to have things organised for them. It's about choice. Ride hard stay safe.

Posted: 22/02/2013 at 18:29

Lets keep things in context. touring anywhere on my bike including France is great, the police, speed cameras only catch you out if you're breaking the law, chill out and enjoy.
I once met a tour guide from MCI in Hein Gerick shop by chance. We chatted for some time, and I talked about going away on my own, he was very encouraging and positive, gave some good advice, but never tried to sell me anything, Ive been going on my own ever since, but I can appreciate it may not be for everyone and some riders will want to have things organised for them. It's about choice. Ride hard stay safe.

Posted: 22/02/2013 at 18:32

Hi
I enjoyed reading your comments.
My wife and I have planned to ride over to Italy, we have three weeks off so there will be no need to rush.
It is the first time my wife will have ridden for any distance so I intend on making plenty of stops to make sure she is comfy. I want to cover approximately 300 miles per day and have bought a Tomtom urban rider so I can pre install routers that steer away from the motorways and if need be find the closest fuel stop.
Would you no if the fuel stations accept debit cards because we don't have and credit cards and it would be handy to be able to fuel up if the station is closed.
You mentioned about being able to lock the bike away in secure parking over night at the hotels, is theft a real problem?
We don't want to plan to much, just want to get over there and go.
We want to goto Pisa, sienna etc and liked what you did with getting a train over to Venice.
Looking forward to your reply if you have the time.
All the best to all

Posted: 18/03/2013 at 00:01

MCItours might have been a little out of date with the 150cm3 reflective strip idea and even the alcotests (although this is still law!) but I am surprised that none of the "experts" in touring in France mentioned the 4 reflective stickers for helmets.

France was the only country that took that option from ECE 22-05 and although enforcement has been lax, now that the revenue stream of fining for no alcotesters and the postcard sized bit of reflective tape, the helmet stickers are back in fashion.

Britain and the other EU countries signed up to ECE 22-05 as well, so under EU Law we don't have to have the stickers but advice is that the French can ask you to add them.

Time for a letter to your MP?

Posted: 27/03/2013 at 13:39

Good for you. Is your wife riding her own bike or travelling pillion. I can give you some good places to stay en route to or from Italy if you wish but would have to make contact somehow. I am on facebook and you could contact me via that medium if you wanted any further information.
Search for Doreen Morrison or Hands Off Bikers. I hope you enjoy your trip. We haven't made any decisions as to where we will go this year except booked the ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge. We always sail from Hull as we find the route to catch a ferry from the south coast always unbearable on a Friday afternoon. The ride across from Lancashire to Hull, although boring and all motorway is not stressful. Once again have a good time in Italy and maybe will see you on my facebook page someday soon.

Posted: 01/05/2013 at 08:47