What do you tour on, and where do you go?

[TheBikerStig]

Whether it be a 125 learner type bike or a full blown goldwing with all the bollocks, just wanna idea of what you guys ride and what type of places you visit when spending 1 or more nights somewhere. I once read in a bike magazine of someone riding from britain to germany and back.....on a gsxr1000. That was interesting, apparantly didnt turn out to be that bad for long distance either.

I got a 1250 bandit gt. Maybe the lower end of the touring market but it serves me well. Havent crossed continents on it but have travelled around most of scotland on it. After doing more than 2000 miles in 10 days I find that comfort among other things is of absolutely no issue what so ever. Thoroughly enjoyed all of it (except the motorway bit and through glasgow) Also if the weekend is set to be warm and sunny, I will almost definitely end up spending a night somewhere in north wales. Love the journey, love the destination.
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I am usually naked when posting to this forum.

[Marmalade]

Apart from doing quite a lot of miles when working.

As leisure i've done on a Honda ST1100 pan euroean,
Alburiera, Portugal to St Malo ferry port, France in 36 hrs, 1300 miles

Lands End to John O'Groats in a day 820 miles

Been to Norfolk coast a couple of times for holidays on it and last year took my other half to Le Mans, Paris and Lille over 5 days


ZZR 600, Salisbury to London to Paris and back to Salisbury in 24hrs, 750 miles
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Nobby the Bastard: How yo tell the difference between the actual japanese and her just screaming because she's had live fish stuck up her arse? [url=https://www.nicks-shop.co.uk/bcf-goodies-15-c.aspGet BCF stickers and things here[/url] Reflective helmet stickers - Legal requirement in france - Clicky

[Bendy]

I make sure I get up to the Highlands once a year without fail for a few days of fun in/on whatever I've got at the time. Been in each of my MX5s, and on my CBR6, Sprint ST and last year my GSXR 1000.

Sprint was nicer for the journey up and down, Gixer was nicer for the bit at the top. I'm willing to suffer the journey slog for that amount of fun in the twisty bits.

Thinking about Assen BSB this year.

[TheBikerStig]

[Marmalade]

[G]

[Fizzer Thou]

I must admit the Dutch TT is a bit of a giggle.I first went there back in 1982 and had such a good time I have been back several times since.

As for the best machine,I had no problems going down to Tuscanny on my R1 a few years ago for a friend's wedding.

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Biking%20Abroad/309966_19A_017.jpg

This was at a little stopover for a beer in Innsbruck near the airport.The roads that followed up through the Tyrol were some that I look forward to riding again soon

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Biking%20Abroad/309968_28A_008.jpg
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[GrumpyGuts]

This is what I am planning this year:

Pass my full license!!

Next year:

I will be riding from my gracious home in Peterborough to Dover, ferry across to Calais, then from there I will travel to Lindau in Germany. From there, I will be going along the Deutsche Alpen Strasse, or the German Alpine Road - over 400km of stunning views. This is a great route to take if anybody is planning on riding in that direction!

Plus you can pop over to Austria for a few minutes when you reach the end of the road

BTW this will be done on a Yamaha YBR 125

[TheBikerStig]

Sounds wicked guys! the summer cant come quick enough!
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I am usually naked when posting to this forum.

[pepperami]

Deleted
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[shereen]

Last year I went from Dover to Calais to Belgium to Luxembourg and then to Germany and back in 1 week, with full camping gear on my Honda NC30 and my partners XJR1300.

Was ace And she didnt miss a beat!

https://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae74/Clearancelines/DSCF1190.jpg
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"The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had"

[c-m]

So far i've been on the following:

GPZ500 (often 2-up) - Colonge, Prague, Kutna Hora, Krakow, Budapest, Lake Balaton, Bucharest, Brasov, Mammia, Zagreb, Split.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oxRIuj2P5to/SN1mVlnMK-I/AAAAAAAAAG8/CE5Sl4BYZwM/s800/dscf0332.jpg

ZXR750 (2-up) - Dijion, Menton, Antibes, Split, Ljubljana, Cologne

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Yv9Srb3buPk/TypY6-WsAII/AAAAAAAABXE/r8EeskLikww/s800/P6070238.JPG

ZX9R (solo) - Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Split, Ljubljana, Munich, Cologne

https://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/34122_10150195284820725_766670724_13313844_4436588_n.jpg


ZX9R (2-up) - Luxembourg, Berne, Cannes, Menton, Paris

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-isPlCkd3FZ4/TypZmJfExJI/AAAAAAAABXM/tiQY7hMo2Jk/s800/0060_Europe_29_08_2011.jpg


All those bikes have been great to tour on. Battery died on the GPZ which meant spending an extra night in Budapest courtesy of ADAC.

Camshaft sensor on the ZX9R went the day I was due to leave. Struggled on with it until Vienna where I had a new one shipped over. Same tour, the front tyre blew out at 80mph on the Autoroute. Cue a 6 hour stop in some random Flemish speaking town while ADAC found an persuaded a bike shop to open up to fix it.

My current tourer

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZT2wnzStgas/Tw9ATBbez0I/AAAAAAAABWU/_2xR7VF2pqc/s800/20120112_0012.jpg
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Motorcycle headlight bulbs and HIDs
Blogging about my bike and trips
https://ridershandbook.com/

[Cheerfulgrin]

Great thread, I'll be doing my first touring this season and I'm glad to see so many faired bikes and sports bikes used for touring, even through europe.

in a few weeks i'm planning to take in as many of the north / mid wales roads as i can, through the mountains and coast over a long weekend in practice for something bigger in the summer.

any suggestions on places to visit are welcome
I'm from North West wales so will be riding North > South.

Hopefully I'll be strapping my pack and camping gear on this, got to take my test (2nd time) on 24th >>>

https://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g458/Cheerfulgrin/bike%20pics/338920_10150503890602131_632087130_8964825_1392526650_o.jpg
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--Current Bike: '98 Hornet CB600F
--Previous Bikes 2012 Hyo GT250R - 2010 YBR125 - Back in '91:Suzuki 50cc moped & Honda CB125T Superdream
--CBT -Feb '11, Theory -Nov '11, Mod 1 -Jan '12, Mod 2 Feb '12

[Bulldogz]

Ill also be doing my first proper bike tour going up to scotland for 7 days on a honda cbr 600f lookin forward to it bring on the good weather and not so many midges .
Heres the route ill be taking.................

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=53.658316,-2.62189&daddr=Dunfermline+to:Oban+to:Uig+Bay,+Portree+to:Isle+of+Harris%2FIsle+of+Lewis+to:Stornoway+to:Ullapool+to:glencoe&hl=en&sll=55.94945,-4.71596&sspn=6.845335,13.864746&geocode=FczCMgMdPv7X_w%3BFT2WVwMdCVPL_ykfDNWBLMyHSDHO3j3ooVAdVA%3BFbXTXAMduYSs_ynB8d3S0EGJSDE3wo-B_0rdgw%3BFYuwbgMdUqee_yFMpAZKHzFZZQ%3BFRm6eAMdPkSa_ynFRdr1u4uNSDEZx3xtgnb28g%3BFQU6eAMdApGe_yljRLMtK_aNSDFxLlbSwC-Ibg%3BFfppcwMdnz6x_ylhs6e3-zCOSDENyMkBc5PEWQ%3BFcnoYAMdyyOy_yl1syl76jCJSDHnMhfC8-Dc0Q&mra=ls&glp=1&t=m&z=6

And the bike i will be using....................................

https://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277/MILLY_069/CBR/303116_10150392335491873_523001872_10107063_57771635_n.jpg

[Hamayar]

You can tour on anything, depends what comfort level you want and time/distance.

Been riding since 71, dont have a car license, dont need one, had so many bikes, all Brit until the early 80s.
Modern bikes make it so easy, had to carry a lot of tools in those days..

Marmalades right, I been a courier, ya get hardened to distance long saddle days.

Ill also state, no ifs no buts, of all the bikes Ive had the Pan was the best allround bike I ever owned, it was a 2000 st1100 tcs/abs, could ride all day, huge tank range, shipped it to the usa when I emigrated and that was the only reason I sold it, too bloody hot in Tennessee summer for bikes with a fairing!

Once it got to 110 degrees I wanted all the wind I could get on my poor cooking brit body.

Bought a VTX1300c did huge distances, rode 23 states, biggest single lone run was a two day 1900 miler Memphis up to nebraska day one, day two lincoln Nebraska to southern Salt lake city Utah.
(added a bead seat cover keep my butt cooler check the pic)


Biggest tun this side of the pond for me on a one dayer was west wales to belgium via the tunnel, a few calls around belgium then back to west wales, same day. and that was only on a Yam 600 diversion with hard luggage.

Did the highlands of scotland a few times in the last few years on a GS500, cheap on fuel utterly reliable, not so comfy

Got a 86 GL1200 goldwing I hardly use now, main everyday all year bike is a 05 CBF600cowl did europe on it last summer fully loaded with camping kit, bombproof and not expensive on juice, decent tank range.

Ride what you got, plan ahead and dont carry junk you can pick up as you need it.

Its all fun.

[yodagoat]

Hullo! This is my first post on here.

I use my trustyish BMW 1150 GS for my trips away. I've done loads of stuff around Scotland, also done a solo Europe tour and a tour of France with my girlfriend. I post my ride reports on my blog as its easier to share it among various forums, also non forum user folk can see it. I'll put some links to said reports below this, let me know what you think. There's some swearing so don't look if you're easily offended.

https://www.yodagoat.blogspot.com/2011/08/winton-massif-2011-sloppy-seconds-tour.html

https://www.yodagoat.blogspot.com/2011/12/hb-and-mike-do-france-part-1.html

https://www.yodagoat.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-first-bike-trip-by-mike-aged-24-and.html

Cheers

Mike
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The shite I write
https://www.yodagoat.blogspot.com/

[alone]

GSX750F - Spin around the UK, covered just 1,000miles over a couple weeks. Was good fun as it was my first trip! Visited friends at their Uni's when I was 18.

Sprint ST 1050 - 6,500miles round Western and Central Europe over three weeks a few years back. Threw in a couple of long days, had no problems at all. That was a few years ago.

Sprint ST 1050 - 1,146miles from my home down to Salamanca, Spain. 22.5hours, in one go. Same trip home.. Then repeated a month or so later on an R1100GS, although I brought my girlfriend home via the Alps that time.

This summer I plan to take whatever bike I've got around Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.. I'll likely have an ST1100, or an XJ900S... But I'm not fussed- Might even keep my Sprint ST if it doesn't sell!

Otherwise, I work as a courier... Not doing European work like Marmalade, but I do between 1,000-1,500miles/wk nationally. I use the R1100GS for that, unless it's a rather long ride (250mi+ eachway) then I'll use a BMW K1200LT.


It's tricky which I prefer... Pushing myself that little bit further, or taking all the time in the world to cruise from A to B, via the other 24 letters..
I know I'd like to go from my home (Reading, Berkshire), down to Lands End, up to John O Groats, then back home... All in one shot. About 1,800miles or so!
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Bikes; '06 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 (for sale) - '95 BMW R1100GS

[Dilyan]

[alone]

[Bulldogz]

[UnspeedySam]

Bros 400; Somerset, Brecon Beacons and Isle of Wight (below)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189272_10150284550834921_586544920_7533565_4058011_n.jpg

ZZR600; route below.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294159_10150343501319921_586544920_7990023_1548303083_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/308465_10150343501949921_586544920_7990029_1916421034_n.jpg
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Riding: BMW R1150RT `02 bought mildly crashed
Fixing: Also the BMW as I get less broken bits
Gone: ZZR600 '00, TRX850 '97, RXS100 '93, JS125-6B '07, BMW R1100RS '93, Kawasaki ZX-6R-J2 '01, Honda Bros NT400 NC25 '88

[Hairy Ben]

We use this beastie..

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/hairyben/odds%20and%20sods/MeT.jpg


And we do this.. The Round Britain Rally

Quote:

The Round Britain Rally (R.B.R.) is a touring and photographic event for motorcyclists and drivers of sidecar outfits and three wheeled vehicles (Lomax, Bond, Reliant and other Tri-cars). The objective is to encourage you to use your vehicle for recreational touring in some of the best countryside on mainland Britain. This will require you to explore back roads and lanes that you may otherwise avoid, to visit places of interest (landmarks) that you may not have known existed. To prove you have visited the landmark you will be required to take a photograph of the site with your motorcycle/tri-car at the scene. There is normally a landmark in every county of Britain, 2 or more in the larger ones. Every landmark is allotted points which you earn towards the award you have decided to 'GO' for. The amount of points is dependant on the landmarks location and difficulty, so a landmark in the Highlands of Scotland will be higher than one in the Midlands.

If you've ever been short of an excuse to head off on your motorbike, then sign up and give it a go.


We're a bit skint at the moment though, so this year rather than both of us on the Beemer, I'll probably just nibble a few RBR landmarks off myself on this thing..

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/hairyben/248989_10150202851636428_652566427_7504432_6258615_n.jpg

..Which should be an adventure all in itself.
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...and thus true enlightenment is achieved.

I think, therefore I am... I ride a BMW, therefore I smell of wee...

[R1AL]

[Monkeyspanker]

Trusty Ktm. Now have 45000 miles on her. Cant put photos on as all seem too big. What was going to be a 16 day tour took me 23 as fuel pump went kaput nr Marrakesh it was all fun. Camping in the sahara was fun as was the high Atlas mountains.

[SuziCat]

This will be the first year touring without my old friend (Diversion 900)

The Divvy has been to Italy three times, Croatia, Scotland, Germany, Belgium.
said good bye to the Divvy last autumn and now have a BMW R1200R. Which is going to take me to Sicily in May this year and France in July.

Last year I toured south Germany on my Street Triple which was comfy enough for me to do the whole journey home in one go (apart from Petrol and toilet stops), a distance of about 800kms. Taking soft luggage was a right pain hence the BMW which has hard luggage and much more convenient than half a dozen bungee straps.

Back in the early 1980's I toured the old communist East Germany on my Suzuki GS550E and Italy which were great adventures.
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Regular Rides:- BMW R1200R, Triumph Street Triple
Summer Toys:- Yam Virago 1100, Suzuki GS750 (1979)