Preparing for long trip

[Fifteen15]

I'm going to London in a couple of weeks just for the day. It's quite a ride, 4 hours there and 4 hours back. My friend reckons it's safe going a steady 80-85 all the way, however I told him NO! There's TOO many hidden cameras! OBVIOUSLY I will be staying within the law on Her Majesty's highway but if he wants to cruise at 80-85, what are the chances of him actually getting caught? He's more bothered about fixed cameras, as marked cars can be seen from a mile away and unmarked cars tend to leave you alone unless you're doing silly speeds.

Anyway I'm making 2 lists, one being a list of things I need to bring in the panniers and the second being how I need to prepare my bike.

The stuff I need to bring:

Money
Clothes
Wallet
Spare key
Toilet paper
External battery
Sat nav
Bin bags
Chain oil
Chain + disc locks + spare keys
Ear plug

Prepare bike by:

Check tyre pressure
Clean and lubricate chain
Check all lights are working
Check oil level

Anything else I have missed?
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"Pain is weakness leaving the body, and blood makes the grass grow faster...but I'll wear my gear anyway"

[Fisty]

Erm, check bike over. Ride.

4 hours each way is nothing. Why do you feel the need for bin bags and bog roll? Plenty of service stations/ bogs on the way.

Cruising at 80ish shouldnt be a problem, never had a problem myself.
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[yambabe]

[DrDonnyBrago]

You are bringing spare keys, bin bags, chain lube and bog roll for a day trip? Even if you are staying the night, hotels have toilets and bins.


Oil the chain before you leave, dump in the pub/services and don't lose your keys. If you insist on bringing spares, give them to your mate and take his spares from him, the chances of both of you losing all of your keys is slimmer than it is of you losing both sets of your own. I personally wouldn't bother with spares when travelling within a few hours of home.

I am pretty sure London has cash machines that accept non London debit cards too so get your cash when you arrive.


Also, 80-85 is a pretty average speed on most motorways. You seem to be acting like a bit of a fag about the whole trip, it's not that long a ride.

[Walloper]

Spare neck protector.
Spare gloves.
Card/Some £££.
A-Z of London.
Phone Charged.
Full tank of Fuel
List of Junctions on a bit of paper stuck to the tank.
Some Cockney Phrases so you can communicate. If not, then a Polish phrase book will suffice.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Derivative]

Get breakdown insurance for something like £40 a year.
Then just bloody do stuff. 4 hours? I've done 4 hours on my bicycle with a chocolate bar, puncture kit and a few bottles of water.

[CaNsA]

Spare pair of dry socks wrapped in a waterproof bag.
Cash/wallet
Phone

Thats my list.

[scorps]

and here was me talking about riding from Aberdeen to Nottingham in a months time with just a few spare pairs of knickers socks and whatever else I can fit to wear in a rucksack and enough money for petrol
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Do not presume that I am male.

[Ayrton]

Your over thinking it Its just a day trip.

If it was me i would take money, map, lock and food/ drink.

Things like tyre pressure/ oil i would have thought you would check usually anyway.

[.....]

I didn't take much more than that for two weeks offroading in Morocco

[iooi]

With a list like that you had better take the train
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[Walloper]

[Kwakki Si]

rohypnol, lube, rubber gloves.
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MOD1 passed 26/01/12... MOD2 passed 08/02/12
My current ride: ZX6R NINJA G2, The GREEEEN one!
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a mother fucking motorbike!

[Dilyan]

Jeez, chain and lights check, fuel up, wallet and phone and off you go.
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Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[Sako]

'quite a ride'....thats just a sunday run out that!
80-85 is fine on m'way.

[Guzzirat]

[salty21]

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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Prepare bike by : Pressing start button and riding off.

That's just a tootle that, not long distance at all.
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[Rogerborg]

Spare fuses, bulbs, glasses if you wear contacts, original copies of registration and insurance, breathalyser, hi-vis jacket, reflective stickers on your helmet, driving license, passports - oh wait you're going for a ride out, not a tour of France.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Walloper]

[nowhere.elysium]

It's London, not Mongolia. We have bogroll here, I assure you.
Basic pre-ride checks, wallet, waterproofs, maybe a multitool. Disc lock lives under the seat anyway.

[Yarri]

Don't forget a tent, sleeping bag, emergency ration pack and a signal flare incase you get lost on the motorway.
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Theory Passed: 23/10/2008 49/74 Bike Test Passed: 05/01/2009 1 minor
Theory Car Passed: 22/07/2009 48/74 Car Test Passed: 22/10/2009 2 minor
Few minutes of life of the biker could be more interesting then the whole lifes of many people

[Walloper]

[nowhere.elysium]

[Fowlersrs]

theres being prepared then theres just plain taking the piss.. guess which one your doing