Trip to Scotland on a 125cc Scooter

[callum94]

Hi guys.

I have a full bike licence and next Wednesday I will be receiving my new 125cc scooter (I bought it just because of fuel prices but will still use my GS500 most of the time), anyway next summer holiday I will be taking a trip to the far end of Scotland (A893) where there is a nice hotel and lots of quiet roads and then head home (I live in Aldershot). I'm taking this trip to get away from all the madness for about 2 weeks lol so I will be on my own.

About 300miles in I am stopping at my grand parents for about 2 days who live in Ingleton in County Durham (to let me and my bike recover) then off for the last 450+miles (and lot's of breaks)

Just wandering on your views and opinions (no I’m not doing this on a bigger cc bike and my scooter will have a gear up kit + a few other mods to reduce strain) I just want to do this as a once in a lifetime experience (mums not too happy about it though).

Also I have planned my route a long time in advance and have planned lot's of twisties and minimal dual carriageways (no motorways) + a few B&B's.

I know I'm going to get loads of hate for this but this will be a trip I will never forget (literally).

[P.]

I wanted to do the trip to Spain on my 125 geared bike, a scooter wouldn't be too fun..

I think you would be more comfortable on an up geared GS500..

[Chalky.]

Who takes the depreciation hit on a new scooter to save a bit of fuel

Pretty moronic.

[pepperami]

[stinkwheel]

It's probably faster than my Enfield.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[barrkel]

I toured Scotland on my SH300, a 280cc scooter, during the late summer (i.e. incredibly wet), as part of my anti-clockwise tour of GB. You won't get hate from me.

Easiest way to load up a scooter beyond a top box is soft throw-over panniers on the pillion seat. Strapping stuff to the pillion seat is another option, but slightly problematic if the fuel cap is underneath the seat.

I stayed in hotels and B&Bs along the way - they were cheap enough, particularly since it wasn't exactly high season weather. I kept my packing light; light enough to fit entirely in my top-box and a few bits and pieces under the seat, which is very small on the SH300. Not much more than changes of underwear, since I spent all day in my riding gear (I wore a two-piece leather suit, complete with knee sliders, as I was breaking it in).

One thing to watch out for is petrol stops. I was using a GPS to plan my route, but the petrol stations it had in its POI database were frequently long closed. There were a couple of times I had to limp into a town and just about reach some petrol; and one time where I had to turn around and trek 30 miles backwards because I realized I wouldn't have enough juice to make it to the next station. Beware that some distances may look fairly short on a map, but because you're following the coast, they end up 2x or more longer. Check routes in Google Maps or similar to verify distances.

I saw a couple of other people touring on Vespas when I was out there. On the narrower country roads (single lane with passing places), you can't really safely go faster than a 125 can go anyway. There were a few good roads where I felt the limitations of the SH300, where I scraped the centerstand even while leaning off quite a bit, but it was mostly very wet so I was usually dialing it right back.

An advantage of doing a tour like that on a scooter is that the wet weather is slightly less of an impediment - you have more rain protection when going through puddles, for example - and you have less torque to slip out the rear. My SH300 has ABS, and it came in useful a couple of times. You tend to take in the scenery more on a scooter too, and narrow steep roads are a lot less daunting - it's easy to turn a scooter around in very limited space without dropping it, not so easy on a 200kg top-heavy bike.

Some photos:

https://i.imgur.com/R1PH7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YpZ0V.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j9Iuk.jpg
____________________
Bikes: S1000R, SH350; Exes: Vity 125, PS125, YBR125, ER6f, VFR800, Brutale 920, CB600F, SH300x4
Best road ever ridden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MhNxUEYtQ

[roadracejoe]

GO for it !! You dont need a GS or Goldwing to go touring !! and be sure to take loads of photos to share here have a great trip.

[callum94]

Thanks guys for the encouraging and positive comments.

stinkwheel [quote] I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles [quote]

I just read your post and it seemed like you had a great time



barkell. [quote] You tend to take in the scenery more on a scooter too [quote]

That's exactly what I intend to do, but when I get to the hotel I will dump everything in my room and then head out looking for safe good roads to pick up the speed a bit. Also seemed like you had a great time and thanks for the advice, great pictures.



Also by summer I should have a GoPro or Drift HD so expect a lot of footage on youtube + I will also upload a lot of pictures on here.

[fraser2312]

Go for it! The guy I done my CBT with was setting off around Scotland on his ped only a few days after passing.

My folks werent too happy either when I went touring for the first time, just as long as I phoned every night to make sure i was ok

Pics are good

[callum94]

[Enduro Numpty]

Not intending to criticise but just one question and some take it or leave it advice.

You've got a GS500, why would you even consider doing it on a 125cc scooter?

You will barely be able to keep up with traffic, you'll be at the mercy of the slightest breeze. Every lorry, bus and anything else that wants to overtake you, will with little regard for your safety. I have been riding for over 35 years and while I don't claim to know everything, I do know that riding slower than the flow of traffic on a small motorcycle is far more dangerous and unpleasant than riding quicker than it.

Do yourself a favour, flog the scooter and use the money for fuel for a bike more suited to the task.

[P.]

[barrkel]

[fraser2312]

Use these for motivation

[Enduro Numpty]

[P.]

I was going to Spain on my 125.

I would travel everywhere on my 125, its enough power for the road.

[nighthawk250]

I will be doing the same trip as you this summer, on a Honda 125 Swing scooter, go for it.

[Enduro Numpty]

[P.]

Commute 60 miles a day on a 125 with a 400 and 2 600s chilling at home.

Its cheap, does 70 and costs nothing to run.

Easy win.

[callum94]

[callum94]

[P.]

[Dave-the-rave]

It's possible to go anywhere on anything.
Somebody went round the world on a Triumph Tiger.
A mate of mine went round Europe on a C90.
Folks have went round the world on bicycles and....

didn't some weirdo crawl across the US on his hands and knees?

[callum94]

[P.]

I'll have to GoPro it when I can.