FAQ

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Can I tour?

Yes. Anyone can tour, though obviously if you are disabled or have any long-term injuries it will be more of a challenge (and more of an achievement).

To go touring long distance you ideally you need to be capable of comfortably riding 300 miles a day, every day. Some days you may do more, some less, and you will also need rest days. I'd recommend not doing more than 3-4 days of solid riding without a day off to chill out and unwind somewhere.

Bear in mind many of the miles you will have to cover may not be in ideal weather conditions. You're lucky if you don't get caught in a big downpour at least once, and at the other end of the scale riding in full leathers in 30-40 degree heat isn't easy.


Clothing

Leathers and textile are both suitable, if you're using new leathers try to break them in before you leave. Textiles are handy in that if it rains you don't need to stop anywhere to put on waterproofs, though it only takes one leather-kitted member of your group to make sure you do stop anyway! If you're using leathers you will need waterproofs. Bear in mind if they get thoroughly soaked you'll probably have to wear them wet all day and the next day after that.

Taking a spare pair of waterproof gloves is a good idea in case your main pair get wet.

Obviously you can't take a pair of boots suitable for every occasion, though try to take a pair that don't leak like a sieve at the thought of some moisture.

It may not seem obvious in summer, but if you have room for a lightweight fleece pack one. It can get quite cool riding at night or in rain in Britain, Northern France/Germany, especially with ventilated leathers. I tend to wear mine over leathers rather than under.


Headcare

Earplugs are a must for travelling long distances, and can be bought quite cheaply off ebay if you haven't got a supply at work. Motorway riding is that much more comfortable with them.

Though not strictly essential, a dark visor is very handy for riding in Southern Europe. Some road surfaces can be very reflective in the midday heat. If you do take one remember to pack your clear one in case you need to ride at night or in murky weather conditions. The police in Europe tend to have a more enlightened view of dark visors than our UK counterparts, it doesn't seem to be an issue.


Can my bike tour?

Yes, everything can in theory. Realistically I'd say you need something 4-stroke, reliable and a minimum 250cc. On a larger bike distance can be covered more easily, though smaller bikes can be more manageable and enjoyable on twisty roads. Of course it all depends on the type of roads you plan to cover, the mileage per day you need to achieve and how padded your seat is.


Luggage

Tankbags can be very handy for just lifting off the tank and slinging over your shoulder when you want to go inside. I put all my valuables in there and left clothes etc in the panniers for this reason. A cheap, sensitive alarm can be very handy when leaving lugggage on the bike while going inside somewhere.

When loading panniers try to keep the payload even; you don't want them sagging on one side. On some bikes with fancy underseat exhaust systems and high level pipes you may have to be careful your panniers don't rest on the exhaust. There's been many a burnt pannier and singed pair of undies that way.

According to Oxford's literature you are supposed to be able to take a pillion with their sports humpback panniers, though I've not tried it out. If you did I'd imagine you'd need some padding to go on top of the pillion seat as the luggage straps that fit over the top would soon get uncomfortable.

Warning: soft luggage can mark your tank and fairings. Never lay a magnetic tankbag on the floor so that it's magnetic side is face down; if it picks anything up it'll stick and make a mess of your tanks paintwork. Before you put your tankbag on dust off any sand/grit etc resting on your tank. If you want to make certain your panniers don't mark the tail fairing you can put some duct tape where the bungee hooks are liable to rub.


Servicing

Your bike will need brake pads with plenty of meat left on them, a healthy air filter and an oil and filter change before you go. Don't forget to check your oil level every day when you're doing big distance.

Sticky tyres aren't really suitable as they'll probably square off on the motorway before you get chance to use them. On the other hand plastic tyres aren't going to be any fun on a sportsbike. A sports-touring tyre is usually the ideal solution for a 2000-5000 mile trip.

Make sure your chain is in a good state. I can't stress this enough, you don't want to be finding tight spots 1/3 into your trip, trust me. Remember to take the tools with you to adjust the chain, it'll probably need it.

If you're intending to head over the Alps/Pyrenees and suspect your bike is running rich I'd recommend getting it looked at before you go. If it is rich you will get severe power loss.

Technically your bike should have a GB sticker, and head lamp beam deflectors. You can pick up smaller GB stickers more suitable for bikes from Halfords. Due to the huge variation in motorcycle headlights, beam deflectors don't seem to be hugely readily available. The usual bodge is some tape over the bottom left corner of the head light to block it dipping to the left.

In reality I'd say these measures are optional. Unless you're intending on riding during the night a lot I wo.ldn't bother with tape on the lens. Motorcycles lights don't tend to be 'straighter' then car ones anyway, so it's less of an issue. The GB sticker again is going to be much less noticeable than a British numberplate. I've had two encounters with foreign police and not once has a lack of sticker been mentioned. Though for peace of mind on your first trip it's not hard to slap one on somewhere.

Don't forget to clean the bike before you go, this helps you find any potential problems before they happen. A clean bike also looks nice in photos - essential for the write-up you have to post here!


What else do I need?

Maps

Michelin produce excellent road maps and are available in garages throughout Europe. The tourist maps highlight both scenic and twisty sections of road in green, in addition to showing altitude and mountain summits. I tend to use an A4(ish) sized European road map for planning the days route, and keep a pocket map book specific to the country in my tankbags' clear map pocket for quick reference.


Ferries

Generally the sooner you book the cheaper it will be. The Dover-Calais crossing is the shortest and best for those of us on a budget. Aside from the England-France crossings, there's also ferries going direct to the North coast of Spain - an ideal way of getting to the South fast and in comfort.

If you go through www.ferrysavers.com you can often get cheaper prices than through the ferry company direct. Very early in the morning and late at night is usually the most inexpensive. If you plan on turning up on the day, getting a ticket depends on the company and how busy a crossing you go for. England-Spain crossings will need to be booked in advance.

Recently I've heard Channel Tunnel bike fares have come down a lot, worth a quote if you're shopping around.


Breakdown Cover

European breakdown cover should be an essential item of your list of, erm.. essentials. Some insurance companies (such as Carol Nash) include 12 months Euro breakdown as part of your insurance policy. If they don't often they will be able to provide cover for a subsidised rate through another company. One company I can recommend is International Breakdown. After my friend had a tyre valve failure late at night they put us both up in a hotel and arranged all repairs quickly and efficiently.


Money

The Euro has made it a lot more convenient to do multi-country trips. 5 euro notes are handy if you're somewhere , such as Italy, that has a lot of automated petrol stations.

It's a good idea to inform your bank/credit card company that you're going abroad; Barclaycard cancelled my card while I was away. When I got back I found they were about to cancel my debit card too. Don't rely on cash machines for money, take a decent amount of cash. French cash machines especially don't like our cards. (Although the ones outside Banks always work)


Foreign Road Tax

If you intend to use motorways in Austria and Switzerland you will need to purchase a motorway sticker (Vignet?) for entitlement to use them. The police do checks and prey on foreign registrations, don't risk it.


Motorways

In France the autoroutes are half-price for bikes.
In Italy they are full price.
In Austria you have to pay, not sure on the tariff.
Germany is free.

Not sure on Spain and Portugal, Nath?



I'm sure I've missed out loads of stuff, if anyone's got any additions feel free...

[MikeH]

Another thing that is a must when travelling in Europe is to carry your Licence, V5 Reg Document, and Insurance with you at all times, along with cash to pay any on the spot speeding fines.


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Busa Junkie

[Luke_Retrofly]

Hi
well you wont bloodly let me tour with ya, ya bastard!

Luke
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Flounced - Long overdue
Fuck you bitch I'm in the top 10 list I can do the what the fuck I want!

[Black Knight]

A great help - Thank you
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Where does a turn end? 'Where you can do anything with the gas you want to, where you are brave again, where your attention is free from the turn, where you are sure you can do it better next time; that's the end' - Keith Code.

[colin1]

a tip from another site if your bike is running rich at high altitude, is to take the air filter out so it gets more air
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[R4nger]

Spanish have motorways (autopistas) that have been recently resurfaced in the past few years. Most, if not all of the motorways I travelled on were smoother and are better quality than any other road in the UK.

Toll roads (autopistas de peajes) are marked on the map as "A" roads and free motorways start with "E". I paid no more than 5 euros for each toll booth. The Spanish tend not to use the toll roads which often means they are empty.

[magpiemale]

What's it like to fill up with petrol over in france and germany..cards or cash or is it just like england.
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NSR125 1992 (sold) kawasaki Z750S,fazer FZ1 07 now gone present bike 2012 fz1s Fazer,beowulf rad protector,heated grips,sw motech gps holder,power socket.

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Cards should work in France and Germany, but it's always good practice to keep enough cash on you to last a couple days in case you have problems, which aren't unusual.

[magpiemale]

I like cash but some on here say some garages dont take cash ?
bloody funny if you ask me
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NSR125 1992 (sold) kawasaki Z750S,fazer FZ1 07 now gone present bike 2012 fz1s Fazer,beowulf rad protector,heated grips,sw motech gps holder,power socket.

[Itchy]

[G]

A supermarket station I got petrol at in France I'm pretty sure only took cash; it still had an old style 'manual' till!

[magpiemale]

seems a bit strange to me unless they are like morrisons forecourts which are card and cash but the card only goes in so far,imagine the machine doesnt take your card and you are low then you'd be buggered..
what a way to run a garage and I heard on here that you have to have enough on your card as they take £100 as a deposit and then give you it back later on is that true or ?
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NSR125 1992 (sold) kawasaki Z750S,fazer FZ1 07 now gone present bike 2012 fz1s Fazer,beowulf rad protector,heated grips,sw motech gps holder,power socket.

[bikedemon99]

Too many rules, just go
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Ride safe

[Howling Terror]

Hi, Found this helpful checklist
Most already covered by maurice


What to wear
Leather or textile jacket 1 fully armoured, with pockets and possibly with closable vents
leather or textile trousers 1 ditto
boots 1 waterproof and walkable
Helmet 1 vented, with a new visor
riding gloves 1 summer, but with good protection
electric vest 1 for mountains, evenings and northern Europe
rubber gloves 1 for windchill and rain protection
over jacket 1 ditto (consider Hi-Viz)
over trousers 1 ditto
long sleeve t-shirt 3 cotton poss with high neck
cycling shorts (opt) 1 long with gel padding
bandana 1 or specialist neck warmer
ear plugs at least one pair per day
underwear just enough, easy to buy more along the way if necessary
What to Take
casual clothing 3 2 sets of hot weather, 1 set of cool weather
swimming costume 1
flip-flops 1
light shoes 1
Food large bottle of water, several energy bars
knife fork spoon 1
kitchen roll 1
cooker (opt) 1 Colman petrol stove
pan/kettle (opt) 1 with lid, in which Colman can fit
lighter 1 waterproof
sleeping bag (opt) 1 compact, poss with separate liner for hot nights
bed/mattress (opt) 1 light weight
tent (opt) 1 light weight
toiletries 1 inc some loo paper
first aid kit 1 motorcycle specific, inc basic resuscitation.
paracetamol 1
antihistamines 1
diarrhea tablets 1
antiseptic cream 1
sun block 1
lip balm (opt) 1
Spare key set 2 Kept securely, but separately from main set
credit/debit card 2 One of each, kept separately
cash
EHIC (ex E111) 1 New NHS card entitling you to basic free treatment in EEC. Apply
driving licence pref photo, both parts
V5C Bike's registration document
insurance certificate for the bike
passport check expiry date
breakdown insurance (opt) for the bike
travel insurance details for you., make sure motorcycling is covered
booking numbers ferries/hotels/camping, etc
mobile phone 1 enabled for roaming, inc all relevant contact nos in international format, + addresses for postcards
phone charger & adapter 1 most chargers work with continental voltages, world plug guide
camera 1 if not included in mobile
GPS (opt) 1 ditto
For the bike (basic kit)
tank bag 1 large, with back strap(s) and external pockets
panniers (opt) position carefully
lock & chain 1 or disclock and cable. And use it!
GB sticker 1 if no Euro number plate
headlamp converter 1 experiment at night against garage door
chain lube 1 small can
engine oil (opt) 1 <500ml in tough liquid sealed container
WD-40 1 smallest can
puncture repair kit 1 poss leave mini air bottles behind
air pump 1 quality compact bicycle pump of correct valve type
tyre pressure gauge 1 of known accuracy.
bike's tool kit complete standard manufacturer's kit
fuses 4 most modern bikes have all the spares you need, but check that they're good.
spare bulbs recommended everywhere, compulsory in Spain
rubber band 4 heavy duty - can be used to hold on brake on ferry
cable ties 10 extra large and small
glue 1 fast setting, high temperature epoxy resin
duct tape 1 small roll
insulation tape 1 medium roll
clear tubing 2m suitable for syphoning fuel (eg Draper Syphon) and bleeding hydraulics.
disposable gloves 4 no point is getting grubby unnecessarily
wet wipes 4
microfibre cloths 2 for the bike, visor or you
torch 1 compact with fresh batteries
For the bike (additional kit for mechanics)
Wiring diagram 1 usually found in owner's handbook
Fault codes 1 as displayed on modern dashes
multimeter pen 1
emery cloth just a little
emery board 1
wheel tools everything needed to remove and replace either wheel
locktite particularly for caliper bolts
spark plug tools everything needed to get access to and remove a spark plug
common issue tools everything needed to deal with those known issues with your model


Pat
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Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[John933]

Petrol in Europe ... If you find your self in a place that you can't understand ... Just wait until the next car turn's up ... Go across with a 10 euro note and ask them to fill your bike up ... Worked every time for me ... But I usually wait for a lady driver ...
John933

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Which is great until they fill your bike with Diesel.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[Dilyan]

Next time I'm touring I'd definitely take two pairs of gloves. Only took my winter ones on my trip to Sweden and it wasn't as cold as expected. Palms and fingers started sweating and once you have to stop for petrol or to take a pic or take off your glove(s) for any occasion... Well, I had to ride without gloves for a few hours.

And if stuck for petrol and no lady drivers in sight - look for the green sticker with 95 on it. Definitely not diesel

Also, when you cross with a ferry - they usually let the bikes in first. Find the best seat available on deck and sleep till the crew wakes you up. I tried to be modest and didn't take a sofa as I didn't want to be the only one asleep (*on return I was travelling at daytime). Big mistake! Good seats were gone in minutes and everyone was out cold. But me - the chair was too uncomfortable.
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Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[biker58]

Good thread, definitely be checking this out before i do any touring!
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1995 Suzuki GSX600F rider

[ultinator]

Hi there,

I have a gf who lives in spain, i live in uk.

I am looking at going there to study for at least 6 months.

can i just hop on my bike and take it there? ('92 CBR600F)

do i need specific insurance cover?

do i have to declare how long i intend to stay? (could be more than 6 months!)

would i need to get a spanish license/insurance policy?


Sorry if some of this has been answred elsewhere - i did try looking!

Thanks people

[Evergreen]

Looks like a very old thread but here goes nothing...

Insurance in the EU: in most countries, you can legally ride with your own insurance from your country of origin for up to 6 months; on the other hand since there are no visas/border controls any more, there's no way to prove you've been in the country longer than that unless you've been stopped by the police. Plus I've noticed that the police in most countries tend to be a bit lenient towards foreign bikers, sort of 'ah-another silly tourist' attitude which helps:)

South America: either have an international insurance which is ridiculously expensive, or simply buy local insurance in each country (around 30 pounds for 6 months in Peru/Bolivia, around £40 in Chile/Argentina/Colombia). No need for carnet de passage/getting visas in advance for South America which makes it a very easy continent to tour!

[Alpineandy]

Maybe I missed this above (if I did, sorry), but is 'Filtering' allowed in all European countries?

Anyone know if there's a list of where (world-wide) it is (or isn't) allowed?
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]