Any Motörbike riders here?

Haych · December 2022

@Dominic, I get what you say and to a point I agree with you.

Most of my trips away are arranged in such away that I have a destination booked, even if it's just a camp site, that I use as a base. I can then unload the bike and explore without the luggage.

I'm also learning to pack lighter, I invariably always take too much stuff!

My next potential big trip is Spain and Portugal. I've been invited to visit a friend there, I just need to pluck up the courage to say yes. I've never even driven in Europe before so quite nervous about driving on the "wrong" side of the road, especially travelling solo.

If I do go, I'm hoping to whittle the kit down to one larger top box and maybe a smaller tank bag for essentials I'd need to hand.

Dominic · December 2022

I've done Spain/Portugal loads of times ....it's really dead easy .....you wont have any 'wrong side of road issues ' it becomes intuitive within no time
The best way is Ferry to Bilbao or Santander .......I always find the long haul through France a bit of a schlepp unless you use the Peage routes which just get boring .....better to ride 'the long way round' on smaller roads in Spain.
I find a tank bag is a horrible obstruction ......use a little lightweight rucksack packed lightly for a few essentials ...if you keep the straps a bit loose it tends to sit on the pillion seat and is zero weight on your back plus nobody can nick it of steal from it when you stop for a bit of lunch etc

Haych · December 2022

Dominic said:

I've done Spain/Portugal loads of times ....it's really dead easy .....you wont have any 'wrong side of road issues ' it becomes intuitive within no time
The best way is Ferry to Bilbao or Santander .......I always find the long haul through France a bit of a schlepp unless you use the Peage routes which just get boring .....better to ride 'the long way round' on smaller roads in Spain.
I find a tank bag is a horrible obstruction ......use a little lightweight rucksack packed lightly for a few essentials ...if you keep the straps a bit loose it tends to sit on the pillion seat and is zero weight on your back plus nobody can nick it of steal from it when you stop for a bit of lunch etc

My intention is to get the Plymouth to Santander ferry and then ride down to Marvão from there. I'd like to see A Coruña if I could while I'm there, too.

YouTube is great for getting some ideas of which roads to take - I usually have something on in the background while I'm working.

TeaPotOne and RedAng have some good footage of riding in Spain/Portugal, along with routes/roads. YT can be really useful at times.

Funny, I can't stand backpacks - I use one if I'm going to work but otherwise I feel like I have a monkey on my back if I'm riding for fun. Plus, depending what is in the backpack, it could become dangerous if you had an off.

I see the value if needing to stop somewhere - I already have three tank bags so am reticent to buy another (although buying Moto gear is almost as much fun as GASing for guitar gear) but I have seen a couple of tank bags that convert to a backpack - that would be best of both worlds.

AK99 · December 2022

I don't like tank-bags. Never really figured out why, as they logically they seem to make sense. Too much faff with tank straps possibly - dunno.

I don't have anything with panniers now since I sold the VRod, just use a small sailing / kayaking dry-bag bungeed to the back. Keep the bike in sight when you're stopped for a bite to eat, or just pull the bag off and throw it over your shoulder and you're away. Doubles up well as carry-on luggage for airplanes too btw.

Kittyfrisk · December 2022

Gosh. Where do you all put your Louboutin's & posh frock in case you go out to dinner in a nice restaurant?

p90fool · December 2022

I don't mind a bit of luggage, you can't beat going wherever you like with no plans, and having your own tent and cooking gear.

I just love being on the open road, even with practically no mudguards, a jacket with a broken zip, and half a bottle of Sazerac Rye.

Moe_Zambeek · December 2022

Kriega US dry packs FTW, in conjunction with packing light and carrying a credit card.

TheBigDipper · December 2022

Moe_Zambeek said:

Kriega US dry packs FTW, in conjunction with packing light and carrying a credit card.

So here's a little tip for Kriega users (I've got a 10l tailpack for my summer back road riding days). I've got a pair of cheap kiddies swimming armbands. If the tailpack is a little under-filled, then inflating one to take up space works wonders. Then deflate when you take something off (or buy something) and need the room. 1st world problems, I know, but…

guitargeek62 · December 2022

@TheBigDipper that's ingenious! I generally tour with a US-30, a tank bag, and a tent in a dry-bag. I find that's more than enough room for a week or so of kit, and that even includes an airbed/mat, camping chair too and basic cooking equipment.

While it's nice to have lots of creature comforts, too many of them starts to take the fun and 'adventure' out of adventuring for me at least. Each to their own though - I'm not gatekeeping

guitargeek62 · December 2022

Incidentally, have any of you seen the Malle Mile highlands rally? It's a group event in June/July that runs from The Lizard to John O'Groats via the west coast of Wales. I'd love to go on it, but it seems pricey at £1,399 for the basic package (i.e. turn-up, ride, carry and setup your own kit, etc.)

If any of you fancy organising our own version next summer let me know, as I'm itching to get up Scotland on my bike and it might be more fun with a group rather than solo.

Moe_Zambeek · December 2022

Have a look at The Highland Scramble / Biker BnB run out of Edinburgh @guitargeek62 they do some interesting looking routes.

Easy enough to do on your own at your own pace but there is a convenience and camaraderie element with these group sessions I guess, if you can handle the high potential for Insta hipsters to end up on the same trip.

Haych · December 2022

@guitargeek62, I have no firm plans for 2023 yet, but if you do fancy a group ride somewhere over a few days I could well be up for that.

Don't suppose you fancy Spain/Portugal too, do you

guitargeek62 · December 2022

Moe_Zambeek said:

Have a look at The Highland Scramble / Biker BnB run out of Edinburgh @guitargeek62 they do some interesting looking routes.

Easy enough to do on your own at your own pace but there is a convenience and camaraderie element with these group sessions I guess, if you can handle the high potential for Insta hipsters to end up on the same trip.

I mean, I pretty much am one... not remotely at influencer status, but I hung out in Shoreditch and at the Bike Shed a lot when I still lived in London!

Good call on the Highland Scramble though - I'd forgotten about them!

@Haych - potentially! When are you thinking? My lad starts school in September, so this is our last year of (relative) freedom before locking trips into school holiday seasons. That said, I've still got a fair bit of flexibility and would love to go back to Spain and on down to Portugal at some point

Haych · December 2022

guitargeek62 said:
@Haych - potentially! When are you thinking? My lad starts school in September, so this is our last year of (relative) freedom before locking trips into school holiday seasons. That said, I've still got a fair bit of flexibility and would love to go back to Spain and on down to Portugal at some point

@guitargeek62, absolutely no firm plans at the moment. It was a suggestion that I meet a friend of mine in Marvão when he visits his mother in law. He was going to fly down and drive back.

However, I reckon spending time with him, his missus and his mother in law is going to be fraught with awkwardness, and if I'm going to go that far I really don't want to be stuck in one place for very long. Plus, I'm sure Marvão is lovely but, if I'm going to go that far I think I'd rather see the mountains and the coast and not be stuck inland.

With that in mind, I was starting to wonder whether I ought to just make my own plans and go anyway. I mean, I can visit my mate and his wife anytime, it's not like I need to go to Portugal for that, he only live five miles up the road.

So, I am flexible I reckon.

thebreeze · December 2022

On travelling light, in my yoof I cycled across Africa (south to north) on the Goodies trandem (the actual bike they used on the BBC). It took a year and we had a mountain bike as a “support vehicle”. That meant just just 4 wheels for 4 of us, so we had just one small pannier each for clothes/personal stuff and 2 big ones for tools, stove, food etc. Ludicrously, but also essentially (as you’ll all appreciate), I insisted I took my acoustic guitar which sat on the back of the trandem between spare tyres, taking up valuable storage/carrying space.
Right at the beginning we did try to pull a little trailer but that got ditched in Botswana owing to the weight.
Very happy days.

AK99 · December 2022

^ I think you've just won the Touring part of the thread outright Breezy

AK99 · December 2022

p90fool said:

I don't mind a bit of luggage, you can't beat going wherever you like with no plans, and having your own tent and cooking gear.

I just love being on the open road, even with practically no mudguards, a jacket with a broken zip, and half a bottle of Sazerac Rye.

What a cracking looking rig

Highway pegs n'all. That thing's got class.

Dominic · December 2022

P90 was born in the wrong country ........should have been somewhere in Southern California like Oakland in the late 50's or San Bernardino as a 20 year old .Hardcore Bobber /Olde Skool .

Dominic · December 2022

guitargeek62 said:

Moe_Zambeek said:

Have a look at The Highland Scramble / Biker BnB run out of Edinburgh @guitargeek62 they do some interesting looking routes.

Easy enough to do on your own at your own pace but there is a convenience and camaraderie element with these group sessions I guess, if you can handle the high potential for Insta hipsters to end up on the same trip.

I mean, I pretty much am one... not remotely at influencer status, but I hung out in Shoreditch and at the Bike Shed a lot when I still lived in London!

The Bike Shed ........bit different vibe to the Clubhouse a bit further down Hackney Road !

Corvus · December 2022

LastMantra said:

Corvus said:

Thanks all re the gloves/warmth, all useful stuff. The reason I ended up wondering about heated gloves is part of the problem is self-inflicted, I've never got on with big winter gloves, so am knowingly compromising there. Partly an old thing I suppose from riding daily in London where you wanted every last factional bit of feel & response you could get.
And most of my carcass is fine, reckon heated gloves would sort it and don't really need a vest/inner layer. I did think about heated grips Mike but wiring HD bars is a faff, it feeds through the bars, needs 1" so less choice etc.

So I've set watches on some quality gloves going on fleabay, see where they end up. Hopefully will snag a pair to try, and could still go for the heater inner layer if I fancy it.

If you know what can happen to people's hands when they've came off their bike it would certainly make you consider getting decent gloves

I've done my share of tarmac surfing, or more, and I'm happy with what I wear - these are basically more like 'sport' type gloves vs fat winter types that's all.

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Any Motörbike riders here?

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