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From: Barry-  UK

Some personal thoughts

Touring on a bike or motorcycling holidays mean different things to different people. They are as different and as individual as the bikes riders use.

Elsewhere on this site, I noticed a reference to ‘plastic rockets’ and questioning their suitability for touring.. This always seems to be a disparaging phrase and considering the fact that Sports Bikes are the most popular style of bike in the UK I think it would be wrong to ‘write off’ the majority.

Taking a Sports bike onto the Continent can be very rewarding. The fast empty roads, the sweeping bends and the much improved roads through the various mountainous regions can be real fun on a Sports bike.

To really enjoy a Sports bike, you need to get rid of the luggage as soon as possible. That means finding a suitable location, dumping the luggage (and the passenger?) and exploring the area in a number of day rides.

The Ardennes, Black forest and the Central Massif can all be reached in a days ride. The Maritime Alps and Pyrenees take a bit longer but they all offer wonderful riding areas, along with the traditional Continental flavour. The Picos, Spain is a good choice for a first venture ‘abroad’. With them being only 50 miles from the ferry port of Santander, often the longest days ride is getting to Portsmouth.

Another type of biking holiday is the been there, stayed the night, moved on, rider. They judge the success of their holiday by how many miles, towns, countries they passed through. To them the joy is just riding their bikes through unfamiliar countryside. Stopping occasionally to admire the view and perhaps take a photo, then moving on.

Then there are the ‘got to get there’ tourer. They have a distant destination in mind and everything in-between is just a ‘via’ point. To them big mileage days is the objective and they begrudge every fuel or ‘comfort’ stop.

Then of course there are those who just use the bikes as transport. They enjoy the ride to their location but then abandon the bike to enjoy the local amenities.

Most riders seem to enjoy the company of other riders. This can work if the riders ability and rhythm is compatible. If not they are probably better off having agreed ‘check points’ and meeting up along the way. For the lone biker, there is no such problem, they can just do their own thing.

In my time I have been all of these types of biker. On two occasions I have toured Spain with others, but otherwise I am lone rider. I have had a 800 mile, five day break to the Ardennes and a five week, 9000 mile, tour to and around Turkey. I have done a fast run down to Igoumenitsa, Greece for a long weekend and taken a slow three week tour from Santander to Northern Portugal. I have had a couple of dozen European tours and have ridden through 17 countries and haven’t got more than a ‘hello and good by’ in any of their languages. I can just about pick my way through most menu’s - except Polish!

My first trip into Europe was in 1951 on a 350 cc MAC Velocette. My last was last year to Gdansk, Poland, via Austria and Czech republic. This year it is Sicily - I am still to make up my mind what sort of tour it will be.

As to what extra you need to take with you, rather depends on what you normally have on your bike. Sports bike riders - or anyone who normally rides without a top-box or tank bag - will almost certainly have to take some extra bits and pieces - apart from their documentation.

For those of us with top-boxes, who normally carry, duct tape, tyre plug kit, plastic ties and yes a ‘minimised’ electric pump and a reasonable tool roll, the odd bit of wire, need add very little extra. Remember they do have shops on the Continent :-) Even if you should be unlucky enough to break down, getting a bike fixed on the Continent is, if anything, easier than in the UK.

I had a oil radiator split on my Yamaha XJ750SECA, in Portugal and whilst I couldn’t get a new radiator, a local bike shop did make me a ‘U’ shaped by-pass for £3.00 and I was on my way in a couple of hours. The only other mechanical problem I have had was a broken cam chain tensioner spring in Turkey. That did take 36 hours as the local bike shop had to get a new spring sent from Istanbul.

I have had a few punctures and if you do not believe in tyre plugs, you could be in trouble. I do and I was always on my way again within half and hour - they have always got me home, in fact remained in place until the tyre was worn out.

The most important thing to take with you is a respect for your hosts, a sense of humour and patience.

Just remember it is your holiday, your tour. Don’t try to replicate other peoples tours. Don’t wait until you have the ‘right’ bike. If what you have is reliable, go for it. Just stick to the tarmac and you will find the road outside your door goes all the way across Europe :-)

Just remember not to ride faster, or try to out-corner your guardian Angel :-)