First time touring

[Fazzer6754]

Looking at purchasing a Suzuki v strom 1000 gen 2 2014/15/16. Currently riding a cbf 600s at the moment. Have done plenty of riding around Ireland but over all goal is to do some tours around Europe. All I’ve thought about since I started riding. Would love some trips to the alps and maybe even someday up through Denmark Norway etc. Should I go across to wales or Scotland to get some experience to begin with? I’m 26 and my immediate friends don’t have bikes and I’m not really in with other people with the same interest unfortunately just not that common or popular thing around me..  so it’s something I will probably (and happily do on my own) has anybody been in the same boat as me or anybody currently the same. Any advice or input at all would be nice. Thanks guys. 

[Bender]

Welcome  

[husoi]

Hi @Fazzer6754 welcome to the forum.

 

You will find some useful or  not) info about touring in here.

Personally I would say for you to start with shorter trips (up to 1,500miles) See how comfortable you feel on long stints.

My last trip I was stopping every 75 to 100 between breaks, but I'm well over your age.

 

First thing you need to consider is how comfy the bike is, can you improve on it?

Although my touring trips are on a ST1300 I managed to increase the distance between breaks by adding some gel pads on the seats.

 

Don't ride until you're knackered. Instead stop as soon you start to feel uncomfortable, have a walk around a hot/cold drink and get back on the road. You will find out that not allowing to get very tired when you stop will allow shorter breaks and the stint will run better covering a longer distance.

 

Another thing to consider, don't rush. touring is about enjoying the trip not just get where you have planned to arrive.

 

Ferry is your best mate on touring because you will still be making ground while resting.  

 

[bonio]

Sounds like you've already done touring in Ireland - and I'm guessing that with multi-day tours - then I'm not sure you'd much of a different experience in Scotland or Wales. Touring in Europe isn't that different, except for

* driving on the other side of the road: but honestly, this one isn't a big thing; it's much easier to switch over on a bike than in a car.

* the language: you need to be able to do basic things - get a room or a camp site, get food - with a mixture of google translate and hand waving, as a minimum. It's good to know what road signs mean, too.

* a bit of preparation: you'll need insurance that covers the countries you're visiting, breakdown cover that includes taking the bike back home, and any things to comply with local rules (e.g. fluorescent vest, spare bulbs)

If possible, get a credit card that has no charge on foreign transactions. 

Can't give you any advice on the Alps, as I've never been there on the bike. 

 

[MikeHorton]

10 hours ago, Fazzer6754 said:

Looking at purchasing a Suzuki v strom 1000 gen 2 2014/15/16. Currently riding a cbf 600s at the moment. Have done plenty of riding around Ireland but over all goal is to do some tours around Europe. All I’ve thought about since I started riding. Would love some trips to the alps and maybe even someday up through Denmark Norway etc. Should I go across to wales or Scotland to get some experience to begin with? I’m 26 and my immediate friends don’t have bikes and I’m not really in with other people with the same interest unfortunately just not that common or popular thing around me..  so it’s something I will probably (and happily do on my own) has anybody been in the same boat as me or anybody currently the same. Any advice or input at all would be nice. Thanks guys. 

Great choice of bike I'm sure you will pick up a bargain as they are well priced used adv tourers. I'd maybe get all your touring equipment sorted first and do some UK tours so you can check you have everything you need that's where I am for the coming year health prevailing. Where in the UK are you? 

[Fazzer6754]

11 hours ago, MikeHorton said:

Great choice of bike I'm sure you will pick up a bargain as they are well priced used adv tourers. I'd maybe get all your touring equipment sorted first and do some UK tours so you can check you have everything you need that's where I am for the coming year health prevailing. Where in the UK are you? 

Yes I’ve been looking into them a lot recently and think they would be a good suit for me. I only ever seem to hear good things about the v strom 1000. Need to try and pick one up before early next year be ready for off. Yes I agree think I could do with a bit more experience around uk. Have a friend in mid wales and was thinking my be a good place to head for first and do some trips about there. I am from Ireland , near the northern border. You? 

[MikeHorton]

3 hours ago, Fazzer6754 said:

Yes I’ve been looking into them a lot recently and think they would be a good suit for me. I only ever seem to hear good things about the v strom 1000. Need to try and pick one up before early next year be ready for off. Yes I agree think I could do with a bit more experience around uk. Have a friend in mid wales and was thinking my be a good place to head for first and do some trips about there. I am from Ireland , near the northern border. You? 

I'm in the West Midlands mid Wales will keep you busy. I love the Elan valley and English/Welsh border some great roads in Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire but I don't think you will get bored of the sights in Wales at all. Make sure you post pics with your new bike once you have it! 

[husoi]

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

Make sure you know how to control the bike with the extra weight.

You don't say if you will be riding alone or with pillion, regardless, as reduced as luggage may be, it will result in longer braking distances.

Needless to say, that you wouldn't be the first biker where the not so well fixed luggage tried to go away while you're not looking.

 

A few weeks ago, a friend had an accident because the sleeping bag decided to join the belt drive on her water pump (HD).

[Fazzer6754]

10 hours ago, MikeHorton said:

I'm in the West Midlands mid Wales will keep you busy. I love the Elan valley and English/Welsh border some great roads in Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire but I don't think you will get bored of the sights in Wales at all. Make sure you post pics with your new bike once you have it! 

Will do, thanks for the advice. Much appreciated 

[Fazzer6754]

9 hours ago, husoi said:

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

Make sure you know how to control the bike with the extra weight.

You don't say if you will be riding alone or with pillion, regardless, as reduced as luggage may be, it will result in longer braking distances.

Needless to say, that you wouldn't be the first biker where the not so well fixed luggage tried to go away while you're not looking.

 

A few weeks ago, a friend had an accident because the sleeping bag decided to join the belt drive on her water pump (HD).

No pillion. For the minute. 

[onesea]

10 hours ago, Fazzer6754 said:

No pillion. For the minute. 

With doing for short run just to find out about extra weight.

 

I am bad I load bike up any which way and ride. 

Only thing I do avoid is top box on Trophy solo as I find it creates slight weave at speed. Others have reported same but it's a variable thing.

 

Do you need to change bikes?

If I was looking for new touring bike, I would be looking at fuel consumption and tank range.

Anything over 600cc will give you enough umph to loose your licence.

[Throttled]

I have only ever toured on my own, UK and Ireland, not Europe. I prefer the flexibility of being alone and accept, some nights I will end up on my own and other nights I will end up in company and chat to the locals or other bikers.

 

I also think a 1000cc bike is far more relaxed than a 600cc for touring and it is worth the jump, especially if you end up on motorways.

[Pie man]

I spent two weeks travelling around the Alps on my CBR600F back in 2005, with only a 30l tail bag and a small tank bag for company, travel light, many people take far too much. 

The V strom is a peach of a motor and would take you anywhere with ease. 

[Gerontious]

I’ve done 4 types of tours. A fully organised paid for. (Which I hated)

 

With a group of… the most was 10. Though the average is 6.  With one guy.  Done that 3 times. All members of this forum and I include the much missed snoddy. Plus on my own. And they all have a different vibe. All enjoyable for different reasons. I’ve gone with people who have never toured before. Even (once or twice) with people who had never left the country before. Mostly with people who had never toured abroad before until I asked them, or they saw one of my posts and asked to come along and then, remarkably were keen to join up again and again… and, err… again. 
 

I only ask one thing and that’s that you have a bike that is capable of motorway speeds. And that’s it. So..  the smallest capacity was a 250. And he managed quite nicely. A CB250 and that year we camped. No problem at all. Some equally unlikely bikes over the years.. never an issue. In fact over all the years the only bad (ish) experience was with one fella who turned up unannounced. And his maximum speed was 40mph. But he was terminally ill and died later the same year. So we made allowances for him up to a point. Though he rode to the hotel alone… he wanted that.  And largely did his own thing for the week, just having a load of friendly faces and company at the hotel. That’s what mattered for him.

 

There is something very special about going alone, but there is also something very nice..  in a different way about going away with 1 or more. With a larger group is great too. I really like that which is why I do it so much.

 

it’s all good.