By Your first motorcycle tour will plant the seed for a lifetime of adventure and travel. But how do you get started? Where do you go for the first time? how far should you go? I will go through all these questions and more in this article.
Leaving the house.
As with most things in life, 90% of the work involved is just showing up. But life is full of distractions. Work, kids, girlfriend, Netflix, excellent blog articles, and videos from your favorite motorcycle and photography-related blogger.
The trick to making adventures happen is to put it in your diary ahead of time. Look ahead in your diary and pick a weekend you’re shooting for. Tell your partner that’s when you’ve got plans and then stick to them.
Easing into it.
If you’ve never been any kind of real distance on your bike, I’m going to take a chance and assume you’ve not had your license all that long. Getting into touring is something that is best done with at least a degree of gradual transition.
Sure, you can stick some spare pants and a few T-shirts in a dry bag, strap it to your bike and head off around the world – and there are more than a couple of people who have done just that.
But for the mere mortals amongst us, who appreciate at least some level of comfort and safety, starting gradually is the best way to go. Start with day trips, and one-night stopovers to start getting yourself into the idea of motorcycle touring.
You’ll want to get used to things like how far you can ride, what you do and don’t like about the set-up of your bike, how much luggage to take and all that good stuff. This will help you get really dialled into your perfect touring setup and approach.
How far?
Along the theme of easing into it, deciding how far you want to go on your first tour can be a make-or-break situation.
Beware that it’s going to take you longer than you might think to get from A to B. Sure, your bike might get you through traffic that bit quicker. But the stops you’ll want to take, the lunch breaks the wee breaks the ‘taking a photo of your bike to show everyone on Instagram how awesome your life is’ breaks.
The 3 or 4 hours that google maps might give you for your route can easily turn into a 6 or 7-hour day out. And if you’re finding out whether your bike is comfortable for the first time, this could be great fun, or not so much.
With the first few day trips you take, plan 2-3 hours of riding, see how much ground you cover, and plan to take breaks all along the way. Stopping every hour to let some blood back in your bum cheeks and stretch your neck will make your day much more enjoyable.
Can I do it on my bike?
Yes. You can, and absolutely should, do it on the bike you currently own. Don’t wait for the perfect long-distance motorcycle to come into your possession before getting out onto the open road.
There are things you can do to make your bike more comfortable, but my recommendation is definitely to spend at least 500 miles in the saddle of your current bike before you start making changes to it. It takes a little while to get used to any bike and for your body to learn to put up with the position you’re putting it in all day.
What about luggage?
Motorcycle luggage for touring is a whole topic on its own. But the goal here is to get started and leave the house, so I’m going to summarise quickly for you.
- Tank bags
Massive faff to get on and off your bike, and awkward to carry around of the bike. - Backpacks
If you already own one, this is going to be a good cheap option – but be aware having a backpack on all day will make your neck and shoulders ache - Panniers hard or soft
These are expensive options if you don’t already own them – we can get by without them for now - Top boxes
Top boxes are perfect for a day trip or one-night stopover. They give you some security to leave your bike and usually plenty enough space for short trips, - Bungie cargo net
Rubbish. Don’t bother.
So what should you do then?
If you have nothing, my top tip is one of two options. Either take a reasonably sized backpack, that has a rain cover and strap it to your back seat with bungies.
The second awesome option is to get a simple dry bag, like this unfeasibly cheap one from Lomo (which I’ve toured all around Europe with) and strap it to your back seat, with webbing straps or bungies.
Where should I go?
The whole point of touring is to get away from it all and see new things, experience new places and get good and lost.
If you’re in the UK, Look for your nearest national park, or AONB (Area of Outstanding national beauty) set google maps to avoid motorways and off you go.
Navigating
The best option for navigation is the mobile phone you already own. Make sure you get a decent phone mount and if you have a modern phone with a camera, make sure you get a mount that has a vibration dampener.
My vote goes to Quad lock every time. They’re expensive to get set up with, especially when you factor in you need the mount, the dampener and the specific case from your phone – but don’t underestimate the faff-reducing powers of this kind of mount when you’re stopping at petrol stations and photo stops.
New on the scene is the Oxford Cliqr range, which I’ve heard good things about but not tried myself. Definitely worth a look for a cheaper option.
If your bike doesn’t have one already, get yourself a cheap USB charging set up to attach to your bike and keep your phone charged all day.
Check out my other article for more information on creating custom motorcycle routes you can follow on your phone.
Food.
Leaving the most important thing to last if you ask me. My recommendation is to keep it simple when it comes to food on your first few tours. Petrol station food, supermarkets and Mcdonald’s are easy to find pretty much anywhere in the UK as I’m sure you know.
If you prefer some more indulgence, don’t be afraid to take yourself to the pub for lunch or your evening meal – just be aware that if you’re arriving late to your accommodation for overnight trips – food options may be scarce, particularly in the National Parks. Having a Ginsters Pasty in your luggage for emergencies can be a life saver.
Conclusion
I hope this article has given you some ideas to get started on your first tour. My desperate hope is that you will get the same bug that so many before you have been bitten by and go on to have many more adventures in the future.
If you have questions, just shout in the comments below and please dive deeper into the Bikes & Cameras website for more info on touring and travel, as well as routes you can download and try for yourself.
Happy riding.
