"The roar of the wind, the views of the world going by, and the thump of the motorbike engine, the road ahead and you. There is an immense amount of romantic freedom and solitude that travelling by motorbike offers."
If you have never ridden a motorbike, but still dream of riding mountains and deserts and everything in between, rest assured, it’ll happen. All you need is to put in efforts
Why go on a long distance motorbiking tour?
The reasons to go on a motorbiking road trip are many. But the biggest of them for me is getting to see a place up close, personal and an opportunity to see a lot more. Where ever in the world you might be, when it comes to travelling we’re always off to famous places, unmissable landmarks and monuments. But there is a whole wide world between your home and let’s say the city you always wanted to visit. When you catch a flight, you miss all that in the blink of an eye. But while road tripping, you have to put long miles behind. And the sights, smells and souls that you experience on your journey are equally incredible. If you’re the one who believes that a journey matters more than the destination, then you should go take a tour on two wheels at least once in your life.
Besides, it helps you in shedding the excess baggage that’s been pulling you down. With a limit on what you can carry on two wheels, you start realizing there’s so much that you don’t need. Also, you get to go off the beaten path both literally and figuratively. If you plan your trip well enough you’ll find that you don’t want to end. You’d want to take a detour every time it presents itself.
Getting Started
Needless to say, the first thing you need to do is to learn to ride a bike. And get more confident with a shot of fear that comes over you when some stupid car or truck drivers zips past close to you without giving two hoots about your safety. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to put yourself in that lane. But once in a while there will always be a driver who’ll get too close to your comfort too fast. And it’s scary. Even after years of riding I still get chills down my spine when a bigger vehicle overtakes me too fast and too close from the wrong side. And chances are you will experience the same. All I’m saying is get used to it.
Also get used to long periods of time on the saddle. And always to have eyes on the road without ever getting distracted. You need to prepare yourself mentally and physically for motorcycle touring. So don’t be in a hurry, and take that time until you start feeling confident before you start travelling.
Packing for motorcycle touring
Unlike road tripping in your car, motorcycle touring presents a different challenge. You don’t have the luxury of a large car trunk to put all things you don’t need. Therefore you have to pick and choose what you can take with you. My advice is a pair of clothes to wear while riding under all the gear. And 3 pair of clothes for non-riding time.
Also developing a packing system is important. Divide your stuff into two sets. One which you’ll need while riding. Say water, snacks, registration and insurance papers, phone and money. These should be quickly accessible and can go in a small backpack or a tank bag. The second set can be saddle bags – the one you can only access at the end of the day This can be your clothes, toiletries, camping gear or whatever else you think you need only once you’re done riding for the day.
Route planning
It’s important to have a plan when you go riding a motorbike for a few days. While visiting cities or popular places, you are assured knowing where to get food, water or a bed for the night. But riding the highways and country roads you don’t have that comfort. Therefore it becomes important that you research well ahead and have a clear idea of your route and all the challenges that’ll come along.
Ask yourself,
if there are enough hotels/motels/BnBs/ on your route or will you have to camp a few nights?
How frequent are the gas station along the way?
Do the locals speak your language?
What are the road and weather conditions like? Are there some roadworks going on when you plan to ride? Will it rain or snow or be sunny?
Does the highway have proper internet and phone connectivity?
You don’t need to have a day to day plan. But I highly recommend getting to know as much as you can about the area you’ll be riding.
Even if you have a detailed day by day plan, be prepared for something that might not go smoothly. These things happen when on the road. A flat tire on a deserted highway and you’ll realize you’ve lost a couple of riding hours. So you can’t watch that sunset from that mountain that you were planning to. Don’t be disheartened when that happens. Enjoy as much as is within your control. There are so many things that you have no control over. Make the best of what is.
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