Touring tips

Hi guys, im looking for some touring tips, as i am planning a road trip round Ireland in August :rockon: And i wondering if any of you guys have some must have tips,

I am planning on getting into dublin, and turning left, round ireland via wicklow, waterford, cork, limerick, and heading up to donegal.

Then depending on time a quick jump into the north :thumbup:
I already have the full oxford soft luggage, But with the addition of camping i will have to pack carefully.

Any advice please guys

Regards

Wookie

Take your time. Eat good. If you think your tired, stop and get some rest. Stretch and walk around when you stop for fuel. Getting off the bike and walking around helps the muscles and get the blood circulating again. I could ramble on and on......I'm sure others will chime in soon.

back your clothes in a 2.5 gal ziplock bag. pack them accordingly and sit on'em. It's like vacuum packing-- smell free, water proof.

+1 to walking around when fueling up.

Ear plugs. At the end of the day your head won't be ringing.

..........

How could I forget that?! I use that thing for every weekend ride. Quick and easy drink without stopping!

some great tips guys thanks,

i Have got some drybags that i use in the canoe, (Forgot about thoses)sweet
Med Kit and Tyre patches are in the garage ready:thumbup:

Will have a look at the Wicking clothing, cheers.

ear plus, i have some silicon ones that i will have to try before i use them on a long run, i sure they will feel like cold snot in the ear, so might have to go with the trusted foam versons.

hydration pack, (think the misus has one somewhere)

Good advice guys, your helping lots

Thanks

Wookie said:

some great tips guys thanks,

i Have got some drybags that i use in the canoe, (Forgot about thoses)sweet
Med Kit and Tyre patches are in the garage ready:thumbup:

Will have a look at the Wicking clothing, cheers.

ear plus, i have some silicon ones that i will have to try before i use them on a long run, i sure they will feel like cold snot in the ear, so might have to go with the trusted foam versons.

hydration pack, (think the misus has one somewhere)

Good advice guys, your helping lots

Thanks

Click to expand...

I like the foam ear plugs, more comfortable than the flange type, IMO.

For wicking clothing check out a Walmart like store, not sure is Wally World is in the UK, they have knock offs for a lot less money.

Sounds like a great trip, one of these years I'd love to tour Ireland.

Lock/Alarm.
Sat Nav.
Normal Map.
Emergancy tyre pucture repair stuff.
Spare bulb rear.

Sounds like a nice trip. Have a great time.:thumbup:

The most important bit, bon't forget lots of Euros for Guinness.

Gosling1 said:

Take your time. Eat good. If you think your tired, stop and get some rest. Stretch and walk around when you stop for fuel. Getting off the bike and walking around helps the muscles and get the blood circulating again. I could ramble on and on......I'm sure others will chime in soon.

Click to expand...

Gosling1 has some great advice there as do the others. Water, water, water don't grt dehydrated.

Nelly

ps How are you mate? You have not been on for a while, have you recovered?

To add to the list:

Rain gear
A portable tire compressor (Slime makes a motorcycle sized one)
Extra fuses (go read ant_mb's latest post about how he just blew a few)
A small flashlight
Painkillers (sucks getting a headache on the road)

Hydration systems are your friend. Don't wait till you're thirsty to drink... take sips every now and then, to maintain your body's hydration levels.

I also cannot emphasize the advice of eating well, or more specifically, eating right. At least for me, I cannot do heavy, greasy meals while on road trips, as they'll make me more fatigued. I eat carefully and watch my portions. I also keep some trail-mix with me, in case I need a healthier sugar fix.

..........

Nobody ever seems to mention this but it should be TOP of the list.

Get International breakdown cover so at least you can get the bike home if it breaks down on you or at least delivered to the nearest Yamaha dealer.

Its easy for you to get home but a broken bike is something else.

I have a cig lighter under my seat. It powers my GPS, Starcom1, I have an element for boiling water and a small flourescent light for my tent. It even charges the battery for my camera.

Steve

Nelly said:

Gosling1 has some great advice there as do the others. Water, water, water don't grt dehydrated.

Nelly

ps How are you mate? You have not been on for a while, have you recovered?

Click to expand...

Getting back on track now bud cheers, got myself a bit depessed, but a qck slap and my second week without pain killers seems to be helping, :uk:


Again cheers for the advice and tips guys, really starting to get excited now
dam the list is getting big... am i gonna fit all this on the fazer lol

and cant beat a drop of the black stuff

:iconbeer:

Baby wipes. Good for refreshing your face and hands on the road, freshening up 'other parts' in the tent, getting flies off your visor and oil and road grime off yourself and your bike.

Skin So Soft (can't remember who makes it) is good at keeping midges away.

You'll need some form of chain lube as well.

MCN did a really good article on toruing kit last year, but I couldn't find it. The best reference I could find was this one;

How to prepare for a summer tour - Motorcycle Advice

Take loads of carrier bags, good for internal luggage waterproofing aids, keeping dirty clothes apart from clean ones, putting over your boots to get your waterproofs on more easilly, good as small bin bags for your tent, wrapping documents in etc.

Don't take a rucksack. The bike should be taking the weight of your luggage, not you, it'll tire you out in a fraction of the time. Also if you do come off, it'll flip you over and set you rolling which is how limbs get broken.

Tankbag! Use it for all the stuff you will need to reach often. Get one that has enough room to hold your camelback, that way you won't have to carry it.

Dirty clothing takes up more room than clean ironed clothing

so what I do is take all the pants, socks, t shirts etc that are ready for the bin and ride in them then throw them away

or buy some cheap stuff and throw away

more room for the duty free[ is there still such a thing lol]

I also take loads of tesco's bags for any dirty clothing im taking home, for lining ur boots if there wet to help keep ur socks dry and as makeshift raincovers for boots etc. I actually have these stuffed into crevices under the seat for emergencies

if u have space a roll of insulating tape can come in handy for lots of little emergencies


infact that reminds me when i picked up an SV1000 years ago, 50 miles from home and it started snowing, wet snow. and I forgot to take my boots so I hit tescos for some bags and tape. worked a treat but my new bike was filthy