Motorbike Touring - Hints and Tips

Inevitably we have to preface this section with a Disclaimer: -

We hope you will find the touring routes, hints and tips on this site helpful. BUT remember we cannot accept any liability for your safety. Always ride your own ride, within your own limits. Perhaps the most vital thing to stress is that it is very easy for British bikers to end up on the WRONG SIDE of the road especially at junctions or after a stop.  -  In mainland Europe the RIGHT side is the RIGHT side!

Remember you don't need "the right type of bike", ride what you've got, or hire a bike for the trip.  Its amazing how far people have been on 125's and scooters.   Recently, an Aussie postie managed to ride his postal delivery moped all the way over to the UK, now that's what I call determination.  Anything properly maintained from 250cc upwards should handle an overseas trip. Longer distances can always be broken into lots of small trips. So don't stick rigidly to a top speed dash on motorways - or you may miss out on the countryside you are travelling through. So what are you waiting for?

Hopefully most of the links are self explanatory:-

Touring basics - A guide for first timers heading overseas.

Touring packing list - what to take - leave the rest behind

Autoroutes (motorways) - route planner and tolls

Via-Michelin - a free European wide route planning tool

New Tyres - a word of warning

Cornering Hints - hints when you encounter the twisty stuff

Group Riding Signals - how to communicate with other bikers

Waypoint Group Riding System - how to keep a large group together

Rent or buy? - choices for overseas visitors to the UK

Picking up a heavy downed bike - How not to do your back in

Clothing and equipment - reviews by bikers not salesmen!

Motorsport Marshalls - Unsung Heros & Volunteers needed

Changing your Motorbike licence - Take note of this BMF campaign

Repair and Maintenance - Web course

Using TYRE to upload routes to your GPS - brilliant free software for bikers

How To Guides

TomTom "map too big" problem solved - fitting a standard 4GB SD card

Guide to changing the headlight bulbs on a VFR 800 vtec

Viper RS-V121 Visor removal and replacement guide

How to register a British car in France

Registering a large HP motorbike in France - Aggh Dont!

TomTom Rider - Active Dock Repair (a possible solution when it stops charging)

TomTom Rider - How to clear the Flash Memory (possible solution if it grinds to a halt whilst booting up)

TomTom Rider - How to Pair with a Schuberth SRC System

Triumph Street Triple 2008/9 - Tacho/Display Settings  (a crib sheet for quick adjustments)

Ride reports - something to whet the appetite

Pendeen - Ulysses-UK ride in Cornwall

Sankt Wendel - ride to the Ulysses European meeting in Germany

Fun way to the Alps - an alternative (slow) route to the Alps

London to Lucca - Italy via the Stelvio Pass - a ride report by a Kiwi visitor

Video clips - Beware VERY large files
Always download the file to your PC first before playing.

Ulysses-Club 2010 European meeting
(Hosted by ulysses-club.de in Sankt Wendel - Germany)

20 May - Sun down at Fourmies Lakeside

21 May - Bouillon snack attack (Belgian chocolates)
21 May - Sankt-Wendel - Ulysses.de Barbeque

22 May - Moselle River viewpoint
22 May - Following the Spyder (28Mb)
22 May - River Moselle picnic
22 May - Bernkastle Kues tourist town
22 May - Departure from BernKastle
22 May - Ipcress band evening

23 May - Blue Group leads off to the Vosges mountains ride
23 May - Vosges Mountains picnic
23 May - Lakeside picnic stop
23 May - Vosges ride (20 Mb)

Alpine Rides & Alpine Roads - Videos To come

Ride up the Dranse Valley  (79Meg)

VFR's attack the Furka Pass - Switzerland (16Mb)

VFR's on Stelvio - just the very top bit of one of Europe's most challenging mountain passes - after that it was time to turn the video off and focus on the twisties!

Biking Clubs

Many of my recent motorbike trips have been with members of the Ulysses Club - a worldwide biking club focused on older riders, who have realised that if you ride too fast you will not see the countryside you are riding through.  (You can't join until you are at least 40 and are a junior member until you get to 50.)

If you are interested  in joining the Ulysses-Club Great Britain you can find more information here.