Hi guys and girls, 1stly im new to this site so il very quickly introduce myself so you still read my points below . im male, 21 from essex in the UK, iv been riding my cbr 5 months now and riding a 125 for 11 months before that, i own a 600f3 1998 with 11k miles on the clock, which i am soon to put a top box on (... its my only transportation, gimme a break) and i should point out im no mechanic, infact the term tyre kicker comes 2 mind. intro over

---------------------

my bike holiday plan.

In summer i plan to make a 140 mile trip to portsmouth, get the ferry to santander (not the bank, im talking N.W spain), then ride 550 miles (the coastal route) to pontvedra -->

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&so...UTF8&z=8&via=1

then holiday for 2 weeks and back again. during the 2 weeks doing plenty more riding like myb down to porto etc etc.

btw i will be carrying a passanger the whole way.

---------------------------------------

my questions

1. what should i do to my bike before i set off? (what checks/mods that arent done weekly ayway?)

2. what should i take with me for the ride? (extra fuel capacity/jerry can? every tool under the sun? food, drink, any spares of anything?)

and 3. will a cbr 600f3 beable to go 120mph for 6 hours straight? only joking... 130



Hope you dont ignore the **** outa me

WhiteRyder

 

Need to know a bit more about the trip...

Are you planning to stay in hotels every night or rough it by camping?

Will you be in remote areas where there is no mobile phone service or where you might otherwise be stuck for a long time waiting for someone to come by and help?

For any trip of more than a day you will want to do a couple of things at least to minimize the chances of major problems:

- Make sure your tires are in good shape and at the proper pressure for the load you are putting on them.
- Fresh oil and everything lubed.
- Brake pads in decent shape.
- All brake lines checked for leaks or worn areas.
- Cables at proper adjustment (clutch, brake...)

For a trip that short you don't have to go over the top but you want to make sure that nothing is already in bad shape. You know, the kind of things that you know will be OK until you get around to them. Those will be the things that decide to crap out on you 100 miles from home.

You will want to carry some water and some snacks. Riding will dry you out and that can be a real problem. I carry a couple of Sigg Bottles with me and they work great (won't keep the water cool though).

Unless you're going to be way out where help is not coming there isn't a need to carry a ton of tools. You aren't going to be tearing down your motor on the side of the road. Just pack a few basic things that will let you do things like tighten loose bodywork and make quick fixes that will get you to where help can be found. Look at your bike and you can tell what might come loose. A cheap tire repair kit is probably worth the few bucks along with a few CO2 cartridges to get enough air in the tire to limp to the next town.

Most important things to have - a credit card, a mobile phone and someone back home who knows what your doing and is able to come or send help.

 

Sounds obvious, but be sure not to carry anything on your back. invest in some good luggage for your bike. carrying a backpack can exhaust you

 

I only want to emphasize the tire repair kit, get a good one and carry at least four extra co2 cartridges, I carry ten. they do not take up much room, taoe them together so they will not get lost. I had trouble getting a hole to seal once and was really happy I had the extras.

 

WHITERYDER You need to take a Camera, I am so Jealous!

 

Another thing I was thinking is you may want to get a seat cover... like a sheepskin one.... that you can take off and put back on every couple hundred miles just to give your azz a bit of a rest.
Also, earplugs can really help with fatigue on long trips.
And good gloves.... maybe with gel palms.... or softer grips.

Just a couple thoughts.....

 

Good tinted visor(s), sunglasses, or a helmet(s) with an internal solar shield(s) too

Go through your chain and sprockets, check , clean and replace if necessary.
Then tires and hoses and fluids and brake pads as previously mentioned.

Pack a good mini tool kit. Plan your fuel stops based on range of course.

 

I'm reading many of Your posts here. Unfortunately I can only read (and write) english with a translator. Do You plan to ad an automatic translation to the forum?

 

No automatic translator in the works. There are plenty of translation programs on the net that work well.

 

hi guys thanks for the responses, some good points made that il keep in mind.

2 answer a few questions il be taking a 2 man tent with me so we can stop in the middle of nowhere if we get tired but i was planning on doing all the riding in one day if possible.

there will be plenty of petrol stations and there will always be mobile phone signal. so hopfully even if something does go wrong help wont take to long.