WIMA Victoria: Touring Tips

Touring Tips

Long-distance riding can be pretty tough, especially on some bikes. A good fairing, a comfortable seat, an easy riding position (extreme sports bike positions are killers on long hauls), and good midrange power for overtaking trucks and climbing up hills all make touring easier. The following is a list of tips designed to make your motorcycle touring fun, and safe. The list has been gathered from a variety of sources, including the internet newsgroup aus.motorcycles

It should go without saying, that your riding gear is extremely important. If you're travelling a long way, remember that conditions can vary greatly and you need to be wearing or carrying gear appropriate to a range of conditions.
A long tour is not a proper testing ground for new gear like helmets and rainsuits. Gear that feels OK in the shop might turn out to be uncomfortable or ill-fitting.
Make sure your bike is adequately prepared, but avoid servicing just before a trip. Even the best mechanics can stuff up.
Tank bags are a great idea for keeping personal or small items (sunscreen, sunglasses, change of gloves, chapstick, tyre gauge, valve extender, small torch, etc. handy, and most have a clear plastic wallet on top for displaying your maps.
Sheepskin seat covers are real sore-bottom savers, and worth every cent of the investment.
Know your limits. If you've only ever done short distances, don't plan a trip which involves several days of long distances. Surveys have shown that distances travelled peak on days one and two, and thereafter the stamina of the long-distance rider declines. On day seven of a trip, the typical rider will comfortably ride only about 65% of the mileage they rode on days one and two.
Plan to do most of your riding in daylight. Night riding is much harder—it's harder to see the condition of the road surface, to judge distances for overtaking, and it's also colder. It's much better to get an early start than run the risk of riding into the night. If you are going to ride in the dark, avoid dusk and dawn as many large animals move about at this time and can easily come bounding onto the roadway with little or no warning.
Forget about riding at high speed. Long distance riding and high speed riding are not great companions. Rates of fatigue increase noticeably and fuel economy decreases as speed increases. And of course, your chances of being booked for speeding are obviously higher.
At every petrol stop, take a short break. Drink some water—it's easy to get dehydrated on long trips, especially on warm days. Walk around a little and relax. Stretch tired muscles.
Steer clear of caffeine—coffee, coke, chocolate. While they are stimulants, tired bodies and minds pumped full of them won't react nearly as well as you might think. If you are feeling drowsy and in need of a caffeine hit, it's much safer to take a break.
When you stop to eat, make it fruit or something light. Heavier foods are harder to digest and the process can make you sleepy.
Fuel up before you need it. You only need to run out of petrol once, or take a 10km detour in search of fuel when you're running low and you've lost whatever time you thought you'd gain by not stopping earlier. Also, letting your tank run on to reserve might draw debris and sediment which hangs about in the bottom of your tank into the fuel lines.
Make sure any load you're carrying is centred, as forward of the rear wheel as possible, and securely fastened.
It's always a good idea to carry the toolkit supplied with your bike, even if you're not confident about attempting roadside repairs yourself. If you've broken down on the side of the road, passing motorcyclists are more than likely to stop and help, and having tools to fit your bike might help them to help you.

Dey Alexander