Motorcycle touring refers to travel for leisure purposes by motorbike and can be an exhilarating way of seeing a country. There are dozens of variations in touring style and makes and models of motorcycle, and travelers may undertake group or solo tours.
On motorcycle tours, riders are obliged to carry all their necessary personal effects on the vehicle. This can limit what travelers are able to take with them and generally some ruthlessness is required when packing for tours of this nature. Bigger bikes naturally offer great storage space and are therefore the vehicles of choice for most motorcycle tourists.
Packing for any motorcycle tour involves careful consideration and there are a variety of items that are considered essential not only to ordinary requirements, but also for the possibility of accidents or mishaps. Besides specialist protective clothing, you will likely need to bring along oil, spare inner tubes, gaffer tape, a wrench, a compass and a torch.
Motorcycle tours can be made in an individual’s own country or abroad, the latter option sometimes involving travel overseas by car ferry. While the further you go, the higher the cost of the trip, you will also be adding sightseeing possibilities, chances for unique cultural experiences and opportunities to ride on roads and terrain unlike anything available domestically.
Domestic motorcycle touring is a far simpler game, removing any need for the rider to obtain an international driving permit or to adjust to foreign road regulations and driving habits. Additionally, breakdowns on domestic soil are far easier to deal with than those occurring in foreign countries, where language barriers and lack of familiarity with services can create problems.
Touring abroad can be a highly rewarding experience and not one that experienced riders should be quick to dismiss on account of potential hitches. A motorbike can get to parts of popular foreign visitor destinations that regular transportation is unable to reach, thereby always offering riders the chance to see those extra sights located off the beaten track.
Among the essential considerations for motorbike touring abroad, one of the most important is negotiating bureaucracy in foreign countries, particularly at borders. Riders need to be sure of a country’s requirements for land border entries with a vehicle well before they arrive. Carrying a phrasebook is sensible if you don’t speak the local language and having the number of your own embassy in the country you are visiting is also recommended.
There are a variety of useful books on the subject of motorcycle touring. Among the best, include:
Coyner, Dale. The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Travel: Tips, Technology, Advanced Techniques. Whitehorse Press, 2007
Frazier, Dr Gregory W. Motorcycle Touring: Everything You Need to Know. Motorbooks International, 2005.
Coleman, Colette. Planet Earth’s Greatest Motorcycle Adventure Tours. Motorbooks International, 2008.
Road Runner: Motorcycle Touring & Travel. Roadrunner Publishing, monthly magazine available in the US only.
Links
www.roadrunner.travel/ www.motorcycletouringineurope.com/ www.mctourer.com/ www.greatamericantouring.com/