Prepare for your long trip
Content
During the holidays, checks must be carried out on motorcycle, luggage, itinerary ...
Who wants to travel far, saves his mountain ... and his pilot
Summer vacation ... or during the Indian summer. We always have good reasons to hit the road on a motorcycle, and as a Franco-Belgian hamburger brand mentioned with extreme delicacy about twenty years ago about a stuffy thing, as rich in cholesterol as the implied: "the longer it is, the better." For let's not forget my brothers (and sisters), in the Kingdom of Motardia only the Road recognizes its own.
But to take full advantage of this and not end up in a tow truck, here are some tips that it might be wise to follow.
First of all, a motorcycle!
Since Lucky Luke would never have thought of crossing the Wild West in search of the Daltons without caring for the Jolly Jumper, you won't leave without an intensive check on your motorcycle. We know that most bikers are in love with their car with which they have a fusion relationship based on little words of love, high octane gasoline and cotton swab cleaning, but you should also know how to wash dirty laundry with your family and admit that some of us devote only a distant and very disinterested annual glance to our car.
Our distinguished staff member, the good Dr. Robert, has already given you a very complete recipe for what to check on your motorcycle before you leave. In short, here are the highlights:
- Tires: These should still be far from the wear indicator located on the tread. You will ensure that they are under the correct pressure (adapt to the passenger and luggage load if necessary). Estimate the remaining life of your tires by crossing this data with the fact that heat and stress (most often more granular and abrasive surfaces and higher bitumen temperatures in southern departments than northern France), and ask yourself if you shouldn't new tires. Because finding the rear tire (by accident) Triumph Rocket III on August 20 at the bottom of Corrèze will be more difficult than catching a Pokémon Go on the Parisian Grands Boulevards.
- Gearbox: voltage, adjustment and lubrication should be at the top at the time of departure. Here, too, prohibit the chain kit at the end of life, telling yourself that "well, it will hold up well ..."
- Brakes: A loaded motorcycle uses its braking system much more, and if you attack aisles with 70 kilograms of passengers and 30 kilograms of luggage, the behavior of the car will be different from what you know. The gaskets must be in good condition and remember that the brake fluid is cleaned every two years.
- Suspensions: If adjustable, adapt the preload to the additional weight you will be carrying with you. Also curb the relaxation a little, otherwise you will find yourself on the steering wheel of a real rocking horse.
- Engine: The states of recent oil changes and revisions are part of the fundamentals ... and are non-negotiable except for the love of adventure and the mechanics of abuse. Keep in mind that on an air-cooled engine, a slight over-consumption of oil should be expected over high heat; the same phenomenon for slightly old mechanics undergoing long motorway journeys.
Then luggage!
When you have a Volvo station wagon, the holidays are simple: you drop everything in the hold and jump! But the Volvo station wagon will never be enough sex appeal compared to a motorcycle, which, in return, will have to pack your luggage sparingly: 20 liters in the tank bag, 30 liters in the top of the body, 20 liters in the side bags: we say, of course, at the best.
And since you cannot take everything, you must make a choice without forgetting anything, hence the importance of the travel checklist.
The two right load udders are as follows: center the masses, restrict the false doors and secure the stowage. All heavy items should be placed as close to the bike's center of gravity as possible: the reservoir bag is therefore ideal for care with a typewriter or medieval bronze collection. Light-colored objects (clothing ...) in the upper part of the body. Flexible equipment (eg camping) must be hung firmly ...
Getting ready for a short trip on a loaded motorcycle, picking it up the day before the big start is not a bad idea ...
After: road or road?
There are two ways to live the road: to walk or appreciate it, in which case it takes on a mystical dimension, which brings it, in this case, a capital letter. But not everyone can live big: for this you need an Epicurean soul and you know how to open your chakras. About pay or turn, it's up to you, knowing that the lair will also help you with 1200 road books. Knowing how to plan your route according to the weather is an art; without neglecting gas stops - a necessity, the ability to get around large cities is elegance. GPS or roadmap, each has its own religion ...
Let's not forget the main thing: you!
Fatigue, noise, weather conditions ... even the boredom of a long, monotonous tape or the stress of unusual road conditions: the long journey puts the biker to the test. Therefore, it will be necessary to approach it in the best conditions, with waterproof and breathable equipment and, under the pretext of possible heat, not neglect the basics (boots, reinforced gloves): the cost of a pizza is always higher when it has not been ordered. Against heat: only one solution, regular hydration (water, never alcohol and not too much coffee); against boredom, breaks. Against noise: earplugs. Wearing a lumbar belt is a plus.
Don't neglect your passenger: with the exception of a few cars, they will generally be less well-set up than you. It is also necessary to schedule breaks according to the state of fatigue, because he too suffers from wind, fatigue, noise, vibration and motorcycle movement and all this passively.
During long freeway relays, feel free to move your bike a little to combat ankylosis: by moving forward or supporting the saddle, rotating your arms or legs, allowing the muscles to stretch.
Few motorcycles have more than two hours of autonomy, with plans to stop regularly to rest and regain concentration.
In mountainous areas, pay attention to sudden changes in the weather. Switching from adret to ubac can result in a 15 degree loss in two minutes. Always have a choker or windbreaker on hand.
Before the trip, be sure to leave for a rest! Hitting 800 kilometers of a small road, sleeping 3 hours the day before exponentially multiplying your crash.
The detail that kills
Some forward-thinking bikers do not hesitate to hide duplicate keys (mistake, loss, theft, it happens ...) in a well-hidden place such as a reinforced frame ... An anti-puncture bomb on the top of the body is a plus.
