Hey all. Am looking for some great information to help me along. Am going on my first ever long run. The most I've done is about 64 miles total. This year am planning on touring parts of Scotland in my 2011 America. I got this bike end of last year and love it. I am planning my route with good stops in mind but how far should I ride at a time. What gadgets and tools should I take? Looking at tents and stuff too. Loads of advice out there but a lot of it seems for adventure bikes. Should I carry a small fuel bottle too? My first ride will be 150 miles. So thinking one stop and refuel there too. Panniers and saddle bags I've kinda picked them out. It also looks like am on my own as freind has pulled out. So buying front and rear camera and will need some sort of charging unit? For phone and extra battery? Thanks all who help.
Hello mate Puncture repair kit with a compressor (Ensure you have the necessary leads to start the compressor using your bike battery)......https://www.mandp.co.uk/stop-and-go-tubeless-puncture-pilot-kit.html Some basic tools to deal with chain adjustment Power bank will come in handy Wear the right gear to deal with temperatures. Source out a decent base layer. It has helped me tremendously I always ride with a backpack (Kriega R15). Keep my wallet, powerbank, Keys, torch light, muti-tool kit and some disposable gloves if I have to get my hands dirty working on the bike. Last thing I need is sticking my greasy hands in my riding gloves Plan out the route and make a note of bike mechanics, fuel stops and dealers. This way you carry minimum tools. You can't account for every scenario out there.....no harm in being prepared. Besides you are going to be touring in UK, so you will have assistance As above I don't think you will need a fuel can. We have petrol stations pretty much everywhere. You just need to ensure keeping your eye on fuel. Bear in mind as you head into rural areas the petrol stations usually shuts early. So planning is everything If you plan and organise everything then you can travel as lightly as possible Above anything else.............ENJOY THE TRIP AND HAVE A GREAT TIME
Have a look at the Scottish trips on here, notably @Dougie D and @Rich Bryce, they’ll point you to their threads, have a look at MyRoute-app and join the Triumph forum group on there plenty of routes, we as a forum are up in Bellingham in July
Hi BC, a few questions first Do You have a route planned? How long are you away for? Which camera are you going for? Gopro is the best but they are expensive and battery life is not great,i get about 1 hour! the Drift is another good camera and you should get a bit longer out of the battery,some of the guys on here have bought a cheap gopro copy which might do the job. If you are camping one of those would be handy for charging your phone and cameras i bought one the same and i'm pretty impressed with it https://www.amazon.co.uk/EMNT-Portable-24000mAh-Compatible-More-Black/dp/B076CJ16ZM although if you are away for several days and are camping all the time you would need to find somewhere to recharge your powerbank..it takes several hours to fully charge it i would make sure you have at least 4/5 extra batteries for your camera if your'e filming all day I'm guessing you are quite new to bikes if the longest run you have done is 64 miles? The distance you can do will depend on the amount of time you actually want to be riding the bike everyday..If you are on your own 200 miles a day would be easily done and that would allow for plenty of stops inc a lunch break and you would still get to your destination before 5PM ish (unless you plan on doing a lot of single track where your average speed would drop significantly) i'm organizing a weeks trip in Scotland this May for some of the forum members,you might get some ideas of routes etc here https://www.thetriumphforum.com/threads/2019-scottish-road-trip-26th-may-to-2nd-june.15749/
There are two schools of thought: kitchen sink v travelling light. I favour the latter - ESPECIALLY on home turf. You are not exactly going to the back of beyond with language problems and a passing friendly native every two months. Honestly? Have a breakdown plan which could be as simple as a mobile phone. A puncture is unlikely but itself the most likely problem. Tubed or tubeless? A spare tube might be handy but is 24hr delay anywhere critical? You could hire a van one way and be home in less.... Travelling light beats hauling stuff you are never likely to need. A small tool roll and Smidge plus decent waterproofs! A run to the North of Norway is a bit different but the Highlands in summer? Be realistic........
Pack eye spray. Eyes get dry on long days. And sun screen. Merino wool base layer doesn't need washing for two or three days and dries out quickly. You don't need a different t-shirt for every day. Select some places with on-site laundry. Put stuff you need to get at during the day in a tank bag/small ruck sack. Pack your roll bag with everything you think you'll need. Then empty it and put half back in the wardrobe. You won't need it. Then repeat. Whatever you run out of buy new at Aldi. 150-200 miles a day is manageable. Go out for a couple of long rides some Saturday and Sundays to get used to the arse ache. Bunkhouses and hostels are cheap, c£20 a night, and have cooking and drying facilities. Camping is okay if it's there and back for a few days stay-over, but a pain if touring imo. Scotland has loads. Check out Dougie's thread linked above, and my Post GMU19 thread in the touring forum for ideas. The Iron Butt Association Archive of Wisdom has much useful advice And check out the GMU2019 - nice weekend in Kielder with 30-odd inmates. Every one of them a welcoming friend you just haven't met yet. Two days of riding round the Borders. It's a quality craic.
Great advice bud. I am planning routes just now. Got some great advice from you. I am going to get some other bit and bobs and I have a manual here about the America so gonna read. Ordering panniers and backpack. All water tight and water proof lol. Got some awesome waterproof clothes from work. Bright yellow hahaha
You mentioned taking a bottle of fuel. If I remember right, my 2010 America didn't have a fuel gauge, just a little yellow light that comes on when you're getting low. I'm guessing your 2011 model is the same ? Personally I wouldn't carry extra fuel but I would top up at every opportunity if you're out in the sticks, even if you've only done say sixty miles since the last fill up.
If it is of any use, i took enough tools to dismantle the bike to Scotland year before last. Last year to Ireland I took a puncture repair kit. You definitely want to think about a bag you can quickly take off with valuables in, my take on tank bags is that they can get irritating on fuel stops. Adventure style clothing can give you plenty of pockets which might just negate the need for said bag. If you are going roll top bags, consider buying cheap to start with, you might find you don't like the long ride as much as you hope to. My touring buddy doesn't like riding more than an hour - hour and half at a time and he is 20 years younger than me. I can ride all day if I know where I am going. Cheap roll top bags are still as effective. If you are certain, consider getting the slightly more expensive bags that open down the long side not one that opens at the end. Pulling everything out to get something at the bottom in the rain..... Sat navs / phone apps are all very well but you tend to ignore the scenery. I take one but more for use finding something if you are going into a big city. I did the whole of NC500 just by learning the towns I was heading for, the roads i would be using and then using old fashioned road signs. Its very handy especially if your nav malfunctions. If you struggle to learn lists, write it down and keep it in your pocket for reference. Look at small coil cable type locks to secure your bags to the bike. Not totally secure but as they say it stops honest people being tempted. I use combination types so i don't have to carry extra keys. I use two bags, clothing etcetera and campsite - tent, stove, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, pillow. On tents you see people with the really tiny single person backpacking type. Bear in mind there wont be room for your riding gear in the tent. I use a 3 man backpacking tent, room for gear, me and a bit of space. Also consider one you can at least sit upright in. My first tent was a tunnel tent you couldnt, getting dressed in Scotland in the rain when you cant even sit is a pain in the arris. As others have said, if its just you, you really dont need much in the way of clothing.
So this is great advice m8 thanks. I have looked at tents and seen some for 150 quid with a part for my bike to park in as well. I was going to buy Viking lockboxes as they are big and I can padlock them. These will be on the bike most of the year. So want to spend the money to get them right. As for the rest. Tool bag on front that rolls down and am a bit lost after that. Was thinking back pack and passenger seat bag. Some of them are 20l to 80l I think the backpack would be a water one so I can have a beer while driving. . Ok water . Haha. Hydration and valuable stuff. Everything I want to buy has to be locked to bike in some way but easy enough for me to unlock. Tent. Matt and sleeping back can go on sissy bar. But if buy big panniers I will not need back pack or seat luggage. Am thinking to much about this now
Am gonna buy 2 cameras as well. One that's always on when bikes on. Just records over and over every 2 or 3 hours. Need one for helmet. With good battery life.
Stop messing around with luggage systems and how to carry everything Get a TRAILER Take a massive tent that you can stand up in Take a proper camp bed Loads of bedding Beer and food Loads of clothing and comfortable footwear Lots of tools just in case Toiletries so you can go on the pull A proper chair to sit on A camping table Just hitch it up and forget about it until you reach your destination If you look in the bikes for sale section I think that there’s a one for sale VERY similar to this one ooooh look A very happy biker already on his first beer and laughing at everybody else fighting with bungees and straps and loosing their temper because they cannot find anything get a TRAILER mate You will NOT regret it
And I can testify it's a proper kitchen sink in there, not one of the poncy hand basins you find in the downstairs toilet.
