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TOURING BIKES

By Alastair McFarlane, MCi Tours

Talk to anybody who loves bikes and ask them their favourite and usually it narrows down to maybe four or five different machines. Some you have a natural affection for, others are style statements and some are just plain iconic (the Ducati 916 springs to mind). But would you tour on a 916? Well if you were off to do the Alps or the Pyrenees and there was a luggage vehicle involved it's not that impractical.

There are plenty of people who join our tours on sports bikes - often with a willing pillion passenger - and despite the constraints of the machine seem to really enjoy themselves. So when you are trying to work out the best bike to go touring it is a good idea to decide exactly what you want from the tour in the first place.

At MCi Tours our holidays tend to break down into different categories. We have short breaks where it doesn't actually matter what bike you have got, provided that you have put enough work in to make sure it will get you there and back safely.

Tyre tread depth and pads are important and if the bike has got more than 20,000 miles on it maybe you really should replace the chain and sprockets as a precautionary measure. If it's a naked bike think about a flyscreen or bikini fairing to take the wind blast off your shoulders.

Comfort

Look at the comfort for your pillion and make sure there is a grabrail and that he/she is comfortable over a long distance. You might even want to invest in some communication devices so you can talk to each other and/or listen to your favourite soundtrack.

But more than anything else you HAVE to BOTH be comfortable on the bike over distance. So do a few longer distance rides before you head off abroad and work through any shortcomings of the bike before you ever venture abroad. Sort out the disagreements and difficulties this side of the Channel where problems are more easily and readily resolved.

On a longer tour you may be a bit more prepared to invest in a more suitable touring machine. Nobody ever went far wrong on a BMW. The GS models have developed a strong following and the new generation water cooled bikes are seriously powerful pieces of kit. The K1200GT and K1200S models even have handlebar-mounted suspension adjustment at the press of a button.

Price

Obviously quality comes at a price and for that reason a lot of people invest in BMW or Honda motorcycles - simply because the build quality is so superior. I don't know anyone who regretted the purchase of a VFR for touring (leaving aside discussions about V-TECH), even the Deauville has a bit of a following and for those who wish to travel at a pace the Honda Blackbird and Fireblade set benchmark performance standards.

Given a generous budget the Pan-European and Gold Wing take motorcycle touring to a superior level where 400 mile daily journeys are not just achievable - they become very much the norm.

Routes and Mates

However, when you first decide to pursue your dream of a continental tour it is too easy to get carried away. There is plenty to see in France and Germany without tormenting yourself with 400 miles in the saddle on a daily basis! Keep the distances realistic - no more than 250 miles and you will see much more and enjoy the scenery. Rather than a flashing blur of autoroute or worse still a flashing blue light... Plan the route, decide where you want to stay in advance and resist the temptation to do the whole of Europe in a week. It's a holiday - remember? And if the planning is all a bit too much put yourself in the hands of other people who can sort this side of things for you.

Either choose friends, a bike club or take advantage of a self-guided tour programme where everything is done for you. Our own MCi Tours Small & Friendly Programme is designed specifically to put you into biker friendly accommodation abroad with all the routes planned out for you. More often than not your English-speaking host will actually go on a ride out with you to show you the great roads in the area where he (as a UK ex-pat) now lives. Check out the website www.mcitours.co.uk for sample destinations.

Which Bike?

Back to the bikes. I seem to have made quite a bold statement about Hondas but that is NOT to say that all Hondas are perfect for touring. The Firestorm has too small a tank range, the CBR 600 is not ideal two-up (bit cramped and thirsty) and the SP-2 has a fuel range of substantially less than 100 miles at sustained high speed on the autobahn. As for the pocket rockets (ZXR400, RGV250, CBR400) they are usually popular with girls who have recently passed their test but these are not easy bikes to ride comfortably over distance. Narrow power bands, cramped riding position and a need to work the gearbox all make it a tiring experience.

Bigger capacity bikes certainly make more sense where distance is involved. And if you love your bike and enjoy riding it who am I to criticise? Yes I do have a Blackbird for two-up tours but I also ride a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 solo all over Europe and absolutely love it. I think the Kawasaki ZX-9 makes a good cheap tourer and if you are on a budget there is nothing wrong with a Bandit 1200 - although the 1200S with a sports screen would be an easier ride.

If you are feeling patriotic Triumph now have an excellent range of desirable bikes that have developed a following - the Tiger and ST are particularly popular. And hats off to an MCi Tours customer who spanked his brand new 2300cc Triumph Rocket two-up all the way to Croatia earlier this year!

Yamaha have three bikes that make good tourers - the often underrated but perfectly capable TDM900, the FJR1300 that is arguably a better choice than the Pan-European and then take a look at the older Fazer 1000. Fitted with an aftermarket screen and an Ohlins rear shock (and maybe some hard luggage) the Fazer really is a go-anywhere bike with plenty of power two-up.

If you have the enthusiasm you really can ride your bike for long distances abroad - it doesn't matter that much what you ride so long as you are comfortable on it. I've been organising tours abroad for fifteen years on all sorts of different bikes and I simply can't get enough.

Tour abroad - you will love it!

MCi are independent of Devitt.

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