Touring Tips

At MotoEspaña we meet clients who are setting out on their first motorcycle tour and at the other end clients who have been touring for many years all over the world. The following is what we have learned from you and also some advice from professional touring guides.
Touring Equipment: Whether you are traveling alone or in a group, this short list of items will give you extra peace of mind.

• Mobile telephone
• Pain killers (can save your day in case of helmet pain)
• Cable ties
• Batteries and memory for camera (very easy to miss)
• Energy bars and water
• Visor wipes

Tour Distance:

The most common mistake we come across is clients either planning their trip too much or for a much too large a distance. For example, a tour from our Barcelona centre across the Pyrenees to San Sebastian and back will take a minimum of 7-10 days although the total distance is only 1400 km.

Thankfully most of our clients are open to our advice and we have very few problems, that said in 2008 all our client accidents where caused by the client either riding too fast or for too long. We find that inexperienced riders, riding solo will have fewer accidents than more experienced riders or anyone riding in larger groups. Riders with more experience often try to ride faster, longer and do not take advice from others so seriously.

Riding in groups

Riding in a group can be a fantastic experience as you are able to share the experience with your fellow riders. Groups although can present their own problems and the below advice may just save your life.

Go at your own pace

Some riders naturally ride faster than others, it is very easy to try to keep up with the rider in front even if you are riding beyond your ability. If you are feeling stressed or have a tight grip on the bike then you should probably slow down and let the group go ahead of you. You will have a much better experience riding at your own pace, you will also get to know the bike and roads faster if you are relaxed.

Agree a meeting place

Before setting off on your daily trip your group should agree on locations to stop for coffee and lunch, this will let the slower riders catch up and everyone can recharge at the same time.

Choose your route carefully

We all have different riding preferences, if the groups planned route looks too long or technical you can always look for a shorter or easier route to get to the end stop.

Bike preparation

Your rental bike will be prepared for your trip and we have available all the tie downs and extra bags you might require. Our number one priority is your safety while riding your rental bike and to that end we make sure that every bike goes through a complete check before each rental. That said your bike is a machine and a 10 minute check every…

• Check tires for anything they might have collected from the road.
• Check underneath for any leaks from the engine or brakes.
• Check your lights and indicators are all working.
• Ensure all your luggage is correctly mounted and closed.
• For chain driven models make sure there is no excessive play and the chain is lubricated.

Riders

The condition of your motorcycle is our responsibility which we take very seriously but of equal importance is the rider’s condition. You should always make sure you carry water with you especially in the warm summer months. We all get caught up in the moment and sometimes it is easy to miss a coffee or drink break but fatigue can set in much faster if you are not hydrated or if you spend too much time without a break.

You are on holiday so the odd late night is to be expected, think about making a late start the following day rather than starting your trip tired. The same principal applies for riders arriving on long haul flights, your first day should be easy riding to allow you to settle into the local time and catch up on some important sleep.

Finally, we know that you will have the ride of your life on our amazing biking roads and you will come back to us with a huge smile on your face. Our staff are all bikers and we welcome any questions you might have before and during your trip.
SEE YOU SOON!