10 Tips For Solo Motorcycle Touring - RM Motors

Here are some of the things we’ve learned, which we hope will be helpful. 

1) “Flight Plan” with friends and relatives :- it’s a good idea to give friends and family an idea of where you’ll end up every day, and when you’ll be checking in. At the least, this will give your loved ones a sense of ease about you riding alone.

2)  Start early, finish early :-  It’s an incredible feeling watching the world wake up from the seat of a motorcycle, and if you’re planning to do big miles, the earlier you start, the earlier you can finish. 

3)Earplugs:-Always wear earplugs, not just to protect your hearing, but to dramatically reduce fatigue. Helmets are noisy places, especially at higher speeds on bikes without big windscreens. Your brain tries really hard to process all the wind noise and determine if there’s anything important in there it needs to hear, which is an ongoing mental strain.

4) Use technology to regulate your body temperature :- There have been tremendous advances in cooling and warming technologies for riders, so there’s no need to suffer in the heat or cold weather.

5)Inspect the bike regularly :- It’s critically important that you are aware of any mechanical issues your bike might have before you start it, ESPECIALLY on a long distance, solo ride. So check your bike in the morning before you start it, check it when you wipe it down when you park it for the day, check it when you fill up, when you stop for lunch, for a photo……often!

6)Travel light: :- Now when we tour, we can go out for three weeks with one small bag. How do we do it? Well, we stick to the essentials, iPhone with a charger, wallet, maps, led flashlight, multitool, couple of pairs of underwear and socks, jeans and a few t-shirts.

7)Paper maps and GPS :-  we recommend getting the Google Maps (or your preferred GPS app) for your phone, and using it only when you’re off the bike. And we love paper maps, because you can visualize a much greater area than the area of any GPS screen.

8)Eat smart :- You know that food coma you get after lunch every day, the one you try to fight off with an espresso, black coffee or some awful energy drink.

9)Hydrate smart :-  Very few of us drink enough water every day, and this is a mistake you cannot make on a motorcycle. Dehydration even in its early stages induces fatigue, and as it progresses you can get headaches, muscle pain, nausea, and pass out.

10) Use social media to enrich your trip for yourself and others :- If you don’t have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page, consider starting one before your trip. Friends and family will enjoy following you on your journey, seeing what you’re seeing every day.

Hope you found these tips helpful.

Ride Safe !!