Hi everyone,

Thank you, everyone is so encouraging, it makes me just want to ride there now, speaking of riding that and work is the reason it has taken me while to reply.

Your information is very helpful and informative I really like the look of the a87, one of the reasons I'm going on this trip is to test and improve my riding skills and knowledge.

As for kit, atm I just have a bike I will be getting a tent, sleeping bag, mattress?, light source and cooker/burner soon. As for my bike I have a backbox and a couple cargo nets, so I will be getting panniers too, I've been recommended to also get a fly/wind screen by a friend at work but is this needed? Meaning do they help? Or do they make this worse?

So as for kit bare at the moment, but If I went to my parents house I'll probably find an old sleeping bag and air mattress, my friend has a tent but that's too large for us to take being an 8man tent.

I tend to ride with my two of my friends all the time the only one I'm going to Scotland with the other isnt coming because he believes the r125 is too uncomfortable for long journeys.

Oh off topic but I saw a mt07 today and I think this might have be the next bike I love the super naked streetfighter look on a bike......lost in thought..... But has anyone riden/owend one... Ideally I would like 3 bikes adventure/commute/fun but now I'm just day dreaming

Again that thank you for you kindness, encouragement, information and support. I definitely joined the right site :-)

You can never have enough bikes it seems like you have the bug, have a great trip.

As far as gear goes hunt around you don't need to spend a fortune to get good gear. german discount supermarkets. go outdoors and sports direct and army surplus (avoid silvermans) stores all offer great gear at knock down prices.

I have an MSR petrol stove; plus points burns most fuels, you can fill it from the bike and if the bike runs out you can borrow some from the stove but its smelly messy and a bit of a faff to use. fine in some faraway place.

however I just got a kariimor ti stove from sports direct, its tiny weighs hardly anything burns clean and is a sinch to use. it cost about £15 and you can get some tiny gas canisters for it online for a couple of quid. Its my goto stove I even use it to make a brew at work now.

With 2 of you it may be worth carrying a 2/3 litre can of spare fuel and or a thin rope. if one bike does go kaput at least you can tow it (if your in the wilds of Scotland not so in the middle of Peterborough!)

don't take too much stuff you can always buy more on route. I like a lightweight pack away rucksack or bag, you can keep it in your pocket or on a keyring, but when you want to stock up on food/s you can fill it and take it to camp, in the mornning when /food is gone it packs back in your pocket. also useful for carrying kit around cities.

have fun and make sure you post up some photos and a wee trip report when you return.

I have been racking my brains for a few days and now I found it !
A few years ago I came across a video of a young guy doing exactly what you plan to do.

You should watch this on youtube.
part1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Vz6IgDFmc
part2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_G9cgClhDk

__________________
Regards Tim

Learning my craft for the big stuff, it won't be long now and it's not that far anyway

Hi Guys,

you've been given some great advise so far.

In addition to the previous comments I would suggest that you;

1, keep your cruising speeds down to 50mph or so, as the bikes will appreciate a bit of TLC, and won't burn as much oil. You'll also see more.

2, go away for a few weekends, with your fellow riders, using exactly the kit that you plan to take and you'll soon settle into a routine that you're all comfy with. Some riders are at their best in the mornings, but others not so and there's nothing worse than someone pushing themselves to keep up.

3, don't plan too much, just go with the flow. If you all fancy a laze in bed, then do it, if you all fancy riding a bit further one day, then do it, just go with the flow.

4, consider breaking the journey by staying in youth hostels etc, as a day not pitching tents etc is like having a day off!

So chill out, go with the flow and enjoy it.

I average 25,000 miles a year on a Yamaha XT250 Serow, so know loads about long distance, slower riding.

By the way, my personal thoughts re screes are don't bother. They usually create more noise and sometimes even slow the bikes down, so forget 'em.

Regards

Reggie

I've not ridden an MT07 but this is what the Visordown "journos" thought of it - Long-term test: Yamaha MT-07 review - Road Tests - Visordown


Yeah, an 8 man tent might be a bit ott - especially if wanted to keep the front wheel on the ground. There are lots of good quality cheap tents around these days though - maybe very err... cheap if you have any festival plans before the trip

For two of you, tip no 1 is - get a three man tent. That'll give you a bit of space to keep all your bike gear and luggage inside, rather than having to leave it outside in the rain and / or within easy midnight reach.

If you need to buy a sleeping bag you might consider a cheap duvet from Lidl's (or Aldi or Tesco or somewhere similar) + a foam mat. I know a number of people who have stopped using cheap sleeping bags in reasonable conditions and are doing this.

Screens on a 125 are a tricky decision. I built a screen for mine for subzero winter use based on some "life threatening" below zero winter trips I'd done in the past. Originally I reasoned that a screen no bigger than my upper body area should be ok - no increase in wind resistance, but the screen woould be taking the wind blast rather than me.

That was an A3 sheet of acrylic from ebay. But then I started adding bits to it - side "wings" to protect my hands, extend them down a bit to keep the blast off my knees, some extra reinforcing bits because the hand bits flapped, an air splitter at the top to stop the whistling noise etc. The end result was barn door of a screen that was great for protection but knocked 10mph off the top speed. On a 125 that's not good news.

When things warmed up I started taking bits off one at a time and found that the bike was fine with the original core A3 sized part. So, if you can find a small screen roughly that size that'll fit then go for it - it does make for a less tiring ride. Anything bigger and the bike will struggle to push it through the air. You'll be going slower - and using more fuel.



That's my antique Suzuki just before heading off to Germany. In my defence, your honour, I'd say that someone gave me the bike and it was either my party frock or a skip.

This sounds like a good wee adventure, and you are following a fine tradition. This is how we used to do things, using what you have to tour. All my friends and I started this way, I used a BSA Bantam, Honda CD175, and various other wee bikes. The camping stuff from the likes of Go Outdoors is pretty good, and cheap too! do get a camping mat of some description,as you know,our weather can be "changeable!" Wild campng is allowed and you can find good sites in most areas. Make your plans loose, if the weather where you are headed is poor, head somewhere else! If you feel like a long day in the saddle, have one, and if you don't ,well, don't!

Skye has been mentioned. Highly recommend! Use the bridge one way, and a fantastic turntable ferry at Glenelg on the way back. Also, stay away from JOG. There are far nicer places along the coast.

Good luck and enjoy!

Charlie

Yes, it is a far better road to the Isles, but do check the operating hours/months of the year: the ferry itself is run as a charity nowadays, IIRC, so it certainly does not operate during the darker/colder periods of the year.

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Dave