[dimitris]

Hi Everyone!

I am absolutely new to the whole forum "thing" and I hope that I am writing to the right people

I am a 23 years old Wee-Strom owner (2009 model - 30,000 kilometers on it) and I am preparing for a trip of 1,126 Km (700 miles) from London to Marseille, southern France. Problem is that I am gonna do it alone and I don't have any knowledge or experience about long distance trips.

For starters I would like to drop my bike at a garage services shop for a routine check to see if there is anything wrong with it. Also I found a few websites about the regulations in France.

I would appreciate any advice or ideas that are relevant to my trip and the condition of the bike. For example, I do not know whether or not is okay to drive for 10 hours straight from an engineering point of view.

Yours,
dimitris.

 

[PTRider]

The bike will run continuously for months if you could get fuel into it while moving and change the oil continuously.

The real question is how long the rider can stay sharp, alert, and safe.

 

[notacop]

Long distance trips are just a series of shorter jaunts. If you don't do much maintenance for 4-5 fill ups, you don't need to do much for a 1000 mile day. You are just racking up miles. If you do it all at once you may get a sore butt, in French Sorbonne. Moving about a bit at fill ups may extend your comfort range.
One thing about foreign travel, or interstate travel for the guys in big countries is getting afoul of traffic rules far from home. It's not easy to go fight a violation in court.
I've done several 1000 mile days. 19 hours in the saddle ain't no big deal once you get used to it. On the Auto Routes with high speeds posted makes it easy. Doing it on country lanes is a lot of work.

 

[saturn 5]

Long distance travel in Australia is the norm with 700-900 kms common place. When on such trip I would always stand on the pegs when entering a speed restricted zone.( 60 to 150+ kms apart) Even in mild weather keep your fluids up ( water, not sugary drink) and scuffle around a lot to keep your attention levels high. Most important when doing a long unbroken stretch is to keep looking around and not have a fixed gaze on something. Scientifically proven that staring at an object can sometimes lead to driving into it.
Lucky you to have Europe at your door step. Sadly I didn't visit England or Europe when I had the chance. Now for me it's too late.

Safe journey
Saturn 5

 

[wobbly_boot]

Just to add on what everyone has said, even though you plan on this 1,126km trip, this is not a real long one even as your first. Just take you time and don't rush and try and enjoy the trip rather than trying for a destination time. Do it in a 3 day jaunt rather than a 2 day.
Maintenance wise you don't really need to do much, just make sure all your lights are working, chain lubed, tires at the correct pressure..i do 34psi front and 40 Psi rear on a trip with some luggage. Just make sure your engine oil in on the right level and relatively clean (if it needs an oil change, best to do it before you go as it'll always be on your mind) Check to see if your brake and clutch levers feel good and operate well and that's pretty much it.

I remember my very first motorcycle trip down here in Australia when I first got my licence and it did 1,700 over 9 days which includes a few days staying and visiting relatives and friends so overall I did it in about 5 days of travel and loved every minute of it and the weather threw everything at me from hail storms, rain, mist and cloud to wind and sun....November here can be like that!!

This trip taught me more about motorcycling than just about anything..it was an enjoyable education.:yesnod:

Just go and enjoy the ride:thumbup:

Cheers

wobbly_boot

Dave