Real world rides, real world riders

Open road: Getting your bike right

So before you start tinkering, take stock of the journey you are about to undertake and think about some of these factors to determine what is really necessary and what’s just show.

1 Where you are going?

Staying in the developed world or stretching your horizons? How easily you can get help and parts can influence any modifications to make. Developing countries pose higher risks, due to poor road conditions and untrained local drivers, so there’s more chance of getting it wrong.  There is also less back up.

2 How long you are going for?

One week or one year? The longer you are away the more unpredictable the journey becomes. You may be able to put up with a bit of a hard seat for a week, but not much longer!   However remember that packing for 2 weeks is the same as two months, except you need to add some travel wash.

3 What mileage do you want to cover each day?

If you’re looking to ride high mileage days and for long periods of time, comfort is going to be a major factor. Seats, hand-guards, high screens and heated grips should all be on your list.

4 What weather will you encounter?

Fair weather rider or anything goes? Torrential rain, poor visibility and freezing conditions will leave you more vulnerable and added protection for you and the bike from the elements and accidents becomes more important.

5 What types of roads do you plan to ride?

The rocky road or smooth and silky? A dirt and gravel road will give your bike a much harder pounding than usual and takes more expertise to keep it upright. It may also be considerably less well served with facilities, so availability of fuel may be an issue. Mountain roads may mean altitude – fuel injected bikes normally cope fine, but if you have a carburettor then, you need to think about changing the jets or needles if you’re going to be high for a long period of time.

6 How old and how many miles has your bike got?

Older bikes with more miles, will no doubt need more work prior to set off in terms of servicing but the modifications will follow the same principles of protection. Part of the major service should be a review of the wear and tear/life of major parts, paying particular attention to the shocks and brakes. Brake pipes are often overlooked, as people think they do not wear out. Like all rubber hoses they perish and go soft with time. A hose failure is at best a trip stopper.

7 Where are you planning to stay?

If you are camping then the amount of kit you need to carry and the style will be different.  There’s added weight to carry, so maybe you need to think about shock absorbers. For campers, aluminium panniers can double as a chair or table. Plastic panniers or soft luggage can’t.

8 Suitability of bike for what you intend to do?

Any bike can do any journey, but they can’t necessarily all do it to the same time schedule or with the same comfort level. Some bikes can be taken 'out of the box' and run on a long tour without doing anything significant – we ran our Trans Americas Guinness World Record on one of the first R1150GSA models, with no major modifications at all, keeping the standard shocks (even two-up). We always recommend getting at least 6000 miles on the clock first, which allows a good 'bedding in' period.

What is suitable for one region may not be for another. Years ago a colleague took his Kawasaki ZZR1100 to Ireland for a week. However, when the radiator was holed he was told that there was no official Kawasaki support in Ireland and parts had to come from the UK.  Perfectly suitable bike for Ireland, but it never occurred to him there would be no back up.

9 Solo rider or two-up?

If you take a pillion you will already have considered this when buying the bike. However there are still things that you can do to make the pillion experience more enjoyable. Comfortable seat, larger pegs and an intercom may all enhance riding together.

After all these considerations, the key principles to keep in mind is that touring modifications should provide you with a more comfortable ride and, vitally, protect the bike against damage if it is dropped or crashed or from anything you may encounter on the road – potholes, rocks and even animals. But don’t try and fit a bull bar to a motorbike! If you meet a bull on a bike, it won’t help. Remember you still want to be riding a motorbike. When you’ve finished modifying, it still needs to handle, perform and stop like a motorbike. If your bike is equipped and handles like a motor-home, then maybe you should buy a motor-home?

A key part of our pre-expedition training for GlobeBusters customers is what riders need to consider for their bikes. Most riders, including us, use the BMW GS, but not all. Irrespective of your brand of bike, here’s what we recommend you consider when it comes to modifications.

Aluminium panniers

Are panniers a modification or an accessory? Let’s not be pedantic – unless you’re Nick Sanders, they’re a necessity! Aluminium panniers are strong, secure and should be watertight.    They also can act as another layer of crash protection for your bike. Sort of a metal lined air bag! Importantly you can then nearly always beat them straight and carry on. Critically ensure the ones you use are top loading and lockable.

Engine bars

On a long trip, it’s highly likely you’re going to go down, even if it’s just a simple drop in a car park or a fuel station – it happens to the best of us. I know certain bikes suit crash bars more than others and for some bikes, it’s just ugly and not that cool. However, they are a good idea for just about any bike and any trip. Add in foreign countries and different road surfaces and they are a must.

Bash-plate/sump guard

Protecting the engine from any lumps and bumps on the road or grounding out if you hit massive potholes is essential. A holed sump will at best be highly inconvenient. If you repair it with some liquid metal or similar you will always be wondering how long the repair will last? At worst it could result in engine seizure or oil leaking onto the rear tyre! Even the Adventure benefits from an extended bash plate.

Cylinder head protection (BMW R1200/1150GS only)

The GS cylinder heads are the first thing to hit the ground. For the standard GS bikes, cylinder head protection is very wise and again cheaper than having to replace the rocker cover. We had a rider who decided against doing this on the High Andes trip. He dropped his bike coming out of a river crossing and cracked the casing.

Spoked wheels

Another major insurance policy, but a definite recommendation if you are going to encounter rough roads. Spoked wheels can be easily repaired and you can carry some spokes. Ride with cast wheels on bad surfaces and you will need to take more care – alloys can crack! We had a guy who ran a Pan European on the High Andes trip – he was careful on the dirt and did not have a problem; ditto for a two-up couple on the Trans Americas. Again, they rode very steadily when needed. If you want to give it a handful on dirt roads, best to have spoked wheels!

Hand guards

Some bikes come with them as standard; most don’t. If your bike doesn’t have them, they are a key addition. They will protect your hands in a crash and from flying debris. They will also provide comfort from chilling winds and rain. They make a massive difference to comfort. I had to ride an F800GS before we’d done any modifications on a 1000 mile run in 36 hours.  The weather was bad with driving rain. I noticed the impact of lack of hand guards almost immediately. With hand guards and heated grips, you can ride in lightweight gloves for much longer.

Radiator protector

Get a hole in the radiator and you can be in real trouble especially if you are somewhere remote. The same thing applies to oil coolers on other bikes.

HID Headlight, additional lights and protectors

Headlights are about being seen as much as lighting the way. In developing countries, you want as much help with being visible as possible. HID lights are far more vivid and noticeable. Add further lights and you increase your road profile. In many parts of the world one headlight is anything from a moped to a superbike. Two or three lights mean something else. A smashed headlight won’t stop your journey in its tracks, but it’s cheaper to protect it than to replace it, and not being seen by another road user can definitely be a trip stopper.

Upgrade battery

Even if you are not a gadget man, you are likely to add some kit. Heated grips? GPS?  Auxiliary socket for heated clothing? All these will add electrical load. Put high altitude and extreme cold into the mix and a higher output battery is a must. We fit Hawker Odyssey batteries. The last thing you need on the Tibetan Plateau at below freezing is your bike not to start!

Louder horn

It’s a must for congested, densely populated under-developed countries, when you have to work your way in and out of cities. In China, we used our horn more times in one day than we normally do at home in one year. That’s pretty much the same in many Asian cities.  When you get a loud horn, don’t be afraid to use it.

Scottoiler

If riding a chain driven bike, having a Scottoiler fitted, will help hugely with maintaining the chain and prolonging its life. We’ve used a Scottoiler on Julia’s old F650GS Dakar and now on the F800GS and would always fit them.

Aftermarket seat/Air Hawk

Try the seat on your bike first. Manufacturers invest lots of money in design and sometimes it is just a case of getting used to the seat on your bike. If it doesn’t suit you then it is important to understand why. Is it too hard, or soft? Is it too wide or at the wrong angle? Is it the amount of time you spend in the saddle? There are not many seats that will be comfortable for repeated 500+ mile days. On the Guinness World Records, we used Air Hawk seats.  Ultimately comfortable for big mileage, but the feel of being cushioned from the bike is not suited to every-one. If possible use a supplier who can let you try a range of different seats, such as Touratech (UK).

Taller screen

Getting the screen right for you is trial and error. The optimum position will result in no helmet buffeting and a quieter ride. The impact of noise on your ride and the ability to stay focused is significant. Wearing ear plugs alone is not as good as having a screen at the correct height. Sometimes additional wind deflectors will help, sometimes not.

Handlebar raisers

Start off by adjusting the bars and levers on the bike to find the best position for you. Many people ride their bike with the bars, levers, screen and seat in the 'factory' position. Adjusting the standard equipment for comfort is a far cheaper mod than buying new bits. But if you are still reaching for the bars when up on the pegs, bar risers are a good idea.

Thicker inner tubes

When you have bedded the bike in and get to the first tyre changes then change the inner tubes for heavier grade ones. We are convinced they reduce the risk of punctures. On our last expedition, two guys on F800GS bikes with standard tubes got punctures; one a 60mph bend which could have been serious but from which he and the bike walked away. The guys who upgraded to heavy duty tubes didn’t get any punctures.

Larger footpegs

Again, if you’re going on dirt, then larger, grippy footpegs are better if you have to stand up.  Standard foot pegs are narrow and have a slim rubber top. When standing you want to spread your weight over a wider area of your foot for greater comfort. The same goes for your pillion.

Sidestand big foot

Only a small bit of kit, but sooner or later you will stop on some softer ground (think camp sites) and without one of these your bike may end up sinking and toppling.

What else should you consider?

Depending on your route, you may need to think seriously about reserve fuel. On the Dalton Highway (Alaska), there is a 240 mile stretch with no facilities. The standard BMW R1200GS and the BMW F800GS make it, but only just. Having a few litres in reserve is a psychological comfort and you can buy neat fuel bottles to clip to your panniers (rather than strap a 5 litre standard fuel can to the back seat of your bike). If you need more security, then think about a bigger tank.

“What tyres do you use?” is probably one of the questions we are asked most. Tyres are a very personal preference. There is a balance between performance and tyre life, road and off-road. You need to find out what is best for you. On our Silk Road 2010, we ran our old favourite road tyres – the Metzeler Tourance – and then Metzeler Karoo for the dirt roads. The Tourance is a great balance of grip and mileage.

Upgrade your shock absorbers? We ride with the standard shocks on our BMWs and if you don’t overload the bike they are great. We’ve ridden with standard shocks on all our major expedition routes without any issues. The only time when we would suggest you seriously consider upgrading your shocks is if you are riding two-up.

While we are talking suspension, we must mention lowered bikes. If you can get away without doing it, then don’t! The whole point of raised suspension is to have the ground clearance. A lot of riders will feel nervous of tall bikes when they first get on them and instinctively believe they need to lower them. What this is it really about is confidence of your own riding ability. So before you go to all the effort to undertake such a major modification, think training and practice!

All these modifications don’t come cheap and you can easily spend thousands of pounds for lots of extras, which makes it even more key to really identify what is absolutely necessary for your journey (unless you’ve plenty of dosh!). If you find yourself just wanting that one extra bit to put on your bike, think of the cost and ask yourself whether it’s worth giving up another week on the road for.

Where can you buy all these extras?

Touratech www.touratech.co.uk
With a catalogue the size of a breeze block and catering for many brands of bike, Touratech can supply everything you need (and lots of things you don’t). With their new Streetline catalogue, standard road bikes can also get the Touratech treatment.

Wunderlich www.wundelich.de
For BMW machines only, a plethora of bits for your bike

Overland Solutions www.overland-solutions.com
Based in Kent, this outfit kit out many an overland bike for more extreme travel.

Metal Mule www.metalmule.com
Aluminium pannier specialists, MM have expanded into supplying other stuff to modify your bike with.

Odds and mods!

When we held our first Silk Road Expedition briefing, a few of the riders turned up clutching the Touratech catalogue and the main things on their minds was their bike and what they needed to do with it so they had the best chance of making it through this 13,000 mile journey without any issues. Flicking through this tome, it’s easy to see why some people can just be bamboozled by the amount of stuff out there.

We see it on the road all the time. Bikes laden down with lots of bits, many of which make little practical difference to comfort, protection or safety and have obviously cost a pretty penny. How about portable solar panels? Or an electric wine cooler fitted to the back of your panniers? There are all sorts of odds and sods that people ingeniously fit in an effort to cover every eventuality!

The trouble is that modifying your bike is addictive and it can be hard to stop. The pursuit of achieving a mix of perfection and your parading your personality can be never-ending and you get carried away with adding even more gadgets and paraphernalia. Yes, your bike is special and you want it to be unique, but if you find yourself yearning for a custom made part that no one else has ever had, the chances are you are either a pioneer or a plonker!

Kevin Sanders