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Hello all,

Ill be heading for a 7 day tour around europe in a couple of months and as it will be my first long distance ride on the R1100s, is there anything I should definitely make sure is perfect before I leave / prone faults when riding long distances / setup etc

I plan to give the bike a full service and loctite as many bolts as possible to stop the vibration dismantleing the bike to a set of wheels by the end of it.

Are there any tweeeks I can make the suspension / bars / tyres / anything that may make it more comfortable?

Any info would be gretly aprreciated.

All the best

I dont yet have an 1100S - 5days to go - if its anything like my 1150GS, service it, check it over and ride.
Its only 7 days you are going for.
If it rattles that badly that you feel the need to loctite plenty of stuff, there is something bigger wrong that a service wont fix.

no it actually rides really nice, Id just rather prevent bolts from coming loose as theres inevitabley always one that likes to unscrew itself on all of my bikes!

I did 50k miles on my 11100S and not one bolt was lost or came loose while riding - If it had I would have suspected that I had failed to do it up properly. Moral if it aint bust don't fix it

Now't wrong with checking that everything is tightened correctly before a big trip, Take a litre of oil with you as they do tend to burn a little over large distances, and make sure that your tyres are going to last the whole trip as it is a right pain trying to source some mid trip.
Where are you heading to?

Steve

In addition, whilst it may sound obvious, make sure you have European breakdown cover.
It's not always incorporated into breakdown policies so check and if not pay for it.
I was glad of it a few years ago when my Datatool decided to strand us in the French alps.
As regards the rest of it, I would respectfully suggest that if you're happy with the way your bike is running then leave it be.
Now is not the time to start mucking around with it so near to your departure.

This might sound a bit obvious, but, as well as the Euro breakdown (and I know a very neat little trick that can get you decent cover at a very good price - PM me if you're interested!), make sure you have a credit or debit card with a decent amount of funds available on it. Euro breakdown doesn't work like it does here - if you do break down, and its something that can't be fixed at the roadside, you don't get the option to say 'take me home then'. You'll be taken to the nearest place deemed able to mend it, and, if they can, you'll obviously have to pay up. If it can't be mended by the time your holiday is up, that's when they'll agree to repatriate it. Not all recovery over there is 'free' either - I had to pay when I broke down on the Périphérique a few years ago. The first breakdown truck took me off the motorway and dumped me at the next exit - I had to pay the driver around €60, then the next truck was the one that took me to a garage....and he wanted paying too! A call to my cover supplier sorted it out, they convinced him that they'd settle his bill!

Pete

Now then Watsondesign

Don't know if you've rode in Europe before but you're in for a great time, riding in Europe is fantastic. Take anything you can from this but just in case you haven't done it before :-

Get ready for cars in front of you driving in the r/h gutter willing you to pass them, all pro bike in Europe, not like here Don't push yourself too much each day, give yourself plenty of time to get from A to B, you don't want to start racing to get to your destination that night, get there in plenty of time and have a relaxing beer and some food.

Get a Sat Nav that covers the countries you are visiting.

Get the relevant one/s of these for the country/ies you plan to visit

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pigeon-Spanish ... 0953436004

I got them some years ago and they are brilliant. They take no time to learn to use and are invaluable.


Make sure your credit card works abroad and tell your card provider when and where you are going so they don't put a stop on it while you're away.

Carry a HI-Viz and a puncture repair kit for breakdowns.

Take out European breakdown cover out.
Take out Personal Accident/injury cover AND MAKE SURE IT COVERS RIDING A MOTORCYCLE, not all do - ASK.

Take 3 photocopies of each your :-

Passport and make sure it is valid
Driving Licence
Bike Insurance Certificates
Easier to leave with authorities if need be rather than your originals.

Also take :-
E111 card - https://www.gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card
Log Book
MOT
Travel Plug
Phone Charger
Spare Keys
Spare Motorbike Gloves
Waterproofs

Non essentials but handy :-
First Aid Kit
Diarrhoea tablets
Gaffa tape
Cable ties
Latex Gloves
Leatherman
sun cream

Get one of these

http://www.lightinthebox.com/1-pcs-moto ... oCSjbw_wcB

dead easy to use and allows you to relax your hand on long journeys on motorways and straight roads.

Pay for the Dartford Crossing up front on the internet, for both ways, if you're going to a southern port or the channel tunnel.

Waterproof bags for inside your luggage, no matter what luggage system you are using.
Plastic, or other bags for separating laundry in the bags and keep any saddle bags or panniers of equal weight.

Try and fill up before supermarket garages etc shut on an evening, they do 24hr but a lot of the time they don't accept UK cards.



Most important of all, enjoy yourself

Small one but if you wear glasses, you will be expected to have a spare pair with you.

Dartford crossing is/was free for motorcycles - they haven't started to rob us there as well have they?

dave the german wrote:Dartford crossing is/was free for motorcycles - they haven't started to rob us there as well have they?

Good point, I was thinking of when I go in the car Bikes are still free. Cars are also free before 6am and after 10pm

BoxerCup R wrote:Try and fill up before supermarket garages etc shut on an evening, they do 24hr but a lot of the time they don't accept UK cards.

I've been caught out on that one.
It was late one night on the way back into France from Italy.
I was panicking as everything was shut.
When I did find a fuel station open, it was completely automated, and only took a special French fuel card.
An elderly lady who was there filling up saw my dilemma, and paid for my fuel.
I asked for her address so I could pay her back but she wouldn't accept.
One of my nicest holiday memories.

A Post Office credit card doesn't add fees when you use it so works out a lot cheaper than a std c card/debit card, most auto fuel stations accept chip and pin, only been caught out once in the last few years, most important enjoy your trip

popsky wrote:A Post Office credit card doesn't add fees when you use it so works out a lot cheaper than a std c card/debit card,

Also much cheaper than a std debit card for toll booths too ( lloyds bank and Nationwide too) as all others charge per transaction.

Steve

Boxered wrote:

popsky wrote:A Post Office credit card doesn't add fees when you use it so works out a lot cheaper than a std c card/debit card,

Also much cheaper than a std debit card for toll booths too ( lloyds bank and Nationwide too) as all others charge per transaction.

Steve

Forgot the toll use Steve, bloody marvellous you don't even have to tap in your pin, just insert the card and retrieve, place card in safe place and your away, made riding on the peage almost a pleasure.