Where should I stay?
Campsite, hotel, hostel? Don’t get bogged down in the detail. If you’re in mainland Europe you will
never be too far away from a hotel if you fancy a nice shower and a comfy night’s sleep. If you’re
watching the euros or just fancy something different, European campsites are cheap, commonplace
and usually clean and friendly. And if you do find yourself in the middle of nowhere as the sun begins
to set, try wild-camping. Nothing beats the feeling that just for one night you’ve managed to escape
the fences and walls and rules that constrain almost every part of our lives. Just be considerate; don’t
drop litter, don’t crush farmer’s crops, be discrete and enjoy watching the stars above like people did
before we boxed ourselves into houses and offices 24/7.
Remember too, that by pre-booking accommodation you’re forcing yourself into meeting deadlines,
which, in my humble opinion, is exactly what you should be trying to avoid on a motorbike adventure.
You want the freedom to explore, to stop at places you like and push past those you don’t; you want to
be able to meet locals and spend the afternoon chatting over cold beers. If you need to be at your
hotel by 4pm, chances are you’ll miss out on all that, and the essence of what your adventure should
be about.
What bike should I take?
What bike have you got? I have never understood why anyone would splash out £15000 on a GS1200
just to ride over to Austria. Lovely bike, don’t get me wrong; but it’s like buying a herd of cattle so you
can have milk on your cornflakes. Any bike will do, just adjust your adventure accordingly. If you’re
heading off on your YBR125, give yourself a bit of time and try and avoid the autobahns. Riding a
Panigale? Research the local garages.
Seriously, unless you know you’ll be going off road - and by that I mean across muddy fields and
through deep flowing water - any regular motorbike will do the trick. Most modern motorcycles are
over-engineered to such an extent that you can get away with murder. I rode my 11-year old Ninja
over mile after hideous mile of loose rock and gravel in Russia when the powers that be decided to
take the road away as punishment for my lack of paperwork, and the Kwak was absolutely fine. Not
even a puncture.