What better way of spending time off than taking to the open road on your motorcycle and going wherever the wind takes you? For motorcycle enthusiasts, a road trip makes for a wonderful holiday as you can spend plenty of quality time biking as you explore a new country or area. However, there are a few things you should do before you take off to ensure you don’t end up completely lost or stranded by the roadside with a motorbike that has broken down.

Knowing Your Bike

Before you leave, you should learn the basics of motorcycle repair so that you can easily fix any minor damage or faults that your bike suffers on the road. You should put together a basic repair kit so you have the right tools if you do find yourself with a fault to repair or a wheel to patch up. It’s a good idea to have a few different types of wrenches for the various nuts on your bike, as well as a screwdriver and a tyre gauge.

Electronic and Paper Maps

Nowadays, many smartphones have map apps, so you can work out your route and find your bearings with your phone when you’re on the road, but it’s a good idea to pack maps or internet print-outs of your route in case your phone runs out of battery or you find yourself in an area with no reception or internet.

Deciding on a Route

When choosing a route for a road trip, always take the scenic route. Motorways don’t make for an interesting driving experience and don’t offer many places where you can pull over to admire the surroundings. Avoid roads that will usually have heavy traffic as you want your road trip to be an enjoyable driving experience. It’s also important to set realistic targets for each day. You won’t want to drive from dawn to dusk, so underestimate how far you will travel each day rather than overestimating, so you’re free to stop to explore if you feel like it. If you’re travelling with others, you should all agree on the route to make sure everyone gets to see what they want to see. Talking about this beforehand will prevent conflict later on.

Although you do need to plan a certain amount of your journey, leave room for discovery and adventure as your hopes for the trip may change on the road as you see what the area has to offer. If certain things don’t go according to plan, don’t fret – plans are not set in stone. The most important thing is that you enjoy the ride.

This article was written by Lucas O’Connor who always takes precautions to prevent motorcycle accidents when he takes to the road on his motorcycle.