Touring tips

[hiccy18]

So Augusts Heiland Tour is booked, 6 nights and thoughts are turning to practicalities; I've never toured more than a long weekend before, and never two up:

How do you keep kit n visors clean? I normally use water & kitchen roll but something that could wipe the visor during the day would probably be handy.
Is a spare visor useful? I've never had one break.

[bogie]

Buy a box of visor wipes, I always have one in my pocket especially in summer.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

I dont clean my kit on a trip, it can wait until I get home

I never carried a spare visor then on a 3 week trip in the USA my visor broke one day, I managed to order one en route on Amazon and it was waiting at the hotel the next morning...but for long trips a spare could be useful

I always carry a spare set of gloves and some simple waterproof overmitts if the weather gets real bad.

Edited by bogie on Friday 14th May 19:08

[alpertonian]

Decant a small amount of white vinegar into a small travel spray bottle that has a good lid.
Chuck in a microfibre cloth, to use to wipe the visor after spraying.
That's all you need.
Virtually cost free and smear free and refillable.
These live on my bike full time even when at home.

[vonhosen]

I use one of these on tour, V Sponge, do an excellent job.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

[black-k1]

I use the cheap approach. Fold a decent length of (unused!!!) loo roll into a multi layered, visor sized pad, dampen with warm water then leave to sit on the visor for about 20mins. Wipe off all the softened bugs then flush.

Do that each evening and the visor is fine for the next day.

[hiccy18]

vonhosen said:

I use one of these on tour, V Sponge, do an excellent job.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

Ah! That'll be the grubby thing I found in the bottom of my old textiles pocket and flung out! Thanks for the memory jog, will get one of them. And yes, B&B loo roll will be pressed into action in the evenings.

Thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated. I notice Oxford do a first aid kit for going under the saddle, will try to score one of them at the weekend unless someone has a better idea?

We've been thinking of strapping a cargo bag onto the rack, I notice some of the Givi bags have an air release valve, does that mean they'll roll up to pretty much the size of the stuff you fling in? We've got a couple of hard panniers so just want a bit of extra space incase I go mad during a distillery tour...

[Rubin215]

Pampers baby wipes.

Take a couple of packs with you for cleaning hands, visors, headlights, bums and everything else in between.

[Bob_Defly]

black-k1 said:

I use the cheap approach. Fold a decent length of (unused!!!) loo roll into a multi layered, visor sized pad, dampen with warm water then leave to sit on the visor for about 20mins. Wipe off all the softened bugs then flush.

Do that each evening and the visor is fine for the next day.

This. Just do it every evening after a day's riding.

[CaptainSlow]

If you're using the tunnel take a clothes peg, you can the peg your tunnel documents to your screen as you ride through the check points....saves taking gloves on and off etc

[zzrman]

Bob_Defly said:

This. Just do it every evening after a day's riding.

For cleaning during the day I keep a damp J Cloth in a plastic bag in my tank bag,

[bsidethecside]

Personally, I take spit and tissues! The tissues are a few of those pocket packs. They don't scratch and can always be used in 'emergency' situations and viewed as essential by the Mrs. anyway. There's normally water at filling stations, so spitting optional TBH.

Other things would be puncture repair and (if applicable) chain lube. Motorex do a little handbag sized refillable one that good for week tours.

[bsidethecside]

About the visor breaking - I threw away an old lid and in the interests of science decided to lay into it with a big hammer. The hammer just bounced off the visor again and again. It got scratched, but realistically if you broke it, you'd have bigger troubles than just a visor to deal with.

[hiccy18]

CaptainSlow said:

If you're using the tunnel take a clothes peg, you can the peg your tunnel documents to your screen as you ride through the check points....saves taking gloves on and off etc

Won't need the tunnel, just tartan leathers and haggis traps! Although that is a good tip, filed for the future.... Le Mans '22 perhaps?

Bought a tankbag lastnight; still can't believe I flung out my Baglux a couple of years ago, although the Givi is half the price of a bagster tank cover for the new bike; still mulling over the cargo bag. Got a V2 sponge too although hoping it will see little use.

New puncture repair & first aid kits coming, plenty of breakdown cover, what could go wrong?

Btw shout out to this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorcyclists-Guide-Scotl...
Even though I'm very familiar with nearly all the areas listed there's still a wealth of information, well laid out and written and some great maps too.

[Birky_41]

Until covid I did a tour every year. I have a small bottle of muc-off visor cleaner and a cloth it came with which I keep on a pouch on my bars (I also put my phone in there for nav etc)

I never bothered with cleaning my leathers only my visor was a concern

[talksthetorque]

Carplan screen wipes. £1.25 for a pack of 25.

Yes, they do work inside and out of the visor.
I have very little under seat storage (Damn you under seat pipes on a sport tourer) so it's the bike toolkit, screenwipes and a disklock under there when not touring. Nearly as cheap as the vinegar idea but less likely to spill.