Riding around Europe on your motorbike can be an exciting and exhilarating experience. However, if you haven’t done your research and prep beforehand, it can be just as confusing, frustrating, and expensive. Europe is similar in size to the USA and Australia, and there are many road regulations, road types and climates to get accustomed to.
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If your aim is to go on a motorbike trip to and across Europe, here are five top tips that can help ensure you’re ready and raring to go.
Get Your Motorbike Serviced
Before you head out on your motorbike trip to Europe, it’s vital that you have your bike serviced beforehand. When on the road, the last thing you want is for problems to occur, so ensuring that it’s running smoothly will keep you safe and protected throughout your adventure. Minor problems can turn into serious ones if they’re not checked, so make sure that you carry out additional maintenance duties such as oil replacement.
Make Sure Your Insurance is Comprehensive
Before heading on your trip, make sure that you understand what your motorcycle insurance does and doesn’t cover. If you are involved in an accident, or your bike gets stolen on your trip, you will want to have peace of mind that you are covered for any eventuality. There are comparison sites like that can help you find the best motorcycle insurance deal, these are worth trying if you need to upgrade to a more comprehensive policy.
Know What to Pack
No matter how long you’re riding around Europe, it’s important that you pack equipment and belongings on the nearside of your motorbike. Even if you’re travelling around Europe in the summer months, rain and storms can occur, so it’s advised to bring wet gear with you. The weather forecast can change within an instant, so it’s important that you pack suitable clothing for all kinds of weather conditions.
How to Navigate
There are many road rules and regulations that you must adhere to when riding through Europe. Each country will have different codes of conduct, so it’s important that you have a satnav that can guide you. Paper maps can come in handy when planning a route, but it’s advised to invest in a dedicated GPS. You can also use your smartphone as a GPS, so make sure to purchase a prepaid SIM card that will help you keep in touch with your loved ones no matter where you are.
Safety & Security
When riding abroad, that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. While it’s exciting to head around Europe on your motorbike, there are lots of security tips that you must take into account first, such as ensuring your bike is secured to something solid should you need to leave it, and never keep your bike lock key and ignition key together. If you find yourself in the unfortunate event of having something stolen, it must be reported to the police straight away.
Before heading on your European motorbike adventure, making use of all the tips listed above will help you stay safe and protected on the road.