Motorcycle touring for beginners: start small, then go

A motorcycle with a bag strapped on for a trip — Photo by LouisMoto on Unsplash

Motorcycle touring for beginners starts with the bike you already own and one night away. Ride somewhere 100 to 150 miles from home, stay in a B&B or a pub, and ride back the next day by a different road. Then do a long weekend, then a week in the UK or a short trip to France. Each step tells you what you need to change before the next one.

A path from first night away to first trip abroad

One night away. 100 to 150 miles each way, somewhere with a good road on the way.
A long weekend. Three days, a loop, two different places to stay.
A week in the UK. Wales, the Lakes, the Dales or Scotland, with a rest day in the middle.
A short trip abroad. Five days in Normandy or the Ardennes, off a short crossing.
The big one. The Alps, the Pyrenees or northern Spain, once you know your miles a day and your kit.

Two adventure motorcycles on a country road

You can skip steps if you are confident. Skipping the first one is a mistake, because it is the cheapest way to find out what does not work.

You do not need a touring bike

People tour on everything from 125s to big adventure bikes. A comfortable seat, a tank that goes 120 miles or more and somewhere to fix luggage matter more than the type of bike. A sports bike is harder work over a long day because of the riding position, but plenty of people tour on them.

A row of touring motorcycles parked side by side

If the bike has not had a service recently, get one before the first long trip, and go through our bike check before a tour so you know the tyres, chain and brakes are up to it.

Luggage: keep the weight off your back

My first night away on a bike was with everything in a rucksack. My shoulders ached for two days after. Before the next trip I bought a set of soft panniers, and I have not ridden with a rucksack since.

For a beginner, soft luggage is the cheap way in. A tail bag or a roll bag strapped to the pillion seat, plus a tank bag for the things you need during the day, is enough for a weekend. Add soft panniers for a week. Hard cases are more secure and more waterproof, but they cost a lot more and need a rack fitted to the bike.

An adventure motorcycle with hard panniers and a top box, parked by a mountain road — Photo by Marek Boura on Unsplash

Keep heavy things low and forward, check the straps at every fuel stop on the first day, and make sure nothing can reach the chain, the rear wheel or the exhaust.

Kit that keeps you dry and warm

Being cold and wet is what ends most first trips early. On my first wet day touring, my cheap over-trousers let water in at the crotch within an hour, and I spent the afternoon sitting in it. If your jacket and trousers are not properly waterproof, carry a separate rain suit that goes over the top, and test it with a hose at home.

Take layers rather than one thick jumper, waterproof gloves as well as summer ones, and a dry bag inside each pannier even if the panniers claim to be waterproof. Our touring packing list covers the rest, and it is shorter than you would think.

Riding a loaded bike

With luggage on, the bike is heavier at low speed, takes longer to stop and feels different through bends. Ride a short loop near home with it fully loaded before you go. Set the tyre pressures and suspension for the load as your handbook says. Take the first hour of the trip gently while you get used to it.

Turning a loaded bike round on a slope or a gravel car park is where most beginners drop it. Look at where you are parking before you ride in, and if the ground slopes, park facing out.

A rider on a loaded bike on a gravel track

Where to stay

For a first trip, book the beds. B&Bs, pubs with rooms and small hotels are used to bikes, and many have somewhere off the road to park. Ask about parking when you book. Camping saves money but adds a lot of weight and packing time, so try it on a weekend before a week.

Solo or with others

Riding alone means your own pace, your own stops and no waiting. Riding with a friend means someone to help with a puncture and someone to eat with. For a first trip, one or two other riders you know well is easier than a big group, which is slower and needs more organising. If you do go as a group, the tour planner lets everyone follow the same plan and tick off their own paperwork.

A rider on an adventure bike among big mountains

Your first trip abroad

When you are ready, Normandy or the Ardennes off a short crossing is a gentle start. The main changes are riding on the right, the paperwork and different road signs. Our checklist before you leave covers the documents a UK rider needs, with links to GOV.UK.

Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, on the Normandy beaches and Mont-Saint-Michel

Ardenne Abbey, on the Normandy beaches and Mont-Saint-Michel

For the steps from dates to beds, read how to plan a motorcycle tour. And for one rider's honest list of what went wrong the first time, read Mark's piece on his first motorcycle tour.

Motorcycle touring for beginners