Motorcycle travel tips for your next NC500 adventure
Whether you seek to cruise along the endless stretches of coastline along The Black Isle or explore off the beaten track, there’s plenty to experience thanks to the beautifully diverse landscape of the North Coast 500. But before you head off on your adventure, you’ll need to make sure you have everything you need. From packing tips to travel hacks, this article covers everything you need to know before embarking on your road-trip.
The bike
If you’re an avid adventure biker, you’re bound to own a few bikes. So first and foremost, choose your ride keeping in mind comfort, mileage and reliability. If you’re planning on covering a lot of miles over a long-period of time, you’ll want something that’s comfortable. Next, make sure your bike is appropriately insured and recently serviced – the last thing you want to do is break down before you’ve even begun.
Security
When you’re on-the-road, you need a security product that is lightweight, easy to carry and use, but strong enough to protect your bike, the Squire MOTOLOK incredibly tough range of Sold Secure Gold and Diamond rated locks for motorcycles are designed to protect your bike to the highest level.
Full details of the complete Squire Motolok – On The Go range can be viewed here.
Packing tips and tricks
Once you’ve got the bike sorted, you’ll need to think about luggage. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can utilise the space on your bike. One way is investing in a good quality saddle bag that you can harness on the backseat of your bike, or you could look into buying a tank bag which magnetically hugs your tank and is great for light items. You could also buy a tail-bag that can be bungeed to the backseat if you are riding solo.
Even if the bags you’re taking are waterproof, consistent heavy rain could still soak through which is why it’s always a good idea to bring waterproof zip-top bags or even thick bin bags to keep your essentials dry.
As well as choosing the right bag, you need to choose what you’re going to pack – keep it light yet practical. Here’s a list of the things you might need to pack:
- Ear plugs
Riding on busy roads can be very loud, and the pressure of the intense sound could damage your hearing – which is why it can be a good idea to wear ear plugs when you’re riding on a main road.
Even if you’ve already planned your route and you’re avoiding busy roads, you may as well pack them just in case you are forced to change course – besides, they are so lightweight and small, it won’t hurt to take them along.
- Motorcycle cover
Whether you’re planning a short weekend trip or you’re going on a month-long adventure, you may want to pack a motorcycle cover to keep your bike dry and clean overnight. A bike cover can also discourage thieves.
Waterproof/insulated gear
Packing a waterproof one-piece suit to wear over your leathers can come in very handy if the weather takes a turn for the worse – which is always a possibility in Scotland!
Waterproof boots are also a must-have, unless you don’t mind the thought of riding along with soggy socks all day! If you’re taking a winter road-trip, you should also think about packing heated or insulated gear to keep warm.
- Food and water
Staying hydrated is very important, especially if you’re riding in hot weather or for long-periods of time. To avoid becoming dehydrated, you should take a reusable water bottle and try and fill up every time you stop, to ensure you always have a stash of water.
If you’re going on a long trip where you might be exposed to the sun for long hours at a time, a backpack hydration system can also be a good idea. While taking food is not a necessity because you’re bound to take a few breaks at local cafés and eateries, it can come in handy if you’re riding somewhere more remote.
- First aid kit
No matter how long you are riding for or where you’re going, packing a well-equipped first aid kit is an essential that should never be overlooked.
- Documents
In case you need them for some reason, make sure you pack all your necessary documents, including your ID, insurance and roadside assistance information. Keep them in a secure, waterproof place to protect them from the elements and to save them from getting misplaced.
- Spare key
Always take a spare key! The last thing you want to happen is to lose your key on a road-trip and end up stranded somewhere. You could keep the key on your person at all times – perhaps in your wallet or in a secure pocket – but if you’re still worried that you might lose it, you could hide it on your bike using duct tape or a zip-tie.
If you’re travelling with a few biker buddies, you could even trade spare keys so you’re all looking out for each other.
- Toolkit
If you’re savvy with a bike, bring a small toolkit made up of wrenches, sockets and other tools in case you have any minor mechanical issues. These are more likely to happen on a long ride than on your daily commute.
If you are going on a particularly long trip, you could also bring other tools that may be useful. These might include things like air pumps, torches, hazard lights, cable ties, duct tape, spare spark plugs and engine oil.
Handy apps
There are plenty of apps specifically designed for motorcycle adventurers that can come in very handy on a road-trip. Here are a couple of the most popular and easy-to-use apps available:
- EatSleepRIDE
EatSleepRIDE is one of the most popular and versatile motorbike apps available. The app allows you to record your ride, replay, save and share the route with fellow bikers. What’s more impressive is that you can also visualise your ride and track your mileage, speed, lean angle and elevation on a map.
EatSleepRIDE can share your location with other nearby riders who also use the app, so that if you’re riding with a group and you’ve been split up, you can easily find them and they can find you. The app also locates the best motorcycle-friendly roads near you, so you don’t miss out on any epic routes.
- Best Biking Roads
As you can probably tell from its name, this app is solely designed to find the best biking roads and routes – perfect for any biker on the open road. Best Biking Roads not only locates the best routes near your location, it also offers routes by country, region or text search. So if you’re manually searching for a particular place, the app will find the best routes around that chosen area.
You can also review existing routes, input your own comments, and add new roads so you can keep a good track of your adventures and share them with other bikers.
Travel hacks
- Carry cash
It might seem like a given, but having cash on hand can be very useful and is often forgotten or overlooked. While most places take card, you may come across a few which take cash only, especially if you’re riding somewhere more remote.
- Plan your miles carefully
Planning the amount of miles you’ll cover each day can make the journey run far more smoothly. But be realistic. Packing in 200 miles each day isn’t a wise choice, especially when there’s so much to see and do along the North Coast 500. Take regular breaks, stretch your limbs, stop for a nice cold beverage and a bite to eat and you’ll feel far more relaxed and ready to hit the road again.
- Book your room in advance
Even if you’re only a few miles away from the nearest hotel, it can help if you give them a ring before you get there. Sometimes, you can get a better rate if you book in advance rather than if you just walk in.
- Avoid riding towards the sun
While this one can be difficult to avoid, riding towards the sun when it’s low can really strain your eyes. So try and plan your breakfast and dinner times near sunrise or sunset, so you don’t have to ride towards the blinding sun.
Don’t forget to check out our Top Tips section for some important Road Safety information before you head out on your bike.
