Adventure Bike Rider Forum

You will be fine with a 125. I did a lot of travelling like that on one and enjoyed it immensely. Don't try pushing too fast as the engine will be working a bit harder but that's not much issue at this time of year. With panniers the weight distribution should be better than a top box. Bring some black bags, even better put the stuff in the bags and then into the panniers. Just in case of rain. If you are cooking up dinner, one option is the fish supper as was said, the other is buy a darn nice piece of meat and some things. Experiment at home with one pot cooking, there is a lot you can do with just the one. Either way be safe and enjoy it.

Most of us older guys will always help out someone like yourself, so if you go somewhere, say hello and if you have any bother don't be afraid to ask. You should be fine.

Not sure if it's been covered

Small bag of screws nuts and bolts incase any come loose and you lose them en route - keep in tools along with zip ties, small amount of gaffa tape, electrical tape and spare fuses. Small tin WD40 etc

Doesn't take up much space but is invaluable

optimisery wrote:Hi all,

I'm planning my first overnight camping trip on my bike to Fort William either next weekend or the weekend after.

I'm just trying to get together a list of any essentials I still need to buy, so would appreciate any input.

I'll be staying on a camp site.

List of everything so far:

Tent
Sleeping Bag
Bag Liner
Sleeping Mat
Pillow
Tarp
Head Torch

Trangia Cooker (must get Meths & Lighter)
Cooking Utensils
Cup
Cutlery
Bowl

Change of clothes
Toiletries
Towel
Hair Straighteners ( :laugh: I joke - though have seen some 12v ones :laugh: )

Camera
Mobile
Book

Chain Lube
Tyre Plugging Kit
Green Flag Number

Thanks in advance.

A mate and I are going to Scotland on Saturday for a night camping. Where do you live?

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Tour Monkey wrote:
A mate and I are going to Scotland on Saturday for a night camping. Where do you live?

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Where you heading?

I'm actually in Scotland, in Musselburgh (Nr Edinburgh), so Fort William is actually only a 300 mile round trip for me.

Have you sorted your route? On L plates I'm sure you already know you can't use the motorway.

The only way out to the Forth Bridge now without touching Motorway is the A90 Queensferry Road. Either round the bypass all the way to the Gyle shopping centre, turn right, turn next left at the petrol station and head down the Maybury Road (top end of the airport) down to Cramond Brig.

The bypass is all dual carriageway and runs just like a motorway though and the YBR struggles to pull 55 mph at the best of times, without being loaded with camping gear. If you got trucks overtaking you and car's coming past 30mph faster than you it's not very pleasant or safe.

For that reason I'd consider heading into Portobello, Leith, along Davidsons Mains and out to Cramond Brig that way.

Once over the bridge you hit motorway at the very first junction, so you need to exit and go through Rosyth and Dunfermline. Then I'd recommend heading up past Knockhill racing circuit and onto Crieff that way.

I've posted a link below to the route I would take on a 125.

http://goo.gl/maps/Xk3aJ

In that route I've adjusted it so you turn left after the Green Welly at Tyndrum and head along to Benderloch, then up the coast road to Ballachulich. I've done that because the speed of the traffic on those roads will be better matched to that of your 125. While the scenery is great on the A82 through Glencoe the road is fast and straight and at this time of year when there little tourist traffic to slow it down it is empty and cars will come barrelling down there at 80mph, not paying an awful lot of attention because it's so quiet.

Same applies to the stretch of A82 you are going to have to do between Lochearnhead and Tydrum because it's the only road.

If you do go up the A82 ride defensively taking up you position on the road, not in the gutter as taught on your CBT, if they try to bully their way past and you're already in the gutter you've nowhere to go, and they are more likely to squeeze through against oncoming traffic because you've given them a gap to do it with, make them slow down and make them use the opposite side of the road to overtake you properly, if you feel they are a bit close as they come past then you can move to the left. Watch your mirrors for fast approaching traffic so you can move to the left if it looks like they are not giving you much room at all or they just haven't seen you.

If you do go via Benderloch don't get confused when you see the bridge with no way to turn left onto it, you go underneath the bridge, follow the road round to the right, then turn right. You are going 270 degrees right, not 90 degrees left.

Don't worry about any of the above, just be aware of it, be confident and be in charge of your space on the road.

Have a great trip!!

Hi Ralph,

Many thanks for the taking the time to plan a route (thumbs) much appreciated, I was just going to head via West Lothian, Stirling / A84 / A82, but I am more than happy changing to your suggested route for less agro. Thank you

Although not riding long, I've soon learnt to ride defensively, I move for no one. Having an L plate certainly doesn't help with all the drivers that just HAVE to get past you even in 30/40 zones... I think I would be much safer if it happened to fall off :whistle:

Thanks again for your help

Good work Ralph, that route sound great! I'm a big fan of planning my roads but I learnt last year that its not always that east to stick to them. I found that if I lost my route the best plan was to relax and head on in vaguely the right direction.

Have fun Opt and I hope the sun shines on you

Take some midge repellent, the bastards will eat you alive if the weathers right. There is one that is very effective but cant remember its name, as its not actually a repellent, its a sort of moisturiser I think. I'm sure someone will tell me what it is

Also, please take a few empty plastic bags to dispose of your rubbish, as there is nothing worse than locating an excellent wild camping site, only to find it littered with beer cans/bottles, food wrappers etc etc. Try and leave it as nature intended for the next responsible visitor (thumbs)

Last September in a wee camping spot at the side of one of the Lochs in Scotland, the previous occupiers left it like a real 'Shit Hole' Lots of empty beer containers etc and even the remains of a proper cheap BBQ which they had tried to burn on their campfire

On that point, take a 'Fire Log' or two, an excellent aid to getting a campfire going. Nothing better than a campfire with a few beers if the weather allows

Enjoy (thumbs)

I did think about a West Lothian route, but it's quite nadgery with lots of 30 limits, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Polmont, Grangemouth, Falkirk, Stirling, it doesn't really matter which road you take up that way you get snarled up in town somewhere, whereas cross the Forth Bridge and your into clear country roads all the way from Dunfermline to Fort William.

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Heff wrote:Take some midge repellent, the bastards will eat you alive if the weathers right. There is one that is very effective but cant remember its name, as its not actually a repellent, its a sort of moisturiser I think. I'm sure someone will tell me what it is

avon skin so soft :whistle: