There’s nothing quite like going away on your bike for days on end, especially with mates. Don’t believe us? Try it and see!

Ah, there’s something special about getting ready to go away on your bike for a long journey. It’s not like a track day, where nerves can often get the best of even the most confident of pilots. Touring is an entirely different feel; the anticipation builds beautifully whether you’ve a specific destination in mind, or your trip has been meticulously planned, or even if you’re winging it.

Who knows what will happen, what biking joys you’ll savour or what you’ll stumble across – and if it’s with a group of like-minded mates, so much the better!

There are many seasoned tourers out there, but the fact for us sportsbikers is simply that our preferred type of bike is actually the very best to go touring on. It’s true! While a racy riding position may give you grief for the first day or so, after that your body beds in, and then your knees and elbows become like suspension themselves, whereas on any upright naked or tourer all your weight goes directly through your arse – and this becomes uncomfortable later in the journey, which is far worse than at the beginning.

Another boon is the ability, should you need to do motorway work, to be able to cruise much faster as you’ve got a fairing. And then, the end game – when you’ve got where you’re going, you have the very best bike to enjoy twisty exciting roads on. Unless you’ve a genuine physical complaint that stops you from riding sportsbikes, ignore the naysayers and take that ace superbike touring, trust us!

TOURING TYPES

Everyone is different in their approach, but when it comes to touring, most fall into one of two categories. Both have their pros and cons, as follows…

The Planners

Planners either want their first tour to go perfectly, or are old hands who meticulously pre-arrange every day, road, hotel, even where to eat! This is definitely the most sensible approach though, and one which the majority understandably take when planning a trip, especially shorter ones. Be wary however, if things go awry (no matter how much ‘if things go awry’ planning one may do), having such a set schedule can work against you