nerrrd

So last weekend I decided to supplement my reading about other people's motorcycle touring trips and have a go at a short trip of my own.

I've always liked the 'idea' of camping, and managed to buy a tent and self inflating mattress on special on Saturday, took a look at the map and decided it was a relatively straight run to Napier from Auckland.

Wasn't sure I was actually going until Sunday morning when I headed south with a minimum of planning. Here's some observations from the trip.

I got long-distance tunnel vision. I know that the best way to tour is to stop frequently for a stretch and a bite to eat, but every time I spotted a 'rest area' I found a reason not to pull in and told myself I'll get the next one...until I got to the point of saying well, I'm nearly there, I might as well keep going.

My bike will do 300kms on the open road before hitting reserve, so fuel stops weren't a priority. Ended up only stopping twice on the way down, once on the way back, got pretty uncomfortable at times but pushed on through it. I see why it's a good idea to plan stops in advance.

Also found my mind wandering at times - I do this a lot off the bike and was hoping burbling along at 100 kph would help focus my attention, but still caught myself thinking about other things on a fairly regular basis, again I guess shorter stints would help. Also found it hard to maintain a consistent speed, and was constantly having to adjust my grip on the throttle, which was annoying. Need more practice.

As much as there are a few things about my bike that I don't like, it never put a foot wrong. At a recent service they pumped the tyre pressures up to the low 40s psi (I usually keep it mid 30s) so I was unsure about this but no problems, supposed to improve the handling and make the tyres last longer apparently (I couldn't feel any difference).

On camping...I encountered a few logistical wrinkles which I'll hopefully iron out next time. The ground was too hard to get the pegs all the way in even with the (admittedly small) hammer I took, luckily the weather was calm so the tent stayed up overnight. The mattress worked surprisingly well, but it was a restless night.

I seemed to run out of room even though I was only staying one night and left things like my camera and tablet at home, couldn't get the free wifi to work with my phone (which struggles with its cellular connection at the best of times), so I was glad I took a good, old-fashioned paperback and a torch.

Was also a bit paranoid at having to leave my stuff unattended quite often, but it all made it home with me. Is it worth using a cable lock to try and secure things strapped to the bike, I wonder? Or do thieves prefer a challenge, perhaps...

Overall it was an experience, and I hope to do it better next time.