Travelling to Athens

Professor Xavier

Instead of splashing out on a package holiday this year I am thinking about investing in a second hand bike which will get me from here to Athens. It's a 3700 km journey and I was hoping to do it as a round trip. Any advise on what the minimum cc I would need to do this journey as I don't think my 125cc bike will cut it?

GBX

Professor Xavier wrote: »

Instead of splashing out on a package holiday this year I am thinking about investing in a second hand bike which will get me from here to Athens. It's a 3700 km journey and I was hoping to do it as a round trip. Any advise on what the minimum cc I would need to do this journey as I don't think my 125cc bike will cut it?

Lads have done round the world trips on Honda 50 and 90s so your 125 would get you there no problem. Something with more power maybe a vfr800 or a thousand fazer??
Are you on a restriction on your license or do u just ride a 125?

Professor Xavier

I did a round trip from Dublin to Belfast on a 125 and I had electrical and fuel gauge problems afterwards. Yes, I'm on a provisional licence since Nov which means I can do the test round may.

Wonda-Boy

Madness IMHO doing that kind of thing on anything less then a 600cc, fair enough if its a charity event but for a nice bike break a 600cc or bigger is ideal. I have a restricted FZ6 and I am going to Germany in the summer hopefully for a short spin. You can pick up a lot of retricted 600 bikes, but buy asap as the prices go up nearer the summer.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I'd agree, 600cc is the minimum I'd be looking at too.

If you have the legs for it there's a nice BMW F650 Dakar on DD at the moment, going for slightly over two grand.. Nice comfy bike, long suspension travel and lots of load carrying capacity with those bikes.

Other costs you might want to factor in a 7000k trip is a full service before you set off, possibly new tyres either before you set off or sometime into the journey.. Hard and/or soft panniers can cost a few bob too.

ogriofa

That sounds like a good trip!
You'll need a decent sized bike, as the lads say 600 or more.

A 125 a grand for commuting. Its even dooable for an across Ireland (I've done it), but on a trip like that it'll get really annoying really fast. You need to be making progress or you'll go mad. The irish trip was frustrating, Greece would be maddening and you'd run out of time.

What type of person are you? Deauville? BMW GS? Street bike?

Wonda-Boy

Sure you could cook the meals off the 125cc engine every time you stop the thing would be GLOWING RED!!!!

650Ginge

Professor Xavier wrote: »

I did a round trip from Dublin to Belfast on a 125 and I had electrical and fuel gauge problems afterwards. Yes, I'm on a provisional licence since Nov which means I can do the test round may.

So you know you didn't have either a license or insurance north of the border. A provisional Irish license is only valid in ireland. PSNI will hammer you.

KamiKazi

650Ginge wrote: »

So you know you didn't have either a license or insurance north of the border. A provisional Irish license is only valid in ireland. PSNI will hammer you.

Wonda-Boy

650Ginge wrote: »

So you know you didn't have either a license or insurance north of the border. A provisional Irish license is only valid in ireland. PSNI will hammer you.

Only if you are acting the bollox TBH, been up and down the north endless times with lads on a "greenie" (have a full licence myself)and unless you are speeding or being a total asshole on the bike you are fine.

If you have a smack thats another thing, the PSNI are usually spot on unless you give them a reason not to be.

Hotblack Desiato

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Madness IMHO doing that kind of thing on anything less then a 600cc

The summer after I got my full licence, I did a tour right down to the south of France, around and around the French Alps and lots of mountain passes, northern Italy, Switzerland, southern Germany, then up through most of Gemany in one day on the autobahn, up to Calais, across Britain, and home, about 3000-3500 miles in all on a GS500 and the only problem was a slow puncture. Even with a load of bags strapped to the bike it could cruise all day at 90-100MPH on the autobahn, you don't need more power than that (whatever about want )

tadcan

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Sure you could cook the meals off the 125cc engine every time you stop the thing would be GLOWING RED!!!!

Not if you were on a varadero 125, they can go the distance. But yeah with any weight a lower cc bike will loose power on hills etc.

650Ginge

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Only if you are acting the bollox TBH, been up and down the north endless times with lads on a "greenie" (have a full licence myself)and unless you are speeding or being a total asshole on the bike you are fine.

If you have a smack thats another thing, the PSNI are usually spot on unless you give them a reason not to be.

I totally agree always found the PSNI grand. Originally from the north.

You never know when something you aren't expecting will happen. No license and no insurance in NI you will get a trip to a cell, guaranteed. But if know better....

Sorry to derail thread...

Wonda-Boy

ninja900 wrote: »

The summer after I got my full licence, I did a tour right down to the south of France, around and around the French Alps and lots of mountain passes, northern Italy, Switzerland, southern Germany, then up through most of Gemany in one day on the autobahn, up to Calais, across Britain, and home, about 3000-3500 miles in all on a GS500 and the only problem was a slow puncture. Even with a load of bags strapped to the bike it could cruise all day at 90-100MPH on the autobahn, you don't need more power than that (whatever about want )

Yeah, 600/500 not alot in it. But a 125cc.....FORGEDDABOWIT! :P

The Don

Whatever bike your looking at I would recommend against oil cooled bikes. A friend has done a good bit of touring including Athens on a GSF 600 S Bandit. In the hotter climates he had to stop every so often to let it cool down whereas the water cooled bikes were fine. I think it was particularly bad in Athens due to the heat and being stuck in traffic.

Another issue to be aware of is the tar on the roads that far south will more than likely be melted in the cities/towns. Just increase your stopping distance and you'll be fine.

This'll give you an idea of what I mean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9TKenRrb3k

szatan84

Ive been around ireland on my CBR125R. Had it on motorways with engine doing around 9k revs to be at 100kph. Temperature never went above one fifth which is where it always is. Cant see that changing unless there is something wrong with cooling.

Wonda-Boy

szatan84 wrote: »

Ive been around ireland on my CBR125R. Had it on motorways with engine doing around 9k revs to be at 100kph. Temperature never went above one fifth which is where it always is. Cant see that changing unless there is something wrong with cooling.

Thats fine m8 for 20 mins or so on a motorway, but when travelling across Europe you could be at that speed for 2-3 hrs none stop on motorways its a lot for a 125cc to deal with. You betcha life it aint gonna stay that temp. for prolonged periods of time in double maybe triple the humidty we get over here.

Hotblack Desiato

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Yeah, 600/500 not alot in it.

I later owned a 600 that made almost 3 times the power of that 500, so there can be a lot in it