Hi all, i live in Poole, Dorset looking for a K100 to take my son touring with a sidecar, i currently ride a Strom 1000 and have just returned from a solo trip to south of spain.

I'm always keen to meet new people and see new places so any meets coming up i maybe interested. Happy New Year.
Cheers Biggy

Hi Biggy. Welcome to the forum. Friend of mine used to have a K100 outfit with leading links. Neat job if you are into that sort of thing.
Wanted to ask you. You say that you did a solo trip to Spain. What is your opinion on solo touring?
I've done a few trips with 4 or 5 others but like the idea of pleasing myself about where to go and when to stop. I enjoy myself when doing day trips of 2 or 300 miles on my own. Any tips for going solo longer and further?

Hello Big foot.

Welcome to the K100 forum.

As you wish to have a sidecar, you must know that the K100 requires the installation of a sub-frame in order to attach one.
When I bought my K100, I was with the same intention, but I have not had the time to work on this project.

Cheers

Bert

Hi Big Foot, Looking forward to your solo touring thoughts and welcome to the forum.
Regards,
K-BIKE

Hi guys,

My thoughts on Solo Touring, well like most of us i've toured normally with a mate or two. This time i left home, family and friends on my own heading across Spain from Santander to Algerciras where i was to meet an Italian chap i'd met through (horizonsunlimited website). The plan was to ride across Spain as quickly as possible meet up with him then next stop Morocco. Well i done my bit rode like hell late into the night reaching Merida where i had to stay as it was late, then i left early in the morning reaching Algerciras for the planned meet.
He never arrived due to an alleged breakdown, first excuse was a broken stand, then hand gaurds and finally an electrical problem. I booked into the AC hotel for the night at a cost of 75euros to await his arrival the next day, more phone calls, more waiting, more money later a phone call to say he would be around 3 to 4 days before his bike would be fixed.
I decided to head off alone and try to enjoy the time i had left, unfortunately i didn't go to Morocco as i was quite down by this time, after all the weeks of planning, money spent, Insurances etc arranged it all felt a waste and not through my fault.
I crossed the border into Gibraltar and had a ride round the Rock, Europa point etc, then booked into the Bristol Hotel headed into town for good old Cod n Chips and a nice pint of English Ale (seemed abit bazaar riding all that way in a short space of time to eat fish n chips, speak English and drink London Pride). My mood started to change and when i left Gib a couple days later after a walk up the Rock etc i was chirpy and back in the saddle heading east along the coast road enjoying the views to Benalmadena where i stayed two nights in a lovely family run hotel.
My Partner back home had moved my ferry departure time home from Santander forward a couple days, so i left Benalmadena and headed north over the mountains and through some of the most amazing scenery of the trip, the weather was pretty dank and cold but i plugged in my borrowed heated jacket and decided to keep going, now heading west to Seville where i got a bit lost at rush hour (scary but fun). When i found the correct road north i pinned the throttle back to Merida to the hotel where i had stayed on the way down, i was greeted like a long lost friend when the manager saw me. In the morning i rode back to Santander for 7hrs in some of the coldest, windiest weather i've ever ridden in only to find the ferry was cancelled due to bad weather, well whats a man to do now? i thought as i found a hotel and went out to do a study of all the bars in Santander.

Would i do it again? Damn right i would but with a trusted friend or on my own, once i had got over the dissapointment of being let down i realised it was probably for the best, if he had of turned up it might have ruined the whole trip and i wouldn't of met some of the wonderfull people i met in Spain.

All i can say is go for it, i'm always dreaming of where next and still smile at some of the thoughts and conversations i had inside my plastic dome.

Sorry it wasn't ment to be that long got carried away haha Happy New Year.

Jim

Good advice there and as you say if you do travel alone you are not dependent upon others and if you are a self reliant sort of person then the comfort safety net of having someone along in case is largely illusory anyway. Since if there is a problem unless you are riding with a big van full of spares and a pit crew like certain well known long distance travellers who make videos of their escorted tours then it is pretty much up to you to fix it, whatever it is.

So good on you for doing the trip and I am interested to know if you chose to take any spares and if so what you took?
Regards,
K-BIKE

K-BIKE wrote: I am interested to know if you chose to take any spares and if so what you took?

Ned was asking the same question and I just replied to him (Touring spares and equipment)

I and I am sure others would still like to know what Biggy took if anything, enquiring minds want to know as they say.
Regards,
K-BIKE

I didn't take much in the way of spare bike parts, i was riding my 07 Strom 1000 which only had 8'000 on the clock, i serviced it before i left and made sure i had full European breakdown cover tagged on my insurance.
I did however take an array of consumables, cable ties, electrical terminals, spare wire, insulation tape, heat shrink, superglue, jubilee clips, tyre weld, tubless puncture repair plugs with small compressed air cylinders, 12v compressor, various nuts and bolts, two spark plugs, a small but comprehensive tool kit, jump leads, a couple ratchet straps to tie bike down to truck if need be also double as towing strap was about it really.

Thanks Jim,
Useful comment and sensible list of bits for a new bike too.
Regards,
K-BIKE

cheers biggy ....hope your riding days are awesome ....

Wow. You carry more stuff for a new bike than I do for my old clunkers.

Thats nothing Stout, i got a mate who carried a spare battery when he was a courier haha